Rotemartha

Design Boom brightened my day as I continued to mope and sulk around. The flashy color grabbed my attention, elevating my mood to high level of interest. There was the occasional thought what is the purpose of this, but if it serves to brighten other people's day, an interesting and fascinating exhibition I must say.Imagine having film strip, cut, tied, and dyed in a burning fuchsia and other various shades of red, wrapping along the walls in your house. It could certainly spruce up my house, among the monochromatic furniture that offer no hope.

The former imperial abbey of Aachen-Kornelimünster is the newest site for German artist Martin Pfeifle to hold this exhibition. "The installation consists of a series of long tinted film strips in six different shades of red. the strips are tied together to create a supper long band that stretches throughout one entire floor of the abbey. the band runs through doorways circling the center of the floor, while still allowing visitors to move around it."

Things Instead

There are just so many times I thought about things I could be learning in life that will benefit me instead of reading topics about countless of subjects that may not benefit my soul. Unfortunately, I fell prey to the population of the college kids, worshiping the computer screen and Facebook on a daily basis. Do I like this? No, but it could certainly pay off, maybe not in this economy but in the next life.

I could be hearing anecdotes, experiences, paradoxes, etc. from the eclectic people who never shower, living from a backpack, enjoying that occasional acid, about how to steer the course through life with more ease. There is that 'fear' that I don't want to live like that. But what is it that really bugging me? I'm unemployed by choice, studying for school because it's an easy net to fall on. On rare occasions, I constantly worry that my 'life-at-the-moment' is permanent, and it'll never change. It is important to remember that days and weeks and months do not really exist. These things are illusionary; they are instruments of social mathematicians and scientists.

Instead of learning about the structure of genes and DNA molecules and the fundamental history of the Pantheon, with several essays stacking up, I'm learning the lyrics of 'What's Up' and dancing inside my head and writing what is important to remember in life. I doubt these library goers would appreciate the gesture if I broke out in a dance mode.

Beautiful Youth

I haven't heard of Ryan McGinley until I came across his campaign ads with Italian fashion house, Missoni a couple months ago, although I remember seeing the ads in Vogue last fall and winter season. I remember thinking Whoever the photographer is, they know what the Missoni customer wants, but it could be different. McGinley creates a very free, playful style aesthetic in his commercial and artistic photography, often being provocative, yet still in the artistic context. McGinely is known for placing a less-than-subtle of free spirit rebel youths in a minimal style setting. The style of the photographs fits my vision if I were ever to express myself with photography, being that nudity makes it more bolder. Not necessarily being sexual.

McGinely had successful start into photography. He was the one of the youngest artists to have a solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art, including being awarded Young Photographer Infinity Award.


'Everyone Knows This Is Nowhere' series







'Moonmilk' series



In collaboration with Missoni for the F/W '09 campaigns, McGinley still maintains his cool and free aesthetic in the minimal style shots. Missoni's color striped wool shirts, cardigans, and coats signature blends well with the artistic vision of McGinely.

a

Perhaps because I'm starting to turn in a different place in my life, at the moment, it may be spreading into my work. Beginning with a new medium incorporating into new artwork, I went ahead to run in a different direction - with watercolors. Usually shying away from watercolors and opting more thicker material such as oil, I wanted to examine the fluidity of watercolors and the effect of my usual charcoal figures. Working in a burnt umber shade and small use of light lemon, I fused the graphite drawing with enough water and a small dose of the colors.

It wasn't exactly the way I intended for it to work, but it definitely pleased the cloudy effect of charcoal and water. The loud hint of umber in both drawings hardened the delicate figures.


Untitled, December 2010, 6" 12", graphite and watercolor.

Untitled, December 2010, 6" x 12", charcoal and watercolor.

Delicate Destruction

What happens when you combine heavy weaponry, delicate ceramics and force? Evidently a blunder of shattered porcelain. In Laurent Craste case, it's quite the opposite. Craste, a Montreal based artist, simply creates this contemporary sculpture series with precision and tenuity. Using an open oven, Craste maintains the position to the sector on the ceramics before being heated in an open oven, creating a 'melting' shape that becomes permanently embedded in the urns, vases, and other ceramics.

But what can we understand about the philosophy behind this unusual, yet strikingly beautiful work? I'm stumped at the idea behind this series, and I want to hear other people's idea behind this eclectic sculpture series. Leave your thoughts and tell me what you think.








You can catch more of his work here.

Progression

In life I think that it’s important for people to have ideas. I think that the natural progression of humanity - particularly in the case of transitioning into adulthood - is to mold ideas into tangible product. Like molding clay, we press, sculpt, and carve, adding in the distinguishing marks of achievement over time.

The question I ask myself in regards to this has always been thus: “Am I sculpting the right ideas, in the right way? Will my work yield the right results?”

I’m now beginning to ask myself why I form ideas and notions at all? Is it because I desire some beautifully metrical end result? Or is it because I find beauty in the act of sculpting altogether, and not necessarily in the end result or how it is perceived?

Someday I’d like to build a beautiful house in the woods, with my hands, from the ground up. I will invite my family & friends to witness what I’ve done, likely as an excuse to gather their company. Do I want to create something powerful and sheltering from the ground up? Yes, I do.

More so, I want to be laughing in the woods with good people.

But It's A Good Start

Every season, the French label, Maison Martin Martin, creates a seasonal charity project that involves a frank discussion about AIDS and the growing fear of this disease within our community. This seasonal project is unusual, but straight to the point. The House created a t-shirt 15 years ago, designed by Lutz Huelle, that is printed on a simple v-neck, in a different color each season, often corresponding to the color each season. But what is very unconventional about it is the emblazoned statement on it.


“THERE IS MORE ACTION TO BE DONE TO FIGHT AIDS THAN TO WEAR THIS T SHIRT BUT IT’S A GOOD START”

However when unfolded and worn, the tee shirt’s message is dissected into several parts – some worn inside the neck of the tee, some on the outside of the neck, and the rest at the back along the bottom hem. As such, the parts that are visible can provoke conversation to explain the text, spreading the message of AIDS awareness throughout communities. All 100% of the proceeds go directly to French Charity, AIDES

I got my grey/white t-shirt on, and I'm ready to go to a benefit fund later this evening to help find a cure for this deadly disease.


Get your black version from Aloha Rag.