My Modern Met

Portuguese artist Bordalo II has had a busy summer as he sped from Aruba to Estonia installing his animal sculptures in public locations. A close look unveils the fact that these creatures are uniquely formed from reclaimed materials. In the hands of Bordalo, tires, car bumpers, door panels, and entire vehicles are cut and shaped to create the final sculpture. While many artists' first stop in town may be an art supply store, he instead makes his way to the local junkyard, sourcing material in a manner that shows his visionary eye for what these scraps can become.

The media itself is central to Bordalo's mission. “The idea is to depict nature itself, in this case animals, out of materials that are responsible for [their] destruction,” he shares. “Sometimes people don’t recognize that their simple…

An elegant exploration of movement, the NYC Dance Project photographically presents the beauty and grace of dance.

The stunning series began in 2014, when Ken Browar, an esteemed fashion photographer, and Deborah Ory, a lifelong dancer with a background in editorial photography, began shooting contemporary dancers for a personal project. Through word of mouth in the dance community and inspiring success on social media, their photography quickly proved popular, and the NYC Dance Project was born.   

In 2015, we interviewed Ken and Deborah to find out more about their artistic endeavor. Touching on everything from their initial inspirations to their theatrical techniques, the conversation offered an in-depth look at their still-new series. When asked about the long-term…

Artist Debra Bernier creates fanciful sculptures from the nature that surrounds her in Victoria, Canada. Working with driftwood, Bernier studies the shape and form of each piece, carefully carving out or adding to the natural material to form these delicate, feminine figures. "When I work with driftwood, I never start with a blank canvas. Each piece of driftwood is already a sculpture, created by the caresses of the waves and wind," Debra shares. "The wood tells a story and I try to think of its journey as I hold it in my hand. I extend or shorten the curves and contours that already exist into familiar shapes of animals or peoples' faces."

Debra's work is not limited to wood, as she often incorporates shells, clay, stones, and other found objects to compliment her figures. Like nymphs…

Delicate and exceptionally elaborate, Pippa Dyrlaga’s exquisite paper art is a cut above the rest.

The Yorkshire-based artist transforms simple sheets of plain paper into extraordinarily complex works of art using nothing but a pencil and a scalpel. Dyrlaga fell in love with the craft as an art student in 2010, after dabbling in the art of silhouette-making. Eventually, however, she turned her attention toward more intricate and complicated projects. Her astounding attention to detail (and undeniable patience) is apparent in each creation; from birds with wings as light as lace to fragile hand-lettering, her chosen subject matter showcases her skillful and steady hand. 

To create each splendid piece, Dyrlaga first sketches a mirror-image of her desired design on a sheet of paper, paying particular attention to where she’ll strategically make each incision. She then uses an X-Acto…

Twenty-five years ago Bruce Shapiro abandoned his medical practice to embark on a journey that would marry technology with the meditative practice of sand art. He ingeniously used CNC machines, which at the time were primarily used in industrial settings, to develop his kinetic art project known as Sisyphus. Named after the Greek mythological figure—who was doomed to endlessly push a boulder up a mountain, only to have it roll back down again—the metal balls featured in each piece are controlled by magnets that draw infinitely hypnotic patterns across grains of sand. Shapiro views his sculptures as instruments playing music, with each pathway carefully programmed.

While Shapiro has created sculptures for Sisyphus over the past 20 years, showing his work across the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia, he more recently became intrigued with the thought of bringing the mesmerizing…

Things aren't always what they appear to be. Paint and a little creativity can disguise a variety of accidents and misfortunes. For example, this beautiful mountainous landscape on the side of a car has quite the hidden history.

The owner of this vehicle was traveling through the Altai region of Russia when his car was hit by a larger truck. No one was hurt, but the damages included a large dent on the driver's door. In Russia, there is no mandatory car insurance so all damages must be fixed out of pocket. The truck driver did pay for the damages he caused; however, instead of taking his car into the shop for a tune-up, the silver car driver took the cash and his dented car for a ride through the mountains. He needed some inspiration.

With a black permanent marker bought at the local general store, the man got to work creating a detailed map of the Altai region upon his car door. Some of the more…

Today, thanks to publicly accessible, digitized—or photographically reproduced—collections, art lovers can virtually "visit" museums through the screens of their computers, smartphones, and tablets. One major institution that has embraced this new technology is New York's famed Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). In addition to browsing prominent pieces from its permanent collection (over 70,000 reproductions are available online), now, you can explore every exhibition presented by the museum since its grand debut in 1929.

According to Michelle Elligott, the museum's Chief of Archives, the new exhibition history tool offers “free and unprecedented access to The Museum of Modern Art’s…

Today, thanks to publicly accessible, digitized—or photographically reproduced—collections, art lovers can virtually "visit" museums through the screens of their computers, smartphones, and tablets. One major institution that has embraced this new technology is New York's famed Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). In addition to browsing prominent pieces from its permanent collection (over 70,000 reproductions are available online), now, you can explore every exhibition presented by the museum since its grand debut in 1929.

According to Michelle Elligott, the museum's Chief of Archives, the new exhibition history tool offers “free and unprecedented access to The Museum of Modern Art’s…

Artist Angela Schwer crafts clay sculptures that showcase the beautiful bounty of nature. Her intricate, detailed works are ripe with texture as leaves, fungi, sea urchins, and more are clustered together in decorative tiles to hang on your wall. Constructed in a single neutral color, the beauty of these organic shapes shine.

Schwer’s work revolves around the parts of nature that are often overlooked. “I could spend all day looking over fabrics, cellular photography, and the complexity of plant structures,” she writes. This fascination is translated into tiny, individually-formed elements that seemingly burst with life.

Although Schwer’s pieces look like porcelain, she actually produces them from polymer clay—a material that hardens in conventional ovens. “I enjoy the look of surprise when witnessing a shift in…

Over the past year, food has proved time and again that it’s a delicious, unconventional canvas for incredible art. A Redditor named Skizorbit, owner of Darling Delights bakery, recently crafted a set of cake and cupcakes that look out of this world. When asked by a friend to make a galaxy-themed dessert for their wedding, she delivered with these vibrant confections that showcase the magic of the stars.

Skizorbit posted her creations to Reddit, where people were quick to ogle over the beautiful surface decoration—and ask questions about her process. To produce this colorful, multifaceted effect, she used a special painting tool. “I covered the cake with…

Artist Rianne Zuijderduin’s dreamy macramé creations blur the line between bohemian simplicity and polished elegance. From large-scale wall hangings to petite plant holders, the Netherlands-based artist presents a contemporary twist on the classic craft.

Zuijderduin’s distinctively geometric macramé collection is as diverse as it is beautiful. Unlike knit or woven textiles, macramé is fabricated by meticulously knotting cords into intricate patterns, resulting in exquisitely detailed designs and a lovingly handmade aesthetic. Zuijderduin’s tapestries offer a creative alternative to typical wall décor, while her chic, suspended plant holders bring a modern feel to any room. Though most of her pieces simply retain the cords’ neutral and natural tones, some are dip-dyed with bright pops of…

Polish artist Justyna Kopania welcomes us into autumn with a series of beautifully executed oil paintings. Bursting with warm color, the paintings explore the varying moods of a fall landscape. Trees saturated with leaves in colors ranging from burnt ochre to deep crimson move toward a skeletal state, casting melancholy shadows on lakes and rivers. The artist continues to show an evolution in her work, masterfully building layers of oil paint to bring vibrant texture to the canvas.

Kopania shows a deep understanding of using color to build shape and depth, both on a technical and emotional level. In an era when contemporary art is often defined by non-traditional media, she is a throwback…

Artist Ian Simmons was busy this past year. In his own version of the 365 project, he drew one movie quote every single day. This impressive undertaking combined hand-lettered typography, calligraphy, and illustration as he brought the words to life on the page. These chosen quotes represent a number of artistic styles and compositional approaches. Many of the drawings are text-heavy and focus on memorable (as well as nostalgic) monologues while others are concise—they convey incredible emotion with just one word.

To begin his project, Simmons picked a famous line from Fight Club that most people will recognize. “I want you to hit me as hard as you can,” is drawn with black pen and splattered with…

Italian artist Annaluigia Boeretto’s striking sculptures capture the unexpected splendor of splashing water. Undoubtedly inspired by life on the lagoon, the Venice-based artist (who is also referred to as Annalù) creates pieces that evoke movement and drip with drama.

With a focus on texture and an interest in illusion, Annalù’s oeuvre comprises beautiful sculptures that experiment with abstraction. In her Liquidity series, some pieces are entirely organic, while others portray recognizable forms, like intricate, exploding flowers and overflowing books that appear to burst at the seams. While the translucent creations convey the light and lustrous quality of glass, they’re actually crafted from a different—and surprising—medium: resin!  The material is saturated in a wash…

Specializing in colorful and quirky prints, PRRINT is an art shop with a sustainable side. The company's founders pride themselves on their "environmentally friendly" products—namely, their popular pieces that are printed onto upcycled pages from vintage books. With such an ecological focus, it’s no surprise that PRRINT’s designs are often heavily inspired by nature, as evident in their stunning collection of anatomical collages.

In this series of prints, leafs from an old…

For the second year, a group of international street artists touched down in Fort Smith, Arkansas for the Unexpected Festival. With an aim to bring urban contemporary art to northern Arkansas over the course of ten days, nine artists painted murals, created indoor/outdoor installations, and cast video projections under the curation of Charlotte Dutoit from JUSTKIDS. This year's lineup of top-notch artists include Alex Diaz, Okuda, Faith47, Guido van Helten,…

Ceramic artist Charlotte Mary Pack grew up on a farm and spent her youth traveling through southern and eastern Africa. These experiences instilled a permanent affection for the environment and is now the focus of Pack’s contemporary works in clay. Her colorful pieces continue the long-standing tradition of wheel-thrown vessels, but she goes a step beyond and adorns each of them with an intricately crafted, hand-built creature. The variety of animals—living on both land and sea—all have one thing in common: their populations are in decline.

Pack calls her collection No Time for Tea, and it draws from the IUCN Red List of endangered species. On the underside of each piece she includes the name of the animal and its “status” in the wild—either critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable. “It's important…

From mermaids to secret rainbows to hidden undercuts, it’s been a good year for hair. One of the latest trends that can only be described as “hair art” is lattice braids. Think of them like ordinary braids cranked to 11—they feature a similar criss-crossing structure but use smaller, intricately woven pieces to form complex arrangements that trail down the back or side of the head. The result is showstopping and best of all, versatile—this hairstyle can be worn in formal or casual settings.

The lattice braid is often integrated with other contemporary hair trends. Many women weave their long, unconventionally-colored locks into this style and create a…

Once again, Calgary has successfully hosted Beakerhead—an excellent, immersive event celebrating a smashup of art, science, and engineering. The 4th annual festivities, which ran for five consecutive days last week from September 14-18, boasted an uproarious good time with over 60 distinctive events on the agenda. Attendees were treated to a number of thrilling happenings that ranged from musical performances to hands-on culinary events to interactive art experiences.

This year, Beakerhead also unveiled the highly anticipated premiere of BASS Ship—an immersive, fully interactive audio-visual installation that invites visitors to step inside a giant ship and “become a part of an experiment.” Every person that entered…

While summer may be coming to a close, Madrid remains in full bloom thanks to…