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ghosts in string and windows
Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota creates immense installations with string, furniture, windows, and live people.What I thought, on first glance, was a frenetic charcoal drawing, was actually a photograph of a white room, with a piano and chairs completely cobwebbed in black strings. The strings are attached to the walls, the ceiling, the floor, the furniture; they wind around each other and are woven in such a way that they define space and become shapes - or beings - themselves.
Other recurring items she uses are old windows from Berlin construction sites, hospital beds, children’s school chairs, and shoes.
…but it’s the string that gets me. A ball of yarn sitting on a desk is such a quiet, soft, unassuming thing. This artist turns it into a horrible, anxious tangle, a web of uneasiness…it almost looks organic, like an intelligent, plotting Spanish moss, ready to grow around you and swallow you up if you stay too still, too long.
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dark and light
Anke Merzbach’s photography is dark, elegant, and moody.
Her work is a glorious combination of antiquated fashion and photo techniques, desaturated color, dirty contrast, and models of non-traditional beauty, strength, and grace.
She uses, sometimes to the point of flamboyant excess, a lot of digital photo processing and manipulation, but despite the modern tools, the photos have an air of antique-ness, but of a past world that never really existed at all.
You can find her work on her website, or on her Flickr Stream. -
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lending a hand
I can’t help but be mesmerized by the fluid, graceful, nearly mime-like movements of this raccoon’s paw as he searches around for food pieces.
The word “raccoon” comes from Native American words meaning “he who scratches with his hands”. Their nimble fingers are so incredibly sensitive that they use them as a second pair of eyes to “see” whatever they feel when they probe around in the dark, or under water. Even nearly-freezing creek water does not dull the sensitivity, and they can “see” crayfish and other food by feeling around in the coldest water. -
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colonizing
Lead by designer Derrick R. Cruz, a group of artists in New York has collaborated on a project called “A New Hive” to raise awareness and funds for the plight of the very important, yet often forgotten, honeybee. The global impact of Colony Collapse Disorder is affecting bee populations at an alarming rate, raising much concern over not only the future of these populations, but the plants they pollinate, and the ecosystems that are affected by their decline.A show was set up at Earnest Sewn, and featured a dark, anachronistic display loaded with natural objects, symbolism, and about 200 pounds of honey.
The proceeds from the art sold, as well as donations to the project go to support honeybee research, education, and development of sustainable beekeeping practices. For more information about Colony Collapse Disorder, click here or here. -
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from the pages of…
The detailed, illustrative work of Italian artist Ericailcane brings to mind images from a forgotten Victorian storybook. Fussy, proper, macabre, and just not quite innocent enough to be for a child.
In addition to etchings, drawings, and installations, he has worked on a number of video projects, as can be seen here on his website.
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garden of delights
These fantastic little worlds are the creation of artist Kathleen Lolley.
Besides the folk/fairy tale aspect of the characters, woodland settings, and rustic details, what really interests me about her work is the historical color palette, and the (perhaps deliberate?) many nods to both Hieronymus Bosch in both rendering style and creature/object design, and the desaturated stacked landscapes of Pieter Bruegel the Elder.
That similarity gives an ancient, otherworldly feel to her work, that seems to tell a definite story….even though you may not know what the story is. -
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Notes Go West
In the Short North Arts District of Columbus, Ohio, there is a wonderful little store called Collier West. I often make it a point to go look around whenever I’m in the neighborhood.
The website has an online store where you can buy goodies, but the best experience is to actually visit the store, if you can. The décor is basically what I want my house to look like - a little cluttered and a lot antique and intriguing. You feel like everything you look at is part of the whole of the store’s aesthetic…like an antique store, but curated.
Antlers are everywhere (and for sale), as are branches, nature-inspired lighting fixtures, and lots of local and not-local original artware (like ceramics, plates, and jewelry). I even spotted the ceramic art of Laura Zindel, that we blogged about last year!
If you ever find yourself among the fab restaurants and art galleries of Columbus, make sure you drop into this jewel of a store; you will be very glad you did. -
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Notes Mysterious PackagesSo it seems that being a blogger pays off sometimes. In this instance it paid off in a big way for 50 lucky bloggers. The makers of the newest stop-motion feature film CORALINE, have been kind, wait, no…AWESOME enough to send out 50 handmade mystery boxes to blogs of relevance. Now it’s not often that we get INSANELY JEALOUS here at DF, but this is one of those times, this is why…
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These boxes are nothing shy of masterpieces in of themselves, containing actual production props, scrapbooks and items of mystery.
While I have not yet seen the film (10 demerits for me) I still find this act of kindness on the filmmaker’s part to be one of the most inspiring things I have seen in a very long time. Kudos, and congratulations to everyone who received these amazing treasures. -
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Notes ParabolicAlways the purveyors of fine WTF, Tool’s videos never cease to bring amazing dark imagery to life with the use of stop-motion animation and fine cinematography. This video is an epic force of visuals that morphs from one nightmarish conceptual scene to the next. In other words, awesome. Enjoy.
