The Diesel wall project is once again open for submissions. Diesel Wall is an international art contest pushing what Diesel likes to call ‘art democracy’ that aims to bring intriguing, inspiring, insightful, inciting and contemporary ideas to giant urban canvases in city centers around the globe. Diesel encourages submitters to ‘say something that means something’. The jury members for this year include Bigas Luna, Peter Saville, Terry Jones, and Wilbert Das, Diesel’s Creative Director. From May to July ‘08, depending on each city’s Diesel Wall timeline, winners will be announced both through the web site and local events to then proceed with the setting-up of the winning installations on each Wall. Artworks – conceived for a specific Wall or for all four Walls – can use painting, photography, video, performance, light, sound, text, experimental concepts including 3D, performance and show elements are also welcome.
Comments Off on MOMA: Design and the Elastic MindArt
For the unfamiliar The Museum of Modern Art’s unique exhibition titled, Design and the Elastic Mind explores the reciprocal relationship between science and design in the contemporary world by bringing together design objects that marry the most advanced scientific research with attentive consideration of human limitations, habits, and aspirations. The exhibition highlights designers’ ability to grasp momentous changes in technology, science, and history – changes that demand or reflect major adjustments in human behavior – and translate them into objects that people can actually understand and use.
In short it is an utterly fascinating exhibition with a fresh premise. The exhibition is now available in full at MOMA’s website and keeping in theme with the exhibition itself, the website offers up some interesting usability features. If you are low on inspiration, plan on spending a little time there because it will definitely recharge your batteries in full.
There are all kinds of very inexpensive and very nicely done pieces of art for sale at The Shiny Squirrel. You can also find clothing, collages and even paintings in their store, all available at very reasonable prices and purchasable online. It is an interesting trend to see stores like this cropping up. I love it and hope to see more of it. It’s nice to see art that is accessible to the masses.
The oh-so-so-young but gifted San Diegan, or San Diegon, no no San Diegan, Kristina Collantes has crafted some interesting work. Her patterns are particularly interesting and she has a poster or two I would be happy to hang on my wall. Those patterns however would really make a wall interesting.
I have posted his work before but Nicholas Di Genova has a new website online where he has really gathered and discovered a way to display his work with maximum effect. His art rides that weird divide between trendy and contemporary, but regardless there is no denying originality. It is the originality that seemingly yanks it across that divide pulling it all together into the contemporary where I think even the average person off the street could find something in it to appreciate. I have had a childlike love and fascination with animals all my life, as I think most of us do, and he has found a really interesting way to tap into that sentiment.
If you haven’t stopped by Denver’s own Andenken Gallery to check out the paintings of the petite-powerhouse Leslie Minnis, then make some time to do so. Her paintings are just phenomenal. It is nice to see something that transcends trendy right now as well. The art world kind of pisses me off right now because so much of it is turning into art for artists, but there is something in Leslie’s paintings that go beyond our bullshit scene that the everyman could relate to. That is what I think is missing from a lot of art right now. Everyone poses like you have to be ‘in-the-know’ to appreciate art right now, but art should be something you don’t need to know anything about and still appreciate. Art used to be the voice and expression of the masses as channeled through the artist, but lately it seems it is the voice and expression of trend seekers and the actual artists themselves. Of course art is always the expression of the individual artist, but that used to be a mirror for the culture at large. So by that judgment the current art scene seems pretty empty and self-serving, all style no substance. Of course I am talking about the art circles we move in, such as the ones promoted by magazines like Juxtapoz. Maybe that art isn’t supposed to be for the masses however. Lately it seems all any of this is about is ‘getting up’ and ‘getting over’. It’s no wonder you see the same people over and over again at shows because no one outside the clique has any reason to be interested.
Anyway, sorry for the rant. Do check out Leslie’s show. And if you don’t like my opinions, don’t read my blog.
Comments Off on Micah Lidberg Dino-Laser VisionArt
I must admit to getting a little weary of the ‘I am a super style-conscious-hipster and even though I draw no better than a 5th grader, I know how to do it in a cool way’ thing that seems to be everywhere you look these days. However, when you throw in lightening bolt toting, eye laser shooting dinosaurs battling angry cloud faces, I guess my interest is piqued. So, with that said, if you think you might feel the same way I do, then you may want to check out the trippy artwork of Micah Lidberg.
Solar from flight404 on Vimeo.
Robert Hodgin was creating experimental art for Flash under the monicker Flight 404 back when you were a stain in your Daddy’s pants. He has since moved on to do some groundbreaking work with Processing. His newest animation series Magnetic and Solar is mind bending and even more so when accompanied by music from The Flashbulb. Links courtesy of Josh Spear.
Comments Off on Yosuke Ueno: Sure I Suke You BuenoArt
Wow, Yosuke Ueno is painting up some acrylic styled post-modern cartoon inspired madness. He will be exhibiting at Gallery 1988 on February 5th through the 29th at 7020 Melrose Avenue in L.A. If you are in town you may want to stop by and check it out. I am sure his work will be even more interesting in person. He will be exhibiting with Luke Chueh and Mark Bodnar as well. For the unfamiliar, Luke has been hyped by Juxtapoz many a time.
There are some interesting, somewhat We Work For Them inspired posters at Smalitcolor for your viewing pleasure. So when did it become standard to have to print out your posters, put on some hipster girl jeans, and hold the poster up in front of you to be photographed. I just can’t help but notice that everyone under thirty who is ‘cool’ has to display their posters or large prints that way. How do cheesy trends like that get started?
