If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives): contemporary art

Showing posts with label contemporary art. Show all posts

Lipstick Sculptures by Artist Maya Sum Will Leave Your Mouth Agape.

You may have seen some novelty shaped lipsticks such as the cute cat-shaped lipsticks by Paul and Joe and the Pipedream Products Lipstick Penises, but Hong Kong artist May Sum takes the concept of a sculpted and shaped lipstick a step further.

If Ralph Steadman, Robert Crumb and Jean-Michel Basquiat ever combined their artistic talents, the result may look something like the whimsical, but edgy illustrative art by California artist Rohitash Rao, known as Ro to his friends.

above: artist Rohitash Rao

Ro is loaded with talent. So much so it was hard to decide what of his I ought to feature on this blog. An art director, film director, animator, illustrator and all around great guy (I speak from personal experience) he has three illustrated children's books to his credit (The fabulous Herbert's Wormhole series ), multiple music videos ( "Speeding to My Death" Official Video by Still Pacific and A Great Big World - "Everyone Is Gay" are must-sees), advertisements for well known brands, his fine art and more. His fabulous 'TRASHart' is what I've chosen to share with you today.

Combining multiple aspects of popular culture - such as the consumption of fast-food, excessive waste, movies, books and cartoon imagery along with graphic design and illustration, Rohitash's work exemplifies the old adage "One man's trash is another man's treasure." Stomped upon paper cups, crushed cigarette packs, soiled fast food containers, flattened spray paint cans and other garbage serve as the canvases for Ro's illustrated and painted figures, creatures, silhouettes and occasional commentary.

Since I have the pleasure of knowing Ro personally through both our Alma Mater, Pasadena's Art Center College of Design, and the world of advertising, he graciously offered to answer a few questions about these works for me:

IIHIH: WHEN DID YOU START CREATING THESE?
Ro: Technically I've been painting on stuff I find in the streets since I was kid - mainly because they were free canvases. But I started up again about 6 months when I moved to Venice and discovered all this great trash in the alley behind my studio. The first thing I painted on were these abandoned lottery tickets I found by a dumpster. I painted faces of the people that I imagined angrily chucked them on the ground after obviously not winning. I showed the paintings to a few friends and the response was so positive I did more.

Now i collect trash wherever I go. I was recently in Germany and Malta and I grabbed a few things off the streets while I was there. I am also getting commissions, most recently from Brazil. People are starting to mail me trash from all over the world. I'd love to do series about the geography of trash and collaborate with a litter organization or even someone like Surfrider down the road.

IIHIH: WHAT MEDIA DO YOU USE?
Ro: Everything is a mix of gouache, acrylic and spray paint. It's usually whatever material will work on the different textures. Some fast good cups are plastic coated so water based paints don't adhere to it. It's amazing how much I suddenly know what trash is conducive to what paint product!!!

IIHIH: WHAT OTHER ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?
Ro: I like gritty, surreal stuff. So I guess the main ones would be Basquiat, R. Crumb, David Shrigley and Francis Bacon.

Let's hope that as long as people continue to make trash, Rohistash Rao continues to turn it into art.

Visit Rohitash Rao's tumblr site to see more.

Buy any of the Herbert's Wormhole Books illustrated by Rohitash Rao here

all images © and courtesy of the artist

Bruno Walpoth Brings Wood To Life In His Contemporary Human Sculptures.

Pinocchio would probably have gladly swapped his creator, Geppetto, for Italian sculptor Bruno Walpoth. Walpoth's ability to turn a hunk of wood into a lifelike looking figure is impressive, to say the least. His sculpted and painted busts and human forms are anything but "wooden." They seem to be imbued with emotion, capable of possessing a soul and striking the viewer as pensive, thoughtful - even melancholy.

BLTC: Limited Edition Sculptures
Better Living Thru Chemistry is a limited edition sculpture series consisting of over-sized glass and mixed media capsule-shaped objects emblazoned with text messages, abbreviations, acronyms and slang. A snarky commentary on our over-medicated society, Edie was inspired in equal parts by the ubiquitous presence of social media in contemporary culture and the simultaneous rise of direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical marketing. This collection pokes fun at the alternately amusing and depressing correlations between the two phenomena as both are enlisted to over-simplify the human condition and expedite contentment.

Here's How The VW Beetlesphere by Ichwan Noor Was Actually Created.

Out of respect for the artist, who removed this information from his own website and asked that I do the same, this post has been deleted so as to let the process of Ichwan Noor's artwork remain a mystery. --editor

Prestigious Pill-Popping. Designer Drugs by Desire Obtain Cherish.

Addicted to fashion, luxury or status? These sculptures of blister packs of pills with recognizable logos from luxury brands Hermes, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and Louis Vuitton are UV cast in resin by the Los Angeles based artist Desire Obtain Cherish. Each of the satirical status symbols measures 42" x 27".

CHANEL:

Hermes:

Louis Vuitton:

YSL (Yves Saint Laurent)

Take two and be more chic in the morning.

About: Desire Obtain Cherish

LA-based artist Desire Obtain Cherish received his Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) at Parson’s School of Design. Since his emergence as a street artist in the 2000s, DOC has blended the concerns and methods of street, pop, conceptual and appropriation art with popular culture to create his own unique satirical message. His work, though often controversial, is always engaging, and explores contemporary obsessions with sex, desire, drugs, gender, celebrity, media, commerce and fame.

DOC’s artwork rarely inspires moderate responses, an indication of his achievements’ importance. With DOC focusing on some of the most banal objects as models, his works avoid typical standards of “good taste” in art, and instead focus on the vulnerabilities of hierarchies and value systems. DOC’s work “reflects a darker, albeit more humorous slant on middle-class American values versus a spiritual or expressive essence of a highly individual artist.”

See more of his captivating work here.

(Sub) Prime Cuts. Hand Painted Typography Saws by Vault 49

New York graphic design studio Vault 49 added their typography, design and painting skills to some typical old wood handled saws that when mounted on a wall are beautiful and unusual original pieces of art. The results are fabulous, take a look:

Unfortunately, they are not available for purchase.

About Vault 49

Vault49 is an artistic collaboration, a playground, and a creative incubator for innovative design projects. We adapt our approach to each and every brief and bring an open mind to all our projects.

Our broad range of talent attracts clients who want to enjoy the benefits of a highly developed creative relationship but don’t want to be tied down to a particular style or look.

The work we deliver is characterized by a focus on craftsmanship, multi-media and an expressive use of color. In a creative world that is increasingly digital and plagiarized, Vault49’s broad portfolio combines technology with all-important craft and natural ability, giving our work an authenticity that is impossible to replicate.

Underpinning all we do is razor-sharp commercial awareness combined with a healthy commitment to personal creative fulfillment. In short, everyone's happy.

Technicolor Twinkle Toes. Embroidery on Vintage Photos of Dancers.

Now living and working in Berlín, Chilean-born Jose Romussi formally studied landscape design when growing up, but over the past few years has gained a significant following for his screen prints and collages in which he combines vintage black and white photographs with colorful forms of embroidery.

In this series, Dance, the supernatural power of dancers and their poses and movements inspire him with their precision and elegance. Romussi brings these pictures back to life with bright vibrant colors, underlining the dynamic of these frozen movements. With each new line of embroidery he invites the viewer to dream with him and to experience each subject's hidden vitality.