A Splash of Colour

So it’s been quite some time since I booted up my photo editing PC, and I paid the price with a couple of rounds of Windows updates for my sins. Not to mention some guff about my mains adaptor being below par, requiring lower power modes on the poor neglected thing, and best of all – the clock being 2 minutes slow for about half an hour before it caught up. Plainly the wee beastie was in a snit and determined to make me pay.

After tea, it seemed to be in a better mood, and I got on with uploading several months’ worth of casual snaps I’d taken on my iPhone and camera. No “proper” pictures, but stuff I’d felt snap-worthy at the time.

One series I just found from way back in June I thought I’d share. “Accidental Art” is the best you could say. “Pretty Mess” is more accurate. These are literally photos of pieces of kitchen towel I’d been using to clean up messy nibs as I tried out differing fountain pen and dip nib inks.

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A Hilltop Solarium Made with Sugar by William Lamson

As a small kid, I remember having 3-4 sugars in my tea. In fact the tea was just an excuse to have the sugar. By the time I hit my teens I’d left that behind and rarely use sugar now. Just as well given my pre-diabetic status at the moment!

Anyway, I spotted this piece on Colossal today – using the various hues possible from caramelized sugar to form an art installation. The range of tints is amazing. As a kid, my mum used to make “cinder toffee” for us on bonfire night. Now I’m older, I realise she likely just burned it.  🙂

The imperfections add to the overall effect I think.

A Hilltop Solarium Made with Panels of Caramelized Sugar by William Lamson | Colossal.

There’s a video where Mr Lamson explains his earlier work and the concept. Kudos!

Flesh Love – but is it art?

Just seen this on a Twitter item.

Oh dear, oh lor’…

Flesh Love: Photographs of Vacuum-Wrapped Tokyo Couples | Feature Shoot.

Hilarious Zoo Portraits by Yago Partal | Bored Panda

You’ve got to love it when creativity meets digital manipulation…

Hilarious Zoo Portraits by Yago Partal | Bored Panda.

Piccsy :: I would ask for still more

I’d never heard of Rabindranath Tagore before I stumbled upon this image. A tad creepy, but the sentiments are gorgeous.

Piccsy :: picc.

I would ask for still more, if I had the sky with all its stars,
and the world with its endless riches; but I would be content with
the smallest corner of this earth if only she were mine.

Rabindranath Tagore

Same Couple, Different Makeup, Clothes and Hairstyle (9 pics) | Bored Panda

I have some very erudite friends. Opinionated to be sure, but then, aren’t we all? One conversation was around how readily we make snap decisions and judgments about people based on the briefest of interactions – often without a word being spoken.

I was reminded of this set of photos (9 in all) from Bored Panda. The same two models in the same pose, but with different make-up and styling.

As you browse the photos, try and be aware of your snap reaction. I found it hard initially to remember they were the same people. The reaction is obviously driven largely by their styling and appearance. And at the end… we are no more aware of the “real” them at all.

I found it interesting how I reacted to the “attractiveness” (or mainly – not) of the young lady in the photos. I was quite disappointed in myself, as one rationalises how one would like to react… and is proven wrong by reality. (Extra points if you can tell which I preferred…)

Same Couple, Different Makeup, Clothes and Hairstyle (9 pics) | Bored Panda.

STREET ART UTOPIA » We declare the world as our canvas

A friend of mine posted a photo on Flickr/Twitter yesterday of a piece of street art in Mt. Pleasant, Vancouver. It was quite twee in a Banksy kind of way, and certainly not without merit.

At the time, I commented regarding my discomfort of the genre. I applaud the skill of many of the artists, and in many cases the humour used alongside their artistic skill. What makes me uncomfortable is that often permission is not sought to use these public spaces in this manner.

More and more, cities are explicitly calling upon artists to place their works prominently (and even get paid for them). Many of the examples of street art (even though skillful and/or humorous/thought-provoking) are done without permission in public (or even private) places. One man’s art is another man’s vandalism. Whereas one can forgive a piece of “official” art that one does not “get” or does not like, it’s quite another when a piece is daubed, no matter how skillfully, on a public space or even the side of ones house or fence.

I’m not totally decided on the matter. After all, much of the hard landscaping being “arted”, though official, is often ugly and had no more public consultation of its aesthetics than the unofficial work subsequently applied to it.

Here’s a site I “stumbled upon”, as well as a couple of my favourites from it.

STREET ART UTOPIA » We declare the world as our canvas106 of the most beloved Street Art Photos – Year 2012 » STREET ART UTOPIA.

Famous Weapons – Daniel Nyari Graphic Design & Illustration

Go on then… how many of these iconic weapons can you recognise from film and video games?

Famous Weapons – Daniel Nyari Graphic Design & Illustration.

The cricket bat is, I think, Shaun of the Dead’s. The gas tank is from “No Country for Old Men“. Ghostbusters is in there too. There’s the little gun from Men in Black. Bond’s three-nippled enemy Scaramanga is represented, as is the Star Trek phaser.

An interesting whimsy from Daniel Nayari to entertain the nerds out there…

Johan Thörnqvist » Pictures from my phone

I happened upon these lovely, whimsical drawings – additions to otherwise quite ordinary every day phone photos. Johan Thörnqvist includes the original photo along with his modified version. Quite reminiscent of Hergé‘s Tintin, I thought.

Snarlik.se – Johan Thörnqvist » Pictures from my phone.

Basket weaving at a whole new level…

wicker-covered car by ojo obaniyi.

Not a lot more to say really!!

Artist Ojo Obaniyi from Nigeria uses his pickup to advertise his amazing weaving skills to everyone he passes.