Pinar's Blog – April 2012 Archive (64)

British sculptor Antony Gormley is well-known for his life-size sculptures that creatively mimic the human body, but the figurative clay mounds from his series titled Field, though not as accurate in depicting mankind's form, holds deeper value for the artist. Gormley says…

In Prague, forty-eight standard traffic lights were replaced with filters depicting the usual walking man engaging in other atypical activities, including urinating, defecating, drinking, and hanging himself. The man behind these street art delinquents and figurative social statements is Czech artist Roman Týc, who also happens to be a member of the guerrilla art group Ztohoven. The traffic…

What's black and white and has a tough life? A penguin. While we revel in how cute penguins are and the funny internet gifs they star in, these flightless birds lead incredibly difficult lives. Like the documentary March of the Penguins, this photo…

Unbeknownst to them, the citizens of Prague in the 1970's and 80's were being photographed by the secret police. Many of the elusively captured black and white photographs can now be found in a book aptly titled Prague Through the Lens of the Secret Police, as published by the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes. The intent of this classified operation was…

Technology is constantly advancing, to the point where software is able to recognize human motion. The video gaming industry has flourished with this technology and continues to improve upon it with motion-sensitive consoles like the Wii and Xbox 360's peripheral Kinect. While the specifics of these mechanisms' inner workings are beyond my grasp, I understand that light plays a…

When I first set my eyes on Japan-born, Berlin-based artist Chiharu Shiota's work, I wasn't sure if I was looking at an installation or a dark charcoal illustration. Though the piece echoes sketch-like imagery, it is in fact an installation piece involving a burnt piano in a room ravaged by black wool. The work known as In Silence is inspired by Shiota's own traumatic…

Japan-based ad agency I&S BBDO puts a new spin on a centuries old Japanese delicacy. In an effort to reignite the seaweed-eating community for their client, the series of laser-cut seaweed known as Design NORI offers a stylized meal to entice consumers. By taking traditional seaweed and cutting intricate patterns into them, each sushi roll created with the edible square is turned…

Since the film franchise The Fast and the Furious came out in 2001, drag racing has been recognized and improved upon by motor enthusiasts in global street culture. Australia-based photographer Simon Davidson captures the popular adrenaline-rushing sport that has swept the world with its fast-paced and dangerously stylized…

The São Paulo, Brazil branch of ad agency Y&R has come up with a fantastically creative promotion for LG's Home Theater 3D sound system. The three ads each feature a popular film poster (Kill Bill,…

Comic book artist David Petersen recreates the Muppets as classic fairy tale characters for BOOM! Studios' line of Muppet Fairy Tales comics. We get to see Kermit as the hero we've always known him to be, taking on the roles of Robin Hood and Peter Pan. Meanwhile, Miss Piggy is cast as the Evil Queen from Snow White.…

Nowadays, it seems like every device has a camera attached to it—phones, tablets, computers. Photography is an art that many people have adopted, whether they are professionals, beginners, or just recreational shutterbugs. Besides taking photos, a common activity amongst photo enthusiasts is sharing one's portfolio and taking a look at your peers' work to…

Upon first glance, this series reminded me of Rob Mulholland's acrylic glass statues, but this collection of work titled Mirrored is actually the work of artistic duo Tim Maslen and Jennifer Mehra, aka Maslen & Mehra. The photographers and installation artists…

Japanese artist Sachiko Abe sits atop a building in a white gown, cutting countless sheets of A4 paper into thin, wispy strips. The performance piece known as Cut Paper is both calming and mystifying. Abe sits for hours on end meticulously shredding paper whose cut feathery strands measure a mere 0.5mm in width. She first began this practice while in a mental institution over 15 years ago…

Taking a typical tourist photo in front of a monumental attraction is done time and time again, but world traveler and film enthusiast Allen Fuqua has decided to document his travels by recreating scenes from movies. Fuqua's project, known as Movie Mimic, offers a creative way to experience the world. The web photo series reframes specific film scenes with the globe-trotter standing in…

This massive figurative installation by mixed media artist Karen Cuolito stands a staggering 30 feet high. The California-based sculptor's towering figure of a woman titled Ecstasy is made of 9 tons of salvaged steel. The sculpture depicts an emotive woman who has slung her head back in a state of euphoria. She is meant to embody passion, with her tilted head and emotional…

Across the vast expanse of the Pacific Northwest, there is a grand source of natural inspiration for photographer Miles Morgan. It's hard to believe but these stunning photographs are captured by Morgan, who only began his career in landscape photography a mere three years ago. Having grown up under the wing of his successful photojournalist father, Hank Morgan, it seems he has an…

If you liked Malaysia-based graphic designer Marcus' minimalist UP poster, you just might enjoy his simple yet creative silhouetted superhero posters. The series of works, which are available in the artist's Etsy shop known as Poster Inspired, feature four famous superheroes including…

New Delhi-based Indian artist Subodh Gupta's sculptural installation titled Line of Control mimics the dismaying mushroom cloud that forms from the deployment of nuclear warfare, most historically recognized from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The piece features 26 tons worth of stainless steel utensils, including spoons, cans, pots, and pans.

While we're most…

How much time do you spend doodling? Latvia-based artist Alex Konahin spends anywhere from a few dozen hours to a couple of weeks creating his incredibly detailed illustrations. Each piece, made by hand, simply uses black ink, patience, and raw talent. The monochromatic symmetrical designs exhibit a diligent attention to detail in their floral and abstract embellishments. There is even a…

Born in Korea, raised in Brazil, and currently based in California, creative director Ji Lee expresses his universally relatable experiences as an uncomfortable teenager finding it hard to fit in through his sculptural installation titled Squozen. The artist defines his work by saying "Squozen is an installation piece which captures my experience as a teen of being trapped in a strange…