Can you believe that these are drawings? I’ve always admired people with drawing skills so precise they look like they’re actually photographs, but these drawings by Paul Cadden blow almost anything I’ve ever seen out of the water – what he calls “hyperrealist”.
Of all of the amazing things that I saw in India, I think that the jingle trucks were by far my favorite. All over Indian highways there are these Tata trucks that each driver fully customizes to their own liking, painting them brilliant colors, adding eyes to the back and front of the truck, dangling pompoms and tassels from every available point. They’re all totally unique, and often made even more so by their unique horns – every time I heard them they would send me into hysterics. meepMEEPmeepMEEPmeepMEEP or boopBOOP-beeeeep-boopBOOP-beep and so on, passing you at breakneck speeds and with mere inches to spare on each side.
If you’d like to learn bit more about these amazing trucks, click here for an in-depth history.
I am completely bowled over by these miniature bonsai sculptures/architectural models by Takanori Aiba. The level of detail is just astounding.
I’ve always really been struck by Josh Keyes’ work, and the juxtaposition between completely disparate elements. There’s a certain cheekiness to his paintings, the message of which is only bolstered by his evident skill with a brush. Click here to see more of his paintings.
His official biography:
“Josh Keyes was born in Tacoma, Washington. He received a BFA in 1992 from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an MFA in 1998 from Yale. Eighteenth-century aesthetics and philosophies, particularly those of the Neoclassical and Romantic movements, shape his work. Keyes is drawn to the clinical and often cold vocabulary of scientific textbook illustrations, which express the empirical “truth” of the world and natural phenomena. He infuses into a rational stage set many references to contemporary events along with images and themes from his personal mythology and experience. These elements come together in an unsettling vision, one that speaks to the hope, fear, and anxiety of our time. Keyes currently lives and works in Portland Oregon with his wife, graphic designer Lisa Ericson.”
You can find some amazingly well-designed and hilarious stereotype maps over at Alpha Designer – I’ve just showcased perspectives of the world according to Americans but there’s a whole variety of stereotypes to be had. Click here to see just how many ways you can view the world!
If you’ve ever discovered a lost roll of film, forgotten in a box somewhere, and thrilled at the possibilities that it contains, this project is for you. Brendan Corrigan captured amazing images of cameras that he purchased secondhand containing undiscovered treasures in the films inside. He displays these alongside the actual photographs that came out of the camera. It’s an amazing look into small moments in total strangers lives. There’s something so endearing and yet totally voyeuristic about it. It’s almost like looking at memories that someone else has forgotten, or that have disappeared into the haze of time.
I saw these works in a gallery recently and was totally charmed by these colorful, playful little birds.
The good news is that you can get your own! How fabulous would they look in a little grouping on your wall? I like grouping small works like this vertically in those little spaces on the wall that seem to not be a fit for anything else. Find these and more at Bird Babble.
On the first Friday of every month, Denver hosts an event called “First Fridays”, where all of the art galleries throw open their doors and crack open the booze and everyone has a great time drinking and looking at great art. It’s become increasingly popular over the years, which is great, as the lineup of galleries is only expanding. I usually try to get down for every one but it doesn’t always happen. Most of the time the art that I see seems to be pretty amateur hour, but every great once in a while I see some amazing things. Here’s a roundup of the best finds from this month’s art walk.
1. Beautiful landscapes with unexpected figural images really caught my imagination. Allen Birnbach is an amazingly technically skilled photographer with a beautiful vision.
2. Something about these tiny geographical sculptures from John Solo really struck me. I think it might be my affection for miniatures, but perhaps its just the unexpected nature of their containers.
3. I like the colorful, gestural qualities of Laura Moretz’s work – to me, it looks like an emotion rendered in paint.
4. It’s rare that I see something that I covet and would hang on my wall for all eternity, but this painting specifically (and the rest of her work generally) I would put up in a heartbeat. Check out Mai Wyn Schantz’s portfolio for more amazing landscape images. Also, she paints them on aluminum and stainless panels – genius!
I can’t believe that I’ve never seen these drawings before – I came across them one day digging around on the internet for something and I was simply stunned. The colors, the attention to detail – it made my scientist/artist heart go pitter-patter.
It’s not always easy to find all of the pictures but I tracked down a site where the guy scanned all of the original pages of this amazing book, which you can find here. Happy hunting!
These small compositions are so thoughtful and well placed, and the fact that they’re created from bits of trash picked up off of the beach makes them even more compelling in my opinion.
find more of anke paap’s beach collections here (the site is in german, fyi)
Anna Atkins is considered to be the first woman photographer in the world. She produced a series of books that were cyanotypes of different types of British Algae. There’s something about their simplicity that is just absolutely beautiful.
Did you ever make sun prints when you were a kid? This is the same process, only she was one of the first people to actually utilize the technology. I’ve been interested in starting to play with this process again, and I was amazed to discover Anna Atkins while doing a little digging.
Only a few of the books she produced remain, and they are of course difficult to get your hands on. Luckily for the world, you can see a set of many of her images here (which is where the above photos were found).
One of my friends requested several designs for her boyfriend for christmas, and I was happy to oblige – sometimes I feel like I need a kick in the pants (as well as a purpose) to devote time to any design work anymore. Seem to be a lot of other things going on that take precedence. She wanted to highlight the places that he’s lived in his life – Washington DC, New York, New Orleans, and London. Obviously very iconic cities so it was a bit of a challenge to do it justice. These prints are very specific to the jobs and activities he was doing in the various cities but I think they speak to an overall feeling as well.
Though there are many objective reasons why I could say that I love this music video from Sigur Ros (the costuming, the music itself, the setting) there is something about this video that just absolutely touches my soul.
Sigur Ros – Glosoli from David Kabot on Vimeo.
Do you have any videos that do the same for you?
