“HUGS + KISSES” BY JULIA CHIANG
We take a look back at a sweet and fun instillation by Julia Chiang showcased at Art Basel Miami. ulia’s three installations “Sincerely Yours,” “Hugs + Kisses,” and “Love Always” were entirely created using Ring Pops.
The visual display of melting candy on a white wall is dizzying up close and romantic and cute from afar. A big commentary about how colorful and messy such emotionally charged messages can turn in a matter of time. Love!
BANKSY DEPICTS THE QUEEN AS DAVID BOWIE
Hot off the heels of the Diamond Jubilee celebration, a black and white depiction of the Queen with a colorful blue and red lightning bolt across her face (very similar to David Bowie’s “Aladdin Sane” from the 70s) appears on Upper Mauldin St. near the Bristol Children’s Hospital stenciled by Banksy. So sick.
PIN-UP GIRLS: BEFORE AND AFTER II
Oh, editing! One of the most controversial yet quintessential parts of fashion. Ever wonder about the process that went on behind the scenes of those classic pin-up images in the 1940′s and 50′s? Well check out these great before and after images of 1950′s pin-up girls which gives you a sneak peak of the photograph that came before artist, Gil Elvgren’s rendering. So fun!
The gorgeous, gilded V.M. Space Quilt by artist Lanzavecchia + Wai was created to preserve the memory of life on Earth as would be seen from “another terra”, a future human colony on another Earth-like planet. And I hope this is a accurate prediction.
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I went to the Damien Hirst exhibition over the weekend in the Tate and I have to say I was mesmerized. I thought it was absolutely brilliant. Not every piece hit it out of the park for me- mainly the clinical cabinets of boxes of pills which I just didnt get. What I did like was when Hirst managed to take really ordinary things and transform them into something which was so beautifully far beyond their normal context, for example the cases of perfectly aligned pills in an assortment of colours which tied in very well with his spot paintings.
The standout pieces were without a doubt the butterfly pieces. In one room, blank canvases were embedded with eggs from which butterflies then hatched and flew around the room. The kaleidoscopic works were out of this world. I had seen images of them before and thought that they were paintings, and it was only when I looked up close that I realised they were in fact perfectly placed butterflies on canvas. The works succeeded in creating a visual effect that is both stunning up close, where one can appreciate the beauty of the indivudual butterfly species and the precision of their arrangement, as well as the overall graphic effect created from a distance. I left annoyed that there in fact is absolutely no way that one can recreate these works in a picture or other souvenier that can caputure the intricacy and beauty of the pieces.
Another thing that struck me about Hirst’s work is the parallels between him and Alexander McQueen. They both create works that delve into the transience and darkness of life and the sombre beauty of death and morbidity. There is also the obvious similarities between their use of skull motifs, kaleidoscopic printsand butterflies
