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Photography

A Traveling Exhibition of 100 Stunning Selections from the 2018 Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Last fall Dutch photographer Marsel van Oosten was the overall winner of the 54th annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition (previously) after being selected from over 45,000 submissions. His image, The Golden Couple, captures a pair of golden snub-nosed monkeys against a wooded backdrop. Their bright blue faces glow against the lush forest of China’s Qinling Mountains—the only habitat where the endangered primates are found in the wild.

In total there were 19 category winners from the tens of thousands who submitted images of wildlife and natural environments from all corners of the globe. Winning images included a wasp carrying a perfectly round segment of mud, two owls nestled snuggly in a pipe, and a leopard dreaming on a low branch. The winners, plus a selection of other entries from the competition, are currently in an exhibition which will travel to Canada, Spain, Australia, and Germany. The next stop for “Wildlife Photographer of the Year” is the Field Museum in Chicago, which opens March 22 and runs through January 2020. (via Block Club Chicago)

 

Art

New Gear-Operated Koi Fish and Shark LEGO Sets Aim to Decrease Stress in Adults

LEGO has been known for their small stackable bricks for over eighty years, as each new generation uses the brightly-colored blocks to build forts, towers, and other imaginative structures big and small. Although adults have also been interested in new sets throughout the years, LEGO is often associated with children’s play. The toy company aims to change this perception with a new line of interactive objects aimed at adults. LEGO FORMA doesn’t contain any bricks, but rather gears, rods, and customizable skins which assemble to create your own moveable koi fish or shark.

By cranking the completed work, the fish has a lifelike movement— swimming through the air as it turns side-to-side on its stand. The completely new format is designed to be a relaxing, creative challenge that satisfy the human desire to build something with our hands. Each piece takes a few hours to assemble in full. LEGO just wrapped up a campaign to judge feedback on the new line on Indiegogo. You can read more about the LEGO FORMA pilot program on their website. (via My Modern Met)

 

Art

Abstract Goldfish Swim Through Imitation Plastic Bags in Multi-Media Constructions by Riusuke Fukahori

Riusuke Fukahori (previously) has long admired the appearance of goldfish, immortalizing realistic depictions of the small creature in layers of acrylic and resin. Previously Fukahori has focused on paintings of goldfish moving inside of Japanese household objects such as bamboo hats, wooden sake cups, and handmade bowls. For his new Irobukuro series his inspiration has turned to imitating the vessels and scenery of Mong Kok’s Goldfish Market in Hong Kong, where rows of colorful fish line stall after stall. For the included works he molds resin to resemble plastic bags filled with water. Instead of realistically depicting the detailed scales, eyes, and fins of the fish Fukahori paints abstractly to capture how a goldfish glides through the water.

These works, along with some of his more traditionally painted pieces in memory-laden objects are included in his third solo exhibition with Joshua Liner Gallery  in New York City, titled Goldfish Blossoms. Fukahori will present realistic paintings in black bowls used at a Buddhist temple, paint cans from his studio, and a wooden oke tub previously used at a restaurant he frequented as a child. The exhibition opens on December 13, 2018 and runs through January 19, 2019.

Photography

Jewels in the Night Sea: Luminous Plankton Captured in the Dark Waters off the South Coast of Japan

Japanese marine life photographer Ryo Minemizu focuses his lens on some of the tiniest and most abundant life forms in our oceans. His series Phenomenons explores the diverse beauty and extravagant colors of plankton, and is shot amongst the dark waters of the Osezaki sea near Mount Fuji and other coasts around Japan, the Philippines and Maldives. To capture the small creatures Minemizu sets his shutter speed to just a fraction of a second, while ensuring that his own movements don’t disturb the surrounding organisms.

“Plankton symbolize how precious life is by their tiny existence,” he explains. “I wanted other people to see them as they are in the sea, so it was my motivation from the beginning to shoot plankton underwater, which is quite a challenge. Most plankton are small, and their movements are hard to predict.”

His solo exhibition Jewels in the Night Sea begins a three-city tour at Canon Gallery in Ginza, Tokyo from August 20-29, 2018. It will then move to Cannon galleries in Nagoya and Osaka from September 6-12 and September 20-26, 2018. You can see more of Minemizu’s underwater photography on Instagram and Twitter. Select prints from his Phenomenons series are available in his online shop. (via This Isn’t Happiness)

Art Photography

Betta Fish Imitate Elegantly Posed Dancers in New Portraits by Visarute Angkatavanich

Thai photographer Visarute Angkatavanich (previously) creates richly hued portraits that appear more like staged dance images than animal photography. It is only when staring directly at the bug-eyed expressions of his subjects that one understands they are staring at a fish and not a costumed ballerina. Angkatavanich photographs domesticated betta fish against white and black backgrounds to isolate their natural shades and present the illusion that they are moving through space. Late last year he released a book of Siamese fighting fish portraits titled Betta Paradiso. You can view more of his recent fish photography on 500px.

Art

The Coralarium: An Immersive Sculptural Installation Semi-Submerged in the Indian Ocean

The Coralarium is the newest aquatic sculpture by artist Jason deCaires Taylor (previously here and here). Built in a large developed coral lagoon in the Maldives, the semi-submerged installation is positioned so both human and marine visitors can interact with sculptural elements on the skyline, inter-tidal waterline, and seabed.

To reach the Coralarium, island guests traverse about 500 feet (150 meters) of shallow water, seascaped with underwater poplars and endemic corals. About 20 feet (6 meters) tall, the open-air stainless steel cube is designed based on natural coral structures and allows tidal water and marine life to pass through. Within the structure, which provides some refuge from the ocean’s currents, are several figurative sculptures that merge human, plant, and coral shapes, based on endemic species of the island and its surrounding reefs. Additional sculptures sit and stand atop the cube’s roof to unite the interior elements with the horizon.

The aquatic destination is accessible via small group tours led by marine biologists that are on staff at the Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi resort. You can see more of Taylor’s work on Facebook and Instagram, and the video below shows the creation of the Coralarium. (via Web Urbanist)

Art Craft

Complex Cuts Form New Detailed Paper Sea Creatures, Flowers, and Reptiles

Japanese cut paper artist Masayo Fukuda (previously) continues to create mind-bogglingly detailed designs using simple tools: a cutting mat, blade, and paper. The artist shares her in-progress and finished works on Twitter, including the pencil sketches that she cuts into for her final works. More recently, Fukuda has been working on smaller-scale creations and experimenting with holographic paper. You can stay up to date with new work by following her on Twitter.