With all the chatter of Terminator 4, the visual effects would not be possible without the legacy and artistry of the late Stan Winston. Starting out as an apprentice for Disney, he went on to start his own studio, leading him to work on many creatures from blockbuster films (Terminator, Jurassic Park, Predator, Aliens, Edward Scissorhands) and win several awards along the way (Oscar, Emmy). Incredible work!
The MOAD (Museum of African Diaspora) has a great mix of artists and mediums in the “Decoding Identity” exhibit. The show runs until March 8th, so if you’re in downtown San Francisco, I highly recommend a peek.
I’d like to highlight some local artists whose work I found both inspiring and compelling. Lorraine Bonner is a clay and stone sculptor from Oakland. On her website, she describes her work as an “ongoing study on the role of trauma in distorting human identity and relationships”.
John Yoyogi Fortes is a Filipino artist who incorporates graffiti, social issues, and his Filipino heritage into his paintings.
Chaz Guest’s fascination with Japanese culture is reflected in his portraits of black women with geisha makeup, wearing kimonos with African patterns. It’s a great series and merger of two cultures.
Moroccan artist Lalla Essaydi has exquisite photos involving henna on skin and the environment–an exploration into Arab female identity. You could purchase her pieces here.
Chinese Mountains is another exploration of style. It was created with a few different pens. The mixing of organic and geometric lines elude to a modernization of the chinese culture–traditional landscapes and modern skyscrapers.
Photographer Chris Rainier has a portfolio of exquisite images any museum would envy. He is part of the National Geographic Society and documents indigenous cultures and social issues around the world. His latest book is a great display of tattoos and other skin adornments from endangered societies. Check out Ancient Marks.
The artwork of Chaz Bojorquez is an inspiring combination of graffiti and traditional cultural styles. While being an exceptional painter, I mostly admire his unique street calligraphy. It is a summary of institutional and self-taught influences–Chicano, Chinese, Egyptian, and Mayan. You could view his bio on RTEA and the Chicano Collection Site.
The Dancing Yoda video is a little old, but I still love it. Aside from the cool-lookin’ Storm Troopers, Yoda’s freaktastic!
I’m super duper excited about this! My photos and illustrations are featured on the Bebo.com Homepage (US/CA only) with their new Lifestream/ Photo Timeline launch. It’s a cool feature where your photo albums are placed in a visual timeline–very interactive and clickable piece.
My feature will be up for a week. You’ll have to refresh (F5) the page about 10 times, but I’m happy it’s there! My Bebo Profile
A screenshot of my page is included in an article by Kara Swisher (covering tech issues for The Wall Street Journal and Boomtown) about the new innovations between AOL and Bebo here. It’s also featured in Venture Beat, focusing on the lifestream service.
This was taken at the CA Academy of Sciences.
The emptiness of the snake eyes will be inspiration for a new gothic illustration, so stay tuned!
Ahh, the beauty that is San Francisco.