Awkward by Design

While we generally appreciate 3D rendering and the technology behind it, we must admit that extraneous use of it (which is rather rampant) is not only irritating from a conceptual standpoint, but also has a general desensitizing effect. So we were surprised and delighted to come across the work of Athens, Greece-based architect Katerina Kamprani. Her ongoing series, fittingly titled The Uncomfortable, explores the redesign of useful objects to make them uncomfortable to use. Kamprani purposefully and thoughtfully reworks each item in twisted ways. She states. “[I] decided to create and design for all the wrong reasons. Vindictive and nasty? Or a helpful study of everyday objects?” Whatever the motivation, we love staring at these, imagining how (un)useful each object would be, and the depraved humor that would ensue. We salute Kamprani for designing with purpose and humor, nicely done.

Some more stellar 3D work here and here and here.

Via kkstudio.gr

Ivan Hoo’s Hyper-realistic Drawings

Whatever you prefer to call it – hyper-realistic, super-realistic, photo-realistic – what’s real is the remarkable level of skill involved. We’re so taken with this type of art, we’ve featured it several times before (here and here and here and here). This time, it’s the work of Singapore-based artist Ivan Hoo. What makes his work unique is his canvas of choice… a simple board of wood. Hoo’s incredibly realistic pieces interact directly with the wood surface, creating the illusion of three-dimensionality. What’s even more impressive is that Hoo is self-taught. Armed with a few colored pencils, pastels and inks, Hoo transforms everyday objects into drawings with unbelievable results. His Starbucks cup is one of our favorites. Try not to drool too much.

Via Instagram and Tumblr

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Hell of a Mess

We must admit, we have a certain fascination with messy things. There are definitely scholarly psychological studies on the matter, but our armchair psychologist observation falls somewhere in the realm of an innate human interest in discomfort, and how a visual mess makes one feel. While some are unfazed, others may be repulsed or attracted to a mess. We’re just scratching the surface here, in terms of experiences and the mental processes behind them, but San Diego-based photographer Keith Allen Phillips actually sets forth an intriguing series that got us thinking about this in the first place. Aptly entitled Messy, Phillips’s series verges on the subversive… naked women covered in a variety of messy foods. The results are actually sort of unexpected, and we almost forget about the food aspect, and focus instead on the mess, and how the models must feel (is it titillating, liberating, frustrating?). This thought-provoking series really does bring up so many feelings, exemplifying the true power of art.

Via keithallenphillips.com

Logo-Recreating Calligraphy King Seb Lester

So, we stumbled upon this viral video recently, and were in complete awe. You will be too, if you haven’t seen it already, guaranteed. It made us ponder the irony of being so taken with corporate logos carefully drawn by hand, even though that’s exactly how they were developed in the not so distant past. It’s no wonder this video has circulated so rapidly… we live and design in a time when doing things without the use of a computer is such a novelty. Armed with little more than some calligraphy pens, London-based Seb Lester, a trained graphic designer with a penchant for calligraphy, miraculously recreates distinct and recognizable complex letterforms with complete ease and surprising accuracy. Sit back snd marvel, as these logos seem to just emerge from his steady hand. We bow down to Lester and his tremendous talents.

Compilation video below, plus a few of our other favorites follow. Can you guess what’s about to materialize as he starts each logo?

Keep up with Lester and all of his hand drawn logos on his various social media channels: Instagram, Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube, Twitter

Via seblester.com and Vimeo

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Magic Mushrooms in a Whole New Light

We know, we know… on paper it sounds, well, boring. Photos of mushrooms. Big deal. That very simplistic description does not come close to realizing the majesty Australian photographer Steve Axford captures in his work. Axford is a sort of photography explorer, not only capturing the natural world around him, but also surveying remote locations by way of macro photography to uncover the beauty of mushrooms and other fungi. Nature photography is often concentrated on much larger objects, so Axford’s artistic approach to what could otherwise be missed, and considered scientific subjects is pretty unique. In his own words, “My photography is an avenue into exploring this world… as it slows me down and allows me to look at things more closely. My interests cover everything from micro fungi to volcanoes, though more of my time now is spent with the fungi than the volcanoes. While doing this I have developed a passion for the way things fit together (the ecology). Nothing exists in isolation and the more you look, the more connections you find. Oddly enough, this fits with what I used to work at, as a designer and manager of large computer systems. Although the world is a far more complex than any man made computer system, the rules learned with one can be applied to the other.” Needless to say, we appreciate the unique beauty and investigative spirit in Axford’s work.

More macro photography here and here.

Via steveaxford.smugmug.com

Artists Mark DB7 Turning the Big 4-0

Few athletes are as globally recognizable as icon David Beckham. Even here in the U.S. where soccer is not nearly the sports juggernaught that it is just about everywhere else on the planet, Beckham is a mainstay in the fabric of our vast celebrity culture. So it was fitting that the Bleacher Report recently commissioned artists to create unique illustrations of the soccer superstar to mark his 40th birthday. We really love the diversity of styles here. We won’t mention our favorites, but it’s safe to say that they are all pretty fantastic in their own way. These assorted artists, whose backgrounds and influences are as distinct as their artistic styles, include Steve Welsh (UK); Alexis Marcou (New York City), previous post here; Sebastián Domenech (Buenos Aires); Dave Merrell (UK), previous post here; Brandon Spahn (Bloomington, Indiana); Bram Vanhaeren (Belgium); Nikkolas Smith (Los Angeles); Melvin Rodas (Philippines); Rory Martin (San Francisco); Gabriel De Los Rios (New York City); James White (Nova Scotia).

Via Bleacher Report

Past Meets Present in the Photographs of Hendrik Kerstens

Sometimes to be original, you need to draw inspiration from the past, as contradictory as that sounds. Dutch photographer Hendrik Kerstens did just that with an arresting series with his daughter Paula as his subject. What began as capturing childhood moments morphed into fascinating photographs in the style of seventeenth century Dutch paintings… with a modern twist. Kerstens recalls, “One day Paula came back from horseback riding. She took off her cap and I was struck by the image of her hair held together by a hair-net. It reminded me of the portraits by the Dutch masters and I portrayed her in that fashion. After that I started to do more portraits in which I refer to the paintings of that era. The thing that fascinates me in particular is the way a seventeenth-century painting is seen as a surface which can be read as a description of everyday life as opposed to the paintings of the Italian renaissance, which usually tell a story. Northern European painting relies much more on craftsmanship and the perfect rendition of the subject. The use of light is instrumental in this.” As are Paula’s placid, if not austere, facial expressions… so reminiscent of the work of Johannes Vermeer and other Dutch masters. Kerstens’s outstanding work can be found in museums and galleries around the world, and has inspired tastemakers as diverse as Elton John and Alexander McQueen.

Conceptually reminiscent of the work of Steve Payne (here)

Via danzigergallery.com and Facebook

Transmogrify: Twisted Nostalgic Photos by Michael Massaia

Given the sudden break in the weather (at least in the northeast), we thought it fitting to feature this mesmerizing series by New Jersey-based photographer Michael Massaia. We’ve all been there before, when the mood goes from delight to distress when you drop your ice cream on the ground, only to watch it slowly melt into oblivion. Massaia taps into the latter sensation with his Transmogrify still life photos. There is something captivating about the swirling remnants of Spider-Man and Dora the Explorer. Massaia not only captures interesting patterns and colors with these pieces, but he also awakens memories of summers past through these abstract, yet vaguely recognizable forms.

Via michaelmassaia.com