Month: May 2017

Christophe Charbonnel

Sculptures of Christophe Charbonnel

The sculptor Christophe Charbonnel was born in Nantes, France.  In 2002, he decided to make a living from sculpture and quit his cartoonist job at the Walt Disney studios in Montreuil. Moving with his family to the Yvelines. Charbonnel dedicated himself full time to his sculpture. Quickly, he became aware that he belonged to a lineage of sculptors whose technique, which he learned in 1995  in Philippe Seené’s studio at the Duperré school, consists of working with profiles.

James Maher

James Maher, “Fire Escapes, Chinatown”

James Maher is a professional photographer based in New York, whose primary passion is documenting the personalities and stories of the city.

“My inspiration in photography has always come from the people of New York. When I began with photography, I would walk the streets of 5th Avenue for fun and people watch. I didn’t even know that it was called street photography. From there, I grew a portraiture and event business, began to photograph and learn more about the incredible architecture of New York, and just went exploring as much as I possibly could. I studied the history of New York whenever I could and became a certified tour and workshop guide.” – James Maher

Yayoi Kusama

The Art work of Yayoi Kusama: Photo Set Two

Kusama’s work is based in conceptual art and shows some attributes of feminism, minimalism, surrealism, art brut, pop art, and abstract expressionism. Her art is infused with autobiographical, psychological, and sexual content. Kusama is also a published novelist and poet, and has created notable work in film and fashion design. Major retrospectives of her work have been held at the Museum of Modern Art in 1998, the Whitney Museum in 2012, the Tate Modern in 2012, and the Hirshhorn in 2017.

Sally Mann

Photographs by Sally Mann

Photographer Sally Mann is a fan of antique photography technology, often using a bellows camera (one that has a pleated, expandable box to extend the lens). She has produced a significant body of work using the platinum printing process, which results in high quality monochrome images with a very wide tonal range, as well as the bromoil printing process, which involves making an oil print from a bleached and hardened print on silver bromide paper.

Bleaching makes the darkest areas of the print become hardest, so when soaked in water, more water is absorbed in the highlights. Due to oil and water not mixing, when the bromide image is inked with oil paint, the oil adheres to the darker areas only. This can then be printed using a printing press, resulting in a soft paint-like image, with no two images exactly the same.

Sally Mann has also created many works using the collodion wet plate process, which can result in images that appear to be a hybrid of photography and painting. This is a laborious historical printmaking method in which the final image is created onsite using a portable darkroom. It has seen a revival in popularity amongst contemporary photographers, with photography equipment now available to simulate this practise. As in the examples above, colours are not true-to-life.

Woodkid, “Boat Song”

Woodkid, “Boat Song”

The Golden Age is the debut studio album from French singer-songwriter and director Woodkid (Yoann Lemoine). It was released on March 18, 2013 through independent label, Green United Music. Lemoine released the official album cover through a video he created himself on December 14, 2012 and released the album’s corresponding tracklisting one week later on December 21, 2012 on his official Facebook page.
During an interview with NBHAP Lemoine told that childhood is the “The Golden Age” for him.

“We threw our hearts into the sea
Forgot all of our memories.”

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

Black and White Pattern

Photographer Unknown, (Black and White Pattern), Selfie

Some day we will try
To do as many things as are possible
And perhaps we shall succeed at a handful
Of them, but this will not have anything
To do with what is promised today, our
Landscape sweeping out from us to disappear
On the horizon.”
― John Ashbery, Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror

Inuyama Castle

Inuyama Castle, Aichi Prefecture, Japan

Inuyama Castle is one of only 12 surviving Japanese castles built before the Edp Period. The castle is often claimed as the oldest castle in Japan. Its original construction was completed in 1440. According to ‘Engishiki, a Helan Period book, Haritsuna Shrine, a Shinto shrine, was moved to make way for the castle. That structure has been heavily augmented over time, and the current towers were completed in 1537, by Oda Nobuyasu. Though the antiquated architectural style of the watchtower atop the tench has in the past led many historians to believe this to be the oldest extant tench in Japan, that honor goes to Maruoka Castle, built in 1576. Construction on the main tenshu (donjon) at Inuyama began in 1601, and continued through 1620.

The castle was the center of power for the Naruse Clan, retainers of the Matsudaira clan and rulers of the Inyama Domain. Inuyama Castle was unique in Japan in that it was privately owned. The donjon (tenshu) has been designated as national treasure. However, it was seized by the Japanese government as part of the Meiji Restoration. In 1891, the castle was damaged in the Great Nobi earthquake, and it was returned to the Naruse family in 1895, on the condition that they repair and maintain it. In 2004, ownership of the castle was turned over to a foundation set up by the Aichi Prefecture’s Board of Education.

Dionisio Gonzalez

Surreal Fantasy Architecture by Dionisio Gonzalez

The work of architect and photographer Dionisio Gonzalez focuses on the chaos caused by both man and nature. Using art as social action, González reveals economic disparities, and ultimately uses the power of architecture for an antidote to the world’s problems. Traveling to far corners of the world, such as Ha Long Bay in the Gulf of Tonkin and Busan in South Korea, González, who was born in the autonomous Spanish province of Gijón, makes hypothetical interventions within communities largely isolated from the developed world, which have been ravaged by natural or economic disaster.

Most of his buildings are stilted and cantilevered structures. In order to achieve equilibrium in the building façade, he has taken into consideration the surrounding landscape thus amalgamating it with his design on multiple levels. This creates a very balanced architectural vision which is pleasing in appearance.