As I entered the 6 train on my way home early last week, I was struck by an image on the wall of the train. I began to read the poem, and it definitely hit home for me. Coming from a not-so-busy town in Brooklyn, as a child, I’ve always been amazed at how everyday millions of people wake up early and commute to the city for school and work. This poem made me think about just how remarkable it is to now be a part of it. I took notice to the metaphor the poet used by describing herself as “an alarm clock.” This phrase as well as the poem as a whole does a really good job at depicting the daily morning routine of so many people!
I recently discovered Fabian Oefner, and was amazed by his use of color. He uses normal physical properties with different liquids to create art that is seemingly random, but also very deliberate. For example, Oefner uses Ferrofluid and its magnetic properties to develop incredible art. I found an interest in his art first, and then was even more intrigued by it after finding out what went behind it.
Ferrofluid is peculiar metal. It’s magnetic (due to iron particles in it) and the particles in the solution rearrange when placed under a magnetic field. Water colors are then added to the liquid, and these images are hence formed. Ferrofluid is hydrophobic, and therefore doesn’t mix with the water it is placed with. These photos are only about the size of a thumbnail, but yet are so clear and crisp; how could they not catch your eye?
The photos remind me of brains sometimes, and cells in others when I realize that they are very small images blown up into something larger.
Oefner uses bright, distinct color to bring life and amazing detail in images and in video. He created a magnificent show with the Ferrari California T to outline it’s sleek look. He also created a commercial for the LG OLEG TV, using his bright colors to create a positive image for the system.
The link for the Ferrari commercial can be found here
Overall, it was Oefner’s use of color that stuck out to me. He uses unique styles that create a natural look, but also artificial at the same time by using the colors that he does.
Those interested in reading more about Fabian Oefner can visit his website here
This Sunday, on my way up to Central Park, I came across a painting that was right in the middle of the sidewalk. As a pedestrian, you just could not miss it! Instead of being overwhelmingly confused at its complexities as I probably would have in the past, I stopped to try and have a greater understanding for the work. If you were to take a quick glance, the work looks like a lot of busy colors, shapes, and black outlining lines. But when I took a closer look, the painting seemed like a microcosm for Manhattan with the implicit depiction of buildings all around. The array of colors, shapes, and designs all show how bustling and busy the city environment is.
Yesterday, I attended Sneaker Con New York, a huge convention that is all about shoes of all types. Now one would think that this was probably a small event but would be wrong to believe so. There were so many people that I had to wait outside the Jacob Javit Center for about an hour before I was able to get in because of overcrowding. The line outside spanned about a half mile down West 40th Street. What made the wait outside even worse was that it was cold and raining. As bad as the wait outside was, I could confidently say that once I was inside, the experience was the complete opposite.
When I got in, I was greeted by the roaring noise of fellow sneaker-heads (term used for people who have a passion for shoes) buying and selling shoes and related accessories. As I walked around, I was able to see all the interesting booths created by vendors and displays of shoes that were not available for sale but rather strictly to be shown off.
One thing that truly struck me as interesting was all the custom art that was there. Some of the things I saw were shoes that were once completely white, painted on to portray somewhat of a skin print pattern and on the grey part on the upper, there is a few bolts of lightning. Another thing that I saw that was not related to shoes at all were these two paintings that were hanging on the racks of clothing that a vender was selling. I spoke to Myles, the artist who made these and he told me that the company was called Get A Real Dream. Unfortunately, he was really busy and I was unable to ask him a ton of questions about his work but I did really enjoy these pieces.
All in all, SneakerCon was all I hoped for and more. The high energy money-flowing atmosphere and just being surrounded by all kinds of shoes and artwork I have never seen before is the definition of my sanctuary.
Walking late at night down Park Avenue, I stumbled across what seemed to be an empty room with a bored security guard watching nothing. I walked past the gallery without even realizing it was a gallery. It wasn’t until I was down the block that I realized that that couldn’t have been a human being. I went back, and stared at the figure to watch for any movement. Then, I realized that it was a gallery and that the security guard was just a sculpture.
The sculpture is done by Duane Hanson. It’s a life-size sculpture. Made from bronze, polychromed with oil and with mixed media accessories. Duane Hanson also created other human sculptures. He created hyper-realistic ones that portrayed the American working-class—probably the reason I thought it was so real. Some of Hanson’s other works include “Woman with Dog” and “Man on Mower,” shown below.
My favorite part of these sculptures is that they portray average American life. Hanson does not work to sugar-coat anything. He makes people the way that they are. He uses the sculptures, but also real items. All props are real, which forces Hanson to make the sculptures themselves as realistic as possible. The sculptures must properly fit with the persona he is creating, and also must fit in terms of size. These are so unique, that they make you second guess whether or not they are real even after you know that they aren’t. Duane Hanson definitely showed me that this type of art can be extremely realistic. It is a true talent to develop these pieces of art.
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