Animated GIFs are usually cute, repetitive, and addictive to watch. Two out of three isn't bad for Kevin Weir. He takes old images from the Library of Congress and makes something weird out of theand the black and white definitely adds to the creepy feel.
Ferns, foliage, and vintage cars? Russian illustrator Julia Petrova's images seem to have an underlying theme of teenage insolence, with tight clothes, cigarette smoking, littering and loitering. Her chosen colour scheme of greys, pinks and blues make many of her works look like they take place at dusk, just dark enough to conceal youthful acts of mischief.
Who doesn't love jazz hands? Used to show off a state of cheesy exuberance, maybe the gesticulate equivalent of a dad joke when used in a non-ironic manner. Ok, so it's not for everyone. Maybe you're a little more edgy. Brazilian artist Evelyn Tannus feels you. She's created a series of devil-horn sign flashing ceramic hands, each tattooed with themed…
Is Peter de Potter a romantic? It depends on what your definition of romance is. The Belgian artist makes the male body a major theme of his works in his Tumblr project Routine Routine, using different angles and colours to frame his subjects. The result has a bit of a vintage vibe; with grainy images of men and vaguely suggestive captions. While the real meaning of each caption will remain with Potter, there may be some universal insights to be gleaned based on each reader's interpretation.
Ever feel like gallery paintings are missing some of the pizazz of animated gifs? Probably not, since the two occupy very different spheres in the art world. Refined vs. hokey, timeless vs. of the moment, sombre vs. silly. It's a good thing Ibon Mainar doesn't work within the confines of our mental paradigms. In his hands, the works of Edward…
Kent Rogowski has puzzles all figured out. As he explains it "The thought popped into my head that a puzzle manufacturer would probably use the same die to cut all of their puzzles that shared a piece count in order to decrease manufacturing costs." Why this has not occurred to the rest of the world is a mystery. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn-based artist puts his epiphany to good use by mixing and matching his puzzles pieces to create new worksones where giant flower bouquets materialize in the middle of meadows, and horses blur into blossoms and clouds.
The simple joys of embroidery. The counting, the stitching, the meticulous details... Uh, never mind. It's not for everyone, that's for sure. But for Brooklyn based artist Melissa Zexter, it provides contrast and detail to her photographic portraits. The photos themselves represent speed, and modernity, while the stitching harkens back to a less hurried time, even when the patterns used…
Ever feel a little nervous in a crowd? Do you like to avoid malls on weekends, loud festivals, rowdy people? If so, Frances Berry's somewhat kaleidoscopic collages are unlikely to put you at ease. An extrovert's dream come true, Berry's images show beach lovers and pool partiers, toasting in the sun and splashing in the water. Repeating motifsthe striping pattern…
Remember when you first discovered magazines? The glossy images, the glamorous models, the covet-inducing ads? You might have ripped out your favourite pages, decorated your walls, tried to make the blank canvas more you, somehow. Anthony Gerace's collages are created using the same idea, but to more sophisticated effect. Slogans and scraps are artfully arranged atop its subjects, partially obscuring…