Tag: figurative art

  • Pink Soldiers: Richard Mosse

    Pink Soldiers: Richard Mosse

    While the world tweets about Miley’s twerking, understandably, I’ve seen lots of folks online upset that the antics of a 20-something spoiled starlet are making bigger headlines than little things like wars and children dying.  Admittedly, I love my guilty pleasures as much as the next gal, but find myself wondering, how do we draw more attention to real, impactful events happening around the world?  Leave it to an artist to figure it out.  Irish photographer Richard Mosse brings the civil war in the DR Congo to life using bright pink tones to colorfully engage the viewer into the country’s story.

    Men of Good Fortune, North Kivu, Eastern Congo, 2011 by Richard Mosse
    Men of Good Fortune, North Kivu, Eastern Congo, 2011
    Growing Up in Public, North Kivu, Eastern Congo 2011 by Richard Mosse
    Growing Up in Public, North Kivu, Eastern Congo 2011

    Mosse’s use of an ifrared Aerochrome dia-film gives his photographs their striking hot pink hue.  That sugary, Victoria’s Secret hue belies the tragic story behind these photos, one of decades long conflict, government corruption, and innocence lost.

    Even better than the real thing, north kivu, eastern congo 2011 by Richard Mosse
    Even Better Than the Real Thing, North Kivu, Eastern Congo, 2011
    Ruby Tuesday, North Kivu, Eastern Congo, 2011 by Richard Mosse
    Ruby Tuesday, North Kivu, Eastern Congo, 2011

    The photographer takes documentary war photography and imbues it with a strange sense of playfulness.  The Pop Art pinks are surely what will draw our attention, but it is the faces there and the stories behind them that will keep it.

    Sticky Fingers, North Kivu, Eastern Congo 2011 by Richard Mosse
    Sticky Fingers, North Kivu, Eastern Congo 2011
    La Vie En Rose, North Kivu, Eastern Congo, 2010 by Richard Mosse
    La Vie En Rose, North Kivu, Eastern Congo, 2010

    If you’d like to see more of Richard Mosse‘s work, please visit his website.

    All images via the artist’s website.

  • Shared Wonder: Beth Hoeckel

    Shared Wonder: Beth Hoeckel

    Mr. Forager’s sister has been visiting with us since Saturday and it has been so fun watching this bro & sis duo together!  But it’s got me missing my own brothers like crazy.  Our siblings are our first conspirators in adventure, first sharers of secrets, first partners in memories.  The Point of View series by Beth Hoeckel captures that time of imaginative connection we have with our earliest companions.

    Glacial by Beth Hoeckel
    Glacial

    There are places and objects that have deep meaning for us due to the memories they hold.  Even more than that, the things that we experienced together can immediately take us back to that moment in time.  To this day, anytime we hear a certain type of whistle– my brothers and I do a double take, thinking that it’s our dad, calling us home for dinner.

    Count Sheep by Beth Hoeckel
    Count Sheep
    Magic Carpet by Beth Hoeckel
    Magic Carpet

    As we grow older our appearance changes, yet when we look into the faces of our siblings, we still see the mischievous countenance that signaled the beginning of an adventure, a game of hide and seek or a deeply competitive game of Monopoly.  We don’t see the gray hair ( or lack thereof! ), the extra pounds, the wrinkles.

    Mountain Rangers by Beth Hoeckel
    Mountain Rangers
    Ranges by Beth Hoeckel
    Ranges

    I was really hoping we’d be in Seattle long enough to get one or both of my brothers out to visit.  They have to see this.  And we need to make some new memories together!

    Want to see more of Beth Hoeckel‘s work?  Be sure to check out her website ( click on her name for the link ).  And, bonus, she has prints of some of these pieces available at great prices in her Big Cartel shop!

    All images are via the artist’s website.

  • Double Take: Timothy Pakron

    Double Take: Timothy Pakron

    Remember in the old days when you would accidentally double expose a photo and you’d be a little bummed when it didn’t turn out perfectly, but secretly pleased because the double exposure was super cool?  Me too I mean, I’m not nearly old enough to remember that, but perhaps you are. 😉  Anyhoo.. these photographs by Mississippi born  NYC artist Timothy Pakron have me longing for the days of happy photographical accidents.

    Wash Away by Timothy Pakron
    Wash Away, archival inkjet print, edition of 5, 40×40
    Lazy Blue Eyes by Timothy Pakron
    Lazy Blue Eyes, archival inket print, edition of 5, 40×40

    His blurred figures take on a bit of a ghostly quality and we can’t be quite sure whether or not we can trust our own eyes.

    Distance by Timothy Pakron
    Distance, archival inkjet print, edition of 5, 40×40
    Fade by Timothy Pakron
    Fade, archival inkjet print, 40×40

    These could almost take on a slightly sinister quality, but I prefer to see them as a bit day dreamy.  Like that hazy fog between sleep and wakefulness, there is a pleasant light-headedness to them that I completely dig.

    This Side of the Blue by Timothy Pakron
    This Side of the Blue, archival inkjet print, edition of 5, 40×40

    Want to see more of Timothy Pakron’s work?  Check out his website.

    All images via the artist’s website.  Artist found via Michael Mitchell Gallery.

  • Time, Stood Still: Dan McDermott

    Time, Stood Still: Dan McDermott

    Have you ever had a moment so special, so perfect that you want to freeze yourself there, so that you can go back and revisit it again and again?  London based artist Dan McDermott‘s paintings ( yes, paintings! ) freeze in time moments from our collective past, preserving not just the actuality of that occasion but the feeling of being in that moment.

    Beauty Queens by Dan McDermott
    Beauty Queens, oil on canvas, 130×100 cm
    Good Times I by Dan McDermott
    Good Times I, oil on canvas, 80×60 cm

    Working from an extensive archive of vintage imagery, McDermott captures what seems like frozen film frames in paint.  It’s like watching those old home movies on projector ( showing my age! ).  Everything is a bit distorted, but we recognize the familiar.

    Yellow Dress II by Dan McDermott
    Yellow Dress II, oil on canvas, 80×50 cm
    Rollerskates by Dan McDermott
    Roller Skates, oil on canvas, 80×50 cm

    The corralling of these “frozen” moments doesn’t just happen in the frenetic, blurry application of paint.  It is found in the palettes, as well, we can sense the warmth of the sun, along with the faded cloth of memory.

    Cocktail by Dan McDermott
    Cocktail, oil on linen, 127×67 cm

    What moment would you like to freeze in time?  I can think of several!  Want to see more of Dan McDermott’s work?  Please visit his website.

    All images via the artist’s website.

  • Strange World: Lottie Davies

    Strange World: Lottie Davies

    Our minds are funny things. Especially when we are young and the world is filled with magic and everything seems so much bigger, both physically and metaphorically. We see things in ways as children that we gradually lose as we grow into adulthood. UK photographer Lottie Davies artistically arranges photographic scenes that mimic the strangeness of being a child in a grown-up world.

    Davies2
    Most of our childhoods weren’t always idyllic and the eerie atmosphere of Davies’ work reflects that. There seems to be a lurking sinisterness in each scene, as if there is something more going on than meets the eye.
    Davies1 Davies3
    How many times have we thought back to a childhood memory, only to realize we’d been recalling it through rosé colored glasses? Or maybe we sugar coated our world as children, only to realize as adults what life was really like when we were kids.
    Davies4
    What do you think of Lottie Davies’ work? I love that we seem to find ourselves in the midst of a story with each one. Want to see more from this artist? Please visit her Lottie Davies.

    All images via the artist’s website.

  • In the Atmosphere: Mimi Ko

    In the Atmosphere: Mimi Ko

    It’s so difficult to capture the feeling of a place, a moment, a mood.  Sometimes I get so caught up in the beauty of moment that I forget to snap a photo or more often, I don’t want to take myself out of the moment to grab the camera.  New York photographer Mimi Ko creates an ambience of feeling in each captured click of her camera.

    Mimi Ko Mimi Ko

    Though her subjects are occasionally dressed in period garb, there is a timelessness to the spells she is weaving.  The shadows and soft light create a quiet moodiness and feeling of anticipation.

    Mimi Ko

    With each image, she is letting us into a small part of the story.  The possible narrative is only one element in the composition, the scenes she is setting are more about what isn’t being said rather than what is.

    Mimi Ko Mimi Ko

    Want to see more of Mimi Ko’s work?  Please visit the artist’s website.

    All images via the artist’s website.

  • In Public: Scott Duce

    In Public: Scott Duce

    One of my favorite things about Seattle, or any big city for that matter, is the people watching. Anywhere we go, there is always such an intriguing array of humanity to be observed! New York artist Scott Duce must agree, because his latest series, In Public, focuses on observations of urban individuals.

    Pink Stripes by Scott Duce
    Pink Stripes, oil on panel, 12×12
    Woman With Flowers by Scott Duce
    Woman With Flowers, oil on panel, 12×12

    Walking in a big city, you definitely get a sense of being on display, but then there is also a strange contradictory feeling of the ability to melt into the crowd. Duce’s choice to isolate each figure against a monochromatic background serves to call attention to the specialness of each individual and the uniqueness of each moment.

    Skinny Man by Scott Duce
    Skinny Man, oil on panel, 12×12
    Summer Stop by Scott Duce
    Summer Stop, oil on panel, 12×12

    As we each move through life, we do not do so in a bubble. We are one of many, each individual an important part of the the entire sum.

    Fashion Runner 4 by Scott Duce
    Fashion Runner 4, oil on panel, 12×12

    Want to see more of Scott Duce’s work? Please check out his website.

    All images via the artist’s website. Artist found via Hidell Brooks Gallery.

  • Suppressed Identity: Leslie David

    Suppressed Identity: Leslie David

    Last week I shared with you guys how lost I’d been feeling lately.  It seems, that when you reach a certain age ( gulp! ), staying true to yourself, who you are and who you long to be becomes a matter of the utmost importance.  You’re no longer that young person trying on personas for size.  This series of illustrations by Paris designer Leslie David, done for Please! magazine called out to the feeling that had been haunting me, that denial of my own self.

    Please series by Leslie David Please series by Leslie David

    For this series, David reinterpreted a series of photos from issue 11 of the magazine, painting over the faces of models in colorful, textured splotches.

    Please series by Leslie David

    No matter how you may glam it up, denial of who we are in our core destroys us.  It may begin innocently enough, but over time that mask that we’re wearing eventually overcomes us and overtakes us so that we can no longer see who we used to be.

    Please series by Leslie David Please series by Leslie DavidStay true to who you are, dear Artsies!  Whatever your vision, whatever your passion, stay your course.  Pursuits true to the soul are never wasted.

    Want to see more work from this artist?  Check out Leslie David’s website and don’t miss her postcard series!  She also has some really lovely prints for sale in her shop.

    All images via the artist’s website.

  • Relaxed Vision: Teil Duncan

    Relaxed Vision: Teil Duncan

    The weatherman is saying it is going to the H-O-T in Seattle this weekend– like high 80s, low 90s hot.  That’s like Florida hot!  With the coming onslaught of warmth and sunshine, I couldn’t resist sharing the work of Charleston artist Teil Duncan.

    Beach Talk by Teil Duncan
    Beach Talk, gouache and acrylic on panel, 30×24
    Lean In by Teil Duncan
    Lean In, gouache and acrylic on panel, 18×81

    Duncan’s work perfectly captures the bustle to be found at the beach on a summer’s day.  Scenes of bikini clad gals gabbing on the sand and striped umbrellas tilted jauntily signal a good time being had by all.

    Coastal Color by Teil Duncan
    Coastal Color, gouache and acrylic on panel, 36×63
    Memorial Day Way by Teil Duncan
    Memorial Day Way, gouache and acrylic on panel, 36×36

    Just as we squint our eyes upon waking from an oceanside nap, Duncan’s abstract style mixes well with the relaxed vision a day at the beach ( or pool as below! ) can bring.

    Pool Corner by Tiel Duncan
    Pool Corner, gouache and acrylic on panel, 28×22

    I’m sure many in Seattle ( and beyond! ) will be hitting the beach this weekend.  I think Mr. F and I will be seeking out cooler temps in higher elevations.. 😉  Want to see more work from Teil Duncan?  Check out her website and shop on BigCartel.  This beauties are not just lovely but affordable, too!

    All images are via the artist’s BigCartel shop.

  • All About Attitude: Patricia Derks

    All About Attitude: Patricia Derks

    First off, thank you so much for all of your words of encouragement on my “comeback” post yesterday!  I don’t know what the future will bring, but I truly appreciate the kind and encouraging words from each of you.  You guys are the wind beneath my wings.. sorry, cheesy Bette Middler moment.. we now continue with our regularly scheduled artsiness!

    Our faces have forty-three muscles, making it possible for our faces to express an amazing wide range of emotion.  Sometimes, we know another person so well that we can tell what they’re thinking just be the expression of their countenance.  Capturing such emotion as expressed in human faces is one of the strong suits of the work of Dutch artist Patricia Derks.

    Derks_Diver 100x100
    Diver, oil, 100×100 cm

    Derks does extensive research before each painting, yet her work has an amazingly fresh and unstudied air about it.  But what amazes me most is the way in which we get such a clear sense of emotion and attitude from each face in such deft and limited strokes.

    Derks_Summer Girl 120x120
    Summer Girl, oil, 120×120 cm
    Derks_Yellow Cap Girl 100x100
    Yellow Cap Girl, oil, 100×100 cm

    In the set of the jaw, the cut of the eyes, we are given a glimpse into the figure’s personality.  We all like to think we can hide our emotions, but it only takes careful observance to read each expression.

    Derks_Blue Lips 120x120
    Blue Lips, oil, 120×120 cm

    Want to see more of Patricia Derks’ work?  Check out her website.

    All images via the artist’s website.