There’s nothing wrong with having an alter ego (*wink, ahem). Superheroes got ‘em so they could save people and not be hassled at the grocery store the next day. Rappers have them if they aren’t lucky enough to rock the mic with their God-given name. And you can imagine how quick us girls can whip one up when some uninvited fella wants to give our cellies a ring.
Atlanta-based photographer Derek Blanks has an interesting photo series up that blurs the fine line between extra and ordinary. More photos after the jump…
Insa opened a new show a few days ago at Extrabold in Luxembourg and he was kind enough to send some pics. The show looks amazing and I wish I could have been there. I’ve been pining over Insa heels for years and seeing these pictures doesn’t make it any easier. The canvases look amazing too. I especially love the painting of feet with a Nike Air Max painted over in black. And the hearts! I could wallpaper everything in that. But, I have to say, I think the lady legs in the walkway are insane! What a clever way to make your way into the exhibit. If you’re in Luxembourg, you should definitely see this for yourself - the show runs until June 14th.
Industrielle Gallery is hosting an art auction to benefit women who are victims of violence. More than 30 pieces have been donated by Bay-Area women artists and proceeds will go to care.org to benefit women who have been affected by violence all over the world.
Just in time for Mother’s Day this event offers all of us a chance to give a gift that will truly make a difference. If you can’t make it on May 8th, no worries, silent bidding is now open online. If you can make it, the auction will be held THURSDAY, MAY 8th, 7 - 9pm and will include entertainment and hors d’oeuvres.
Industrielle
33 Grand Ave (at Broadway)
Oakland, CA.
Beautiful Losers is a film about a group of semi-unrecognized, yet ridiculously influential collective group of artists. The sort of losers who cherished their outsider status. The sort of creatures who’ve held tight to their respective Crayolas & paintbrushes, their skateboards & video cameras, their spray cans & Sharpies, the very badges of their inner nerd, and are now recognized and celebrated. It’s the classic story. That weird punk skateboarder, the one they’d gun for in PE, now being paid millions for his bad-ass drawings to grace Pepsi campaigns. They came together in the old Alleged Gallery in the Lower East Side, started by the film’s director Aaron Rose over ten years ago and now their work can be seen worldwide, and has been described as a “movement”. The artists in the collective include: Barry McGee, Chris Johansen, Ed Templeton, Geoff McFetridge, Jo Jackson, Stephen Powers, Harmony Korine, Shepard Fairey, Mike Mills, Thomas Campbell and Margaret Kilgallen. These artists are self-taught, employing the unrestrained Do-It-Yourself technique, their work not limited to one medium, but many. It’s not about the money or even so much the message as just creating. Being creative and inspiring those around you to do the same. This quote by Geoff McFetridge summed it up for me: “The sun doesn’t know its a star.”
New Yorkers, tonight Fuse Gallery is holding the opening reception for Sweet City Woman, an all female Art Show featuring the dynamic works of Queen Andrea, Gmo$, Toofly, Muck, Alice Mizrachi, and Gillian Goldstein. Check it out.
Tonight, 111 Minna Gallery is presenting Plock+Tunstall’s CIRCUS, a new body of collaborative works, from May 1-28. The Gallery will host an artist reception TONIGHT, May 1st at 6pm. The latest large-scale collaborative exhibition by San Francisco-based artists Ferris Plock and Kelly Tunstall, CIRCUS! is an entirely new body of work that uses circus life to inspect journeys, innocence and artifice. Kelly Tunstall is one of my favorite artists and I’m really excited to see what she did with the Circus theme. No matter what theme she chooses, the charm, beauty and poise of her lovely ladies always shines through in her work. This is a definite must see!
Buff Monster will be in NYC this weekend for the opening of his show at Giant Robot New York on Saturday night from 6:30pm to 10 pm. The show will feature all new works by Buff Monster - this is definitely a must see as Buff Monster never disappoints. Whenever I see his work I’m transported to a world full of whimsy and pink cottoncandy and of course, filled with little Buff Monsters!
Also this weekend in New York, you can meet the Buff Monster himself at Comic Con where he will be signing the new 3″ Metallic Pink Squirt Figure on Friday at 6:30pm at the Toy Tokyo booth and on Saturday at 11am at the MINDstyle booth (#1313). The figure is limited to 200 pieces and sells for $30. This is a great opportunity to get toys with limited distribution and have them signed!
powerHouse books, publisher of forward thinking art books, is hosting a reception tonight for their new release, Flight Attendants, at their newest venture, the powerHouse library. The powerHouse library is located in the beautiful Mansion New York and features “a selection of powerHouse Books’ latest releases and classic backlist titles, the Library will host an exclusive series of launch parties and private receptions in conjunction with art shows in the gallery.” Exciting!
Flight Attendants is a book of photographs taken by Brian Finke on his many travels. The catalog is “a vibrant document of those adventurous souls who choose to work at 40,000 feet. Shot before, during, and after trips, at school and at home, Finke’s photographs capture the allure of this high-flying profession alongside the more quiet moments of the attendants’ daily lives.” You can see more images from the book after the jump and you can purchase the book online here.
Thursday, April 10, 2008, starting at 10pm
The powerHouse Library at Mansion New York
530 West 28th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues
RSVP: powerhouse@mansionnewyork.com (more…)
April 5–July 13, 2008Morris A. and Meyer Schapiro Wing and Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Gallery, 4th and 5th Floors
The most comprehensive retrospective to date of the work of internationally acclaimed Japanese artist Takashi Murakami includes more than ninety works in various media that span the artist’s entire career, installed in more than 18,500 square feet of gallery space.
Among the works included in this large-scale survey tracing the trajectory of Murakami’s artistic development are many of his acclaimed sculpture figures including the 23-foot-high Tongari-kun (2003–4); Miss Ko2 (1997), a long-legged waitress who has become one of the artist’s signature characters; and Hiropon (1997), a Japanese girl jumping a rope created by milk spurting from her gargantuan breasts. Among the paintings on view will be Tan Tan Bo (2001), as well as Tan Tan Bo Puking—a.k.a. Gero Tan (2002).
I had to share this miniature dollhouse I came across while visiting artisan Elsa Mora’s blog. On the blog she allows her readers to witness the creativity she produces on a daily basis. Everything she shares—from handmade jewelry to child-like drawings—she illustrates with very beautiful and personal stories.
Elsa made this dollhouse for her daughter because she wanted her to learn about Frida Kahlo. It took her months to complete but now that it’s finished, her daughter Natalie loves it!
See more details of this amazing dollhouse, after the jump!
