WEEZY

OK YOU'RE A GOON, BUT WHAT'S A GOON TO A GOBLIN?

I drew this in my sketchbook today as an ode to the almighty Lil Wayne. It's not my typical style (i.e. precious, dainty, feminine..) but I had a lot of fun drawing it. This definitely doesn't signal a shift in styles since I'm pretty satisfied making cutesy girly tripe but Bryan suggested I make a series illustrating rap lyrics so who knows.

NEW ALEXIS MCKENZIE

Yes yes yes, a thousand times yes.

(via flickr)

DEATH RATTLES

I've been thinking a lot about artists who use taxidermied animals in their work. Say what you will about how ubiquitous taxidermy's become within the hipster vernacular (and even within the art world -- ahem, Damien Hirst), but there's loads of interesting work being done with preserved animal remains (COOL).

PETAH COYNE

Coyne uses taxidermied animals, wax, silk flowers, tree branches, chicken wire, ribbon, rubber, tar, and a ton of other stuff to construct her sculptures. I think this museum characterizes Coyne's work well by calling her pieces "three-dimensional vanitas images". She specializes in these incredible atrophying chandeliers that look like they've been frozen in that moment of decay, and her use of taxidermy is especially useful in extending that metaphor of a degeneration that's been suspended in time.

ALEXANDRE JOLY

I'm not as crazy about Joly's work, or all of his use of taxidermy, but when he nails it he really nails it (How much does that furry... thing look like a Hayao Miyazaki character?). The chick piece is maybe a little too reminiscent of Cai Guo Qiang (see below) but the cotton ball trails more than make up for it.

CAI GUO QIANG

So. fucking. cool.

BORRE SAETHRE

Not sure if I'm totally convinced by this guy's work, the titles are totally self-indulgent (ex: Double fantasy, masturbating with the gods) so it's hard to take him seriously. There are some really impressive elements at work here in terms of visuals and installation, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one.

THESE DAYS

Here's a collage series I made last semester for an art class.


And here's a drawing I made a couple days ago.

(Click photos for larger view)

TRYING TO GET BACK INTO THE SWING OF THINGS

I've saved loads of images over the past few months but never had the willpower to come back and blog regularly. If I had my druthers, I'd update this thing all the time but with school it's hard to do. In any case, here are some cool things.

MAX KLINGER
Some months ago the Legion of Honor had a small exhibit of Klinger's work. I was especially drawn to his "Paraphrase on the Findings of a Glove" series. Not only am I a sucker for good etching, but his work is so fundamentally weird and cryptic, I can't help but be compelled.

JULIE MORSTAD
LOVE Morstad's work. It's very reminiscent of Edward Gorey, but there's an added dimension of preciousness married to the sinister in Morstad's universe. She also pays amazing attention to detail - I'm just crazy about the missing sock in the piece below.


MICHAEL KRUEGER
Oldie but a goodie (check out his interview on Fecal Face). Perfect application of a simple medium (color pencil) and terrific use of color in Krueger's ahistorical and all-historical questioning of the American landscape. I love the way he depicts the sky as radians of varying color.
TAYLOR MCKIMENS
Here is the COOLEST installation by Taylor McKimens, really rad play between flatness and 3-dimensionality.

FINALS WEEK

Cannot stop listening to this.

GRIZZLY BEAR // ALLISON SCHULNIK

Check out the spectacular new music video for Grizzly Bear's "Ready, Able", animated by Allison Schulnik.



I'm pretty keen on Schulnik's work, especially her portraits of clowns and hobos (Take a look at this interview on Fecal Face for more)



Whether it's oil on canvas or claymation, Schulnik manipulates color and texture wonderfully to create works that inspire both a child-like wonder and a kind of sick to your stomach repulsion. Righteous!