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Art History

A Global Art Project Brings Paintings of Anonymous Figures out of Museums and onto the Streets

While visiting the Louvre last last year, artist and filmmaker Julien de Casabianca was struck by an Ingres painting of a female prisoner tucked unceremoniously into a corner of the museum. He suddenly had an idea: what if he could somehow free her—both figuratively and literally—by reproducing her figure on a public street. People may not know the painting, or even the artist, but at least the image would be seen by potentially hundreds or even thousands more people who may never visit the Louvre. With that single act, the Outings Project was born.

Since sharing photos of the first artwork online, people in at least 18 cities have liberated similar anonymous characters found in master paintings and pasted them up in public spaces in London, Barcelona, Chicago, Rome, and elsewhere. Casabianca says the global participation was completely unplanned and unexpected but he’s embraced the idea wholeheartedly.

When asked about the possibility of an artwork being taken out of context or without attribution he shares via email, “we don’t want to tell you something that you don’t know, and we don’t want people to feel ignorant. You have just to feel that [the artwork] is ancient and shifted, you have just to be touched by the emotion, by the esthetic, by the art.”

Art enthusiasts aren’t the only ones paying attention to the Outings Project. Two museums in Madrid and Poland have also engaged the artist to “play with their art in public.” Casabianca is now on a 12-city tour around the United States bringing more unknown figures in local museums into the light. You can follow the most recent classical art paste-ups on the project’s Facebook or Instagram. (via This Isn’t Happiness, Slate, Hyperallergic)

Art

The Inverted Architecture and Gravity-Defying Worlds of Cinta Vidal

In her latest series of paintings, Barcelona-based artist and illustrator Cinta Vidal Agulló defies gravity and architectural conventions to create encapsulated scenes of intersecting perspectives. Painted with acrylic on wood panels, Vidal refers to the paintings as “un-gravity constructions” and says that each piece examines how a person’s internal perspective of life may not match up with the reality around them. The intersecting planes on many of her paintings are somewhat reminiscent of drawings by M.C. Escher, where every angle and available surface is inhabited by colorful characters going about their daily lives. She shares in a new interview with Hi-Fructose:

With these un-gravity constructions, I want to show that we live in one world, but we live in it in very different ways – playing with everyday objects and spaces, placed in impossible ways to express that many times, the inner dimension of each one of us does not match the mental structures of those around us. The architectural spaces and day-to-day objects are part of a metaphor of how difficult it is to fit everything that shapes our daily space: our relationships, work, ambitions, and dreams.

Vidal just opened a new exhibition of work at Miscelanea BCN in Barcelona and you can read an in-depth conversation with the artist on Hi-Fructose.

Art

New Large-scale Geometric Illusions in Paris by Felice Varini

Swiss artist Felice Varini (previously) recently opened a new solo exhibition titled “La Villette En Suites” featuring a number of anamorphic projections designed to be viewed from a single location creating an uncanny optical illusion. Varini is fascinated by architecture as backdrop for his artwork and seeks unusual spaces with varying planes of depth for his installations which can grow to be quite dramatic.

The new geometric pieces (which are technically paintings) are installed in both interior and exterior spaces around the Grande halle de la Villette within Parc de la Villette through September 13, 2015. You can see more views of the exhibition on StreetArtNews, and follow Varini directly on Facebook.

Art

Artist Adam S. Doyle Utilizes Simplified Brushstrokes to Organically Conjure Animals to the Blank Page

Adam S. Doyle (previously) creates sweeping monochromatic animals, painting creatures that jump, fly, and swim from his simplified brushstrokes. Doyle’s environmental details are limited, instead focusing on the subject which takes up the majority of the painting’s frame. His howling wolves and pensive rabbits have an illustrative quality to their compensation, something that may stem from his interest in interpreting narratives for book covers, greeting cards, and show posters.

Doyle doesn’t attempt to mask his brushstrokes, but rather lets them evolve organically. He explains that his work always begins with his love of the magic of creation, transforming a blank surface into a living thing. “This act has been with mankind forever and yet never ceases to be awe-inspiring,” said Doyle. “I always want my marks to be visible, to keep this sense of wonder present. I’m committed to making images that speak truth to power, that provide space to breathe, and that use simple forms to reveal and make accessible the heart of stories.”

Doyle has exhibited his lively paintings internationally including New York, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong. Currently his paintings are part of the two-person exhibition Wild at Utah-based J GO Gallery. More images of his works can be found on the artist’s Artsy. (via Samsara)

Art Illustration

A New 100-Day Miniature Painting Project by Lorraine Loots Tackles Vintage Book Covers, the Cosmos, and Furry Animals

As a continuation of her impossibly miniature painting project, South African artist Lorraine Loots (previously) has embarked on her latest endeavor for 2015: Potluck 100. The new series involves 100 new artworks painted in four categories: Microcosm Mondays, Tiny Tuesdays (vintage book covers), Fursdays, and Free Fridays (images of anything). All 100 paintings will be auctioned on her Instagram account and a limited edition of 10 prints for each work are being made available on her site. Loots also has an upcoming exhibition in New York at Three Kings Studio in July.

 

Art

Hyperrealistic Depictions of a Fictional Mouse-Butterfly Species by Lisa Ericson

Lisa Ericson‘s logo is just as enchanting as her hyperrealistic paintings, a tiny mouse with butterfly wings floating between her first and last name. Ericson works as a multi-hyphenate, utilizing her visual talents as an artist, illustrator, and designer to craft meaningful images for both her client and personal practice.

In her newest series Ericson skillfully depicts her invented species of mouse-butterfly while they explore environments filled with detailed mushrooms, forgotten tin jars, and forest brush while sometimes clutching found objects such as acorns and raspberries.

Ericson’s first exhibition, and one featuring this series, is displayed at Portland’s Antler Gallery alongside Heiko Müller and John Casey until April, 27th. During my research I also learned that Ericson illustrated Ramona Ausubel’s website (one of my favorite contemporary authors), and can be seen here. (via This Isn’t Happiness, Hi-Fructose)