inky…

Laura Barnard has a really strong inky thing going on in her portfolio of landscapes and railway lines. I especially like the image above of Bristol. It rightly won an award, and you can learn a bit more about her work and her other experimental stuff on her blog.

it’s a sustained kind of something…

It is kind of shocking, and deflating in the same degree, to find someone else has been down the same path you thought you were beating furiously at alone. But on the other-hand, it can be comforting to know that there are other people out there, totally insane,  and obsessed with the minute (and for the most part totally overlooked) little details that bring some kind of satisfaction when they blur into one spasm inducing image at a distance. It’s awesome and so is John Borowicz’s work. Check out the rest of his ‘SPRAWLING CONGLOMERATES’ on his blog or butdoesitfloat?

science and art…

Reading through the Japan Times newspaper the other day, I came across an article reviewing a show called “Trouble in Paradise / Medi(t)ation of Survival”. (National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto) The show aims to bring art and science a little closer through installations, sculptures and interactive media; but despite being a a fairly interesting idea, the show didn’t quite come off successfully for the paper’s art writer, only emphasizing “the fissure between art and science” as something comparative to a great chasm. Sadly.
Anyway, newspapers and fluff aside…I found someone who mixes art and science in a different way, and perhaps with more success. Former-biochemist-come-artist Kelsey Brookes could be a good candidate for drawing these two worlds a little closer. His paintings are constellations that kind of explode off the canvas like little chemical reactions (did you like that?) Anyway, check it out for yourself. I think it’s pretty rad.

on trees…

Los Angeles based artist Marrissa Textor has some wonderful graphite drawings of trees with a  strong environmental message. You can check them out here. Her attention to detail is striking and it would be a real treat to see them in person.

betsy walton…

I woke up with a headache today, but there was something soothing about Betsy Walton’s images that made it go away.

Acorn…

My gosh, it’s Friday already. I haven’t been updating the news nearly as much as I would have liked recently. It may have something to do with the lethargy inducing heatwave or the half a million other things on my mind at the moment. But let me spare you the whinge and get to the point. I haven’t posted anything about Melbourne based artist and friend Acorn and it’s about high time I did. He has something really special going on in his finely detailed work. Especially the figurative pieces like the one above. Their is something old world mystic about it. And I dig it! So here is link to his Flickr and the teaser poster for his upcoming show ‘PLANETES’ at NoVacancy gallery Melbourne. Enjoy.

new work…

It has been a while since I posted last. About a week and a half. But It has been a fairly productive week and half. Without going into great detail about my recent achievements, here are some of the highlights; I grew some zucchini in the back yard, unlocked a new hat in team fortress 2, made some invitations for a party shaped like miniature records,  watched an interesting movie about dreams, learned about string theory and drew a picture. Here is the picture…

dabbling in monster…

Relaxing in the studio while drawing a monster costume or two is my idea of a perfect day. It happens to be a past-time of sorts for many artists; and there are just as many appreciators out there willing to blog about this low-brow obsession with the grotesque as there are producers. Monster Brains caters to all forms of monster art; traditional dragon slaying etchings, computer generated paintings, photography and sculpture…it’s a pretty exhaustive list. So if you want to read deeply into the darker side of the human psyche, try “analytical psychology”on wikipedia, but if you like monsters start browsing.

space pulp fiction and other things of interest…

The future of decades ago has a nice nostalgic feel about it, which is strange, if you think about people in the past imagining their future which is probably our present. Anyway, it’s a shame a lot of these perceived ‘visions of the future’ didn’t materialize as planned. I’d prefer mono-eyed pincher grip robots over 3d TV any day. If you want to see more, check out the (incredibly unattractive) website of Badger pulp fiction covers.

street studio…

Good friend and artist Ghostpatrol recently sent me a copy of a book he has co-produced/written with fellow artist MisoAllison Young and designer Timba Smits on the unique and ever evolving Melbourne street art scene. The book features the work and words of 10 of Melbourne’s most prolific artists and crews talking about what inspires then to do what they do. It’s a really intimate look into the world of street art from the perspective of those who produce it, and really puts a light on the controversial medium; one which has drawn equal amounts of fire and attention from authorities and admirers. If you can get your hands on a copy, it’s a must have for anybody interested in the street scene from the south end. Published by Thames and Hudson Australia.