polka dots and spots meet art

I am excited for the weekend as I have a couple fun things planned.  First off, I think I am going to try baking Smitten Kitchen’s Apple Sharlotka for dessert. Second, I learn to ski and take a lesson!  One of the goals I set in Prague was to learn how to ski.  I haven’t been on skis since I was six years old.  Since Prague is central to so many mountain ranges (in driving distance), I wanted to re-learn how to ski to make the most of my winters in Europe.  There are a few mountains in the Czech Republic and we thought about checking out Spindleruv on Saturday for the day.  Lastly, a visit to the David LaChapelle exhibit at the Rudolfinum in Prague until February. I know if I don’t make a plan to go the exhibit will be long gone before I get there.

Speaking of art, to sign off with something fun for your Friday, I put together the work of two different artists who have both done magnificent things with polka dots:  Damien Hirst, the British artist and Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese artist.

The first set, is of my favourite painting by Damien Hirst, a picture titled “LSD.” The first shot is actually a play on Damien Hirst’s LSD painting by the famous, British street artist, Banksy. If you don’t know who Banksy is, watch the documentary, Exit Through the Gift Shop and you’ll be up to date!

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Next up, a really cool exhibit titled “Look Now, See Forever” that is taking place at the Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art on now until March 2012 by Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama. In the pictures below, you’ll see the immersive room Kusama created for kids, called “World of Dots.”

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martin creed

Martin Creed is a British artist who currently splits his time between London and Alicudi, Italy.  I am in love with his work and found it thanks to a terrific blog called My Adventure is Your Advantage (MAiYA).  It certainly is in this case!  Below, is a selection of my favourite pieces from Martin- ultimate favourites are #2 and #3. Happy Thursday.  Next week I will fill you in on my second trip to Amsterdam.  There has been a lot of exploring going on this past week. Excited to share.

All images via Martin Creed’s website.

Design Supermarket Part II

On Saturday, I attended Prague’s Design Supermarket to check out the latest fashion, jewelry, home accessories and art that is being produced by some of the city’s young, talented designers.  The exhibition was located at Palac Archa, a building located beside the Starbucks not too far from subway stop, Florence.  An entire floor was used to showcase the artists goods.

On the fashion front, there were certainly some unique pieces ranging from wearable-fashion forward, to avant-garde.  My favourites included a stylish, marshmallowy, winter jacket by No Fashion (pictured below) in a champagne colour, that I tried on and loved- too bad it was close to $600 CND.  I also loved Ether‘s cow purse and clutch and Leona Skanderova’s oversized, crocodile bowling bag purse (both also very $$.) Likewise, the whimsical, multi-material purses by Gabang (pictured below) were pretty cool.  Lastly, on item that really stuck out and will be a piece that I will purchase at a later date, is a print by a local artist that goes by the name of Antimultivitamin (pictured below).    I’ve included a couple other shots I snaped while walking around to give you a sense of what’s new and exciting in the Prague design world.

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alain delorme: photography

My fiancee’s mother and step father are currently in China travelling through an ambitious itinerary.  It is their first trip to China and instead of sticking to large cities, they were open to venturing off the beaten track (for first time travellers) to Guilin, Yangshuo, Lijiang and Zhongdian.  The trip winds down with four days in Shanghai, which I am using as a segway to introduce Alain Delorme’s photographic series titled, “Totem.”  Totem captures people carrying things on carts in Shanghai.  It’s true, you can see people on the streets of Shanghai biking around with all sorts of stuff.  I think Alain has done a terrific job capturing this common street scene.

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Gary Taxali

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artist: hong hao

When I left China the end of 2007, I could not help but notice the growing contemporary art scene.  Beijing’s 798 and Shanghai’s Moganshan Lu offer a glimpse into China’s art scene as both districts are made up of studios and galleries with dedicated art space for artists.

Hong Hao is a Beijing born artist who graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts and has made a name for himself in the China contemporary art scene. He is a conceptual photographer known for his series called “My Things,”(below) where he used everyday objects that he (obsessively?) collected to depict life through art.  The objects are shown in life-size gathered through the artists life.  His work provides a glimpse into consumer culture in China into his laser scanned pictures.  I think his pieces are fantastic and love the repetition of pattern and the colour that each object brings to the shot.  For more info on contemporary art in China, Art Scene Beijing is a decent site to start with as well as ArtZine China.

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