23 Mar 2014

Masao Kinoshita

Ganesha


 More often than not, when I find an artist I really like, words become rare. The jaw stopping Masao Kinoshita is no exception. His hybrid forms, fully developed despite an apparent lack of gravity or bound by protective layer, haunt, with potent Zen. The Japanese artists resin figures span children's play room with the likes of "Teddy" to the Hindu spiritual plains with "Yoga Asura".


Teddy
 




Yoga Asura



 His work is impressive to say the least but when you take into consideration the the size, Yoga Asura for example is 650mm in height, the detail is mind blowing. I'm particularly envious of his ability to create impossible biological structures, like the multiple shoulder joints of Ganesa and still maintain a natural posture. If this is not enough, his work is peppered with just a glimpse of tiny geometric elements, alien in biology and hinting at some mystic pathway or unimaginable heavenly attribute. The whole again takes hold, the angles slip into the peripheral and we are left with Kinoshita's fleshy Gods, puzzled at our inaction and adolescence. I love this stuff!



Ganesa


Ganesa
 
For more impressive sculptures and drawings from Masao Kinoshita you can visit his website here or his Japanese blog here. Please, if you find any detailed information about Kinoshita building techniques and materials, let me know.



10 Mar 2014

Get them off me! - Channard Institute patient.

I can't get much worse than this.


I talk to myself. A Lot. I'm sure it is an amusing thing to see but when one is in full blown, animated conversation it can be a little embarrassing. One of the most hurtful and common manifestations of mental illness is the internal dialogue becomes pronounced, consistent and dark. Running over events or retracing conversations begins taking more of the day and rather than solutions or appreciation, the sufferer finds critique and judgement. It's starts small, just like the dialogue but soon, as in the words of Mr Reznor, becomes a downward spiral.

Internal dialogue is a constant for everyone. It's so normal most people hardly notice it. I guess that's because it tends not to be nasty. Friends are always taken for granted. My current daily routine is working very well at the moment. It begins with a ten or fifteens minute away, outside at 4:45, sipping on my coffee. My internal dialogue starts as soon as I reach the door, with art. A nice change. It's great and I almost always come to some kind of conclusion which spurs me to begin the day. It's ritual now. Every day is the same refreshing, supportive voice. When I noticed this was happening I thought it was so cool I started taking notes of the conclusions with the intention of posting them here. I doubt any of these statements will mean anything to anyone and most probably sound like rubbish but considering the alternative, constant abuse, fear and bating I hope you might see what I'm getting at. So from this week, here are my first thoughts.

-Maybe the bird should be white?

-McDonalds is yoga.

-More photos, lots more photos.

-I'm making icons, not religious or spiritual but desktop icons.

-Not too natural, not too human, no cartoons!

-I need to learn to paint granite.


-Cast it with armature already in-place.


Simple but for me small, supportive and challenging celebrations of success and inner peace, or the beginnings of it. Mr David Lynch talks about Transcendental Meditation with this analogy "An actor does not have to die to act a death scene. They only have to understand it". I subscribe to that. I don't buy the torched artist bullshit. One does not need one to have the other. In-fact the one without the other is superior and a better head-mate. One of the most interesting things for me to think about is, I believe in Chaos Magic. To a degree. I find it hard to believe we could control our lives by magic, the world and the chaos is too complex but I can't help but believe this internal dialogue is powerful beyond anyone's imagination. Of course we know of the importance of confidence and self image but I honestly believe it runs a whole lot deeper and more complex than psychologists would believe and physicists could map. I'm not sure where that leaves us when suffering from depressive disorders but I know it means being better is as important as it's always been.



4 Mar 2014

The Chariots of the Gods

Dogū

I've managed to win a few battles with everyday life lately and get around to getting my Etsy looking a little more like a place to buy things. I seriously need to relieve some shelf space around the flat, it looks like an archaeology department exploded in here so don't be shy! You'd be helping a brother out.


Cursing Nails, African fetish


I've listed my DogÅ« in three colours, a few African fetishes and my Moon Child. They seem to be getting a bit of attention but we'll see. I've also managed to work on a couple of longer running projects - my Mountains of Madness prop collection and a few fine art sculptures. One of the larger art pieces has really become a labour of love. It's easy to underestimate these things at times but I'm hoping it'll all be worth the work. I've also finally had the printing of my certificates of authenticity completed too. I'm really happy with the final product and from now on selected item from my Etsy with come with one of these bad boys. I do love photoshop but I'm certainly no pro so it took some doing. The first to go out with one will be the Fairy Fossils. 

Fairy Fossil

Not really a Miskatonic item I hear you say? No. With the Etsy and specifically my Mountains of Madness set, I'm attempting to go beyond the books and fill in some of the questions the stories pose while extending the universe a little. Universities are strange places after all. More of that some other time but if you have a moment, stop by my Etsy if you get a chance. I'll sort you out.  

1 Mar 2014

"And the weird turned pro." - Sam Raimi, DEATH MACHINE

synesthesiagarden.com



Just a heads up. Synesthesia garden is a "Weird art and style" blog I've just sorta stumbled across a couple of months ago. I'm dig'n it! Lost of great Photographers, Drawing Artists, Architecture and bizarre couture.
I loved this work by Elizaveta Porodina and the following dreamy work by Nicholas Alan Cope and Dustin Edward Arnold. 

 

Elizaveta Porodina


Soak up some of this stuff and keep checking back. It's our mission to keep blogs like this alive! Enjoy.




http://www.cope-arnold.com/
Nicholas Alan Cope and Dustin Edward Arnold.