Tag: art

Serious WTF On A Tricycle Is Serious

Someone put a lot of thought and effort into this creation, and it probably has some hidden emotional or socio-political message, but hell if I can suss it.

Maybe it serves to house bats, and at dusk each night a swarm spirals out of its “mouth” for an insect feeding frenzy. Or it’s a trash receptacle/composter. Could be a poorly camouflaged audio speaker system that sends odd and mildly disturbing tones throughout the neighborhood. I like the patina on the copper clad tricycle, though.

I don’t know about you, but I’m saving up to get a matching pair.

[Image found here.]

Switch

Sculptural graffiti is cool. Painted vandalism is not. [Found here.]

MCE



[Found here and here.]

23 December: Night of Radishes

Noche de Rabanos (Night of the Radishes) takes place every year, on the 23rd of December, in Oaxaca,Spain and is one of the most impressive vegetable festivals around the world.

The radish was brought to the Americas in the 16th century, and back then the vendors used to carve them and use them on their market stalls to attract customers. Although the origins of the festival cannot be traced to an exact period, it is considered that it all began in the year 1897, when the mayor of Oaxaca organized the first radish-art exposition. Everever since that first celebration, every year, this humble vegetable is meticulously carved into animals, warriors, kings, dancers and pretty much any shape you can imagine. The artists sometimes make use of other vegetables, like onion or lettuce to complete their work. There’s also a prize for the most beautiful piece displayed.

The carver’s work begins about three days in advance and on the 23rd of December, the day of the festival, the results of all their hard work is presented to the public. On that same day, especially in the morning, children have the chance to learn this incredible art of radish-carving, or at least some of its secrets.

The celebrations don’t end that day. They continue on Christmas Eve and Christmas  Day with other joyful “fiestas”, parades of floats, fireworks music and dancing.

[More images here.]

Almost missed it, but Happy Birthday, Axe Cop!

Frank Tends The Machine

For those of you who have never run across the artwork of Jim Woodring, you’re missing out on some of the most surreal (and sometimes disturbing) pen and inkwork that I’ve seen. Woodring based a lot of his subject matter on hallucinations he had as a child, and decided to record them on paper.

His most recognizable character is Frank, a good guy who goes on bizarre adventures, often accompanied by Madame Pupshaw (sort of a cat) and Pushpaw (sort of a dog). None of the characters speak.

We’ve posted some of Woodring’s work previously. He did me a nice favor once, so I don’t mind suggesting that you visit his store for unusual gifts for the hard to get folk.

[Crossposted here.]

The Gates of Heck

Whoa. There’s some serious WTF**kage here. Here’s a blowed-up and enhanced version:

There’s so much voodoo here I don’t know where to begin. Besides the Demon Cow ressurected by lightning and the Skull and Crossbones Medusa, there’s Michael Frank, a hoodoo man and a ninja turtle. At lower right is the scariest by far: Alfalfa as Dame Edna with a Darth Vader/Troll mask.

Nope. I’m not even gonna touch the doorbell… just back away slowly and hope the demons don’t follow.

[Original image found here, crossposted here.]

Cashews

I like it. [Found here.]

“I Am Eating Candy.”

Although the book is sixty years old, Viktor Lowenfeld described the childhood stages of  perception, via drawing and painting, and included a section on the blind and deaf. Lowenfeld was very perceptive and astute in using art to measure the mental progress of young ‘uns.

“I Am Eating Candy” is the title of a clay sculpture by an 11 year old blind and deaf girl who attended the Perkins Institution for the Blind in the late 1940s. It’s from a book entitled “Creative and Mental Growth – A Textbook on Art Education,” by Viktor Lowenfeld, Pennsylvania State College, published by The Macmillan Company, New York, 1950. Here’s the full plate:

I’m tempted to scan the entire book into .pdf format… it’s that awesome.

Frank Frazetta 1928-2010

By MARYCLAIRE DALE (AP)

PHILADELPHIA — Pioneering fantasy artist Frank Frazetta died Monday in a Fort Myers, Fla., hospital, a manager said. He was 82.

Frazetta had been out to dinner with his daughters Sunday but suffered a stroke at his Boca Grande home later that night and was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital, manager Rob Pistella said. A hospital spokeswoman confirmed the death, as did his daughter Heidi Frazetta Grabin.

“He’s going to be remembered as the most renowned fantasy illustrator of the 20th Century,” Pistella said.

Frazetta created covers and illustrations for more than 150 books and comic books, along with album covers, movie posters and original paintings. His illustrations of Conan the Barbarian, Tarzan, Vampirella and other characters influenced many later artists.
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Frazetta had many imitators, but there was only one Frazetta.

The image above was one of my favorites in the 1970s, but my girlfriend wasn’t impressed when I projected it and copied it onto my dorm room wall with water-color marker, so I broke up with her. I was like that back then.

[Image from here, news blurb from here. Crossposted here and here.]

LOLBOAT Capsized NOT

This is clever, awesome and offensive at the same time. I bet the pilot gets a lot of visitors, as required by international maritime law.  On the other hand the guy wastes a lot of time distracting harbor patrol and the coast guard from serious rescues.

But after all, he’s got a slip, and I don’t.

[Found here via here. The vimeo is cool. Crossposted here.]