Moody, slightly surreal paintings from Swedish artist Markus Åkesson. Åkesson’s works touch on the quiet, interior relationship we have with death. But the artist doesn’t present death as the scary, violent experience that so many make it out to be, but as a peaceful, very natural phenomenon. And his use of animals and children works really nicely to heighten this impression. Åkesson is currently exhibiting work at the VIDA museum in Borgholm. (via)
Carolina Fontoura Alzaga is a multidisciplinary artist out of Los Angeles with a penchant for re-purposing castoff materials and exploring sociopolitical themes. She’s currently selling some chandeliers made from used bicycle chains at her Etsy page. You don’t even have to be into cycling to like these. The heavy chains almost give off a medieval vibe and they look like they give off some really nice, warm light. Looks like they’re being offered at some pretty affordable prices as well. (via)
Check out some amazing aerial shots of Iceland’s volcanic countryside from Russian photographer Andre Ermolaev. The intense heat from the volcanoes produces some really unique visuals. And Ermolaev’s bird’s eye view forces us to recall how majestic our planet really is. Not to get all preachy, but if we want to preserve visuals like these, we may have to alter our actions a little. (via)
Aartjan Venema is a Dutch illustrator with some really crazy ideas. Venema uses a lot of digital elements in his work but maintains a really nice aesthetic that evokes some of the brushwork characters and text elements of Raymond Pettibon’s drawings. He also packs a whole lot of narrative into one image. Nazi dinosaurs? Stonehenge murder mysteries? I’ll take it. (via)
In the Mexican city of Monterrey, where the over development of newly built suburbs affect peoples daily lives and customs, there is a large bridge spanning Highway 85. On that bridge Alejandro Cartagena pointed his camera down at the morning traffic. He was seeking and peeking into the backs of open trucks, where construction workers often pile together on their way to earn a living. Like commuters everywhere, they sleep, eat, read and talk on their way to work. Often they look up, and maybe they notice someone taking their picture.
The shape of the tall, narrow pictures mimics a long stretch of highway, and conjures up the journey’s forward motion. Lined up in rows, each pictures a different vehicle, a different load of human cargo, and truck after truck; they suggest the relentless drive to stay alive.
Alejandro Cartagena is represented by Kopeikin Gallery, Los Angeles.
The work is made out of 40.000 plastic bags that move in the wind. The slugs are ascending this steep city staircase that leads up to a huge Catholic church, essentially signifying their slow crawl towards death. The work reminds us of religion, mortality, natural decay and the slow suffocation of commercialized societies.
Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman recently completed “Giant Slugs”, the installation pictured above, in Angers, France. (via)
Indianapolis artist Nathaniel Russell comin’ through with the brush clutch. I don’t know what stands out more with these – the super subtle humor or the pseudo 70′s illustrative steez, but they’ve got me feeling warm inside. Click past the jump to see more of what I’m talking about. And if you’re out all the way east right now, looks like he’s got a show coming up in Tokyo next month.
Pierluigi Fracassi is a multidisciplinary Italian artist. He works in everything from photography to sculpture. In his installation work, Fracassi uses mirrors, bones, and thread to great effect. He also uses a lot of text in his works, like the mirrored piece, “Verresti al ballo con me?” (will you go to prom with me?). Cold and humane at the same time, definitely some interesting stuff going on. Click through to see more from the artist.
