3D Graffiti and Paintings by Peeta

3D Graffiti and Paintings by Peeta:









Italian graffiti writer, painter and sculptor Manuel Di Rita (aka Peeta) lives and works in Venice where since 2000 he has risen to international fame for his unique 3D graffiti style. Using a variety of shading, gradients and shadows his work often appears to be hovering just off the surface on which it is painted. Peeta not only creates work in public spaces but also creates similar figures with paint on cavas as well as sculptures. Above is a mixture of artworks both old and new, and you can see much more over on Flickr and at Ayden Gallery.

Giant Ocean Waves of Wood and Glass by Mario Ceroli

Giant Ocean Waves of Wood and Glass by Mario Ceroli:





According to the New York Times sculptor Mario Ceroli is one of the least known yet most influential artists of the Italian post-war scene. His work spans over forty years and I encourage you to take a deep dive into his website to explore his wide range of installations and sculptures. Two of his most beautiful works depict crashing waves sculpted from thin layers of precisely cut wood and glass titled La Vague and Maestrale. The energy present in the works is remarkable as if any moment the materials are going to crash into the gallery floor. Also, if you’ve ever been to the Adelaide Botanic Garden in Australia you may have seen a similar piece by sculptor Sergio Redegalli called Cascade. (via connaissance des arts, claudio, and tate_ellen)

Matchstickmen: Burnt Matches Resembling Charred Human Heads by Wolfgang Stiller

Matchstickmen: Burnt Matches Resembling Charred Human Heads by Wolfgang Stiller:










While living in Beijing several years ago German artist Wolfgang Stiller acquired several head molds and large pieces of wood. After experimenting with the various components the artist struck on an idea to create several large-scale burnt matches where the charred remains of each tip appeared as the face of a human, a series he calls Matchstickmen. While Stiller leaves the meaning of the artworks open for interpretation the pieces exist in a surprisingly strange area between morbid and humorous. At a distance each match seems almost laughable in its appearance almost like a toy bobblehead, but up close the somber, lifeless faces often resting in coffin-like matchboxes are pretty disconcerting. The Matchstickmen will be on display again in just a few days starting March 8th, 2013 at Python Gallery in Zurich as part of the show Burnout which runs through April 20th.(via lustik, designboom, lustik)

Luminous Wire Birds in Trees by Cédric Le Borgne

Luminous Wire Birds in Trees by Cédric Le Borgne:





As part of the 2012 Festival Arbres en Lumière, an outdoor tree light festival in Geneva, Switzerland, artist Cédric Le Borgne (previously) installed a pair of large birds just off Rue de la Fontaine. Titled Le Désir et la Menace the birds were constructed from wire and lit

from below in a style previously seen in his figurative works giving the forms a glowing, weightless appearance. See much more over on his website. (via ruines humaines)

Klari Reis Creates an Explosively Colorful Abstract Painting Inside a Petri Dish Each Day

Klari Reis Creates an Explosively Colorful Abstract Painting Inside a Petri Dish Each Day:







Every single day in 2013 San Francisco-based artist Klari Reis is creating an abstract painting inside the confines of the humble petri dish, a cylindrical container used by biologists to culture the growth of cells and algae, something the paintings seem to directly resemble. Called ‘Daily Dish 2013‘ the project is a continuation of a series Reis completed back in 2009, but at a cursory glance I’m already enjoying the 2013 series much more. Despite the limitation of medium and space, it’s amazing to see the variation of color and depth each painting has, for some reason it reminded me of Jason Fried’s 2007 SvN post about the variation of watch faces. (via coudal)

Meditating Machinery: Mechanical Buddhas and Other Religious Icons by Wang Zi Won

Meditating Machinery: Mechanical Buddhas and Other Religious Icons by Wang Zi Won:

South Korean artist Wang Zi Won constructs intricate mechanical figures of Buddha and bodhisattva that appear to be lost in meditation or enlightenment. The electrically-powered figures are fused with numerous mechanical components which at times resemble halos or lotus flowers and simultaneously move the humanoid figures through repetitive motions (see videos above). The artist says his intention is to examine a future where humans and technology merge, something he views in a particularly positive light. Via Shin Seung-ho of Dukwon Gallery:

The artist predicts that in the future humans will evolve and adapt themselves to enhanced science and technology just as men and animals in the past evolved to adapt themselves to their natural circumstances. He sees this future as our destiny, not as a negative, gloomy dystopia. His work is thus based on neither utopia not dystopia. Wang represents the relations between man, technology and science through the bodies of cyborgs.
The artist considers it important to escape from human bondage in order to achieve harmony between men and machines. He thinks this harmony can be achieved through the process of religious practices and spiritual enlightenment. In Buddhism, the Bodhisattva of Compassion helps people attain enlightenment, Arhat is a spiritual practitioner of asceticism, and Buddha is a being who reaches the highest level of enlightenment. Through them, the artist intends to follow the path of enlightenment, breaking away from anxiety, agony, and pain. The artist has no intention to emphasize religious connotations through these Buddhist icons but to reflect his own or our own existence between utopia and dystopia.

While it may be difficult to grapple with the artists intentions I find the figures and their motions to be really quite beautiful and indeed meditative, somewhat reminiscent of the robots used in Chris Cunningham’s amazing All is Full of Love video for Bjork. If you have some patience (the site loads quite slowly) there are many more examples of Wang’s work and several more videos over on his blog and you can learn more at Art Nova and Hanmi Gallery.