Banksy is definitely one of my favourite artists. His artwork is usually satiracal pieces of art which surround controversial issues politics, culture and ethics. For those who don’t know much about Banksy, he operates himself as an anonymous artist so no one really has too much information on him as a person. This is also intriguing because you wonder about him as an artist, however, you focus more on the artwork than the mystery. I won’t write too much about him, as most of you probably know about his work. For those of you who don’t, I encourage you to do a lil’ google search on him, he has some really amazing work.

The video and the pictures I am posting are from his latest exhibit running from June 13th through to August 31st at the Bristol Museum in Bristol, England. Check out the video and images, or if you are lucky enough to be in the area of the exhibit, go check it out!

www.banksy.co.uk

This is an installation that artist Leo Villareal created for the National Gallery of Art. Multiverse, the name of the installation, spans a 200 foot walkway running from the east to west concourse of the buildings. This installation consists of 41,000 programmed LED lights. This installation by Villareal started in September of 2008 and will run up until November of 2009 at the NGA.

However, if you don’t get to catch a glimpse of this in person, maybe you could check out one of his many pieces of work that exist all over the US and the globe for that matter.

Images from the NGA website of the installation in action

Images by Min Batstone

The video below is just some background into the logistics of how Villareal gets these installations to work. I definitely encourage you to check out his personal website too, tons of projects featured there, even a proposed project for an installation to scale the Lotte Super Tower building in Seoul, Korea.

Check out the high res video Pattern Recognition, where Leo talks about his work.

Mind GamesLindsay Falk

Currently showing at our humble NATION gallery is the latest exhibit from artist Lindsay Falk, entitled Mind Games.  The work included in this show skillfully combines mixed media, found imagery, depth and scale to give the viewer a peek into Lindsay’s concept of the modern mind.  Contrasting and complimentary images collide to create a uniform whole which though disjointed finds a form of fractured harmony in its presentation.

I had an opportunity to chat with Lindsay briefly about her intention and inspiration for her latest work.  And let me tell you it’s has an interesting background.  I could paraphrase but perhaps I’ll let her explain in her own words:

Functioning within a world when the mind is constantly interfering with the ability to function clearly is incredibly challenging.  The state of mind that blurs the lines and detaches people from life through confusion, loss, abuse, addiction and depression is a central theme in my work. These mysterious and complex abstractions within our own worlds are the places I’m interested in visiting.

The multiple layers within my work serve as complex and colorful worlds in which certain characters inhabit. The effect of using various transfer methods of contemporary imagery and photography allows me to reintroduce the commonalities of our lives through the eyes of a crippled mind.

Appearing impulsive in composition, each piece is planned out with its own identity and the individual characters that are explored throughout that piece. Mapping out these works through my own structuring of information allows me considerable concentration on placement, direction and over all visual dynamics. The manipulation of identity and struggle of self are employed throughout the expressive use of line, color and composition. Within the imagery of my work there is a reflection of my own sense of internal conflict through the chaotic displacement of character’s and the entangled plots they weave. Throughout each work the viewer is given the rights to establish their own form and content as each piece is examined as its own individual story.

From this background Lindsay chose to create an exhibit based on an interactive visual map of a mind subjected to a modern world.  I don’t want to explain too much but I recommend you come by the NATION space and experience it for yourself.

Exhibit: Mind Games – The Art of Lindsay Falk
Exhibit Runs: April 2, 2009 – May 2, 2009
www.thisisnation.com

Brandon BirdThings Just Got Weird

Does this painting speak for itself? Perhaps, but aren’t you eager to see more of Brandon Bird’s delightfully weird art? Brandon Bird is a California based artist with a penchant for awesomeness.  Mostly working in oils Brandon takes a satirical or perhaps iconic approach to his subjects, portraying them in the weirdest of weird scenarios.  Upon a little bit of wiki research I found out that Brandon went to Cornell, paints with oils and is friends or at least associated with the notorious crew over at Something Awful.  I’m pretty sure I first came across one of his more eccentric pieces (A Lazy Sunday Afternoon – see below) on the Gallery 1988 site and from there i was a loyal bird fan… not watcher… that would require binoculars. His work sometimes borders on irreverent such as The Last Supper but then takes a more realistic and poignant turn as in the Killing Machine.

Brandon has some deep love for Law & Order, Ed Norton, James Woods and Chuck Norris which he certainly takes his pop cues from, and chalks… or probably oils them up nicely.

The best part of all is that you can go and buy his work in poster, postcard, original and even greeting card format.

Mr. Noodle

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

I Am The Night

TapumesHenrique Oliveira

I’d love to hop on a bus/plane/jetpack and escape to Houston this instant, with the sole purpose of said trip involving time at the Rice Gallery.

Henrique Oliveira’s mural sized installations, dubbed ‘Tapumes’, scream of ingenuity that gets my he(art) pounding.

Not enough? There’s tons more to gawk at on Henrique’s website.

Source: High Five A Fly & Designboom.

The Vinyl Frontier is a documentary film exploring the world of vinyl toys.
Featuring some of todays top designers, collectors and toy producers including: Attaboy, Tim Biskup, Luke Chueh, Dalek, Tristan Eaton, Ron English, Huck Gee, Thomas Han, Jim Koch, Frank Kozik, Haze XXL, Joe Ledbetter, MCA, Ferg, Van Beater, Brian McCarty, Dave Bondi, Bill McMullen, Tara Mcpherson, Gary Baseman, Sket One, Joey Potts, Jermaine Rogers, Bwana Spoons,and many many more.

We’ve taken to this culture so much that we turned half of our creative agency space into a designer vinyl / lifestyle store » shameless * Nation Toys & Tees * plug. One of the challenges (and opportunities) in running the shop is educating people about vinyl toys, artists, culture and why it’s a trend worth following (hopefully one with some longevity).

Thar be some video interviews of some of the artists mentioned above in this blog:

The Vinyl Frontier BLOG

Fireflies on the WaterPhoto by Peter Murphy

If it’s possible to fall in love with an artist simply through their works then consider me smitten. Although I may be a little late to join the club. Yayoi Kusama has been woo-ing the art world since the late 50’s. Her friend list of that period reads like a who’s who of contemporary art: Georgia O’Keeffe, Claes Oldenburg, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns and, well, you get the picture. I just want my name officially added to the love list.

I was introduced to Ms. Kusama’s work by visiting her current exhibit Mirrored Years at the Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art (on until June 8th, 2009). The exhibit features a selection of her works over the past fourty years.  If you’re in the area I would highly recommend paying a visit (c’mon it’s free!).

For those not in down-underland, allow me to provide a little background. Yes, I realize you’re probably very cultured and an artist this prolific needs no backgrounder, but a little refresher never hurts.

So Yayoi Kusama; Japanese contemporary artist who moves effortlessly between installation, painting, performance art and through this movement has developed a style very much her own. Her work has developed from a combination of childhood hallucinations and self-professed (and subsequently diagnosed) obsessive compulsive behavior. Essentially it goes down like this; Ms. Kusama literally perceives the world as an array of infinitely repeating patterns, which she has termed infinity nets. The majority of her work is an outward expression of these visions.

That’s the primer. What does this mean for you, the viewer? Well let me tell you. You are drawn into Kusama’s world in varying degrees and allowed the opportunity to experience her sensation of dissolving into the world around you. Very reality bending, I assure you.

Kusama currently calls Tokyo home and lives in a mental institution (by choice), while creating her work in a nearby studio. She often referenced her artwork as necessity for her existence. Now that’s a definition of art I can get behind.

Visit Kusama’s Website Fireflies on the Water! Check out Peter Murphy’s incredible virtual tour inside one of Kusama’s infinity rooms (currently at the Sydney MCA).