Set backs and the chaos of living in Poland are to thank for the never ending delays in launching the two following sites. Although still needing a few minor touches, the sites are up and runing. Here are the two new sites:
JK Fotografia: Jakub Karwowski and Joanna Kowalczuk, two young Polish artists located in Krakow, offering their commercial photographic services. Weddings, portraiture, stags and more.
Michal Kowalczuk: Creator of complex mechanical drawing machine. Computer programmer by profession, an artist at heart.
I have to admit that its felt like a while since I’ve come across any contemporary artwork that has felt new and humbling. The latest issue of Damn Magazine has Chinese contemporary artist Zhang Huan’s work on it’s cover. Although I’ve seen images of Huan’s work in the past, I can not say that I was at all familiar with his work, nor have I seen his newer works personally. Zhang is primarily known as a performance and photo artist. He has put a temporary stop to performance as his more recent work has moved more towards sculpture and drawing.
The fascination with the newer work in not due to the imagery nor scale of the works, but to the primary material; burnt incense ash. Zhang Huan uses incense ash that has been gathered from Buddhist temples for both his drawings and sculptures. Incense ash, a simple and accessible material, carries within it deep roots in China’s religious/cultural traditions, as well as the prayers and wishes of an endless number of people.
Through the countless personal histories contained within one delicate material, Zhang Huan’s newer work seems extremely touching, very grounded and yet accessible no many levels. Even thought the Buddhist practice dictates that the experience outweighs the final material form, in Zhang’s case, both are quite humbling.
Zhang Huan links:
+ Youtube: Altered States: Art of Zhang Huan and Zhang Huan Studio
+ Saatchi Gallery
La Biennale di Venezia – think with the senses, feel with the mind, art in the present tense
Personal favorites:
+ The Serbian pavilion, exhibiting Mrdjan Bajic’s works; painting, drawings, sculpture and multimedia.
+ The Italian pavilion, works by Angelo Filomeno made from silk, embroidered and bejeweled. + Short films by China’sYang Fudong.
Other artists/works worth mentioning:
+ Charles Gaines, León Ferrari, Paolo Canervari, Y.Z. Kami, Sigmar Polke, Izumi Kato, Nalini Malani, Nalini Malani, Joshua Mosley and the Venetian pavilion: a tribute to Emilio Vedova.
More images on Flickr, also see: Designboom.
Last Migration Series drawing:
+ materials: filament tape, paint and magnets on paper on board.
+ size (approx): 5′ x 4′, each panel.
Plus a bird drawing:
+ materials: filament tape, paint on paper on board.
+ size (approx): 12″ x 24″
