I haven’t yet seen Spa Night, but it’s on my must see list.
Affinity
Art, Fun, & Nonsense.
I haven’t yet seen Spa Night, but it’s on my must see list.
© Elene Usdin — Les photographies et illustrations ne sont pas libres de droits.
© Elene Usdin — Les photographies et illustrations ne sont pas libres de droits.
© Elene Usdin — Les photographies et illustrations ne sont pas libres de droits.
© Elene Usdin — Les photographies et illustrations ne sont pas libres de droits.
© Elene Usdin — Les photographies et illustrations ne sont pas libres de droits.
Oh, go explore the world of Elene Usdin, a world of wonders and evocative stories! A grand place to get lost and wander. Elene Usdin.
© C. Ford.
This is truly stunning work, deeply affecting, and cuts right to the core. Click over to see much more, and in detail!
Italian illustrator Federico Babina has turned his attention from movies stars and fairy tale characters to the deep emotions felt by those experiencing mental illness. In his new series Archiatric, Babina’s architectural illustrations demonstrate a deep understanding and empathy for sufferers of psychological disorders.
Through 16 drawings, Babina gives visual representation to some of the mental illnesses that affect millions daily. “I don’t want to put a romantic aura around the discomfort and suffering of mental illness,” Babina explains, “but rather to make a reflection on the prejudices and negative stigmas with which the pathologies of the mind are often observed.”
With simple lines and a clear message, the artist quietly and elegantly explores different disorders. Each, placed in a solitary house that could symbolize our mental environments, is delivered with dignity and understanding.
To accompany the work, Babina created a short video with music by composer Elisabet Raspall. As the melody moves, so does each image, animating into its chosen illness. The result is a touching, and sobering, look at mental illness.
Federico Babina: Website | Instagram | Society6
Via My Modern Met.
Oh, so very cool, this! Watch. There’s awe-filled delight when the finches show up! You can read all about this here. Gobi was kind enough to share a couple photos from Sugar Spin:
© Gobi, all rights reserved.
Partners Stephen Stum and Jason Hallman, collectively known as Stallman, marry their individual talent and vision to create mesmerizing three dimensional sculptures out of canvas and paint. Their newest collection of work, titled Canvas on the Edge, aims to highlight the nature of the materials by giving the impression of movement through the use of elevated structures. Different angles reveal varying perspectives that play with a range of color spectrums reflecting off the ridged canvas.
The Pacific Northwest-based duo create each sculpture in tandem, merging as one to produce something unique. Where one acts as the left side of the brain, the other becomes the right, attempting to dissolve boundaries and form a piece that is completely balanced. The two draw inspiration from the natural world, mimicking biological gradients and cellular patterns within each work.
Each multi-faceted sculpture permeates a hypnotic sense of calm, as the pair successfully modify the traditional medium of paint and canvas by adding a new, creative edge.
You can read more, and see much more of this beautiful and intensive work here.
© C. Ford.
Marcus, the test tube the beads came in makes a great roller – you aren’t getting that one back!
Still plugging away. Took a break from rolling, these larger sections, I decided to spray prior to rolling. Still a bunch to go, but I’m out of drying room for the moment, so they’ll have to wait.
© C. Ford.
I want one!
Made for Ikea’s Space10, this is the Growroom, specifically made for cities, it can grow a communities worth of food and herbs. I’m not urban, but I still want one. The best news? Space10 and architects Sine Lindholm and Mads-Ulrik Husum have open sourced this, so anyone can make one.
Installation view, PARADISE COVE 1.0, 2015.
At its best, Hawai’i’s art community reflects a multi-ethnic heritage as well as a critical desire to confront the legacy of colonialism that plays out in the present day against the people, land, and natural resources of the islands. For many long-time Hawai’i artists, there is an acceptance of a place where the market is not a priority. This is important work, hard work, work that must be done in the face of personal and economic sacrifice and the growing lack of institutional support, despite near-constant development and a booming tourist economy.
At its worst, Hawai’i’s art community is dated and alienating: full of the racist undertones and an underlying bitterness stemming from a lack of opportunities. Artists here can be unapologetically territorial. “Watufaka!” Given the whitewashed colonial injustices committed against Hawai’ians and throughout the Pacific, does it really come as a surprise? Meanwhile, artists trying to make a living face tremendous pressure to conform to touristic expectations and often end up sacrificing their vision to produce uninspired tropical seascapes or “designed by committee” public commissions for the state. Neither promotes meaningful engagement. Some artists go for broke and move to “the mainland,” never to be seen or heard from again. Some move home to surf or start a career, when they are jaded and tired, in their 40s. The rest just stop.
The whole essay, part of 50 States of Art, is at The Creators Project, and excellent reading. There’s more to see, too!
Can’t sleep, so getting a start on Rendered Harmless, got a whole lot of bible rolling to do.
© C. Ford.
Batwoman returns as part of DC’s Rebirth event.
Kate Kane, a.k.a. lesbian superhero Batwoman, is back! Part of DC Comics’ Rebirth event, Batwoman: Rebirth quickly gets new readers up to speed. The first issue in the series is available in comics stores and at Comixology today. When Batwoman debuted in 2011, she became the first LGBT character to star in an ongoing monthly comic book from a mainstream publisher. Marguerite Bennett (DC Comics Bombshells,Batgirl,Earth 2: World’s End) will be writing the new adventures of the heroine, with art by Steve Epting.
“There has never been a heroine I have loved more than Batwoman,” Bennett says. “Her flaws, her ferocity, her struggle to rise above her own history and find a way to serve the greater good and those she loves — she’s always cut me straight to the bone. To be a queer woman and to see a queer woman as not just a part but a pillar of the Bat family was life-changing, inspiring, and gave me the courage to pursue this career in comics. The opportunity to add to Kate Kane’s story and legacy is both an honor and a sincere dream come true.”
You can see much more at The Advocate.
