Akira Yoshizawa

Elephant!

Monkey!

Origami has it's own natural beauty, a beauty which is may not be so clearly defined possibly due to our Western eyes, our appreciation of art having a somewhat different nature, however no one can say what the master origamist Akira Yoshizawa achieved in his career is nothing but beautiful. He was and still is considered as one of the greatest orgamists ever and, well, I'm not one to argue.

Art often baffles me in so many different ways. Most often it's with the profound mechanical skill of an artist with pen or paint, sometimes it's the mind-blowing concept behind a piece abstract work, but this time round  it's one of those 'HOW DO YOU DO THAT?' kind of feelings. It's the incredible lifelikeness of his folds. The fact that the medium and material is paper and is essential blank in any context or colour or connotations and then for his pieces to come across with so much personality imbued in to what are just seemingly folds.... I'm just insatiable with this mystery. Witchcraft is what it is.

And it appears Google too was quite in love with him too as they celebrated Mr. Yoshizawa's birthday with a doodle not so long ago, he would have 101! Head over HERE to check it out.

To read up on an interesting article about an exhibition in years-gone-by and to see more of his origami follow this link HERE for a good time.

Oh, and what the heck, here's a biography too HERE!

It is a truly special art from on which I could and should get in to. Check it out yourself!

Don't forget to enquire about our Zine dedicated to Writing, Illustration & Photography!  

Updates, Connection Problems and Lucien Freud Exhibition

So, how bloody annoying  is it when your laptop that perfectly works for two years suddenly decides that the internet connection it's been perfectly connecting to for two years isn't there anymore?

Yeah. So, until I sort that out I am very much afraid (((Hyperpower))) may sit still for a few more days.

Anyway, UPDATES!!

I've progressed exceedingly well with the Zine, out of 16 pages I have 14, and am thinking about upping the content to 20 pages, but printing costs have to be considered too. I have several contributions from some very cool people and am waiting on some more. I think it's going to turn out pretty cool. When I can, I'll post some photos of the process.

Today, I went to the Lucien Freud exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery and believe if you get the chance, go. Freud's portraits are astounding in their intensity of attention to detail and I would think, though not meaning to be photographic, obviously, in many cases better than a photograph. Freud seems to capture the sitter, in his very laborious and time consuming process - apparently David Hockney's portrait took 130 hours! - and the sitter's essence. They're not only time invested in to the painting but emotionally invested too as Freud talks to them.

The exhibition is so good and it'll be on until the 27th May so definitely check it out. Here's the website HERE

Anders Petersen

Rain Dogs cover image

Holy shit, did I just learn how to make images big? And it's taken me how fucking long? Jesus Willy Christ. What a break through. And what a better time to start, at the top is the very famous Tom Waits cover everyone recognises from his classic record Rain Dogs, but before it existed with that honour, it is a part of a series done by Anders Petersen in the now-famous bar in Hamburg's red light district Cafe Lehmitz.

What I like about Petersen is the studied grittiness in his documentary photography, everything is heaped in dirt, that under-the-nail grime that belongs to the under-classes. It's enthralling to be able stare in to a subjects eyes who is burnt out on the inside and have lost all notions of inhibition. But they're not actually miserable, indeed it's joyful imagery, like making the most of a dour situation.... by hanging out with prostitutes and drinking lots. Cool. That's what I would do.

Anyway, hit up Anders Petersen's website, it's got a great archive and it's where I began: HERE

Richard Avedon

I do confuse myself sometimes. Portraiture in painting bores the crap out of me, but portraiture in photography, done well mind, is so enthralling. I imagine being asked to be a subject for a portrait means you either have loads of wrinkles, look whacky or both.

Richard Avedon had been prolific in his portraiture, photographing big, influential figures from all the arts, literature, film, music, dance and artists and fellow photographers. His work is captivating in its intimacy.

The top image has the privilege of being my favourite portrait photograph ever. It sparked off an interest in Ezra Pound, the image's subject, that later affected an essay I was writing at the time. He appeared to be a wholly complex character, knowing many other affluent figures in literature and art, dealing with unsavoury characters like Wyndham Lewis, and personal heroes like Ernest Hemingway (even though many consider he was unsavoury too, I don't I think was he was cool).

The bottom image is of much-acclaimed and well-lauded director John Ford who Avedon captured immaculately his seeming impatience and stubbornness, which portrays Ford's personality wonderfully.

I'd recommend you to head to this website where you can see whole portfolios that are uncomparable: HERE

Roger Dean

I couldn't believe it going through our, admittedly rather brief, archive and finding that I have yet to mention the, frankly, brilliant Roger Dean. He's mostly known for his intergalactic and astoundingly beautiful and surreal landscapes, floating islands, dense jungles, monolithic rock formations, hive-like constructions and the odd pyramid or two.

However, above I've put two images of my favourite works by Mr Dean and they mainly focus on his creatures, that dragon up top is incredible in it's majesty and colour, and breathes a whole new way of thinking of what a dragon could be. And the octopus is there because I think the octopus is the boss. Obsessed with octopi(?) at the moment. Way cool.

His works are well-known for being used as record covers for bands like Yes and Rush and other prog rock royalty, and on his influencing many in the younger generations, the one that comes to mind the most is Arik Roper who is also a genius.

Check out his well made website HERE

Richard Serra

Richard Serra's work terrifies me. Huge sheet metal sculptures that loom above and curl around you, his works are expansive and intimidating, they make the viewer, lo the person who is experiencing them, to feel very insignificant. Something grander, something lifeless yet will live forever, something alien. Serra's work is ominous but he is probably my favourite living sculptor.

He also seems to be my kind of guy, in this interview he sums up his attitude as 'I don't give a shit but I care quite a lot.' Which is something I can relate to.

Richard Serra also had some trouble concerning a site-specific work in Manhattan:

'In the early morning hours of March 15, 1989, the culmination of an eight-year struggle between government bureaucracy and the artist Richard Serra took place. Serra's site-specific structure, Tilted Arc,1981, was removed from 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, despite overwhelming local and worldwide support for its remaining at that site. The General Services Administration (GSA) established a complex arrangement of checks and balances with the selection and commission of this work, but the response from civil servants and others working in and around the Plaza was uncompromising: Tilted Arc would have to go. William Diamond, the GSA's New York Regional Administrator, had recommended (after three days of hearings that seem to suggest a solution other than the one implemented) that the sculpture be relocated, with a panel selected by the GSA and including Serra himself. This ruling outraged Serra. He claimed that because the sculpture was site-specific, to remove it would be the equivalent of destroying the piece. In addition Serra filed a $30 million lawsuit against the GSA to prevent the government agency from removing the sculpture. He cited as his defense breach of contract, trademark violations, copyright infringement and the violation of First and Fifth Amendment rights (Serra, May 1989, 137). Unfortunately, after months of legal wrangling, the courts stayed the original decision, and Tilted Arc was no more.'

You can carry on reading: here, it is truly facintanating.

So, head over here to find the irritating Gagosian Gallery website.

Head here to view with friendly Google.

Virgil Finlay

I know very little about Virgil Finlay. According to the insightful Wiki page he was an American pulp fantasy, science fiction and horror illustrator, and from these images the horror aspect is definitely shining through. These images are goddamn sinister. He liked to work with pen ink and paper, which is quite a time consuming art, so it makes it absolutely remarkable that he produced over 2600 images in his 35 year career. Astounding.

If your interest is picqued don't bother trying to find an official website or fan website, they're useless. Hit up that Wiki page for info, for more quality images hit: here.

That top image is suitable for the time of night I'm writing this (00:07). I half expect to see it rise up and gaze through my window. Creepy.

Good ol' Google.

Robert Adams

Burning Oil Sludge North of Denver (click to enlarge)

East from Flagstaff Mountain (click to enlarge)

Robert Adams is a relatively new name to me, after some searching for influential landscape photographers I came across a now famous 1975 exhibition: "New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-Altered Landscape" which apparently the spirit and aesthetics of the exhibition has had a profound effect on contemporary landscape photography.

For one, you can take a look at the recently discussed Edward Burtynsky to see this such effect.

Robert Adams was one of eight young Americans invited to be represented in the exhibition, and after a quick look at the other photographers I think his work is the stand out of the exhibition.

The two above images are impressive and striking to look at. The sharp, deep contrast in Burning Oil Sludge North of Denver [1973] of the poisonous black emitted from the fire against the crisp, wintry sky and ground is stunning. The exact detail of the ghastly plumes of smoke depicted by the image is remarkable and is made all the clearer by the complementary bleak snow.

In the second image, East from Flagstaff Mountain [1976], the standpoint is magnificent, it just lets the landscape fall away from the viewer. It feels like the city below sprawls out to the grey horizon. Oddly enough, this photograph makes me recall the play 'Macbeth', where Macbeth would "never vanquish'd be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him", meaning he wouldn't be defeated until the forest travelled to the castle. Adams' image, and especially from the audiences' viewpoint, feels like these great pines are marching on to the city below, maybe to mark the end of a crazed power hungry patriarch.

You can read up on the 1975 "New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-Altered Landscape" exhibition: here.

Unfortunately Robert Adams doesn't have any official website but you can find sufficient info here, here and here.