May 16th, 2012
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John Baldessari is literally a living legend. Not only has he exhibited internationally more than most living artists but he has blazed the trail for millions of young artists who consider him a mentor, colleague, peer, and friend. I was fortunate enough to work with John for a few years while getting my MFA at UCLA and I have to say that he was one of the most giving professors that I’ve ever had. He always had time for his students and had explosive energy that was infectious. Commissioned by the Los Angeles County Museum Of Art and narrated by Tom Waits this six minute documentary is a playful tribute to the man the call The Godfather Of Conceptual Art. Watch the full video after the jump.

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April 24th, 2012
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You’re probably thinking “Why is Beautiful/Decay posting about children’s puppets?” Well that’s a good question. Usually we leave Sesame Street for the toddler and mommy blogs but over the weekend I happened to watch  Being Elmo, a documentary about Kevin Clash, the long time voice and puppeteer of Elmo. Since the age of 10 (check out the above image of young Kevin performing for local kids in 1975) all Kevin wanted to do was to be a puppeteer. With tons of ambition, hard work, and creativity Kevin not only became a professional puppeteer but also one of the most famous and iconic figures in the field right along his life long idol Jim Henson.

I don’t want to give away too much of the story but I will say that every artist, designer, and creative person should watch this documentary. You will be touched, inspired, and moved to work harder, push the limits of your craft, and to never give up on your dreams. Watch the trailer for the documentary after the jump and run out and go out and buy the DVD. It will be the best money you’ll spend all week. Read more »

April 12th, 2012
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By now most of you have seen or heard about this brilliant documentary by LA filmmaker Nirvan Mullick about a 9 year old boy named Caine and his amazing incredible DIY arcade. Stuck at this fathers office on the weekends, Caine took his boredom and turned it into one of the most awe inspiring arcades I’ve ever seen, completely made out of discarded cardboard and packing tape. Unfortunately Caine rarely got any foot traffic in his little shop of fun. That is until Nirvan came by  and decided to share this little boys inspiring story with the world. With a few Facebook invites and some help from strangers Nirvan managed to create an amazing day for Caine by way of a surprise flash mob.

What’s more amazing about this story is that since the videos launch just a few days ago Nirvan has helped raise over $114,000 towards a college fund for Caine. Watch this video, get inspired to do better, and get off your ass and make something. There’s no more excuses now that you have seen the amazing things that a 9 year old boy with no money and a bunch of creativity can accomplish! (via colossal,mefi)

April 2nd, 2012
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Kevin Earl Taylor’s paintings have a symbiotic theme showing organisms, animals, and humans all coexisting. Whether parasitic or beneficial, the common thread behind his oil paintings is that these strange creatures all exist together – similar to our own reality. His fascination with animals, environment, and human relations has led him to turn animals into humans in an anthropomorphic figure. The collective consciousness that makes us aware of other beings on the planet is incorporated in his paintings to tell a story of life, and this thing we call death. Taylorʼ s abstract narratives are dream oriented in a playful, sometimes renaissance oriented painting style. With humor, harmony, morphology, genealogy, symbiosis, and just not taking himself too seriously, Kevin Earl Taylor attempts to expose the animal within.

Kevin  walks you through some of the work in Deviant Instinct,  his show at Circleculture Gallery in the video above and discusses the various concepts and themes within his work.

 

March 22nd, 2012
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British collaborators LITTLEWHITEHEAD combine humor and violence to create amazing sculptures, paintings, and installations that shock, awe, and amuse all at once. Check out the above video and here the duo discuss various pieces and their creative process. Also make sure to purchase our recent book Beautiful/Decay: Book 7 which has a massive 20 page interview with the talented young artists!

March 15th, 2012
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Seattle based Charles Krafft has spent decades creating gorgeous porcelain sculptures referencing everything from war to pop culture. In this short documentary hear Charles describe his inspirations, process, and his use of human bone china to memorialize friends.

February 16th, 2012
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Directed by Ryan Hope, Skin is a dark, stylish examination of tattoo culture as high art, and a film that tests the boundaries of art and the human body. Featuring contributions from Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and Raymond Pettibon, the film is a beautiful visual essay from the frontiers of contemporary British art. Watch the full documentary after the jump.

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February 2nd, 2012
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Ever since I was a little kid I remember flipping through the L.L. Bean catalog. I never really bought anything from them but I always thought of them as a heritage brand and a classic symbol for Americana. To celebrate their 100th anniversary L.L. Bean tapped famed photographer Randal Ford to recreate their popular  Spring 1933 catalog cover using local residents from Maine’s Acadia National Park. L.L. Bean documented the entire photo shoot in all its outdoorsy glory with a short behind the scenes documentary. Witness how a vintage painting gets transformed into a modern photograph after the jump!

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