Lukas Holas

I came across this incredible leopard photograph when Design Dautore posted it on their Facebook page. I don't know what drew me to it but it's so mesmerizing, and it's been the background on my computer, Ipad, and phone for the past few weeks. Now when I love something this much, I have to know who created it and sing my praises!

His name is Lukas Holas and he's a photographer and graphic designer in the Czech Republic. Unfortunately, I don't know that much more about him. He has a Behance profile where he uploads some of his work. This particular piece is from an album he calls Portraits of Animals. 

The album is beautiful. The animals are caught in such natural and hypnotizing poses. The darkness in the background makes location and time of day ambiguous. And I know what you're wondering.... how the heck did he get so close to them!!! 

I'm sure there'll be more work from this talented photographer in the future. Until then, I'll enjoy these. 

~ Lisa Lou 

Nathan Sawaya

Being the big sister means you constantly have to think of things to do with your little siblings to stimulate their minds, capture their attention, inspire their creativity, and tire them out by the time they get home. 

I've always been an advocate of children exploring their creativity, so when my youngest two siblings got into Legos, I was the one supporting their expensive hobby even though my parents kept complaining about finding Legos in every corner of the house and stepping on tiny ninjas and doll accessories. They started out just being interested in building what was on the box, then my sister got the brilliant idea to make her own scenes for her toys. I was definitely on board and a trip to the craft store quickly followed.

One day on a subway ride home from the city, I saw an ad for a Lego exhibition at the Discovery Times Square Exhibit. It's like the Lego gods were speaking to me. There's no way my brother and sisters wouldn't absolutely love this!!!! So one cool summer afternoon, I packed some snacks and we headed to Times Square. 

First off, let me take a quick second to breathe....it's always hard for me to talk about the $106 I paid to get in there. But there were five of us....but then again, I'm a broke college student! 

Ok, im good now. 

The exhibit is called The Art of the Brick and its a series created by artist Nathan Sawaya. Now Nathan is a true kid at heart. He's one of those people who always loved the freedom and playfulness of toys but tried to fit himself to the mold of the corporate world and found out what a lot of people already know: it's not for everyone. And so he began to pursue his lego hobby more and more with larger more intricate pieces. One day someone offered to pay for one, and just like that his art career began. 

 The exhibit is beautiful. There's a lot of variety in the pieces and a lot of familiarity to the New York area (like the I love New York poster or lady liberty). It starts out with Nathan's interpretations of some world famous art pieces like the Mona Lisa, The Girl With a Pearl Earring, Starry Night, and Michelangelo's David to name a few. 

Then Sawaya gets intimate with his personal portraits of his wife. 

And he gets experimental with plays on human figure, juxtaposing the body with shapes and light and shadow. 

A cool thing about this exhibit is that Sawaya leaves you with the conclusion that building with Legos is endless, although he never mentions that building with Legos is expensive. I mean, which big sister paid for the 18,000 bricks used to create this T-Rex?!?!

I think the best part of the exhibit was at the end where Nathan showcases some young Lego talent. That was the most inspiring part for my little brother who now wants to create something "so awesome they'll pick it to be in here." 

And best of all, the last piece in the exhibit, is a piece still in the making. It consists of individual Legos placed by the visitors of the exhibit. And now we're a part of it too. 

~ Lisa L.

Ron Mueck

I follow Vsauce2 on YouTube. They make videos about interesting things happening around the world and it's great because it gives me ideas and new things to see and do. A few weeks ago, they posted a photo of this baby girl; newly born, umbilical cord still attached and bloody. I thought, gross and I wondered what was so interesting about it. 

As you can see, it's not a real baby, but a 16-foot sculpture. And so, of course I had to look into the genius who created it!

Well, his name is Ron Mueck -as you can tell from the title of the post- and his work is ridiculously awesome! Mueck is an Austrian sculptor who started out as a model maker, puppeteer, and prop designer. As is the case with many prop and set designers, Mueck looked for more permanence, perfection, and appreciation of his craft. 

When he ventured out on his own (first partnering with his mother-in-law) he began creating pieces depicting the human body. Now, you already know that I have an appreciation for any artist who uses the human body to express their art, but I especially appreciate one who sculpts it with such accuracy and true-ness. Mueck is a hyperrealist. His sculptures express every dimple, crease, mole and wrinkle. It's difficult just to draw the human body, I can't imagine sculpting it from nothing but your imagination. I don't know if he counts every hair on the head of his subjects, but the accuracy is eerily spot on! 

Of course, art isn't art if it doesn't wow you and make you think. The wow factor that Mueck utilizes is scale. Scale is that element that changes something from simple to dynamic. A 16-foot baby girl or a 24" sleeping couple.....definitely dynamic. 

I've been trying to go to one of Ron's exhibits. I almost made it to the Lifelike exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego where Mueck is featured. Every time I tried to go, they were closed. I can't wait be see the works up close, I'll be awestruck.

~ Lisa Lou

Olaf Breuning

I came across this artist when The Cool Hunter posted a picture of one of his pieces on their Facebook page. It was interesting to me because of his use of the human body as his canvas which I thought was ingenious, so, I had to find out more about him.

 The Swiss-born artist uses his work to highlight the pop culture of our times and to reference to great artists of our past. 

For all the art lovers out there, some of his pieces will seem oddly familiar, and that's because he based some of his pieces on the popular works of some of the greats; the Pollack, Picasso, Warhol, etc.

 It's as if he dipped his subjects into the works and hung them out to dry! 

I think that the human body is a work of art in itself. For someone to see that and think to use it as a medium; to apply the 2-D in 3-D form, it's awesome.

Picasso Inspired

Pollack Inspired

Warhol Inspired

and this one.....I really like

 ~ Lisa Lou

Albert Watson

Yesterday while I was strolling the streets of Chelsea (and not working on my studio project) I came across these posters...

This is the second time I'd seen this tiger faced man in one day and I thought "who is Albert Watson and WHY don't I know him?!?!"

Well this is Albert Watson 

and it turns out I do know him...I just didn't know I knew him

Confused a little???

Let me explain...

Albert Watson was a Scottish photographer well known for his fashion, celebrity and art photography. So well known in fact, that his work is featured all over the world and he is deemed one of the 20 most influential photographers of all time. 

His first celebrity shoot was for the 1973 Christmas edition of  Harper's Bazaar, a portrait of Alfred Hitchcock holding a dead goose with a ribbon around its neck.

 Since then he's gone on to do pieces of many well known actors, musicians, models and other celebrities. Hundreds of his works have been on the covers of countless magazines from Vogue to Rolling Stone to QG to Harper's Bazaar. He's directed over 600 TV commercials, has done the posters for many major Hollywood movies like Kill Bill and the Da Vinci Code, and has created the photography for hundreds of successful ad campaigns for the brands we use every day like Revlon, Chanel, and Gap.  So there's about a 100% chance you've seen something of his.

Here's MJ

My girl Sade

And the infamous portrait of Steve Jobs

Did I mention Watson did all this beautiful work, had his own personal projects, and published a handful of books... all while blind in one eye??? Hence his nickname 'Cyclops'. I guess disabilities can't stop genius. 
Check out the exhibit at HASTED KRAEUTLER- 537 West 24th Street. Open until December 8

~ Lisa Lou

Mind Blown

Ok, so I'm casually going through my facebook feed and I see this.......

 And the person that posted it is trying to convince me that this isn't a photo. You know what I said???? Bull Crap!

So I did some investigating and I proceeded to get my mind BLOWN!

Well, the artist's name is Diego Fazio and he lives in Italy. He used to be a tattoo artist and transferred over to portraiture. His pencil drawings are classified as "photorealistic" and now you can see why. 

I know, I know....

you're still skeptical.

Well, I got you guys some photos of him in the process of doing this piece.

AND, did I mention he's only 2 years older than me?!?!? 

Ok, that's enough mind blowing for one day don't you agree? But definitely check out his blog for some more if you're up for it. It's in Italian, but you don't need language when great art is involved :)

~ Lisa Lou

David Walker

I will always see graffiti as I roam these New York streets, why? because everybody's got something to say. But, if it looks anything like the work of David Walker.....I'll stop dead in my tracks every time.

David Walker creates female graffiti portraits on almost anything: wall, canvas, records only using spray paint. I always show more appreciation for free-hand artists because my own free-hand work is.....eh. The London based artist is a member of the Scrawl Collective, and has shown his work internationally. Did I mention he's been doing this for less than 5 years???

Do I have a thing for female featured artwork?? eh...maybe. Women are beautiful. Or, do I have a thing for young artists that are innovative and modern and appreciative of natural beauty? Either way, David Walker fits the criteria. 

He embraces the use of colors much like the TAGs on every free building side wall, but his work is vibrant, three dimensional, evoking light, shadow, and emotion. 

Whatever the debate on public art, I think it's awesome! Visit his website for more in his portfolio.

~ Lisa Lou

James White

Why do I love James White so much!?!?! I can't begin to tell you. I stumbled across this Canadian artist when I was in high school and I've been an avid fan ever since. He does digital art and LOVE his play on COLOR. It always works! He also has a good eye for how light plays a role in a piece and it just makes it for me. 

His work is everythinggggg!! lol

My favorite piece has to be La Femme

  It's not an original idea as it's a recreation of Roman Cieslewicz, the Polish master of contemporary graphic design's 1978 poster called

 but I love his modern take on it. The sultry look on the woman's face.... that soft glow of light that hits the curve of her shoulder....and the colors!!!......oooooh. 
Check out his blog. You won't be sorry :)

~ Lisa Lou