Installations by Michael Johansson
What if you could create a structure that could contain all of your personal belongings within each room of your house and fit them together into a smaller, more condensed object? Does it make each object less significant now that is has become part of a bigger and more complex form or more significant now that all of those items are part of a whole new form? These are some of the questions one might ask while looking at the installations of Swedish artist, Michael Johansson.
Shelves, books, shoes, appliances, radios, tvs, boxes, suitcases, desks, vanities, clocks, chairs, glassware, and refrigerators, are only a few of things one finds when looking at one of Johansson’s complex installations. Creating new spaces within spaces of objects are something he excels at. While viewing, many different emotions are brought about by the sheer sentimentality of the chosen objects and how they coexist with each other. To fit all of your most prized possessions without destroying or compromising the originality of the object, one wonders how the actual artist feels towards each one as an individual. And then once, forced into cohabitation with the surrounding objects, one wonders do the feelings change now that it’s part of something bigger. Is the sentimentality taken away? Or is is simply transferred onto the finished puzzle?
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American Graphic Design Pioneer: Lester Beall
One of the pioneers of American graphic design in the in the 30’s, Lester Beall was a master of combining images of America and graphic text to convey a message of what issues the country was facing. Culturally and politically informative while interesting to look at, Beall’s work became a regular on magazine covers, journals, and papers. The new website devoted to his designs and ideas help paint the picture of how he helped shape American design today.
Drawing inspiration from the avant-garde designers in Europe, such as Moholy-Nagy and El Lissitzky, Beall would create his images using unorthodox materials such as photograms, lithographic prints, old woodcuts, and pieces of paintings. He was constantly experimenting with varying visual elements in the dark room to create his graphic pieces. It’s been said he never went anywhere without his camera.
The new website devoted to Beall and his work, is a glimpse into his creative mind. Focusing on his personal story and his years behind the desk, it also shows work from his personal collection chosen by his family. The site also boats his many achievements and personal thoughts on designing for the environment. He’s often credited with launching the Modernist movement of American design and propelling forth a new era of graphic arts. The site hopes to promote, educate, and inspire younger generations of designers through his life’s work. The site was created by Gregory Chinn, who married Beall’s youngest daughter.
Visit the website at http://www.lesterbeall.com/.
Denim Exhibit at the 80WSE Gallery
Should denim be considered artistically relevant as much as Warhol’s soup can? David Rimanelli thinks so. The noted writer of Art Forum and Interview magazine, is responsible for the new “Denim” exhibit, that showcases America’s most beloved trouser.
Consisting mostly of photographs and other mixed media, the works in this show not only celebrates denim’s history, but also what it communicated to the world when worn. According to Rimanelli, the effect of denim on culture was not simply in fashion, but indicative of what was going on in America during the times. In movies, cowboys and bad boys showed up on horses and motorcycles to save the girl, while hippies and political rebels outside protested the war in effort to gain peace, all while wearing their blue jeans. With ever-changing styles and looks, jeans created an attitude that was both rebellious and effective in saying, “I don’t care, I wear what I want.”
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I’m Here by Spike Jonez – Trailer and Book
Spike Jonez’s release of I’m Here for Sundance is in conjunction with Absolut Vodka. A part from the trailer that has already surfaced across the net, I’m Here will also be a 48 page photo book. The book which depicts scenes from the short film, is available now at Nieves.
Info: Spike Jonze’s new half-hour short film titled I’m Here is a robot love story celebrating a life enriched by creativity. The movie is set in contemporary L.A., where life moves at a seemingly regular pace with the exception of a certain amount of robot residents who live among the population. A male robot librarian lives a solitary and methodical life – devoid of creativity, joy and passion – until he meets an adventurous and free spirited female robot.
Continue reading for more images of the book and a video of the trailer.
The Illustrated Works of Mark Weaver
Mark Weaver has done great work for publications such as WIRED, GOOD, the New York Times and more. He also has a few independent works of his own in poster and screen print form, which are truly original and worth owning. Hopefully we’ll get to see more of Mark’s projects soon.
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Creating The Third and the Seventh
CGI artist Alex Roman recently released a video highlighting the extensive technical work underlying his video The Third & The Seventh. The Third & The Seventh serves as Roman’s showcase for his extensive digital modeling and rendering work. Instead of creating a standard video reel or gallery of images, he created a digital environment in which the viewer “walks through” every project, experiencing them spatially and tangibly. Roman’s work is truly impressive, and The Third & The Seventh is nearly impossible to distinguish from reality upon initial viewing. The latest video shows wireframe models of the environments, and demonstrates the material application and lighting effects that make the original video so convincing.
Continue reading to see how the Third and the Seventh was composed and the original video.
The Works of Matthew Lyons
The abstract and the vintage is evident in the illustrated works of Matthew Lyons. His angular approach to the art gives his viewers a mixture of something eerily familiar yet totally brand new. In some cases, you’ll notice the retro sci-fi inspired works as well as the James Bond-esque and Hitchcock themes. His movie title screens are also homages to the past but in a kind of new animated form. Its great to see that a 21-year old student from Britain can capture the past so well, yet put his own twist to make it totally fresh and fun to look at.
Visit: Matthew Lyons
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Burkman Bros. Spring 2010 Sketches by Ian Clark
Here are a few sketches that were inspired by the Burkman Bros. Spring 2010 collection. Hand drawn in pencil and carefully traced by micro pen, Ian Clark rendered the colors for his Burkman figures with makers and colored pencils. It’s fascinating to see the colors for the collection in the drawing. The figures really give you a sense of what the designers are trying to convey in their upcoming collection. You’ll notice some of the outfits in these sketches from our recent preview of the Burkman Bros. Spring 2010 line.
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Enoch Bolles’ Pin-Up Illustrations
Enoch Bolles was one of the earliest and most circulated pin-up artists. The Florida native worked exclusively as a cover artist and his body of work included Film Fun, Screen Romances, Stolen Sweets, Gay Book, Judge, Titter, Cupid’s Capers, Live Stories, Tattle Tales and Gay Parisienne. Bolles often did premier issues and his “Windy Girl” illustration for Zippo lighters is often reproduced. Check out this Enoch Bolles blog for more information on the man and his works.
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Chanel Samurai Armor by Tetsuya Noguchi
It would be silly to think that feudal Japanese warriors would need a high fashion branded armor in times of battle. We do however appreciate the craft that goes into making such a protective war piece. As a tribute to luxury label Chanel, Tetsuya Noguchi crafted a samurai armor made from resin, cashew lacquer, cloth, and glass. The double “C” Chanel logo is ever present in the piece located on the chest. Not sure if the armor was ever commissioned, but the craft is undoubtedly superb and just cool to look at.
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