Things I Think Are Kinda Cool

Artist Peter Callesen gets excited when he sees a sheet of boring A4 paper…he uses his imagination and an X-acto knife to create stunningly detailed works of art.  Callesen says he’s “found a material which we are all able to relate to, and at the same time is non-loaded and neutral, and therefore easier to fill with different meanings.  The thin white paper gives the paper sculptures a frailty that underlines the tragic and romantic themes of the work.”  Here are some of my favorite pieces from Callesen’s ‘A4 Papercut’ collection:

-”Half Way Through” (2006)

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-”Impenetrable Castle” (2005)

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-”Snowballs” (2005)

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-”Down the River” (2005)

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-”Do Not Enter” (2006)

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-”Little Erected Ruin” (2007)

-Take a look at Peter Callesen’s full collection here. (via @terrinakamura)

I’d love to be a fly-on-the-wall in meetings at the Museum of Bad Art, listening to the curators debate which artists deserve the dubious honor of being featured. According to the website, “the pieces in the MOBA collection range from the work of talented artists that have gone awry to works of exuberant, although crude, execution by artists barely in control of the brush. What they all have in common is a special quality that sets them apart in one way or another from the merely incompetent.”

The pieces are grouped together in several collections, and include quotes and analysis from museum curators and the artists themselves. Here are the collections, along with one of my favorite pieces from each of them. Enjoy(?)

Portraiture – “Sunday on the Pot with George”

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Landscapes – “Two Trees In Love”

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Unseen Forces – “Inspiration”

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Unlikely Landscapes, Seascapes, and Still Life – “No Visible Means of Support”

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In The Nood – “The Better To You See, My Dear”

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Blue People – “Mama and Babe”

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Poor Traits – “Annie’s Downstairs Secret”

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Here The Symbols Crash (which I think means WTF art) - “Drilling For Eggs”

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Still not sure about the difference between good and bad art? Take a listen to Louise Reilly Sacco, the Executive Director at MOBA and you’ll become an expert in no time:

Spend the afternoon virtually wandering around the MOBA – if you’re anything like me, you’ll find a few pieces so horrible you actually end up loving them… (via @terrinakamura)

This hypnotizing animation consists of 7 minutes of retro pop-culture characters morphing into each other to the beat of a trippy soundtrack. Huh? Just watch it…sure, it’ll probably give you nightmares for the next week or so, but it’s absolutely worth it.

-via Buzzfeed

Jacksonville based artist James Hance says his paintings scream out, “Childhood! It was amazing! I want it forever please!”.  The mind-bending juxtapositions he creates feel perfect – you just know that if Hendrix was alive today he’d be rocking a high score on “Guitar Hero”.  These are some of my favorites from James’ collection:

“Guitar Hero”

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“The Mona Leia”

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“The Man & The Man of Steel”

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“Doozers Raising The Flag On Iwo Jima”

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“Young Steins In Love”

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“Alice – A Suitable Case For Treatment”

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“Force By Northwest”

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“Music & Me”

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“Bert & Ernie (Picasso Style)

Be sure to check out more of James’ amazing work on Artbreak.  Many of his pieces are still for sale…

Artist Timothy Miller creates kick-ass (and dare I say, beautiful) stained glass windows of Transformers characters.  Autobots, transform and roll out!  Amen…

-Check out Timothy Miller’s Deviant Art page (via Neatorama)

Thanks to Italian artist Franco Brambilla and his series “Invading the Vintage”, your grandfather’s postcards never looked so cool.  These are some of my favorites:

-Check out the rest of Brambilla’s kick-ass portfolio.  (Via Presurfer)

Graffiti artist Tony Quan was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease in 2003, which paralyzed almost every muscle in his body except his eyes.  But thanks to a new device invented by Zach Lieberman and a group of artists, he’s able to draw again just by moving his eyes.  The possibilities for communication, art, and design are endless…check out the inspiring story and watch Quan in action:

-Link via @LESN1

Most writers and artists start with a blank page and then fill it up with their creations.  But Austin Kleon does things his own way…in reverse.  He takes pages from newspapers and then blacks out the words that get in the way of what he wants to say.  The resulting poems are unique and often profound – they’re part of his brand new book released today, Newspaper Blackout. Here are some of my favorites:  (Who said newspapers are dead?)

“A House in Texas”

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“All You Can Do”

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“A Household Name”

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“His Beard”

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“The Twist”

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“The Pursuit of Landscaping”

Here’s a quick time-lapse video of Austin creating one of his poems:

Austin also oversees a Tumblr blog where he gives tips and advice on making Newspaper Blackout poems.  The blog also features some of the best pieces submitted by regular Joes.  If you have the urge to get creative with a black marker and a newspaper, head on over to the blog and share your poems with the world.

-Buy Newspaper Blackout on Amazon