Fantastic Fleeting Artwork

We’ve seem many artistic mediums, but never something quite like this. Some of the most recent works by artist Dino Tomic (aka AtomiccircuS) resemble chalk, but its actually… wait for it… ordinary table salt. Based in Norway, by way of Croatia, Tomic painstakingly arranges salt granules in such away that he achieves stunning variations of tone, giving these incredible Game of Thrones portraits an incredibly realistic feel. His beautifully intricate mandalas are also pretty remarkable. There’s simply no denying Tomic’s gift of visualizing his compositions, then slowly building them with his bare hands. And his 270,000+ Instagram followers would surely agree. Try to refrain from yelling at your screen when you reach the 1:07 mark in the video below. Now you can’t say you weren’t warned.

Via Facebook

Taking a Walk with Mitch Goldstein

In keeping with our (hopefully) weeklong theme of Create Upstate 2015 (other posts here and here), we turn the spotlight on fellow Rochester-based designer (and educator/writer) Mitch Goldstein. Those behind the planning of Create Upstate clearly made a deliberate decision to have Goldstein kick off the main event. Goldstein is the perfect blend of adept designer and engaging speaker, and his talk about The Habit of Making got us charged up right out of the box. It almost felt like church for designers, and Goldstein was giving a homily. In essence, Goldstein discussed his habit of making for the sake of making, and how it has made him a better designer. This daily 30-minute creative exercise, which he and his wife Anne Jordan call “inside walking”, has given way to some pretty impressive work (below and here). Goldstein stressed the importance of letting go, and not worrying about making something “good” or even “finished”, but just focus on the making part. We are not really doing Goldstein’s sermon any justice here, just know that this is sage advice that we hope to get into the habit of following. Be sure to scroll down for products from Goldstein’s “walks”, and a sampling of his superb client work, some of which originated directly from said walks.

Via mitchgoldstein.com and Tumblr

One Man’s Trash is Tom Deininger’s Treasure

Trash versus treasure is all relative, as everyone pretty much knows by now. Rhode Island-based artist Tom Deininger takes the old adage to heart through his remarkable collage work. From idealistic landscapes (one of which is inspired by Impressionist master Monet), to detailed portraiture, to denim seascapes, to large-scale commissions, Deininger truly transforms found, often discarded, objects into things of beauty and awe. We imagine his workspace to look like The Island of Misfit Toys. It takes true skill, an acute sense of space and color, to compose these stunning pieces. To say that Deininger is an accomplished collage artist is an understatement. Incredible work.

More killer collage work here, here and here.

Via tomdeiningerart.com

 

 

 

Sand Macrophotography of Dr. Gary Greenberg

There is tremendous beauty in nature, and even some not visible to the naked eye. Take grains of sand, for instance. Much like snowflakes, no two grains are alike. But Hawaii-based Dr. Gary Greenberg reveals a beautiful, colorful tapestry of tiny shells, coral fragments and weathered crystals through his magnified photographs. Greenberg, a former photographer and filmmaker who later earned his Ph.D. in biomedical research, invented and developed high-definition, three-dimensional light microscopes that make this sort of photography possible. His impressive sampling for this photographic series features grains from beaches around the world, which he magnifies up to 300 times to expose “hidden and unexpected aspects of nature.” In his own words, Greenberg explains that his mission is to “reveal the secret beauty of the microscopic landscape that makes up our everyday world.” And that “art is a doorway through which we can more deeply embrace nature.”

More extreme close-ups here and here.

Via sandgrains.com

Tall Tales: A Modern Totem Pole

Our colleague Francisco Hernandez is finishing up his first year as a student in the MFA Design Department at the School of Visual arts in NYC. The program opened a show at the school’s gallery on East 23rd Street in Manhattan. Run don’t walk to see the show in person!

http://www.sva.edu/events/events-exhibitions/tall-tales

Francisco’s piece is entitled Pixel Perfect.

See Pixel Perfect in motion!

Groovy

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