Ryuta Ida

Ryuta Ida is a Japanese artist and you can find some collections of her work at http://ryuta-iida.com/. I found this piece while searching for inspiration for my book alteration project and thought I would share it with the class. I particularly liked this alteration because of the spectacular use of negative space within the piece. When the book is closed tightly it would have an unaltered appearance but once opened would reveal the harshly defaced interior. The amount of precision work and time this would take really shows the artist's dedication. I suggest you take a look at her site and view some of her other work. It is quite fascinating.

Picasso to Warhol

Constantin Brancusi Untitled (Double Exposure Self Portrait), 1933-34

This double exposure is an amazing image. It really makes me appreciate the old darkroom. This photographic technique implied in this self portrait demonstrates the artists personality and skills outside of the sculptural medium.

I

Fernand Leger, Propellers, 1918

This painting is by far one of my favorites on display at the High right now. The fluidity that flows from the shapes allows your eye to easily canvas the piece without being all broken up by the bright colors. The harmonious combination of both the geometric and organic shapes really makes this painting dynamic.

*If you have not seen this exhibit, go see it! There is free museum entrance every first saturday of the month for Fulton Country residents*

Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo painted numerous surreal self-portraits that often reflected her physical and mental pain, products of an accident that occurred when she was younger. I think these really highlight the idea of the "self-portrait," embodying one's own feelings and inner self.

Moby Dick in Pictures

Former high school english teacher and current artist Matt Kish, has spent the past 500+ days illustrating each page of Henry Melville's novel Moby Dick. That's one drawing per page, per day for 552 straight days. “Friends often question my obsession with the novel, especially since I am not a scholar or even an educator any longer, and the best explanation I have been able to come up with is that, to me, Moby-Dick is a book about everything,” says Kish of his hobby turned artistic business venture.

Project blog here
The finished project can be purchased here

Minimal Color Usage-POWERFUL

Less can be more quite often when it comes to color usage. The values in Sharon Cutt's portrait are not super intense, but the color she does use comes across very intensional. She builds an intense image without traditional use of intense color. Check it!

Mario Wagner

I recently read an interview on artist Mario Wagner and I must say that I really love this guys work. In a nutshell, his creative process is a mixture of old cut out images, some acrylic painting, and his mac for final touches.

Check him out more at http://www.mario-wagner.com/

Self Portrait

Man Ray, Self Portrait 1921

Man Ray is one of my favorite photographers. His images have this very soft and subtle look which gives the photographs an almost painted like look to them. He also has this great way of composing his images which make his images exceptionally strong.