Blog: Sick of the Radio

Had a blast at this years Sacramento Mid Century Modern home tour put on by SacMod . Here are some photos (in no particular order) from the tour. Special thanks to Gretchen for all the hard work she put in to this years event, it was a real treat.

Through the last century we have seen the home television set’s birth and how it has changed and evolved from the old, dimly lit black and white cathode ray sets of the early 20th Century to the high definition 1080 pixel brilliance that we have become accustomed to today.  My question is, what’s next?  In my opinion one of the more brilliant things about the human psyche (and why I think we’ve lasted as long as we have) is that we are never satisfied with what we’ve got. Our desire to improve and innovate is shown through our ever changing [...]

In a truly bizarre and striking fashion, bacon is the focus of the newest series by Monica Malewska , and for many things she insists, it can be used. Inspired by Rorshach's ink blot tests, bacon is paired both with ornamental flowers and butterflies, and a haunting human skull that wears a never ending smile. Bacon is turned into fabric; it becomes the cloth that covers the bare parts of a beautiful model, a bra (sans wearer), and the stripes on the American Flag. [...]

Tatiana Kazakova is a Moscow-based Russian artist whose dreamy illustrations denote painting and digital influences. Her range is apparent through her varied collections, where some of her pieces feature darker, moody hues while others diffuse brighter, tropical vibes. Through her fairytale-like fantasy scapes that feature everything from birds, mice, fruits, UFOs, outer space, and intensely colored flora and trees, the results are as fascinating as they are unusual. Her work also denotes a penchant for varied cultural scenes that further channel mystical, otherworldly undertones. Inarguably, her work diffuses haunting imagery that make for pleasantly lasting impressions. [...]

Japanese-born, internationally-raised artist Sayaka Ganz creates amazing sculptures out of used plastic objects. In addition to her love of unusual shapes and discarded items, her work is fueled by her Shinto-based beliefs that all objects have a spirit and a soul. Unsurprisingly, her work has been shown in Europe, Asia, and throughout the US. To create these unique sculptures, she observes different angles of a certain pose, then creates a steel wire ‘skeleton’ kind of base. The creature then comes to life as different plastic pieces are added to form the final sculpture. Her pieces reflect [...]

Nancy Baker: Mechanisms of Entropy Compounding the subject, Nancy Baker is proverbially flooding the senses. Using the format of mixed media allows for such an array of imagery that a subject is easily obscured. Inside tangles of drawings, cutouts, random objects you have lying around, it isn't easy to let your attention settle on a particular thing. But you won't miss a detail. Baker is able to entwine and tinker together all the broken mechanisms, glistening gemstones, florid plants and cartoon eyeballs in an ephemeral web that mirrors the the inside of her head [...]

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the brand Land Rover?  Many think of luxurious British made SUVs and quality engineering, things that we have all come to expect from the brand year after year with each new model.  Well, in Land Rover’s new “Roam Free” campaign they would like to add to that image.  They want you to think of the power and freedom that comes with owning one of their beautifully crafted all terrain vehicles.  In this new campaign, rather than simply exhibiting their new models and meticulously explaining the specifications and features, [...]

Consciousness is not what you believe it is. Thoughts occur beyond the modern individual and instead what is there are associations to the environment. Joram Roukes picks up on the postmodern sense of associations in his paintings. It isn't that Roukes whats to re-portray the symbolism that constitutes the mindset of the you average genXer. That too would be as superficial as thinking because you have on a Batman tee-shirt that you're a hero. The nods to comic books, national sports, fashion trends, cliché anthropomorphism – just about anything that has to do with mass media – are [...]

We combed the web for these amazing photos of  living plant sculptures. The marriage of both art and nature through the use of a living medium whether it be grass, moss, or flowers extrudes tremendous beauty. Enjoy this spring round-up our top ten favorite plant sculptures.

Mark Schoening’s work can often be described as explosive, random, and maybe even messy. His take on our existence in the Age of Information paints a time of organized chaos, clutter, and colorful declarations. They are manifestations of our lives skillfully painted, glued, and silkscreened on panels. His latest series is an expressive 2-D show made of latex, acrylic, spray paint, silkscreen paint, resin and glitter on either panel or canvas. The use of a solid pattern in the background mixed with the Pollack-esque explosion of color in the foreground of the piece emits a kind of feeling that [...]

Chandeliers have long been more than just candle holders. Since they're inception, they have served to stimulate the aesthetic atmosphere of a room, adding elegance and luxury. Hilden & Diaz take that idea and add a streak of primitive originality. These chandeliers throw shapes of trees and roots on the walls when lit, immersing a room in a expansive shadow forest. Partly inspired by German biologist Ernest Haeckel, The piece is entitled Forms in Nature. -Veronica [...]

Whatever Hairdo You Want: Everything is available now. There are no more boundaries and everything is accepted. But most settle for the average and inexpressive. Others find that unacceptable for themselves, given that the possibilities are endless. And glancing over Peter Hapak's 2010 photographs from the Detroit's annual Hump the Grinder's Hair Wars , its easy to grasp that there are so many places the hairdo can be taken to. Some of the hairdos are show stoppers indicating that blinged-out and heavy-duty excess is not limited to choice of dye color or length [...]

Check out the innovative gadget “The Vamp” by Paul Cocksedge + Paul Cocksedge Studios!  The Vamp is a cool little device that turns any speaker with a 3.5 mm audio jack into a bluetooth speaker compatible with modern mp3 players and smartphones. Any speaker, yes even those giant 1980s Hi-Fi ones in the attic at your parents house that haven’t been seen since Clinton’s presidency.  This product is great for those of us that have old speakers lying around and want the convenience of bluetooth technology without dropping a couple hundred dollars on a new sound system.  Check out The [...]

Cell phone tech is constantly evolving.  I often nostalgically recall the days of the old “indestructible” Nokia bar phones of the early 2000’s.  Ah, it was a simpler time, a time before we all had our hearts hardened by The Matrix sequels, a time when snake was the most popular mobile game and before quad core processors and power hungry applications.  Back then cell phones weren’t used for much more than calling people and sending ridiculously expensive text messages.  Today, 6 years after the release of the first iPhone, powerful smartphones are being released and improved upon on regular basis [...]

Japanese-born, internationally-raised artist Sayaka Ganz creates amazing sculptures out of used plastic objects. In addition to her love of unusual shapes and discarded items, her work is fueled by her Shinto-based beliefs that all objects have a spirit and a soul. Unsurprisingly, her work has been shown in Europe, Asia, and throughout the US. To create these unique sculptures, she observes different angles of a certain pose, then creates a steel wire ‘skeleton’ kind of base. The creature then comes to life as different plastic pieces are added to form the final sculpture. Her pieces reflect [...]

Julie Evans , an artist based out of NYC, has a knack for making people take a second look at her work. Everything she creates looks as if she picked it out of a desert of forest when, in fact, she carefully constructs each piece with part of a watercolor painting done on plastic sheeting known as mylar. The colors create puddles on the paper that swirl and bubble according to how they dry. She then take those parts and creates pieces that either look completely out of this world and spacey or like a beautiful, cross-sectioned mushroom she may [...]

It's unclear whether David Adey's latest project,  Gravitational Radius , is inspired by modern vanity or a passion for astrophysics, but it features a cluster of limbs being sucked into a spherical center. He begins with laser-cut digital prints from celebrity photos and Google searches. Then, he pins them to a foam board for a kind of supernova effect that is surprisingly peaceful when viewed from a distance. -Hannah Ferris

There is a distinct aura of creepiness to be found in Los Angeles-based artist Alex K. Gardner’s work. Whether through colorful or black-and-white scenes, the moodiness is conveyed through their respective coloring, as well as imagery of faceless characters, amputated body parts, and oddly-shaped animals. Water and aquatic life seem to feature in many pieces, bringing to mind surrealist themes like dreams, the subconscious, and symbolism. Even pieces denoting a softer color palette still diffuse eerie attributes through depictions of strange, unusual worlds. Undoubtedly, it’s art that’s as intriguing as it is peculiar. [...]

I’ve heard people say that there is beauty in death. The struggle of life and all of its heartbreak jaundiced with a fury of denial and pessimisms. What about death turned into living art? Dutch artist Bart Jansen took the reality of his pet's death (of natural causes. Well kinda but-no need for PETA to protest) and brought it to new life. Talk about nine (9) lives. Orville, his name before the posthumous fame has awakened and propelled himself in style within one of Amsterdam’s confined verandas. I mean propelled literally. Now Orville, The Flying Cat he has [...]

If you’re going to make your mark on an iconic city, you might as well do it big. Colossal even. Underneath the George Washington Memorial Bridge (In Seattle not Washington DC) from the abyss of darkness revels a ghoulish, beastly, and pretty damn cool motif. Back in 1990 when Seattle was on the map for its grunge rock scene, a posse of artist Steve Badanes, Wil Martin, Donna Walter and Ross Whitehead collaborated in bringing to life the Fremont Troll. Composed of steel rebar, wire, concrete, and a hubcap for an eye, The Troll has captivated its site [...]