Amir, you underwater explorer you, this goes to you. Jason de Caires creates haunting underwater sculptures reminiscent of Atlantean ruins, or the macabre corpse-casts of Pompeii. People turned to stone, left to transform into coral reefs and feeding grounds for schools of fish….there is a strange and beautiful magic in these pieces. Imagine discovering these still and silent souls while swimming?
When I walk down the aisle someday, I don’t think I would mind my constricting, and stuffy wedding dress to blow up like a grenade… just like the installation of artist E.V. Day has put together. E.V. enjoys using delicate, fragile materials and transforming them into visions of war, sex, and violence. An act towards the exploding of sexual stereotypes.
Liu Zhi Yin, an emerging artist from China, recently earned her Masters at the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts and has been exhibiting her sculptures in group shows. Liu Zhi uses fiber glass or bronze to construct sculptures of female characters that exude humor, but more than anything else, femininity in every sense of the word. Regardless of either awkward pose or expression, the movement and form of her pieces executes the constant sophisticated finish.
Sabi Van Hemert is a Dutch artist who creates sculptures that are fusions of children and animals. Van Hemert likes to play on the idea that the viewer has his or her interpretation on what they see. Because it is not immediately obvious what you see, the relationship between the spectator and the image is more complex, which is what Van Hemert strives to get from her work. Van Hemert says she has developed a rhythm to her work: precision, and the material she uses, help gives her work its alienating yet sensual, tough yet vulnerable character.
I recently got an email from Skinner, one of my fave heshin’ heavy metal artists and also B/D Book 3 participant, about his show at White Walls gallery this Saturday. It read: “There will be over twenty of my new works, mystical hand crafted masks, and twisted and intricate sculptures, all of which will most definitely rock your world.” ‘Nuff said. Wish I could be there in person, but if you’re in SF, this is not to be missed!
A man of many talents, Craig Redman is a New York based illustrator, typographer, pattern artist, installation artist, sculptor, animator, designer, and art director. A list worthy of comparison would be his equally long list of well-known clients, such as, MTV, Louis Vuitton, Nike, Apple, Vogue, Converse, and The New York Times. And this may be overkill, but Craig not only has exhibited in various parts of the world, but he also exhibited at the Louvre, Paris (every artist’s dream!)
While we have many reasons to envy Craig Redman, we can also take solace in the fact that all of his accomplishments are well deserved. Craig’s diverse talents are immediately visible in his vibrant, smart, and secretly optimistic work.
Tom Schmelzer, an artist from Germany, has created this amazing headpiece which acts as a direct opposite to the late Alexander McQueen’s butterfly hat (shown below) for Spring 2008. This wearable sculpture was created with using wood, brass, felt, steel, rubber, viscose, and 140 scarabaeus sacers… also known as, 140 dung beetles! What Tom intended to symbolize by creating an antipode to McQueen’s butterfly headpiece, is to communicate the end of the noughties with its “neocons and megalomanians, its butterfly paintings and art market-bubbles.”
McQueen’s butterfly hat instantly resembles a vibrant flower in full bloom, while Tom’s headpiece orchestrates the exact opposite: a dead flower appearing rigid and brittle with time. When you compare the two, noticing the stark difference, we are reminded of the constant cycle of booming and withering of which we are surrounded by.
New York based artist William Steinman creates sexy and raw pieces that carry a strong undertone of their source of inspiration: street culture and Pop art. Growing up, he kept himself busy by exploring downtown Phoenix on his skateboard. In doing so, he was introduced to the graffiti art that populated his surroundings, and fell in love with it. Though William was initially inspired, he started to notice how increasingly redundant graffiti was turning out. He decided to focus his artistic endeavors elsewhere, and started to study painting. But first love is always the strongest, and William found himself charmed by the bold lines and appropriated imagery of Pop art.
Observing William Steinman’s paintings and sculptures is the equivalent of trying to stay perfectly still inside a hurricane of motion. He constantly plays with adaptation and reconstruction within an environment of deconstruction. Using found materials, store bought objects, comic books, and finishing them off with industrial glue, the end result is what he likes to accurately describe as “the dark side of Pop.”
William is currently an MFA student over at Queens College in New York City. In a few weeks he will be presenting his bold, raw, and sexy portfolio of work at his MFA Thesis show. Unfortunately, I live much too far and will not be able to attend. However, anyone out there who will be in the area should definitely indulge themselves! Go!
