Sigrid Sandstrom: a visual moment where the plasticity of space is tested...

'Utan titel' 2007

'Utan titel' 2009

Taking words from the artist's statement out of context is perhaps problematic... but I like to find an open-ended thought from the artist's own words that can linger  with you as you take in the work!

Here is the work of Swedish artist Sigrid Sandstrom who resides in the US even though she is currently living and working in Stockholm. Graciously Sigrid has offered me permission to post on her paintings here. To read the artist's statement about the work click here. I was quite intrigued by the work of this artist going back in time. The website is worth looking at for those interested in abstract painting , especially the spacial dimensions -explored in all of the work I viewed. Sigrid has worked with other media as well in her art practice. 

The colour palette and dynamic variation of painterly areas and crisp, flat lines and spaces  is fascinating!

between solitude and unbridled communication...

Researching a particularly  interesting blog this evening by the Manchester Hermit- artist Ansuman Biswas, currently living confined in a Gothic Tower at the Manchester Museum for 40 days and 40 nights, took me on quite a journey. Really, to do justice to the story take time if possible to read it for yourself. In the artist's own words:

"i feel a deep dismay at the ecological crisis facing humanity, which I experience as a loss of beauty. And I feel challenged to respond using the full weight of my training as a contemplative and an artist. But along with this strong agenda I am also interested in an art which is abstract or open-ended.  

The tension between purpose and play is also an essential condition of the hermit, who is introverted but has a social role. i am interested in exploring precisely this ambiguity...    ...the hermit sees right through himself by fully appreciating the immense variety of phenomena, without either coveting or rejecting any of those phenomena. "     The title of this post comes from the artist writing about the space in which the hermit exists. 

Ansuman Biswas

images from the Tower

Diatom-  posted July 2

About Alchemy

Also happening in conjunction with The Manchester Museum is  a research programme called Alchemy, a project initiating and facilitating artists access to The Manchester Museum and The University of Manchester. Artist fellowships, curating opportunities, research and access to collections for contemporary art projects are made possible with Arts Council England Funding.

Delete! by Steinbrener/Dempf

DELETE! : delettering the public space

I just came across this  project by Steinbrener/Dempf  which took place over summer of 2005 in Vienna where the entire array of signs, slogans, pictograms, company names, and logos disappeared for 2 weeks in a small section of the 7th district...to fairly startling effect! Read more here.

Jennifer Brook's sketchbooks

I love these sketchbooks from artist Jennifer Brook which she kindly was happy to have me share here. The image below is the artist's bookmaking workspace. Love the window out onto the world from her desk!

lemon jelly anyone?

As mentioned in the post on Art in Connu from earlier today (see below this 

post) Lemon Jelly provide an interesting diversion for a few moments on this 

video animation track with the memorable "all the ducks are swimming 

in the water'. If interested have a look at Space Walk which features audio 

track from an actual space walk where the astronaut is stepping out of the 

spacecraft and gazing at what is before him. Information here on the duo 

behind the music.

    

ABOVE LEFT: Lost horizons CD cover image from album which contains

both tracks mentioned above.

   

reasons to be cheerful: part 10

Virgilio Guidi (1891- 1984)

"girl at the window" 1921

I have borrowed from a title of a song by a UK group I happen to be rather fond of called 'Lemon Jelly' with the reasons to be cheerful bit as it seemed such an appropriate (if quirky) way to honour this rather superb and quite wondrous blog that the image "girl at the window" by Guidi comes from on their July 4 post. The blog is Art in Connu and specialises in little-known and under-appreciated art. i can think of at least 10 reasons to be cheerful that this blog exists.

!. We hear so much of really so few of the doers in histories of any kind...let alone art.

2.Whilst focusing on 19 and 20th century art it is not limited to this.

3. Collections are catorgorised into comprehensive topics.

4. Nationalities of artists listed are broad-reaching.

5. great links to other Art-related blogs

6.  Exensive list of art resources

7. Artist website links related to research on blog

8. a wealth of imagery from accomplished artists.

9.diverse ideas and approaches to painting for inspiration

10. your thoughts on viewing this blog!

"Reading Girl" by Heinz Tetner ( 1920-2007)

javier jaen benavides- Barcelona, Spain

all these images were found on the blog of Javier Jaen Benavides and I have to admit I cannot read spanish so its best to refer to his wonderful blog to see more about his work. I like how much is conveyed through these images and the ideas represented in them. My attention was brought to this work above by the fabulous Thea from her blog which is also well worth a look!

NOTE: I posted this  a couple of days ago and just now,  2 days later, I am pleased to say Javier Jaen has come back to me with a translation of his Blog statement about his work:

Born in Barcelona in 1983, he has Graphic Advertising and Fine Arts studies. His work has its main focus on cultural and institutional campaigns, working for theatres, libraries and public office.

 He is director of the graphic experimentation fanzine ArtAfacta.org

His work is in close relations with symbolic, ludicrous and two-sided languages, where subtractions and additions abound. He is interested in wordplay and the formal relations between literary and visual language.

He looks for narrative and aesthetic scenarios within close and everyday experienced contexts. His works involve techniques such as collage, appropriation, the object and image recycling.

Thanks for sending the translation javier jaen...shall look forward to see what is happening down the track with you!