Things to Look Up

Fernando Vicente: http://fernandovicente.es/

Sayaka Ganz: http://www.sayakaganz.com/Home.html

Peter Callesen: http://www.petercallesen.com/index/index2.html

Alexis Marcou: http://alexismarcou.com/

Neo Modern Guy Denning (also Antony Micallef): http://www.signalgallery.com/guydenningadnausea.htm?gclid=COun7PWemaACFZdM5QodAzQgdw & http://www.antonymicallef.com/gallery.php

Illustrators that'll eat you for breakfast

Ariel Olivetti and Dave Mckean are two heavy hitting illustrators. Dave Mckean's Arkham Asylum is just rediculous to say the least. Throughout the entire novel and feeding off the story, every frame is executed with an exellent dark and dingy mood which adds such a great depth to the saga. And that's just one of Mckean's interests. The guy does everything from album covers to movies to comics to tarot cards. He's a madman. Olivetti's blend of the muscle bound hero and the natural gestures which his figures find life in is just as impressive. If you're a fan of illusntration and artists who are defining new boundaries, check these two guys out.

Ariel's website --> http://www.arielolivetti.com.ar/
Dave's website --> http://www.mckean-art.co.uk/

We're Going Old School SON!

So i spent some time in a certain Strand Book store. Firstly: Used or new, the store is the mecca of book stores. If you were Chewbacca, it would be your Millennium Falcon. Secondly: I spent far too much time in the arts section revisiting some old favorites of mine and not enough time purchasing gifts for the holiday season. As a direct consequence of this, I would like to tip the ol' proverbial hat to a couple oldies but goodies, namely Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. Ladies and Gentlemen, Egon and Gustav.







Their work is everywhere so website links are....well...pointless. Also, the Frames have some great music that they recorded live off an album titled "Here Comes the Night" that references Egon. Glen Hansard speaks about it during the recording. If that's your thing CHECK IT, if not, EAT IT.

Kris Kuksi and the Macabre

On it's way until December 19th Kris Kuksi's war machine sculptures will be up at the Joshua Liner Gallery and, I must say, it would do you some good to go check it out. These mixed-media compilations have figures and animals and robotics and tanks and saints and virgins all mashed up into various wall sculptures. Each sculpture communicates a sense of construction and deconstruction of some not-too-distant waring society. The pieces feel as if they were some future's war relics that were left to age and rust amidst heaps of steel and, around every corner and crevice within the monstrosities, figures and antennas and religious artifacts burst to life. Alright, I've exhausted my war based synonyms for awesome. Just go check them out if you get a chance and, if you don't, check out his website here (http://www.kuksi.com/).

Also-definately forgot to put links to Tomer and Jean's websites so CHECK IT

Tomer = http://www.thanuka.com/

Jean = http://www.jamesjean.com/

Jomer Jeanuka

Jean

Jean

HanukaHanuka

Well folks, to say the least, if you haven't heard of James Jean quite yet then you should look his work up cause SWEET JESUS the man has chops. As I've taken to James Jean, I also found another artist/illustrator by the name of Tomer Hanuka who was heavily involved with the movie "Waltz with Bashir." Jean is a maniac when it comes to playing with different media, different sized pieces, and figurative interaction within a piece. He truly is a force to be reckoned with. Tomer's work lends itself to Jean's quite a bit but goes in it's own direction, to a much more illustrative place. Tomer actually does a lot of work for publishers as well as magazines and, after reading some of these books, he certainly captures key elements from the literature, puts his own twist on it, and brings it to the cover. The colors and interaction within either artist's pieces are dynamic, and yes folks, in this post you are getting two for the price of one and, this very two for one deal is pretty much the equivolent of walking into an exotic car dealer and finding that if you buy one Lamborghini that you get another dated version for free. "Two Lamborghini's?" You would say, and then proceed to jump off the ground with a triumphant cheer as if you were but a five year old again.

A Collaboration to Knock Socks From Feet

Ever since I saw David Mramor and Jenny Morgan's first collaborative portrait, I stood there looking at their piece and thought to myself "Now that's what I call a painting," and the pieces just keep getting better and better. The fact that they are both coming from such separate expressive ideas in the field of painting (Mramor with his abstract and thick painting/photos and Jenny with her extremely tight "burned portraits") and yet still have found a way to merge both of their techniques on one canvas to form astounding paintings is, to say the least, impressive, influential, and inspiring. Their beautiful portraits complete with concisely rendered skin and facial expressions, collaged magazine clippings, spray paint, and caked on medium and oil paint communicate in subject matter and medium alike. And, just to put a little bit of whipped cream, icing, and maybe even some sprinkles on top of all this: the two of them couldn't be nicer and more outgoing people thirsting for expression and creativity. Feel free to check out there other works because these two certainly have a good thing going for them and it would be a shame to miss.

Their gallery's site---> www.likethespice.com
http://davidmramor.com <----Mr. Mramor's website Jenny's webite---->http://jennymorganart.com

(They also have a show coming up at Like the Spice come November 13th so, if you are in the new york area, you best check it! Rock)

Holograms

I was a bit skeptical of these at first, but i have to admit that, after seeing them in person, they are pretty slick. At first the pieces look like mirrors from far off but, as you come closer and the light starts reflecting you realize that within these mirrors there are holographic shapes. Perhaps one of the nicest touches to these pieces is that the amount that each shape recedes into the mirror or breaks the plane of the mirror varies. Some don't even seem to be within the framed "space" and, instead, invade the viewers' space while others sink completely beyond the "space" and seem untouchable. Upon staring at these for some time I found my mind challenging thoughts of light and space and what kind of actual "space" something like light, or even as abstract as thoughts and emotions, can fill. James Turrell's pieces have much more substance than that Topps John Elway Hologram your buddy got after purchasing endless packs of football cards that you were so jealous of, much more.

The photos don't really do the art justice but pair the images with this here video (feel free to listen to the gentleman chat about the work, or don't, your call) and you got yourself a bit of justice. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKUT2SO7kZo