TAPE IN THE STREETS: BUFF DISS

Australian street/tape artist Buff Diss may not be the only tape arter out there, but he's definitely one of the most prolific. A few months back, Upper Playground's Walrus TV (how can a Wallace not support the Walrus?) featured Buff Diss and his mostly legal work. Next time you tape off your windows and outlets before you paint your walls, you best give respect due.






(via Cakehead Loves Evil)

DISPOSABLE TECHNOLOGY AND E-WASTE: KYLE BEAN

As technology capabilities continue to progress at an incredible pace, the "life span" of tech products get smaller and smaller to the point where they are, in a sense, disposable. Kyle Bean has created his own Disposable Technology in the form of cardboard sculptures of popular electronic devices. Carefully crafted, each piece is made (approximately) to scale and even includes a seemingly bright screen. At the center of the work is a quote from the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, a San Jose-based group that promotes responsibility in electronics recycling, The increasingly rapid evolution of technology has effectively rendered everything disposable. The importance of the quote of course, isn't that things are used quickly and replaced, it's what happens to them after they're replaced. While I/we enjoy our tech conveniences on the daily, they unfortunetly are not made of cardboard and producing/disposing of them has had a tremendously damaging effect on the world's environment.



We call this "e-waste" and half of it is made up of electronics such as computers, monitors, printers, televisions, dvd/music devices, stereos, and cell phones. In the United States, a dismal 10-20% percent of electronics are recycled responsibly (depending on who you talk to) and Europe doesn't fare much better at 25%. (see below chart to see where the waste comes from and where it goes) This means 80% of the roughly 50 million tons of e-waste will be either burnt or put in landfills, allowing the hundreds of different dangerous chemicals (including lead, mercury, cadmium, etc) found in electronics to leak into the water or air. Much of the waste (computers) is sold to developing countries to be sold as is (they will still end up as waste at some point) or stripped to extract and sell the rare elements and materials used in the electronics. There is currently no U.S. law to curb or regulate the export of e-waste to countries in Africa and Asia and the E.U. laws (under the Basel Convention) are obviously not being enforced. We need federal legislation to make sure that A. the environment/world population is protected from e-waste's harmful chemicals/materials. B. to re-use the rare elements and materials that will disappear from the earth unless we learn to recycle them effectively and C. that recyclers actually do what they promise, because surprisingly, even groups that claim to recycle these devices responsibly have been found to export them to developing countries. A fantastic story by 60 minutes reported that 44 recyclers were simply exporting the e-waste overseas and according to National Geographic, even Goodwill has sold computers to Ghana.

If you have electronic/electric waste please contact the E-Stewards Initiative to find a local recycler and/or the manufacturer (Dell, HP and Apple all have recylcing programs) to find out how to properly recycle the product.
(via Design Boom, CNN, SVTC)

BUSY STREET ARTIST: GAIA

When done well, street art sneaks the beauty of the canvas/gallery and all its ideas and conviction into the lives of masses. NYC inhabitant Gaia (the embodiment of Earth in Greek and also the name of scientific theory concerning the inter-connectivity of the Earth's physical components) is featured in the above video wheat-pasting the crap out of a cinder block wall in what has been a busy year for the gallery/street artist. Directed by Nicolas Heller and featuring Diplo's newest project Major Lazer, Gaia's prints bring some of nature's creatures (mythical and otherwise) to society's unsuspecting eyes to create something he says is "more beautiful than what I have found in this daily life. Groping at something romantic that I have not yet located where I currently am." Perhaps as important as the image is the placement and Gaia's choices use space and location very effectively. Again, he states it best:
I feel like one of the most important responsibilities of artists who consistently get up in the streets is to forge new frontiers for spots. Finding a beautiful setting to apply the work that is in a neighborhood where Street Art is not generally found is important for a few strong reasons.
Firstly, whatever the piece is, by putting up work that goes beyond the usual areas where it is to be expected, the artist strengthens the collective body of street art and extends its limits. It essentially serves as an outpost for others to venture forth from. It radiates new work in an unfamiliar landscape and enhances itself with reinforcements as other people use it as a base of reference for spots.
Secondly, I feel that its impact is significantly heightened and accentuated when the work is encountered through coincidence. It becomes arresting in that moment of intimacy and such a situation of beautiful discovery that is ignited between the piece and the pedestrian is not as readily established if the viewer is anticipating the experience because it is in a setting like Williamsburg. In a new and more distant place, the work becomes more mysterious and autonomous.
Thirdly, it changes the artist as they become shaped in their exploration of the surface of neighborhoods and become familiar with novel terrain. It puts the artist in the uncomfortable experience of drifting from the nest and into a place where their individual voice and art must be asserted confidently. A practice of finding spots that are in the cut confronts the artist with other realities of lifestyle and culture. It is like visiting a new country in the very city that you thought you knew.
(via NotCot)

BEST BIRCH VESSELS: KOUTA FUKUNAGA

We're finally feeling the summer heat here in New England, so today I picked up some fresh mint and a few ripe limes to make a more refreshing water (add rum, club soda/seltzer and simple syrup to complete a mojito or just add simple syrup/honey to the drink to sweeten it) When all is said and done, I refrigerate the drink in a 32oz glass container, (normally it holds beer) but I would much rather use Japanese artist Kouta Fukunaga's hand-carved birch vessels to serve my beverages in style. Technically, he created them to serve sake and wine and I'm ok with that too. These award-winning vessels are from Hokkaido-grown birch trunks and exemplify great design and naturally beautiful materials.


(via daily icon)

CHINESE ART INVASION: LUO TAO

U.K. artist by way of China, Luo Tao is a recent graduate from the Glasgow School of art and has been featured on the respected Saatchi Gallery site. (Saatchi also has a new Chinese art installation, view here) According to her site (in Rickey Henderson): "Luo Tao's illustrations reference aspects of her native Chinese culture and comparisons between Eastern and Western societies. The illustrations frequently display a dark sense of humour as well as political satire." I'll say. Andrew Wallace likes these very much. (via Lost at E Minor)

BEST BRUSHES: FEDERICO YANKELEVICH

Spanish painter Fede Yankelevich creates simple, mostly black on white portraits of powerful ideas, icons and amazing nudes. My favorite piece (up top) is an image of famed Argentinian writer/poet/artist Julio Cortazar. (Hopscotch won the National Book Award in 67') Yankelevich's published works have graced the pages of Esquire and Artafacta and are posted on the regular at his site.

(via It's Nice That)

GULF COAST SLABS: THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF CLAY KETTER

Clay Ketter, an American artist/photog by way of Sweden, traveled to post-Katrina Mississippi to capture the view of its devastation not in the debris on the ground, but in the foundations of the former houses from above. Ketter, a former carpenter himself, knew just where to look to find beautiful composition in the bleakest of circumstances. Better known for his paintings and assemblages using construction materials, this series is especially evocative considering the lives and dreams that use to occupy the slabs he shot. (click on the images to enlarge)

A retrospective of Ketter's work (including the "Gulf Coast Slabs" series as well as paintings and sculpture) is currently on display at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden until August 16th of this year. Highly recommended. (via Today and Tomorrow)

TABERNACLE: A SOLO EXHIBITION BY CHRISTOPHER DAVISON

A few months ago, I posted some work by Christopher Davison, a Philadephia based artist with an amazing style and subject matter that tends to abduct your senses. (in a good way) Deservedly so, Mr. Davison has a new solo exhibition called Tabernacle, opening at the Nicelle Beauchene Gallery in New York City beginning in late July through August. The piece in the invite (above) is considerably brighter in tone and subject matter and certainly befits the exhibition's name which means "a sanctuary for worship." (or a receptacle for the consecrated elements of the Eucharist) Considering the predominant use of demons/devils and dark imagery in Davison's previous work, perhaps this show represents a new direction for the artist, or simply another side in the world of good/evil. Looking forward to it.


(via Christopher Davison)

ORGANIC HANGING: CLAIRE MORGAN

Irish visual artist Claire Morgan has created some compelling organic installations in the past few years, most notably in a group exhibition entitled Building With Colour at Northumbria University in Newcastle. Pictured above is a piece called Fluid which displays a taxidermied crow crashing through a plane of lush strawberries, all painstakingly suspended in air using nylon and fishing hooks. Pictured below is an installation from last year titled Captive and featured a taxidermied owl that crashed attempting to hunt a white mouse and was left in a sea of pieces of plastic bags. Morgan says of her work, "I use materials that display signs of excess or decay, and find myself contemplating issues relating to the 'residues' that we as a society leave on the earth."
Darren Ambrose, lecturer in art theory, says "Morgan’s sculptural material is ordinary, familiar and everyday, but is transfigured through the rigor of formal composition into becoming resonant with a mysterious melancholic power that allows it to be unfamiliar to us again.” Well said.
(via Booooooom)

THE ARTWORK OF OTHER

The Canadian graf artist known as Other has been a busy man and looking to chronicle his works in book form. Dude is top notch and to make money for this endeavor he's selling prints (pictured below) here. (though, according to My Love For You Is a Stampede of Horses, they sell out QUICK which is not surprising considering) The 12"x 13" prints go for 100$ and are a great investment in an impressive up and comer. If the book includes his pieces on walls, trains and various objects seen on Flickr, it'll be very necessary and if it's new stuff, it'll be like oxygen.
(via My Love For You Is a Stampede of Horses which is quickly becoming my favorite art site)

THERE IS A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT: LAURA ADEL JOHNSON

Laura Adel Johnson has found a better use for those pathetic christmas lights you keep on your house nine months out of the year. (and waste a gazillion kilowatt hours of electricity) The Australian artist creates evocative wall drawings using the cords as lines as well as the puddles for her character's tears. They must be listening to The Smiths. (via Inside Out)

MISANTHROPY MADE EASY: JIM TIERNEY

Jim Tierney has a created a handsome, essential guide to master misanthropy (click picture for larger version). Check his site for more quirky, vintage style drawings.

With the utmost respect to Mr. Tierney, I have a few suggestions on taking one's hatred of mankind (and womankind) to a party:

1. On the topic of gadgets, voicemail will give you 30 seconds of escape time tops, but texts, tweets and emails provide endless opportunities to avoid conversation and prove that you are A. too busy for this party and B. better than everyone there.

2. When fidgeting, try drumming. Using your right hand for the constant high hat tick and your left to man the snare, tap your right foot as the bass beat. Now follow every 4/4 indie rock/ironic club song playing at the party as if you were the actual drummer (stare blankly as to not let on how much you are actually concentrating). For advanced players, play double bass drum and do the fills too. If you are indeed a fidgeter, you might as well let everyone imagine you're a musician instead of just a nervous shut-in. (note: play confidently, the music will be far too loud for anyone to hear you)

3. When wandering, hit the bathroom at least a few times (not literally unless you're an experienced misanthrope), if your party is in the late hours, there should be a line (this suggests you're totally doing something other than just lurking) and more than likely something interesting/disgusting will happen.

4. Folding and tearing paper is essential. Bring plenty of bottled drinks so that you can peel off the label. Bonus points for foil transfers onto the wooden arm of the chair you're sitting in. (thank high school kids for pioneering this worthless activity)

5. Experienced misanthropes (if not already incarcerated or moved to Alaska) know that beer is not to sipped but guzzled in attempt to finally break free from your pent-up rage at humanity by screaming at the top of your lungs about the hypocrisy you see in every person at the party. In this case the liquor serves three purposes: A. It will stop you from shaking as you clearly depend on it to get you through life now (see label peeling). B. It's possible the booze may make you belligerent enough to call out everyone in the room. BUT let's be honest, you will NEVER be able to do this so C. the alcohol will dull the pain of your inevitable heart attack and ensure your death which is what you wanted anyway.

Note: These comments are not approved by Mr. Tierney and are not meant in any way to disrespect him or his work or Joaquin Phoenix.
(via My Love For You Is a Stampede of Horses)

DEADLINE: POST-IT NOTE STOP-MOTION

Bang-yao Liu and friends have created this fantastic short using stop-motion post-it note animation. While it's been done before, the atari references, human/post-it interactions and royksopp soundtrack makes this one especially enjoyable. Liu explains the concept:
"This is my senior project at Savannah College of Art and Design. Where my idea comes from is that every time when I am busy, I feel that I am not fighting with my works, I am fighting with those post-it notes and deadline. I manipulating the post-it notes to do pixel-like stop motion and there are some interactions between real actor and post-its." The making of video can be seen here.

(via Booooooom, a fantastic art blog)

DANNY ESPINOZA

Danny Espinoza, an upstart artist and photographer has been getting recognition for some of his cleaner creations. I favor his "sloppier", more raw works. They're all good though.

SIMON SCHUBERT FOLDS PAPER

Origami ain't got nothing on Simon Schubert, a German artist who has created beautiful 2-D images by simply folding or creasing paper. This collection is currently on display at Upstairs Berlin until June 27th. In addition, he is also known for his sometimes absurd, yet thought-provoking sculptures previously on display at the Saatchi Gallery. (now in Chelsea)
(via Today and Tomorrow)