Archive for September, 2010
Rune Guneriussen is a talented Norwegian artist who produces incredible installations composed of man-made objects placed outdoors all across Norway. Isolated in nature, most of Rune’s work is presented through photography, although he recently created a live installation for the Nuit Blanche nighttime art festival which took place in Paris last year. Rune’s photographs of decorative lamps softly illuminating isolated snow-blanketed landscapes are absolutely stunning. They evoke a feeling of serene silence and contemplation while casting a magical, storybook ambiance.
“As an artist he believes strongly that art itself should be questioning and bewildering as opposed to patronizing and restricting. As opposed to the current fashion he does not want to dictate a way to the understanding of his art, but rather indicate a path to understanding a story.”
—from runeguneriussen.no
[ via runeguneriussen.no ]
Today is Google’s 12th birthday, and what a surprise it was to find a deliciously rendered birthday cake painted by none other than American artist Wayne Thiebaud! Famous for painting cakes, sweets, and mouth-watering delicatessen treats, Thiebaud also paints dizzying California landscapes as well as crooked, winding San Francisco streets.
There’s nothing sweeter than dressing up your cupcakes in cute wrappers that come in pink zebra stripes or look like flowers! Awwww. These are from Emerald + Ella, a Sydney-based online shop.
[ via thedesignfiles.net ]
I fell in love with this design monster when browsing web designer Denise Chandler‘s portfolio. (It helps that I’m a sucker for hand-drawn typography and graphic design elements too.)
[ via Smashing Magazine ]
Hákarl, also known as Putrefied Shark, is perhaps Iceland’s most infamous traditional delicacy. This eye-popping blast to the palate will drive tears to your eyes, and likely cause your gag reflex to flare up at first bite. Most commonly served with toothpicks as bite-sized cubes resembling cheese, these harmless looking babies reveal no hint of the overpowering aroma that awaits adventurous foodies.
Experiencing Hákarl
Hákarl’s distinct ammonia-heavy scent is reminiscent of rotten cheese mixed with industrial-grade cleaning products. Moist, with a fishy texture and a consistency slightly akin to bamboo shoots, this pungent dish packs a serious punch. Said to be an acquired taste even for Icelanders, brave travelers can try pinching their noses to take the shock value down a notch, but they’ll still have to contend with the strong ammonia aftertaste that lingers as a result of tasting even the tiniest morsel.
Eric Stine is an artist based out of Indianapolis, Indiana, who makes some pretty cool handmade products like monster playing cards. I love his crazy creations from his series Monsters in my Closet.
[ via gotbadvibes.com ]
These unique graphics were created by SHOTOPOP, a group of graphic and interactive designers based in London.
[ via Shotopop ]
This ring is alive! You’re looking at a real bed of moss set in wood. Yes, that means you have to water it. This charming ring was a collaboration between Cometman, a jewelry designer, and Kokeya, a bonsai designer. You can buy your very own through Ladestore.
[ via Spoon & Tamago ]
I’m lovin’ these colorful, fun children’s book illustrations by Rahel Winiger.
[ via rahelwiniger.ch ]
L.A. artist Mark Bradford’s abstract, large-scale mixed media paintings are big, colorful compositions to behold in person, loaded with all kinds of funky organic shapes, metallic paints, and glue remnants from peeled away surfaces, as a result of layers and layers of paper manipulated with nylon string, caulking, and sanding.
Mark hails from Leimert Park in South Central Los Angeles, where he used to create signs for his mother’s beauty shop. He went on to study art at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), and now maintains studio space in the same building that once housed his mother’s hair salon.
“I always made stuff but never thought, I’m going to be an artist. I was in charge of painting signs at the beauty shop (PRESS AND CURL $25; JHERI CURL $45). I did home movies. About the time I was 7, I got really into black-exploitation films, so I made my own Wonder Woman, but I made her black.” —Mark Bradford via nymag.com
Mark’s work is currently on view until October 10th at:
Wexner Center for the Arts
The Ohio State University
1871 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43210
The exhibition will also travel to the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the Dallas Museum of Art, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
[ via wexarts.org and sikkemajenkinsco.com ]
