Ulrich Schwanitz, a Netherlands-based artist, makes his bronze sculptures and pendants by creating their digital designs on a computer first, and then by manufacturing them using 3D printers. His latest…
Installed in the heart of Canary Wharf, London, Aeolus is a enormous acoustic sculpture that “sings” with the passing breeze. Named after the god of the four winds in Greek mythology, the sculpture consists of low-tension nylon harp strings attached to 310 polished stainless steel tubes, which redirect the passing air into the center of the piece, and create an unique sound in the process.
The sculpture will be positioned in Canada Square Park. It provides both acoustic and optical sensations, with the pipes framing, inverting and magnifying the landscape, which in Canary Wharf will include the reflected architecture of the UK’s tallest skyscrapers. The viewers’ experience will change throughout the day as the clouds and sun move across the sky and surrounding buildings.
The installation is the brainchild of Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram, who is quite well known for his ‘Play Me I’m Yours’ project, where dozens of pianos were installed across central London for the public to play. Aeolus is the grand culmination of Jerram’s three year investigation into acoustics, wind and architecture. Jerram says that he was inspired during a research trip to Iran, where a well-digger in the Qanat desert spoke to him of “the wells singing in the wind.”
The sculpture will be on display until 10th May, 2012, at Canada Square Park, Canary Wharf, London.
Link to the official site.
Hit the jump to see more awe-inspiring images of the installation.
Ron Ulicny’s “new works,” an art show featuring his surrealistic deconstructed sculptures, is currently on display at the Spoke Art Gallery in San Francisco.
In his newest body of work, Ulicny utilizes his fascination with transforming an esoteric plethora of familiar objects, in unfamiliar positions in order to create classic and modern innovative sculpture. “new works” will feature thirteen new pieces, each which present a unique take on the three-dimensional form.
As much a craftsman as artist, Ulicny strives for individuality in each of his creations. Instead of merely classifying his work as “assemblage or “found” objects, the artist puts specific intention, meaning and weight behind every detail in his work. Armed with a keen eye for design and illustration, Ulicny pushes boundaries of sculptural work that pushes and pulls the viewer in with both thoughtfulness and humor. With his visceral constructions, Ron challenges our initial perceptions of life, experience and everyday happenstance thus creating simple yet stunning affects.
Ron is a trained artist, photographer, musician, and craftsman, who lives and works in Portland, Oregon. His “new works” will be on show through March 22, 2012, at the gallery.
Visit Spoke Art for more details.
Hit the jump to see more images from the art show.
Click on the image to view a larger version. I have previously blogged about Tomoo Yamaji’s transforming sculptures, but the artist never ceases to amaze me. His latest piece depicts…
Simon Boses’ (aka Mud Monkey) wondrously-imaginative clay sculptures are the result of a childhood fired by exposure to art from many different cultures, and a staple diet of watching cartoons.
Sometimes the most simply drawn cartoon characters can evoke deep feelings of empathy in us, and Boses has been able to harness the same phenomena in his works with great effect. His works have a whimsical and delightful quality to them, and yet, they are rich with hidden and subtle symbolism, that reveals itself upon repeat viewings.
I found the stylized lines and forms of cartoons echoed in the art of many cultures. African masks, Egyptian tablet figures, Coptic portraiture and Australian aboriginal bark paintings were among those that captured my imagination and inspired me to weave a thread of symbolism into my work. This is where my own mythology comes in.
A piece is successful when it reveals a familiar moment in what it is to be human. It can be something as small as the affection one feels toward their favorite toy or as complicated as an unrecognized injustice our society unintentionally supports. When the audience recognizes that moment as something from their own lives, possibly something they never took time to think about I consider it to be a success.
Boses is an alumnus of the Maryland Institute College of Art for ceramic, and lives and works in Seminole, Florida. He undertakes commissions, and you can buy his (very affordable) sculptures at his Etsy store.
Link to Mud Monkey.
(Thanks, Kevin Titzer!)
Hit the jump to see more artwork.
Concrete, with its characteristics of being ubiquitous and coming only in shades of pallid grey, may not evoke any glamorous images in one’s mind, but in the hands of the wizards from Forsberg Form, it can be turned into ultra-desirable and minimalistic objects of art.
Hit the jump to check out images of clocks, furniture, and a very interesting series of comic book panels from the iconic Rip Kirby strip, all created using concrete by the Swedish firm.
Click on the image to view a larger version. A hand-formed metal sculpture from Swedish artist Jimmy Dahlberg’s 'Free Energy’ series. Previously: Jimmy Dahlberg's Hand-Formed Metal Sculptures. If you are…
Japanese artist Tomoo Yamaji’s stunning dragon sculpture can transform into a ring of flowers, without having any of its parts removed. Check out the other pieces in his “Transforming Sculptures”…
Mexico-based artist Fernando Villalvazo is the creator of these surrealist paintings and sculptures, whose twisted fairytale-like subjects live in a nightmarish, dystopian world.
Villalvazo’s art, which he says has been strongly influenced by patterns in music and design, has been exhibited in numerous group and solo exhibitions in various countries across the globe.
Visit his site to learn more about him and his art.
Hit the jump to see select images from his portfolio.
Artist Marco Mahler, whose works I’ve featured on JazJaz before, on Swiss artist Tom Samui, the Switzerland-based artist and creator of these fantastic and ginormous custom sculptures:
He (Samui) and his team have been perfecting these sculptures over the last ten years. Once a month they go to a junk yard and cart away a truckload of old car and motorcycle parts. The pieces are cleaned and sorted by type; nothing is thrown away. All pieces are welded together, polished and varnished with special anti-rust lacquer. It takes about 400 hours of work to complete a large sculpture.
Samui undertakes custom orders based on the client’s drawings, photographs, models, or even just an idea. The production time for the custom pieces is between two to three months.
Visit here to see more of his art.
Hit the jump to see one more awesome sculpture.