Nastia Larkina

faromush:

Folk costumes of the peoples of the USSR: Series of stickers on match boxes. 1965.
From left to right: Russia, Ukraine, Karelia, Tatarstan, Moldova, Belorussia, Estonia, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Lithuania, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bashkortostan, Latvia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan. (x)

snowintheussr:

The First Snow, Kazan, 1970, Vladimir Zotov

jon-lau:

"Herbalist" for Flower Pepper Gallery’s "The Brave Ones" group exhibition.

This is the largest thing I’ve made in years, and maybe my most personally invested painting yet.. so yay! I think I have a new favorite. 

Opening night is this Friday, 6 PM - 10 PM! 10% of the proceeds will be donated to the Downtown Dog Rescue. Please come check it out if you’re around Pasadena— I will be there! :)

urhajos:

365 Ant Postcards

by thomke meyer

Follow her on Tumblr! 

I had the honor to work with the design agency,  VOICE,  on these packages for RIO Coffee out of Australia.Agency: VOICE Art Direction / Design: Tom Crosby

"Rio Coffee have visited four corners of the Earth to source exceptional-quality single-origin coffee beans. Only fitting then, that the packaging should convey the same excitement and enthusiasm with which the beans have been sourced and locally roasted. Each box is adorned with captivating imagery of its homeland, telling a vivid tale of the landscape, people, coffee production and, of course, enjoyment."

just-art:

nychos | tumblr

Ohio-based photographer Amy Powell’s beautiful photos of her half-sister Erica, born 20 years after she was. More below.

View the whole post: Amy Powell over on BOOOOOOOM!.

Beautiful photos by photographer Scott Pommier for Flaunt Magazine. Watch the short video he directed below.

View the whole post: Scott Pommier for Flaunt over on BOOOOOOOM!.

fairytalemood:

"Red Hood" by Behnan Shabbir

Data Cuisine goes against everything i've learnt as a child: Don't play with food! Don't mix meals with political discussions! In these workshops, participants experiment with the representation of data using culinary means. I suspect they are even allowed to put their elbows on the table.

The workshop invites participants to translate local data into culinary creations, turning arid numbers into sensually 'experienceable' matter.

Participants chose their topics, investigate related data, shop for comestible ingredients and under the guidance of chefs, they learn how to create dishes that will not only be delicious but also act as entry points to discussions about local issues that range from emigration to criminality, suicide rate, unemployment, sexuality or science funding.

There's been two editions so far. The first one was the Open Data Cooking Workshop in Helsinki. And the latest was a Data Cuisine Workshop that took place last month in Barcelona.

I had a quick online chat with the creators of the workshops, data visualizer Moritz Stefaner and curator Susanne Jaschko from prozessagenten, process by art and design.

Samuel Boucher & Jahn Schlosser, Emigration Fish

Antonija Kuzmanic, Requiem for Science

Rossana Moroni preparing a Suicide Cocktail

Hi Susanne and Moritz! Seen from the outside, the idea is somewhat simple: just take some data and assemble them on a plate instead of a graph, use culinary ingredients instead of lines and block of colours. Yet, i suspect the process must be more complex than that. What are the challenges participants encounter when trying to turn numbers into dishes?

SJ: It might sound simple, but cooking and data visualisation or representation are two very different disciplines. Food is sensual, tangible, ephemeral, emotional and social. Data is not like this at all. This dialectics is the starting point of the Data Cuisine workshop and for someone who has never done it, it is already a challenge to think both together and to play with the various qualities of food such as its cultural connotations, colour, taste, shape, nutrition and the range of techniques to prepare food such as melting, freezing, boiling, baking, foaming...Not to speak of the various ways one can present and consume food.

Actually there are so many possibilities to explore on both ends, the data and the food, that most participants end-up with something relatively simple, because they are overwhelmed by the complexity. A translation of data into a visual edible diagram is relatively easy, but that's not what we are striking for, but for creations that work and communicate on both levels, visually and as regards taste.

One of the questions the workshop asks is "Have you ever tried to imagine how a fish soup tastes whose recipe is based on publicly available local fishing data?"

So does data affect taste and how? For example, do you have to make concession and be a bit less respectful of data to ensure that a dish is delicious?

MS: Generally, when it comes to tasting precise quantities and differences, of course, our taste organs are more limited than our visual system. It is simply much harder to determine what is "twice as sweet" as opposed to as twice as long line in a graphic. Then again, taste is a much more emotional and temporally complex experience that just looking at a dot on a screen. So, the mechanisms to encode information might be more fuzzy, but potentially much deeper.

Depending on the theme, there could also be a case to be made for dishes that don't taste all that well (like, e.g., the noise visualization through salt).

In the end, our goal is to create eating experiences that teach you something about the data, and taste is one dimension you can vary, but there is also temperature, texture, amounts, the plating, all the cultural connotations different dishes and ingredients have ... all this plays together in creating a successful dish. Here, precision of data readability is not of primary concern, but rather, the overall personal experience, and the dishes' concept.

Can any data be turned into something edible? Or did participants find themselves in front of data that when cooked together could only lead to unpleasant flavors?

SJ: We ask the participants to work with local data, ideally open data, and the experience from the two workshops shows that most people tend to pick data that reveal social and economic problems. This is not really surprising as we encourage people to pick a topic that they feel close to, that motivates them to work on, and to turn it into some kind of food experience. Creating a dish that tastes terrible is sometimes the best way to communicate a negative development or a problematic situation. Good examples for this are the 'Suicide Cocktail' that looks at the relation of alcohol consumption and suicide rates in Finland and 'Unemployed Pan con Tomate!' that visualises the drastic increase of unemployment among young people. We tell participants that they should decide early on, if they want to be that radical or if they want to try something that is more subtle and comparably more difficult to produce.

You work with chefs in each of these workshops. How do they intervene? What exactly is their role in each workshop?

SJ: The chefs are very important, when it comes to creating the dishes. In most cases, a 'data' dish is created by either remixing, altering or re-interpreting existing recipes. The group of participants is usually very heterogeneous and have different professional backgrounds. However, they all have an interest in cooking or at least in doing something with food, but some are knowledgeable than others. The chefs bring the real cooking expertise to the table. Usually our participants quickly develop ideas what they want to do and which dishes they want to create, and then it's the chef who -- with his or her experience and creativity -- pushes them to open up their mind, to try something new and unusual, such as trying out other techniques or ingredients. When we are in the kitchen, the chef is in high demand, not only for the preparation of dishes, but also for their final presentation on the plate.

So far you've organized 2 Data Cuisine workshops. One in Helsinki and one in Barcelona. These are two very different kind of countries in terms of cuisine. Do you feel that participants approached the idea of mixing data and food differently? Because i somehow feel that a lot of personal culture and subjectivity enters into account when dealing with food.

SJ: In Helsinki less of the dishes were local, maybe also due the fact that a lot of Helsinki workshop participants were either immigrants or just visiting. I remember that Moritz and I were wondering what constitutes Finnish cuisine before we had our first meeting with Antti Nurka, the Finnish chef. And it was particularly interesting to see how the shortage of vegetables that grow in Finland and the variety of local mushrooms, berries and fish influence the Finnish menu. But other than that I couldn't discover much differences in the general approach of the participants, maybe because the people who join the workshop are usually food-aficionados.

Domestic Data Streamers, In & Out

I think what i like about this workshop is that it breaks a taboo for me. I grew up being told that you don't mix politics and food, that you can't talk about sensitive or potentially divisive topics while having a meal. Yet, many of the projects were directly related to politics and social issues. Besides, one of the objectives of the workshops is precisely to merge food with data in order to "gain unexpected insights into both media and learn about their inner constructions and relations". So what have you learn so far about these constructions and relations?

MS: From a data visualization point of view, I found it really interesting to watch how deeply people meditate on very simple data points, when they think about turning them into food experiences. In a way, this is a very needed counterpoint to the current trend of consuming lots of data in a very quick and superficial way. As Jer Thorp said, "we are so used to flying at 10,000 feet that we forget what it is like to be on the ground" and both the preparation and consumption of the data dishes providesa very earthy, grounded way to connect with statistical information and the human stories behind the numbers.

From a food point of view, knowing how expressive food is as a medium, it is surprising to me by now, how little the intellectual side is stimulated in high-end cuisine. It is surely nice to just enjoy interesting tastes in good company, but it can also be quite enriching if there is a whole extra conceptual and intellectual dimension to the dining experience. I think this side has been quite neglected in the history of cuisine and we are hoping to provoke a few reactions in -- and hopefully some inspiration to -- the traditional cooking scene.

What's next for Data Cuisine?

MS: We aim for a few more editions of the workshop, in order to understand the local differences better and continue to explore the medium. We might also vary the format in the future - one format we were considering is a high-end "data dinner", which would put less emphasis on the collaborative workshop process, but more the final outcome and dining experience. And I would like to learn more about the science of cooking and the technological advances in the area - this field is buzzing right now!

Thanks Susanne and Moritz!

All images courtesy of Data Cuisine. More photos.

 

Mille ans après la St Valentin, voila une illustration que j'ai fait pour
le joaillier Arthus Bertrand.
Et regardez ce qu'il m'a offert pour vous!!!!

Elle est pas jouliiiiiiiiie?!!!!!
Elle est pour toi, ou toi, ou toi. Suffit de m'envoyer une adresse mail valide à
concoursbijoumargaux@gmail.com
comme ça je fais un tirage au sort, je te contacte, et CADAL DANS TA FACE!

CONCOURS TERMINÉ!
La gagnante est Julia Solaire (chek ta boite mail)

Biz et à bientôt pour le prochain concours!!!! 

Paintings by New Hampshire-based artist Michelle Morin. More below.

View the whole post: Michelle Morin over on BOOOOOOOM!.

Janusz Stanny's book designs for the publishing house Wydawnictwo Iskry (Poland, 1954–1963) 1961 Janusz Stanny (born 1932) died in February of this year. He was one of the titans of Polish illustration and design, serving as director of The Studio of Illustration at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw for twenty-five years, beginning in 1971. He designed and illustrated countless books. The scans here come from publisher Iskry's Pinterest page. I plan to do some posts of their covers, sorted by designer or decade. It's been three years since the Polish book cover contest (you can see more covers by Stanny at that link), and I'm glad to return to this material after the long break. The contest's judges have had some real successes: Peter Mendelsund has two books coming out in August (Cover and What We See When We Read) and Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizieliński have had a worldwide hit book with their stunning children's book Maps. 1961 1958, The Lost World 1962 1957 1958 1960 1961 1961 1962 c. late 50s/early 60s Three Men in a Boat 1962 1959 1954 1955 1956 1957 1957 1957 1958 1960 1963 1959 1960, Uncle Tom's Cabin This one is via Garaż ilustracji książkowych. Go there to see the whole book. Previously: This post first appeared on May 8, 2014 on 50 Watts

Illustrations by Hatsuyama Shigeru for the legendary illustrated magazine Kodomo no kuni ("Children's Land"), 1928–36 1931 Bio of Hatsuyama Shigeru (sometimes "Hatuyama," 初山滋) (1897–1973) from Kodomo No Kuni:Hatsuyama was born in Asakusa, Tokyo in 1897. In 1906 he studied yamato-e painting for three months under Araki Tanrei, a Kano-school painter in Yanaka (Tokyo), and in 1907 he painted kimono patterns at a workshop in Kanda-Imagawabashi. He studied the style of painter Ogata Korin (1658-1716). In 1911 he became a disciple of Ikawa Sengai, a Japanese-style painter known for his bijinga (images of beautiful women). In 1919, following the founding of the children's magazine Otogi no sekai [Fairy World] (Bunkodo), Hatsuyama did the illustrations for its cover from the inaugural to the very last issue which came out in October 1923. There's also a longer bio at The Lavenberg Collection of Japanese Prints. Many of his books have been reprinted In Japan (I've been collecting them). And about the site that houses 9000 images from the almost 300 issues of Kodomo no kuni: "This program was created as part of the Picture Book Gallery project of the International Library of Children's Literature to introduce in digital form the story of the picture book genre from its beginnings until the present. The program was designed to reproduce the works contained in the journal Kodomo no kuni [Children's Land] and convert them to digital images, which have been edited and titled and made available to the public as a virtual exhibit." Previously: Hatsuyama's Thumbelina and Takei No Kuni. 1932/1935 1930 1932 1932 1932 1931 1934 1935 1929 (detail) 1929 1928 1928 1935 1933 1932 1935 1930 1934 1935 1935 1929' 1936 1935 1935 This post first appeared on May 12, 2014 on 50 Watts

More about KENNY PARK at: Profile / Website / Twitter

sosuperawesome:

Yvan Duque, on Tumblr

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Illustrations by Alexander Alexeieff for Tolstoy's 'Stories and Legends' (Pantheon, c. 1946) frontispiece From wikipedia:Alexandre Alexeieff (1901–1982) was a Russian-born artist, filmmaker and illustrator who lived and worked mainly in Paris. He and his second wife Claire Parker are credited with inventing the pinscreen as well as the animation technique totalization. In all Alexeieff produced 6 films on the pinscreen, 41 advertising films and illustrated 41 books. [cont. reading] See all Alexeieff posts on 50 Watts 6/7/2014 update: PK at BibliOdyssey asked his (other) friend Will if he knew what printing process was used. Will's response:I'd say in this case that the originals were color woodblock prints rather than lithos or serigraphs. If the original book edition was more than a few hundred copies [Ed: it was], by 1946 the original multi-block color prints could have been color photo-lithed with a screen printing process. I'm guessing woodblock prints because the textures of the solid color areas and the line qualities of the Tolstoy prints are similar to a lot of 20th Century Japanese woodblock prints from the 'Shin Hanga' (New Prints) revival of color block printing in mid-20th Century Japan. I've seen a lot of those, and am also aware that there were parallel print movements in Europe, the US and Russia after the War. illus. for "Master and Man" view larger illus. for "Master and Man" illus. for "How Much Land Does a Man Need?" illus. for "The Godson" illus. for "What Men Live By" illus. for "Where Love Is, God Is" illus. for "Two Old Men" illus. for "The Godson" See all Alexeieff posts on 50 Watts This post first appeared on May 27, 2014 on 50 Watts

silentgiantla:

Animated artwork by Rebecca Mock

Fine, detailed and subtle animated artwork created by New York illustrator Rebecca Mock. Apparently the animated gif back to stay, gradually more and more people are exploring this old format and customers asking for shouting. Several of these illustrations were created for the New York Times or The Warlus magazine.

sosuperawesome:

Yelena Bryksenkova

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artforadults:

Тайная жизнь Анны by Otto Schmidt

by Yu. Prytkov, 1960

More about ANTHONY ZINONOS at: Profile / Website / Flickr

pascalcampion:

Let’s make some waves.

theartofanimation:

Otto Schmidt

amandascurti:

Here’s my Junior Thesis! Our theme was “Kings and Queens,” and although the individual we chose did not need to be an actual monarch, we were not permitted to choose anyone fictional. The paramaters of the project dictated that it be 1) biographical and 2) span from early life to death. I chose John Lennon as my subject (King of Rock, I suppose). PRINTS HERE!

urhajos:

Keith Negley

More about SYLVIE BESSARD at: Profile / Website / Facebook / Flickr

Marta Długołęcka is an illustrator, originally from Warsaw, but currently living and working in London. She graduated from Kingston University in 2010 and has recently completed her MA at the Royal College of Art. Currently she really enjoys working with clients as much as popping into Kingston University as a visiting tutor teaching illustration.

How did you get into illustration?

Since I remember I’ve always been into drawing and making things so probably ever since primary school my biggest goal was to be in the art industry. Having said that, illustration as a career choice only became fully clear to me while I was doing my Art Foundation. In fact, back then my whole portfolio was actually being prepared for the fine art course and yet, at the very last minute something inside told me this wasn’t going to be the right choice for me and against all of the tutors I quickly updated my portfolio to suit illustration course and never regretted it since.

What other types of jobs have you had?

Before I came to London I worked as a stylists assistant in a few magazines in Warsaw and then while studying in the UK I used to work at various bars, restaurants and shops.

Describe your creative process? What exactly is your medium? 

Depending on a project I usually start off by making digital sketches, which allow me to draw freely and quickly experiment with colors, lighting and general mood of the image. Also if I go through the sketch process I like to plan everything as much as possible before I move onto actual making any models and sets. Having said that, sometimes I like to skip the sketching stage and simply play around with my model making and let characters and inspirations emerge from that. Also despite my great love for arts and crafts I tend to use a lot of Photoshop in my work, which naturally gives me great freedom and control in terms of refining and modifying my images. 

What role does photography play in your work?

Photography is actually one of the key elements that contribute to the overall look of my work. I love the freedom it gives me to experiment, especially with lighting and perspective. There is something very special about making images this way and in a way it almost makes the whole process easier, as once you’ve pressed a shutter it’s all already there, waiting for you to edit it.

Have you done animation with your work? 

I always felt very connected and inspired by animation process but I never actually properly tried it myself. However a while ago I did a collaboration with a great animator Joe Sparrow on a humorous animated short about miniature Superman. Apart from that I am currently having talks with a publisher about releasing my 1st children’s book, which hopefully will also be available as an interactive app, and so animation will definitely be part of this.

How is Warsaw different from London? What do you miss and not miss about Warsaw?

Wow, this is a hard one! Well, Warsaw is always going to be my hometown and for that reason will always have a place in my heart. It is definitely much smaller and not as diverse as London is, but living there created basis for my character and who I am. And then London is a place I chose to live in, partly by accident and partly cos I always wanted to try it. It’s so beautiful, inspiring, full of buzz and opportunities and it was where I had to learnt how to be a “proper” adult. So for me it’s hard to say what I miss or don’t miss about Warsaw because it got to the point where I miss home when I’m in London and I miss London when I’m home. But having said that, living together with my boyfriend helps us to create our own little “home”, so at the moment London is getting a whole new perspective for me.

What is your favorite type of commercial project and why?

I love working with text and so creating book covers is something that I enjoy the most.

How would you like your work to be used in the future?

Ideally I would like to spread as much as possible and so in turn I’d like to see my work being used everywhere from book publications, stationary, pottery to wall paper, fabrics and posters. 

Is your work more conceptual or decorative?

As much as I think my work is pleasant to the eye I would not call it decorative per se. It’s the same with being conceptual, I often try to tell a story though my images but at the same time I don’t worry too much about showing any deep or double meanings etc.

Do you have an art rep? Why or why not?

Currently I work exclusively as a freelancer and really enjoy it but soon I might look into having a professional representation, simply because along with the work load I already have it might also help me get involved in certain types of projects that otherwise I might find harder to get.

Please describe a typical day?

I usually get up around 9am and after having my morning shower, breakfast etc. I focus mostly on the administrative part of my work so sending emails, updating my accounts etc and then around midday I start with the fun part, the image making. Then, regardless if I work on a commission or develop new portfolio pieces I take quite a few of tea brakes throughout the day and try to finish working around 7pm.

What is your working environment like?

Although I technically share my studio with my boyfriend who is also an illustrator and animator, I mostly work on my own as he often works away from our studio. In general I like listening to the radio while I’m working as it not only helps me keep the track of time but also nicely fills in the silence without me having to repeat one album for 4h (as I tend to)

Do you meet up with other illustrators in person? Who?

Most of my friends are involved in art in one way or another so in fact when I see them I am surrounded by quite a creative crowd, which I am truly blessed by. Also recently I started teaching at Kingston University and so having regular contact with the students is extremely refreshing to me and I love it.

Who are some of your favorite illustrators and why?

• Polly Becker and her assemblages as they are incredibly clever, tangible and beautiful (http://www.pollybecker.com/assemblages)
• Jean Jullien for his great humor, simplicity and imagination (http://www.jeanjullien.com/)
• Carson Ellis for that little bit of folksy magic (http://www.carsonellis.com/)
• Brecht Evens for his spot-on social observations and a true water color master class (http://brechtnieuws.blogspot.co.uk/)
• Jon Klassen for beautiful panoramas and landscapes (http://www.burstofbeaden.com/)
• Marta Altes, because her first name is great and her illustration are so endearing (http://www.martaltes.com/)

What is something new you have noticed or learned recently?

Feel the fear… and do it anyway! (as advised by Sussan Jeffers )

What was the best advice given to you as an illustrator?

If your head ever goes completely blank and you totally lack inspiration, just draw and your ideas will eventually come from that.

Top 5 favorite things in life

love, sleep, Rome, my boyfriend’s cooking, smell of fresh air and… a bonus one: wacky humor

Top 5 bands/singers

Kings of Connivence, She and Him, Deventra Banhart, Mayer Howthorne, Friendly Fires, 

Can you suggest 3 artists or illustrators we should check out?

• my boyfriend James Lancett (http://jameslancett.com/)
• sculptor Tomasz Gornicki (http://goornicki-rzezba.pl/index.php)
• illustrator and potter Nathalie Choux (http://nathaliechoux.blogspot.co.uk/)

More about Marta Długołęcka at: Profile / Website / Twitter

• web:kissikissi.com
• blog:martadlugolecka.blogspot.com
• shop:http://www.artflakes.com/en/shop/kissikissi

Illustrations from Fish On A Walk by Eva Muggenthaler The publisher notes, "Fish On A Walk has no text other than two words at the bottom of each picture. This unusual format serves to suggest ideas that are central to each illustration without telling the story, thereby encouraging children to imagine and invent. Packed with many funny details, this book is perfectly suited to young picture book explorers who tend to seek out small, almost hidden things." I didn't spoil the surprise by including the words at the bottom of the three pictures here. Just buy it (Amazon link). Profile from Litrix: Eva Muggenthaler, born 1971 in Fürth, studied book illustrating and graphic art at Hamburg’s Academy of Design. She illustrated Das grosse Nöstlinger Lesebuch [The big book of Nöstlinger stories] and Peter Härtling’s Ben liebt Anna [Ben loves Anna], published by Beltz & Gelberg. In 1997 the Peter Hammer Verlag published her first solo picture book, Der Schäfer Raul [The shepherd Raul], which was nominated for the German Children’s Literature Prize. Eva Muggenthaler works at the AmAldi Studios in Hamburg and lives with her family in Schwabstedt. I love how this image recalls the Polish illustrator Szancer (see the top image here) detail detail detail detail Follow Enchanted Lion Books on Facebook