A Thousand Pieces of Cathartic History, 2007 Magazine cut out and ink 30 x 22.5 in / 76.20 x 52.25 cm / Reflections on a Sublime and Mystic Gulf, Magazine cut out, ink and watercolor 30 x 22.5 in / 76.20 x 52.25 cm

These are images of cultural turmoil, presented as frentic masks. If monsters and maidens are traditional contraries in a male- orientated imaginary realm, the suggestion here is that the feminist sensibility knows that they are coincident, that they may dwell in the same body. - J Simpson New York Art World.

Agressive energy, Erotism and Horror feature highly in (NYC based) Debra Hampton’s large, encapsulating multi-media collages. The core of Hampton’s wonderful figurative collages is the color photograph. In particular, from a magazine cut out Hampton intricately places each piece in intentional, random and symbolic presentation. This process is coupled with ink and paint in the exploration of patterns of chaos, chance, and definite order.

Hold Me, Guide Me, Guard Me, 2007 Magazine cut outand ink 50 x 38 in / 127 x 96.52 cm / Tradition in Flux, Magazine cut out, ink and watercolor 30 x 22.5 in / 76.20 x 52.25 cm

To view more of Debra Hampton’s collages / and for more info visit her website. Happy easter to all my readers!

{chuchoter -}
collage_cut+paste_gouache_sur photocopy montage
30.5 cm x 29.5 cm(12.01” x 11.61”)

Thought Experiments on the Soul

Could I be replaced with such a complete duplicate-every atom, not just genetically identical — it would think that it was me.But clearly it would not be me, especially if I were not destroyed in the replacement and continued to exist off somewhere else. We can imagine that such complete identity might produce a being that would simply see itself as existing in two places at once, but this would require some kind of communication; and that would require the existence of some kind of extrasensory or paranormal connection between the two bodies, which is not now part of established science. Without such paranormal communication, the identical individuals would each think of themselves as the original individual, although only one of them would be right; and they would immediately begin to diverge as individuals because of differing experiences. - Thought Experiments on the Soul by Kelley L. Ross, Ph.D.

Eva Eun-Sil HAN was born in Korea and is currently residing in Belgium. All her sibylline collages feature the element of surprise and unexpected juxtapositions. Her works are constructed of three parts: the ego (conscious mind), the personal unconscious, and the collective unconscious. In this way, (as you might of guessed) she works with many elements from the tradition of Surrealism. I must point out, ALL her wonderful collages are done without using any kind of digital materials and are all hand-made collages.

{les transporteuses -}
collage_cut+paste_gouache_sur photocopy montage
30.5 cm x 29.5 cm(12.01” x 11.61”)

Follow the jump to view the rest of Eva’s fascinating pieces from the One The Soul section of her site. more…

6 billion Others, is a fantastic project by renowned French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The project itself, created at the beginning of 2003, aims to create a sensitive and human portrait of the inhabitants of the planet: 6000 interviews, 65 countries visited, 4500 hours of interviews filmed, 450 hours of video portraits translated and subtitled available for everybody. The project asks questions about universal values: what is happiness, what is the meaning of life? It aims to show how different, but also how similar the human race is, regardless of continents, borders, language, skin color, or gender.

In 2008 you will be able to listen to the thousands of testimonies which have been collected, and add your own testimony to the site. In the meantime, take a look at the project, the team, and some interviews that have already been made. Click on the image to visit the project page.

Click on the image to view more

Over the last four decades, spacecrafts have imaged the surface of planet Mars, providing clues into the geology and changing climates. The photographs above are part of a wonderful compilation of photographs by NASA and European Space Agency, depicting and showcasing the many surfaces of Mars. These images are actual images of Mars, chosen for their aesthetic rather than scientific value. All the 45 representations were selected by a panel of professional artists, photographers and photo editors, from a grand total of 5000 images nominated by scientist….

Danielle Kwaaitaal is a dutch artist. She has been active as an artist for over 15 years with numerous successful projects to her name, such as the video and photographic works HIandLO and the recent underwater film FLO. Her artworks are aesthetic, original and without bordering, both virtually and realistic. To produce this gorgeous installation (pictured) she used a combination of photography, line art and computer graphics. Several huge transparent photo panels on glass by Danielle Kwaaitaal depict the beautiful Dutch guilders, a currency no longer in circulation, but known for its colourful designs. Her images emanate from the paradoxical; the important thing is to experience them, not to think about them.

+ Danielle Kwaaitaal’s site - a must see.

Vespa is not just a scooter. It is one of the great icons of Italian style and elegance, and with more than 16 million units produced, is well known throughout the world. For more than 50 years, Vespa has fascinated millions of people and given the world an irreplaceable icon of Italian style.

However, there doesn’t seem to be scooter “diversity” for indivisual aesthetic tastes, nothing that gives justice to the beautiful Italian styling and hertiage of the PX. That’s until Vespa owner, Dane Flighty first created pimpmyscoota, gathering together some talented artists and designers from around the world.

After setting about designing a series of PX decals, dane says the makeover is guaranteed to turn your humble commuter into a funkafied showpony. His illustrations border on the bizarre: people, animals, and strange alien creatures are put through the blender of Danes mind and what comes out is a strange combination of all of them. You really have to love them. Visit Pimpmyscoota.