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| Untitled 6500 by Christian Faur |
To be completely honest with you, reader, I cannot say that I love all conceptual art. Like interpretative dance, its meaning is often lost in execution. That being said, I have to admit that I like Swedish artist Michael Johansson's installations. His installations make me think of so many things: Tetris, wholesale, "box" stores, overcrowding, adaptation. I really do like it even if the meaning I glean from it is different than Johansson's actual intent. His usage of materials and color is quite phenomenal. He has exhibited solo and in groups for the past seven years or so. For more of his works, visit his site and hit the jump for some of the ones that struck me.
Snow sculptures are definitely very gorgeous and put most snowmen to shame. Check out some images from worldwide Snow Sculptures on Woman's Day.
You can make your very own internet masterpiece with the help of Jackson Pollock by Miltos Manetas. Basically, you move your mouse and you create a unique piece of art that is reminiscent of Jackson Pollock's drip paintings and such. Simple? Yes. Amazing? Possibly. Easy? You know this. Go give the site a try and get your hands dirty (digitally, that is).
Guido Daniele's "handimals" and body paintings are phenomenal. Some are better than others, but I've really fallen in love with the handimals. Really creative idea. These aren't new, but I just found out about them and would like to share with anyone else who does not know of them. Check out his site and hit the jump for some more handimal images.
I think that we can learn a lot from artists of the past. They give art a history (which is important) and they discovered proportions and tricks that make it much easier to create drawings that are almost real. One artist that really brought something to printmaking was M. C. Escher. His use of math to create his art works was impeccable. I have been inspired by Escher during several of my own projects, and I hope he inspires you as well. I have some of his images after the jump for your viewing pleasure. If you want to learn more about him and his work, visit his official website.
I love illustrators that create new, interesting works that baffle your mind. One such illustrator is Julia Sonmi Heglund. She has lots of big name clients like the New York Times, MTV and Threadless.com. You can find out more about her and her work on her website. I have posted a few choice pieces after the jump.
I love book arts. Bookmaking has become quite lucrative and popular over the years. If you would like to create a custom gift, consider making books for friends and family. You can follow the tutorial from kate e. did on flickr.
I think that sketching is an art unto itself. Being able to sketch a person or action quickly and with detail is difficult to achieve. Therefore I must point your attention to António Jorge Gonçalves' website ++Subway Life++ where he sketches images of people from the subway. Not only are the sketches interesting, but the site is very creative. It's been around for a while, so check it out—there might be a book available if you are looking for a more tangible means of viewing these.
If you have never heard of Banksy before, I am shocked; I am disappointed; and I pity you. Banksy is an English graffiti artist whose works are often satirical, political and amusing. You will find that some of his works were removed by the city while others are kept and maintained. For the full experience, check out his site. Seeing is believing, after all.
Next time, surprise your friends by saying, "I made my wallpaper." That's right, readers. You can make your own amazing wallpapers with the help of X3 Studios—completely free. You can create, share, download and rate wallpapers. Give it a try. There's no harm in that. The image above is one that I made quickly. Make something better. On a side note, when you click the link, scroll to the bottom and select the "create your own wallpaper" option to get started.
