X-Ray's Ignited Russia's Love Affair With Vinyl Records, How Bone Records Helped To Keep Rock N' Roll Alive

Photos via Jozsef Hajdu and Ksenia Vytuleva

Music as a medium permeates all cultures on earth and we definitely consider it to be the heartbeat of the soul. Watch the transformation of an audience when witnessing their favorite band taking the stage or to be lost in the middle of a song. It's a transformative moment and something to which our actions during that exact time period can be quite hard to define. 

Now imagine if your government forbade you to listen to certain types of music. Would this bring out a form of rebellion within you? Would this make a certain music genre more interesting to seek out? These few ideas could be thought about as a huge amount of what if's, but this is where things get interesting. Read on below to find out exactly how young Russians only a few decades ago were listening to forbidden music from the west. 

Lion Created from 4,000 Pieces of Hammered Metal By Selçuk Yılmaz

"Created from nearly 4,000 pieces of metal scraps, Aslan (Turkish for Lion), is a recent sculpture by Istanbul-based artist Selçuk Yılmaz. The piece took nearly a year of work and involved hand-cutting and hammering of each individual metal piece. The final work weighs roughly 550 pounds (250kg). While we’ve seen dozens of artists use multiple components to create a final form, it’s worth noting how well the bent mental lends itself to the final shape of this impressive cat. You can see much more of his work on Behance."

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The grace and majesty of a lion is captured in raw metal

Sheet metal forged from organic materials once again reverted back to organic form, the alchemists were right.

Art can allow our vision to be purified into a whole new meaning

Sculptural metal lion that challenges the viewer to believe in what he is seeing

 

Unleashing The Inner Beast Through Scrap Metal

Recycled motorcycle and auto parts or the beast within?

There are a plethora of things that I find inspiration in, but none more so than seeing others creativity. It could come from a wide array of music, illustrators, craftsmen, designers, etc. and the list goes on and on. But what I am most intrigued by is the human spirit. 

Looking back on the great age of the Renaissance for creativity and viewing where we are now, it is quite amazing to see the varying styles and approach. One of the biggest changes I have noticed across the centuries, through research and comprehension, is the slow focus towards the inner complexity of the human condition revealed through new works of artistic approach. 

In the past, vast works of art were created to interpret the word of God as evoked to humanity through verse and spirit reflected in tomes, art and oration. The greatness of someone such as Michelangelo would be in his representation of historic figures in a context to engage discussion and illuminate stories about the ethereal. A plethora of artists working today are borrowing from elements created in the past and assembling them into new visages and meaning, yet retaining their original form.

It could be old paper, scrap wood, audio samples and in the case of Robert Jefferson Travis Pond, his assemblages include motorcycle parts, old gears, metal parts and other found hardware. His sculptural work brings life to what was once an organic substance, yet through fire and foundry work it was forged into an entirely different amalgamation. His process and works seem to lend themselves perfectly to the larger workings of the human mind amidst the chaos of imagery that we are bombarded with daily. 

These inner beasts are coming to life from a variety of scrap material, but in a way are absolutely reflective of the inner musculature and skeletal systems of the animals they represent. Seeing is believing and interpreting work such as a this, gives me hope that creativity will continue to evolve in a way in which we continue to question all that is around us.

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Witness A Wall Of Death In India

Witnessing a wall of death is equivalent to a right of passage for motorized events. In the US, seeing this stunt is usually only at biker rally's and there are only a few individuals who actually still perform on this vertical wall on a regular basis.

Understanding that this wall of death is based in India just seems to have a different level of crazy to it and therefore makes it that much more compelling to view. Life is all about taking risks and watching these guys do it on such a gnarly level without blinking an eye is a testament to human spirit. Thankfully daredevils like these are alive and well. This gives me hope that maybe the wussification of America is just a passing fad.

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Want more history on the Wall of Death?

"This fantastic bit of filmmaking blends music video and documentary in a new clip for British rock group Django Django’s 2010 track WOR. The subjects of the video are Allahabad’s Well of Death riders who risk life and limb daily to earn money at local melas (fairs) by driving cars and motorcycles inside a temporary cylindrical structure about 25 feet high and 30 feet across. The cars are held in the air by centripetal force and needless to say there’s very little room for error. The Well of Death is extremely risky for both performers and audience members, but regardless, it frequently draws a huge crowd as evidenced in this video. Directed by Jim Demuth, based on an original concept by Vincent Neff. More music video documentaries, please."

Money, Power, Sex and The Art Of Mark Wagner

How we understand art is a matter of perception. One person might look at these pictures below and immediately ask how much money did he spend to make each piece. A bigger question in my mind is when was the departure point to which Mark Wagner knew that he could cut up tangible US currency and turn it into something more powerful? Our brains are hard wired to operate on many levels and rationalize cognitive thought through the power of association. Check out this Wired article for more info about how the human brain functions.

These collage pictures are profound in the sense that it immediately grabs our attention due to the perceived value of money. When someone says that a Picasso is worth however many millions, we can sort of justify that rationale based upon him being referenced in most every history book written about modern art of the early to mid 20th century. 

Mark Wagner does something truly unique in these collage pieces. He only uses printed US currency and each collage is based around the central relationship of influence and power. Strip away the medium used and they are just truly interesting portraits and narrative collages. Factor in the perceived value of US currency and these pictures are epitome of true art.



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Abraham Lincoln created out of $1 dollar bills

Abraham Lincoln created out of $1 dollar bills - detail

Tyrannosaurus Rex and George Washington, college from $1 dollar bills

Tyrannosaurus Rex and George Washington, college from $1 dollar bills

George Washington collage from $1 dollar bill

Portraits of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney made from US currency

George Washington and his clones sailing through the sea of bills

George Washington and his clones sailing through the sea of bills - detail

Collage story telling with US currency as the medium

"Brooklyn-based artist Mark Wagner (previously) has been referred to as “the greatest living collage artist” and even “the Michael Jordan of glue”. The artist has a wide variety of artistic pursuits from writing and artist bookmaking to drawing and assemblage, though he is probably best known for his intricately cut and assembled currency collages using the one dollar bill. From his artist statement:

The one dollar bill is the most ubiquitous piece of paper in America. Collage asks the question: what might be done to make it something else? It is a ripe material: intaglio printed on sturdy linen stock, covered in decorative filigree, and steeped in symbolism and concept. Blade and glue transform it-reproducing the effects of tapestries, paints, engravings, mosaics, and computers—striving for something bizarre, beautiful, or unbelievable… the foreign in the familiar."

120-Year-Old Mechanical Device that Perfectly Mimics the Song of a Bird, Repost from This Is Colossal

We have come extremely far in technology, but once an automaton such as the bird chirping box below reveals its secrets, it is fair to realize how great inventive minds were over a 120 years ago. You needn't be an ornithologist to appreciate this fine piece of machinery. Do yourself a favor and watch the gears and air box moving, while thinking on the sound you are hearing. This craftsman was a true visionary.

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"Get out the headphones or turn up your speakers and prepare to be impressed by archaic 19th century engineering. Relying on dozens of moving parts including gears, springs, and a bellows, this small contraption built in 1890 was designed to do one thing: perfectly mimic the random chatter of a song bird. At first I expected to hear a simple repeating pattern of tweets, but the sounds produced by the mechanism are actually quite complex and vary in pitch, tone, and even volume to create a completely realistic song. I think if you closed your eyes you might not be able to tell the difference between this and actual birdsong. It’s believed the machine was built 120 years ago in Paris by Blaise Bontems, a well-known maker of bird automata and was recently refurbished by Michael Start over at The House of Automata. Can any of you ornithologists identify the bird? If so, get in touch. (via the automata blog)

Update: And if you liked that, check out this pair of matching signing bird pistols that sold at auction last year for $5.8 million."

Bio Mechanical Bugs From Vintage Watch Parts

Do not fear the impending woes of the world coming to an end due to arachnophobia, especially when these multi legged creatures are made from vintage watch parts. These mechanical marvels are made by a jeweler in Chicago by the name of Justin Gershon-Gates. The objects he creates all stem from vintage mechanical parts and these mechanical bugs are an offshoot of his day to day operations.

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"Chicago-based jeweler Justin Gershenson-Gates recently grew a bit tired of creating jewelry after a show this summer and while experimenting with some watch part anatomy he decided to try his hand at spider and insect legs. One thing led to another a new series of small sculptural arthropods and insects was born. Justin tells me via email that each piece takes several hours to make and being unable to leave things unfinished he generally makes an entire new creature in one sitting, a monumental feat considering the scorpions can take an entire 12-hour work session as the watch springs, stems, gears and straps are assembled and soldered together (nothing is glued). I love the idea of the tiny light bulb for the spider abdomens.

If you’d like to see these crawly pieces up-close, you can see a few at the Bucktown Holiday Art Show December 8th and 9th, and you can also pick up some of the spiders on Etsy, at least for the moment. Tons more photos on Facebook. (via neatorama)"

Drug War Weapons Reclaimed As Musical Instruments

Reclaiming weapons into a whole different amalgamation of functionality, speaks volumes on a political level. Guns and weapons of all sorts will forever be a hotbed of debate, as some think they help to drive crime. In a country such as Mexico with vast corruption and large organized crime families fueling a thirst for their notorious product, guns are just one of the tools in their arsenal. Seeing the work of Pedro Reyes is a quick reminder, that even a gun which was used to kill another individual, can be re-purposed into something more useful. The tragedies cannot be remedied, but the collective mindset can be changed, which may help to save lives in the long run.

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pedro reyes: imagine - musical performance from designboom on Vimeo.




"As part of his latest project Imagine, Mexico City based artist Pedro Reyes acquired some 6,700 weapons that were scheduled to be buried (as is customary in mass weapon disposals) and instead collaborated with six musicians to create 50 working instruments as part of a statement regarding increased gun violence in Mexico. The numerous firearms were cut down, welded and formed into a variety of string, wind, and percussion instruments over a period of two weeks last month. Via his blog Reyes says:

"It’s difficult to explain but the transformation was more than physical. It’s important to consider that many lives were taken with these weapons; as if a sort of exorcism was taking place the music expelled the demons they held, as well as being a requiem for lives lost. [...] This is also a call to action, since we cannot stop the violence only at the place where the weapons are being used, but also where they are made. There is a disparity between visible and invisible violence. The nearly 80,000 deaths by gun-shot that have occurred in Mexico in the last 6 years, or the school shootings in the US are the visible side of violence. The invisible side is that one of gun trade-shows, neglecting assault rifle bans, and shareholder profit from public companies. This is a large industry of death and suffering for which no cultural rejection is expressed. Guns continue to be depicted as something sexy both in Hollywood and in videogames; there may be actors who won’t smoke on the screen, but there has not been one who would reject the role of a trigger-happy hero."

Surprisingly this is not the artists first project involving the reuse of guns. Back in 2008 he was provided with 1,527 destroyed weapons which he melted down to build shovels to plant 1,527 trees as part of his Palas por Pistolas project. If you liked this also check out the work of Al Farrow. (via my amp goes to 11)"

Matchbook Illustrations By Jason D'Aquino

Artwork can be everywhere and anywhere. It all just depends on the item in which a scrawl, sketch, paint mark or crafted solution, was placed with the intention of creating a new object with a redefined sense of purpose. How does that sound for clinical and collegiate? Better yet, it could possibly be a way to describe art, in our modern context in which many things that are being created, rely on an element from the past as their springboard?

Some purveyors of "art" with the worst craftsmanship get away with being called "artists" and then there are folks such as Jason D'Aquino. His reliance on found objects takes his illustration style into a different level altogether. By using graphite pencils and old paper he is creating a sense of awe through scale and amazing detail. The depth within these illustrations is beyond good and the way the pencil lines flow within the context of the matchbooks heighten the story line to an almost hard boiled pitch. Mickey Spillane could have had a field day with these matchbooks as a storyline. Damn fine work indeed.

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Pin up bondage, matchbook illustration by Jason D'Aquino

Pre 1930's Vintage motorcycles, matchbook illustration by Jason D'Aquino

Hot Date, matchbook illustration by Jason D'Aquino

Marilyn Monroe, matchbook illustration by Jason D'Aquino

Pistol diagram of a Colt 1911, matchbook illustration by Jason D'Aquino

Internal watch mechanisms, matchbook illustration by Jason D'Aquino

Famous Hollywood movie monsters, matchbook illustrations by Jason D'Aquino

Wrestling skeletons, matchbook illustration by Jason D'Aquino

True Cases of Women In Crime, matchbook illustration by Jason D'Aquino

Vengeance Is Mine, matchbook illustration by Jason D'Aquino

Illicit Desires matchbook illustration by Jason D'Aquino

"Jason D'Aquino is a miniaturist. He creates his artwork on an incredibly small scale, many works not exceeding one inch by one inch in dimension.

D'Aquino chooses to work on found surfaces such as strike-on-front matchbooks, 18th century animal-skin vellum, and antique ledger pages. His search for these found "canvases" has led him to strange corners of the world and to some unique treasures. He recently unearthed a hand-quilled, illustrated whaling manuscript from St. Petersburg Russia, which made its way to Christies Auction House in New York City.

Jason's influences include H.P. Lovecraft, Henry Darger and Hans Bellmer. His drawings, often political in nature, have graced the pages of the New York Times, Juxtapoz, I.T.A., The Stranger, and Gulliver Magazine. A hardbound volume of his work is fourth coming, soon to be released by Ignition Publishing."