inspired drawings : leah raintree

Stunning is a word I would use to describe New York-based artist Leah Raintree's work. Although her more recent work deals more with anatomy and the body as machine, I was instantly drawn to this floral sculptural piece entitled Bloom Field. Almost everything we look at these days is computer generated, I'm awe-inspired of her ink drawings on hand-made paper. They are just absolutely beautiful. I also love the way she translated this drawing into 3-D onto Corian.

draw in layers : roz leibowitz

I'm so inspired by the work of artist Roz Leibowitz. Her ink and pencil drawings on vintage paper have a rich, layered and nostalgic quality about them. I love the bright splashes of color. I also love the beautiful patterns she creates in each one.

small world : artist thomas doyle

I'm fascinated by the work of Brooklyn-based artist Thomas Doyle. His detailed sculptures call to mind dollhouses and other miniaturized toys we played with as children — only much darker. Everything he creates is 1:43 scale or smaller. It makes the viewer feel like a voyeur, as though we aren't supposed to be able to see. But I can't stop looking.

Thomas Doyle will be part of a group show next month at the Mixed Greens Gallery in New York.

All images from ThomasDoyle.net

galaxies forming: artist tomas saraceno

I wish I could view Argentinian artist Tomas Saraceno's work in person. This is called 'Galaxies forming among filaments, like droplets along the strands of a spider's web'. Quite the title for quite an exhibition. I'm blown away by the scale and the intricate beauty of this installation. It does look like something between constellation maps, a spider's web, architectural drawings and even microscopic views of organic cells/matter. The work that must go into this work is astounding. I can't stop looking.

All images from designboom

philosophy + science = art

Enzo Henze is a German artist behind these stunning large-scale computer drawings. Philosophical and scientific concepts are at the root of these creations. The computer is then used as a tool to give visual form and as a way to abstract and randomize ideas. Regardless of what is behind them, I am absolutely mesmerized. They are reminiscent of watercolors, delicate fabrics or even smoke. The colors are also quite delicious to look at.

All images from Colourlovers.com

ebon heath: on visual poetry

Ebon Heath is a Brooklyn-based artist/graphic designer with a love of typography and an interest in giving a dynamic, three-dimensional and physical representation to all the "visual noise" that permeates everyday city life. His work is very much influenced by hip hop. Both lyrically and rhythmically. He sees the work as a way to "cleanse or release content contained inside us." 

His work honors *craft* in a heavily digital world. I love the statement he is making. And what a gorgeous statement it is. 

Read the article on Yatzer to learn more.

All images from Yatzer

beautiful paper art: simon schubert

I spotted these amazingly beautiful paper masterpieces by German artist Simon Schubert on Fubiz last week. They are gorgeous representations of architectural detail and perspective. I love the lack of color and reliance on pure light and shade on the strategically placed folds. Fantastic.

All images from Fubiz

at the MoMA: tangled alphabets

Yesterday I had the chance to go to the MoMA with a former schoolmate and friend. The exhibits that stood out to me were of two Latin American artists, Leon Ferrari and Mira Schendel called Tangled Alphabets. They are two artists who were contemporaries and both used language, words and gestures as their main subject matter. From a graphic design perspective, we appreciated the beautiful use of typographic design as a form of expression. Equally as interesting are the architectural quality to the three dimensional components of the show. I've always seen commonalities between typographic design and architecture. I believe they both speak the same fundamental visual language. So seeing these elements together made a lot of sense — both from a visual as well as a conceptual perspective. Mostly, it was a great source of inspiration for me. A great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. 

Below are details of just some of the work from the exhibit's website. It's definitely a show worth seeing in person in order to fully appreciate. Many of the current exhibits at the MoMA were very inspiring.

beautiful bamboo sculptures: sopheap pich

These delicate bamboo sculptures by Cambodian artist, Sopheap Pich are mesmerizing. These pieces are part of an exhibition called Forever Until Now in a Hong Kong gallery. Some look insect or plant pod-like but scaled to human proportions. Other pieces look human in giant proportions. It's an interesting use of the material, beautiful. If it weren't for the bamboo, they would look futuristic.

environmentally-friendly art: henrique oliveria

I love these amazing large sculptures by Brazilian artist, Henrique Oliveria. His installations are made from recycled layers of found wood from dumpters and landfills in Sao Paolo. The textures and landscapes he painstakingly creates are beautiful, even sexy. Some pieces are reminiscent of ocean waves or of the curves of the human body. Almost to remind us that everything we consume (and throw away) remains part of us and inevitably, the earth.

P.S.1 swimming pool

This was one of only a couple of truly exciting pieces at P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center's  Spring Opening this past weekend. It's by artist Leandro Erlich. He achieves an amazing illusion of a deep swimming pool filled with water from above as well as below. Very clever and well-designed. Loved it.