Yuko Nasu

Nasu's work continues to raise questions about identity and ethnic divide, the patterns of the face are visible in her portraits; however, one is forced to really investigate as to whom we think they are. Much of her source material derives from news papers and images from the media, meaning that the faces are in general famous, or at least known characters. 

Each painting takes a personality of its own. When we are presented with more than one of these images we are forced to search for ourselves within them, as these personalities come to life. It is in this search that we discover something about the way we are looking at the images, we are looking at differences , rather than the similarities, the elements that make up every picture, and essentially everyone of us. 

You can see more of her works on her blog: http://yukonasu.sblo.jp/

Stormtrooper designer defeats Lucas in Supreme Court

Mr Ainsworth, the original designer of the iconic Stormtrooper armour has won a copyright battle with Star Wars director George Lucas. Ainsworth first sold a piece of the armour in 2002 to pay school fees, receiving £60,000 at Christie's for the sale. Seeing the potential in this he started to sell to fans globally. Upon finding out about these sales Lucasarts sued Mr Ainsworth for $20m, stating that he did not own the property rights, a claim that was rebuffed by a US court; however, as Mr Ainsworth had no assets in the US it had to be settled in the UK, whereby a loophole allowed Mr Ainsworth to continue.

The Loophole being that if they were sold as industrial props then the initial 15 year copyright would only be applicable and thus running out, if, as Lucasarts claim, they has been sold as art or 3d sculptures, an authors +70 year copyright would have been enforced.

Ironically the funding for Mr Ainsworth case has come from sales of the incriminating items, "The way we've funded it [the case] is to make the characters, which is the ironic thing about it, it's really the empire striking back,".

The Dude Designs

Tom Hodge, is trying to revive the dying art of film poster design.  The Success of B-movie ‘Hobo with a Shotgun’, a spin off from an advert in Tarantino and Rodriguez’ Grindhouse, has brought media attention to the art work that he produces. Hodge is himself a film producer and says despite the changes in technology, drawn posters are something that is still associated to the horror genre. This is due to the fact, perhaps not so true for big budget modern movies, that there were things beyond the technological capabilities of the genre. The poster in this way extends beyond the capabilities of the movie alone, taking on a further role than merely a description of the film and who is in it, adding to the vision of the imagination.

Graham Humphreys believes that the illustrations leave some people confused, "I think studios feel that movie audiences won't get an illustrated poster, that they'll think it's a cartoon.", saying that the ‘cartoon’ look is utilised to create the retro feel of a timeless classic.

I myself am a real fan of the illustrated poster; I like the idea of the extension from the film rather than a montage of famous actors with little relevance. Check out more of Hodge’s work at http://thedudedesigns.blogspot.com/

Lucian Freud

"one of the greatest painters of the 20th century" - Mr Acquavella on Freud.

Grandson of Sigmund Freud, he became one of the biggest realist painters of the century, 2008 seeing his painting of a woman on a couch selling for a record by a living artist at £20.6m.

His work expresses so much more than a mere literal representational notifying of a person image etc. The work is alive, despite the almost 'dead' look of the woman in the picture above the paint itself feels to be moving, to be aware.  He was an historic artists and will be missed.

Barry Wilson

Check out more on Barry's work on squidoo: http://www.squidoo.com/barrywilson

Hajj Exhibition, with contemporary Saudi artists

The British Museum despite recent rumours of the closing of its library, will play host to an exhibition on the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, in early 2012. The ritual that is supposed to be carried out by every adult Muslim at least once in their life, will be displayed by form of manuscripts, photographs and diaries and will be accompanied by work from contemporary Saudi artists such as Ahmed Mater and Shadia Alem.

I myself am particularly looking forward to this exhibition especially due to its inclusion of the contemporary artists. Ahmed Mater is an internationally renowned artist whose work covers many grounds. There is one work of his that I particularly like, and that is Antenna. 

There is a searching here, a scanning for a signal for something to watch to grab onto, something that translates in away not only from the childhood that he references, but also a little bit of all our lives, that stage where one searches for someone, something to set them right. Or perhaps as the signal fades it was a glimpse into something better. This I feel resonates not only with the public but also to any fellow artists, as this is a path in life that is often uncertain. 

Hayley Lock

Lock creates characters and figures of noble birth and monarchy, and entwines them in tales from the imaginary. The symbolism and ambiguity surrounding many of the figures lure one into thoughts of some kind of “secret society”, as images of masonic guild type portraiture are conjured.

Her latest project is supported by The Arts Council and can be followed at http://nowthatwouldbetelling.com/, this is a project where she while working with curator Catherine Hemelryk and invited writers Ben Moor, Pamela Hartshorne, Lucinda Hawksley, Hallie Rubenhold and Liz Williams, to create new stories, likening to some of her former work, in historic places. 

She has also recently been selected in the Saatchi magasine's online weekly top ten. 

http://magazine.saatchionline.com/online-top-10/saatchi-online-weekly-top-10-chosen-by-rebecca-wilson-july-18-july-24

Source: http://hayleylock.com/

Followw Hayley Lock at: http://countsandnuonces.blogspot.com/

Bad British Architecture

Although it's last post was over a year ago, I love the theme to this blog. The idea of paying tribute to something you dislike is an interesting subject to tackle. 

Source: http://badbritisharchitecture.blogspot.com/

Ebbing - Sarah Tew at La Scatola Gallery

Curated by Valentina Fois, Ebbing shows the maturing of Sarah Tew in her first solo show at La Scatola Gallery.

The work constantly changes and morphs over the duration of the show with the evaporation of the liquids in the tank and their gradual absorption by the paper, the residues and remnants left will differ greatly from the initial set up. Their is some comment to consumption and waste, with food colouring making up much of the liquids, hence edible. As the food is wasted it reflects on the way in which many live their lives in the western world, leaving waste and accumulating more than we can use.

source: http://www.lascatolagallery.com/

Styling and Salvage

"Some of the most fashionable new furniture isn't new at all - its's salvaged from tips and skips by craftspeople who combine high design with street-level scavenging" - Jill Macnair, I Daily. 

The work shown here is one example the work by Rupert Blanchard. This demonstrates perfectly how the art of collage is not just a table top subject. In an age of green conciousness and eco-friendly Blanchard reveals encompasses this feel perfectly, but at the same time there is an air of ambiguity surrounding each piece. A collage can become an amalgamation of things of representation and order combined to create something ambiguous and mysterious; however, this work goes one step further, taking things from order and value, to a skip or tip where it has become disregarded, a three dimensional collage of life, then brought back again to this world of of order where it is generated under a new context a new manner of existence. 

The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

This is a fantastic gem of a story, yes it might seem highly comical, but there is a serious message here about equality.  Let me know your views on this one, i think its fascinating. 

"An Austrian atheist has won the right to be shown on his driving-licence photo wearing a pasta strainer as "religious headgear".

Niko Alm first applied for the licence three years ago after reading that headgear was allowed in official pictures only for confessional reasons. Mr Alm said the sieve was a requirement of his religion, pastafarianism.The Austrian authorities required him to obtain a doctor's certificate that he was "psychologically fit" to drive.The idea came into Mr Alm's noodle three years ago as a way of making a serious, if ironic, point.

A self-confessed atheist, Mr Alm says he belongs to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a light-hearted faith whose members call themselves pastafarians.

In response to pressure for American schools to teach the Christian theory known as intelligent design, as an alternative to natural selection, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster wrote to the Kansas School Board asking for the pastafarian version of intelligent design to be taught to schoolchildren, as an alternative to the Christian theory.

The group's website states that "the only dogma allowed in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is the rejection of dogma"."

-source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14135523

Felice Varini

The work here re-imagines the gallery space, transforming the white cube from a passive space to the figure of the artwork itself.

 Lost in the translation of the work it becomes lost to the mirrored image which can only be seen from one exact angle as the lines are painted upon the gallery. At this very point one cannot see themselves, this becomes an extension of the world around us, extension of the reality we see as a new shape and image is formed on the mirror in comparison to the eye.

This is an interesting play here to Anish Kapoor's "Turning the World Upside Down", instead of an extension of the imagination beyond the comprehendable, there is an extension of the measured, a remeasuring of marked out walls and lines within the space. 

source: http://www.todayandtomorrow.net/

Kyle McDonald

People Staring at Computers from Kyle McDonald on Vimeo.

"The U.S. Secret Service is investigating a Brooklyn media artist who reportedly installed a custom app on computers in an Apple store that automatically took pictures of people staring at the screen and displayed the images on other computers.

A Secret Service spokesman would not comment Thursday, saying the investigation is ongoing.

On the artist’s website, Kyle McDonald describes the project as “People Staring at Computers 2011 A Photographic Intervention.” A video shows patrons in an Apple store gazing at a computer screen in which photographs of other faces pop up.

McDonald is in contact with the civil liberties group Electronic Frontier Foundation. He says they encouraged him not to discuss the project while it’s under investigation.

An Apple spokesperson declined comment."

-http://www.fadwebsite.com

While the fame around this work is due to the nature of McDonald's arrest, it certainly raises some questions to the notion of the view from the computer. The view of the unconscious, the "Ghost in the Machine" as it were. A question of who controls who, as we rely on and are driven by technology more and more. millions of connections, much like the synapses in our brains drive a seemingly endless number of devices that we rely on, and by in large don't understand.

Alessandro Pagani

I stumbled upon this work on the Saatchi website. the images are both chilling, but also they don't seem to be out of place or odd. The distortions make sense they are an agonising view. 

Source: http://www.saatchionline.com/

Office building by Modostudio

This Inca type designed office block in Italy is from the architects of Modostudio.

The design of the building combines simple squared off edges and shapes but retains the elements of something more spiritual. The light plays wonderfully with the angles of the face of the building.

source: http://www.dezeen.com/