Soundsculpture by Daniel Franke & Cedric Kiefer using Kinect

When I first watched this video of Daniel Franke & Cedric Kiefer’s soundsculpture project, I was fascinated and watched it again several times.

Not for me to try to breakdown to you how this is done as it is quite complex. I’ll invite you to read the complete explanation from Creative Applications Network. In short,  you are looking at a moving sand sculpture from the recorded motion data of a real person.

Noise project – Challenge #2 The Little Things

Here is our second entry for the Noise Intercepted project, a global art project curated by Labspace Studio (a creative agency & art house in Toronto, Canada). Noise Intercepted is a series of ten experience-activated noise challenges that prompt participants to listen, observe and interact with their urban soundscape in new and unlikely ways.

Noise challenge #2: The little things

“This week spend some time paying attention to the little things… the sounds that you tend to ignore and the seemingly insignificant noises that you take for granted. You have 1 week to listen, identify and select one “insignificant” sound and transform it into something “significant.”

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Water is all around us but often forgotten, we may see it but not necessarily hear it or listen to it but yet it can take all sorts of sound shapes or noises.

Here are four of them, from the subtle to the fierce…

Star wars as greek statues

Greek sculpture | Art-Pie
Classical Greek sculpture

We all went to a museum one day (well I hope you did, if not you guys are missing out!) which has a Classical art collection often consisting of a series of nude hunks sculptures.

In the Classical period there was a revolution in Greek statuary, usually associated with the introduction of democracy and the end of the aristocratic culture associated with the kouroi. The Classical period saw changes in the style and function of sculpture. Poses became more naturalistic (see the Charioteer of Delphi for an example of the transition to more naturalistic sculpture), and the technical skill of Greek sculptors in depicting the human form in a variety of poses greatly increased.

Star Wars Greek Sculptures by Travis Durden | Art-Pie
Click to enlarge

But enough of Greek sculptures in their “Classical” sense, let’s look at the series of digital manipulations by French artist Travis Durden adds a Star Wars dimension to it.

Star Wars, for those who don’t know it (…) is an American epic space opera franchise, centered on a film series created by George Lucas.

I do not know for you guys but the chap is pretty gifted at sculpture right? Well it may be but these works will not prove it because these  are a series of images manipulated using Photoshop, the popular image editing software.

Durden reimagines Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Yoda, General Grevious and a Storm Trooper as “Darth Resurrection,” “Gladiator Boba,” Angel Yodea,” “General Niobides” and “Storm Reader.”

About the artist

Travis Durden is a pseudonym, as the Parisian artist behind the project would prefer his art be the center of attention, not himself. Fascinated by the construction of myths & idols, he interrogates how we, as humans, determine what will be raised to popular culture or elevated to divine cult, and how history has influenced us in making this choice.

Star Wars Greek Sculptures by Travis Durden | Art-Pie

Star Wars Greek Sculptures by Travis Durden | Art-Pie

Star Wars Greek Sculptures by Travis Durden | Art-Pie

Markus Kiebel at Arch402 – Inside Complexity

The first London solo exhibition by German artist Markus Keibel sees a continuation of his interactive site-specific installations, as featured in PORTIZMIR 2 (2010), the triennial of contemporary art held in Izmir, Turkey. Exploring semantic roots and the poetry of materials, Keibel’s work brings to surface enigmatic, abstract forms.

Markus Kiebel

Since 2005, the Berlin-based artist has not only developed conceptual site-specific installations, but also an abstract idiom using different forms of human traces. The perception of viewers is the issue addressed by Keibel, whose current work investigates how colour interacts with viewers. His sculptures, paintings and works on paper draw their elements from simple materials, often using pigmented glass and acrylic colours to modify their mode of operation.

Created on-site especially for the Arch 402 Gallery, Inside Complexity will reveal a large-scale floor sculpture, designed for viewers to walk over and leave traces as they move.  Characterized as an ever-changing form, the four concentrated circles—created using different coloured pigment powders—shift and disperse throughout the exhibition venue, causing the colours to lose their intensity. As part of the exhibition, the transformation of Keibel’s ever-changing floor sculpture will be captured both in a time-lapsed video and on canvas.

In order to create these final works, the gallery space will be closed the day following the Private View (11th Feb) when Keibel will use the transformed pigment areas to create big canvases (170 x 280 cm), revealing the transcribed traces of human movement.

Keibel’s interactive installations are less focused on how interaction with the work evokes feelings in the public, but rather, with how these feelings act on given materials, as the pigments ultimately seem to reveal a sentimental beauty. Rendering the pigments in his own specific mode of representation, Keibel not only prefigures subjectivity in the abstract but also his own subjectivity, from a viewpoint that questions the prescriptive experience.

Words from Necmi Sonmez

Where – ARCH 402 GALLERY | Cremer Street, E2 8HD | Tue-Fri 11-6
When – 12 February – 18 March 2011 / Private View 10 February 6-9pm

Haroshi at Stolen Space

As soon as you step in Stolen Space, you cannot help but look to the right as you have spotted something big from the corner of your eye. It is there. The vultur is looking at you.

No I have not gone mad but am only looking at Haroshi‘s masterpiece depicting what looks like a vultur with one noticeable detail – the wings are made of old skateboards decks. The gallery is hosting until the 3/11, Haroshi’s first solo show in this space and promised us something radically different, something fresh and unseen before. So far, they have not lied, I had not seen a vultur made of old skateboard decks before.

Haroshi at Stolen Space | Art-Pie

Originally from Tokyo, Haroshi has been collected and used discarded remains of broken down skateboard decks to produce wooden sculpture. The concept of reshaping what once was used as skateboard into pieces of art certainly sound like something that should have been done before.

Or maybe not. Maybe it was worth waiting all that time to see it done as Haroshi’s sculpture are beautiful, polished and colourful. It is hard to believe that the artist did not have any formal training in sculpture but is a 100% self taught artist. This is for the visual aspect.

Now, his works also transpire emotions, and especially “Agony into beauty” which depicts the face of a man who seems to be in pain.

Haroshi at Stolen Space | Art-PieHaroshi at Stolen Space | Art-Pie

Haroshi’s first solo exhibition at StolenSpace is indeed looking at the effects of emotional pain and how it can be a great motivating force in the creation of art. In short, the artist looked back at painful experiences and recycled them into his sculptures using recycling material, ie old skateboards decks.

A truly refreshing body of works that combines two worlds you would think will never meet – sculpture and skateboard

Haroshi first solo exhibition “Pain” runs until the 3/11/2013

Haroshi at Stolen Space | Art-Pie

Haroshi at Stolen Space | Art-Pie

Haroshi at Stolen Space | Art-Pie

Haroshi at Stolen Space | Art-Pie

Haroshi at Stolen Space | Art-Pie

Haroshi at Stolen Space | Art-Pie

Haroshi at Stolen Space | Art-Pie

Haroshi at Stolen Space | Art-Pie

The Factory: Warhol and His Circle

Warhol, just the name conjures up an instant catalogue of artworks/images that transcend generations – the Campbell’s Soup tins, the Jackie Kennedy prints – and define the pop art movement.

This exhibition gives viewers a glimpse into something other than the primary colours and consumerism images of Andy Warhol. Proud Chelsea is exhibiting a photographic memoir of a year at the Factory – Warhols working world of creativity and notoriety. The images were taken by David McCabe who was a rising star on the New York photography scene during the 60s, he was contacted by Warhol and asked to collaborate with him in documenting life at the Factory between 1964 and 1965.

David McCabe Philip Johnson's Glasshouse 1965McCabe was asked to conform to two conditions by Warhol: that he didn’t use a flash and that he was someone who would fit in; David became part of the Factory’s entourage and took over 2,500 photographs at the Factory and other locations around New York.

This is McCabe’s first UK exhibition and highlights this world that Warhol created the exhibition features snap shots of other artists Warhol knew, such as Salvador Dali.  In one image Dali is seen to be explaining one of his paintings to Warhol, almost in a teacher/professor like manor.

This small display at Proud Chelsea of McCabe’s photographs are a peek into Warhol’s world and the stars of the Factory,  one of these was Edie Sedgwick, for whom this display is for; commemorating the 40th anniversary of her death. She features across many of the images and her contemporary look could be straight out of a bar in Chelsea today.

One striking image for me is Philip Johnson’s Glasshouse1964/5  something about the angle, the glass and space that perhaps say a lot about Warhol and the world he was cultivating, his look of almost a surveying nature. It also reminded me of a clothing advert – the slick, clean cut look and serniness of the image –  it could almost be for Burberry.

The  images still feel modern and some are more candid than others, such as one featuring Edie, Chuck Wein and Warhol at a party at the Empire State building in1965, which could almost be a Facebook picture, the three of them are huddled in close, looking up at the camera.DavidMcCabe Spring nyc 1965

The display  features images that Warhol decided did not portray him in a light he was keen to cultivate and they were put away by McCabe and left. Some of these unique photographs have been untouched or unprinted, for nearly 40 years so its well worth a look.

Downstairs are some of Proud’s other images by terry ONiel and others. My favoruites is a shot of the Rolling Stones with paige boy hair cuts from 1963, an open shirted Mick Jagger striking a pose for an image entitled ‘Mick’s Lips’ and the sultry Marianne Faithfull in knee high socks and Mary Janes. All of the images no matter what the year still look modern, with looks straight out of today’s catwalks.

The exhibition opens today at Proud Chelsea and runs till the 4th December Mon, Tue, Thu – Sun 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM; Wed 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM.

Space-Themed Stamps

Royal Mail is to release a unique series of stamps, the theme : Space. This is to marked the 50th anniversary of Britain’s first contribution to space exploration—and Britain’s launch of its first satellite.

Osborne Ross is behind this set of stamps which depicts The Sun, Saturn, Saturn’s largest moon Titan, the Lutetia asteroid, Venus and Mars. The images featured were from European Space Agency missions.

Get yours soon, the release date is on 16 October 2012.

Royal Mail stampRoyal Mail stamp

Hayley Lock at Transition gallery

Launched at Ickworth House in Suffolk in July 2011 (Now that would be) Telling is a collaborative project between the artist Hayley Lock, curator Catherine Hemelryk and writers Jessica Hart, Lucinda Hawksley, Ben Moor, Hallie Rubenhold and Liz Williams.

Lock and the writers have created a series of site-specific works in English stately homes. Part myth and part encrypted biography, these works reveal/conceal parallel histories of the residents of these remarkable homes.

For Transition Gallery Lock is showing a series of works originally made for a grand home proudly situated in rural Bedfordshire. These portraits of the real and imagined lovers of the Lady of the House use mirrors and light to form a multiple of 28 and include a new portrait of the Lady herself. Lock meshes a range of sumptuous materials including velvets, brocades gilt and fringing into the portraits referencing the imagined interiors of Caddington Hall the family house. Elsewhere the digitally enhanced landscapes play out their stories of love, romance and deceit in an uncanny space where truth and fiction, history and scandal collide.

Words from Transition gallery

14 Jan – 5 Feb 2012
Fri–Sun 12-6pm

STREET ART