Gah! Need to make more work! My sketching muscles are feeling rusty. Plenty of ideas, not enough time.
In the mean time, I'd like to post some interesting recent finds (if only to note them somewhere myself for reference). One great thing about work is that there's opportunity to browse the web all day looking out for interesting artists!
The Roar, issues #1 & #2 (2008) - [ZINE]
I picked up a couple more issues of 'The Roar' at Manchester Artist Book Fair on 06/11/10. This colourful mini zine series (one A4 sheet folded) explores strange narratives and nightmareish characters, through some lovely penwork that's scribbly and neat all at once.
The piece also folds out to a full A4 drawing on the reverse; and if you fold it a certain way inwards the sides match up and you get another 'panel' - this was a good surprise as I've had issue #3 for a while now and never realised!
'Oops' - Chris Beckman, 2009 - [VIDEO]
This 10 minute experimental film takes a simple idea or 'motif' and creates something really unusual and beautiful. Using appropriated YouTube clips, Beckman cleverly edits short pieces of film together through 'camera drops' - that moment where everything becomes quite visually abstract due to someone dropping the camera.
When you watch it, you can imagine it's just one camera that's somehow travelling through space and time.
Just watch it, you'll see what I mean. (The underwater and flying bits are best!)
Watch it here:
Willy Verginer [SCULPTOR]
http://www.verginer.com/eng/index.php
It's always good to be assured that traditional creative practices haven't died out in the digital age, and Verginer's sculptures are an awesome example of this. He makes life-sized figurative wood sculptures; strange silent figures all partaking in somewhat surreal stances, whether stood atop a dog(!), swimming through the floor, or just holding an uneasy gaze.
What really makes them stand out is the blocks of colour applied across the faces and body; often from the ground up or head down; they remind me of rising water or some kind of submersion, drowning or suffocating.
I love seeing evidence of the process in fine artworks too; the chipped away creases in the clothes are really great.
'Death is the only Certainty in Life' - Sebastian E, 2009 [PUBLIC ART]
Simply put, this piece involves a plane flying across the sky with the message 'death is the only certainty in life' displayed across the banner.
The dark humour in this really appeals to me - I hate how anything about 'death' is too often brushed off as being a bit overly grim/morbid/depressing - I think the only healthy attitude is to accept these things and have a cheeky sense of humour about it!
Worth reading the short bit about censorship of the project - just goes to show how daft people/organisations can be.
ps.
Work brain says to plug work project:
'Current: An Experiment in Collecting Digital Art' - an exhibition, acquisition and public debate. The open call offers digital artists the chance to exhibit at the Harris Museum & Art Gallery (plus a fee of £1000) and possibly even be acquired for their permanent collection (monies: £10,000!)
www.current-experiment.org.uk
[All images (c) of the owner and borrowed graciously from the mentioned websites/Google Image!]
