Nature means chaos. Art is about order and meaning. Nature is opposite to culture. Art, along with philosophy and science, is culture's breath. Nature sets borders for civilization. Civilization destroys nature. While the two concepts of "art" and "nature" seem to oppose each other by definition, nature is a respected member in the long list of mediums used by humans to express their spiritual insides: it is called Land Art, Earthworks or Earth Art - a sculptural art movement emerged in the late 1960s in the USA. With Land Art creations, instead of sculptures being placed in the landscape - landscape becomes the sculpture itself. The majority of Land Art works are located in distant locations where they are "left to change and erosion under natural conditions." Here few examples to help you figure this out.
Robert Smithson: from Spiral Jetty to Amarillo Ramp 
The plane crash that killed Robert Smithson on July 20, 1973 just a few hundred yards from Amarillo Ramp was of the most tragic, sad and poetic endings of any artist career. He was of the earliest Land Art pioneers. Despite of his young age (35) at the time of the Amarillo Ramp air survey, Smithson had left a few of the most remarkable, mysterious and thought-provoking hybrids of art and nature ever made. He was accused to be more interested in promoting himself than the idea of Land Art. Yet, even with relatively few surviving major works many contemporary artists have homaged his art. The Amarillo Ramp that once cost Smithson his life is today a barely noticed partial circle of rock located in Tecovas Lake, 15 miles NW of Amarillo in the desert of Texas. The completion of this 140 foot diameter structure, previously 15 feet high above ground level, was performed by Smithson's widow Nancy Holt with the help of Richard Serra and others just a few months after his death. Amarillo Ramp photo sources (1) stephan.barron (2) ludb.clui.org (3) faculty.acu.edu
After three Land Art experiments – namely Asphalt Rundown (Rome, Italy October, 1969) Glue Pour (Vancouver, Canada, December, 1969) and Partially Buried Woodshed (Kent, Ohio, January, 1970) Smithson had developed a deep interest with spiral and centrifugal shapes. This led him to the making of Spiral Jetty, a 1,500-foot coil of black basalt rocks assembled by Smithson in Rozel Point, at the shore of Utah's Great Salt Lake in April, 1970. Spiral Jetty has become Smithson's most familiar work and a symbol to the ambivalent love-hate relationship between culture and nature. Above: Smithson during his work on the project. Top on this story: Air view of Spiral Jetty. Photo sources: njn.net
According to Nancy Holt, as quoted in a fascinating NYTimes article Spiral Jetty is a "vortex that draws in everything in the landscape around it.'' The magnificent "vortex" was covered by the water of the Great Salt Lake for many years but since 1999, according to the NYTimes, drought has lowered the water level and in early 2004 it was completely re-exposed. Photos taken in December 2006 and April 2005 illustrate how, same as in the Amarillo Ramp case, the magnificent battle between Smithson and nature is still in process. Here is a Google Earth kmz file for Spiral Jetty.
D.A.ST: 100,000 Square Meters of Desert Breath 
Desert breath was completed in March 1997 on a flat sandy span between the Egyptian Red Sea and the nearby desert mountains. Created by D.A.ST – a group formed in 1995 based on the common desire of the three artists to create their own installation in the desert – piece occupies one hundred thousand (!) square meters of desert and involved the displacement of eight thousand cubic meters of sand. Following is a recent satellite photo of the Desert Breath site and here is a Google Earth kmz file.
More about this work by Sculptor Danae Stratou, Industrial Designer Alexandra Stratou and Architect Stella Constantinides on archipedia.org.
Crop Circles: From Bower and Chorley to The Circlemakers
Crop circle making is another form of artistic landscape shaping involving the flattening or cutting of crops to create circled geometrical patterns. This art form become popular over the past 20 years following two Hampshire based artists Doug Bower and Dave Chorley who in 1978 crated a circle in a corn field as a prank. Bower and Chorley wanted to see if they can make people believe the circle was made by a flying saucer. The prank worked well but also attracted countless of followers, headed by The Circlemakers a group of British Land artists focusing in crop circles and other geometrical shapes such as the above.
The Store Ord circle (Danish for "Big Words", shown above) in a field near Aarhus, Denmark is especially interesting because it shows how crop circle making becomes a trendy fashion. Store Ord was made as part of a PR campaign for a Danish newspaper. The group also makes gigantic landscape shapes by other means. Amongst its creations is also the largest Sudoku puzzle ever made. This piece outside Bristol, UK was made as a publicity stunt for Sky One and their TV show "Carol Voderman's Sudoku Live". Photos: The Circlemakers website
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The Landscape Vortex: Spectacular Earth and Culture Dialogs
The Art of Can: Reusing Tin Cans as Art
It was in the early 1960's, long before "recycling" and "reusing" became fashionable, when David Wasserman began digging trash cans in Eisenhower Park, Long Island, looking for "the right shade of red or green or yellow" to complete another Tin Can artwork. For years, he refused for any kind of public showing except for a website set up by his son, Steven, back in 1997. In the Spring of 1999, Wasserman agreed to let his son arrange an exhibition of his tin can art at the Tennessee State Museum. Sadly, he died of complications related to Parkinson's disease during the preparations for that show. The exhibit opened on December 7, 1999 and was held over until March 10, 2000. Here are five of Wasserman's most impressive creations, shown with exclusive high-resolution versions as taken by his son.
The Circus Poster (above) is a 72 inches x 48 inches tin masterpiece made from ginger ale cans and cut from many dozens of cans of Pathmark Orange Soda (see detail). According to Steven Wasserman, after this monumental work was completed his mom took a vow never to drink orange soda again.
Based on a real baseball card and sized 21 inches x 30 inches the Baseball Card was Wasserman's first attempt to reproduce the human form out of tin cans and a great homage for legendary baseball player Willie Howard Mays of the New York and San Francisco Giants.
According to Steven Wasserman, the owner of a leading New York art gallery offered his father a show if he would produce a dozen or more similar tin can "baseball cards." The gallery man was turned down because the purpose here was "to explore all the possibilities and challenges of creating 2-dimensional art out of metal" and that was already achieved.
Cartooning was Wasserman's commercial specialty. TAXI, a monumental 72 inches x 42 inches tin can cartoon, was made after a series of realistic pieces. Check out Bride and Groom below (48 inches x 72 inches).
Number 16 (below) is a 63 inches x 48 inches piece based on a photograph of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race winner. The work is displayed in the lobby of the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville.
Want more of Wasserman's art? Contact Steven Wasserman and order a 8 1/2" x 10" 28 pages catalog with 43 full color reproductions and commentary by Bobby Hansson, Steven Wasserman, and Lois Riggins-Ezell (available "in limited quantities"). Following are 5 more fascinating examples of contemporary tin can projects and artists.
The Red Bull Art of the Can: Commercial interests meet art
It's not always a very good thing when business, commercial interests and pure art are mixing with each other but sometimes the results just speak for themselves. The Red Bull Art of the Can Competition is an international juried art competition in which International tin can artists use the Red Bull can as their primary medium. From spectacular Red Bull Snowboarder (above) to Red Bull Satellite and c130 aircraft (below) this show takes the raff up with nearly everything about tin can art technique.
For many more photos of The Red Bull Art of the Can works, including high-res where you can clearly see details (such as this Purse and that Catfish) see artofthecan photostream on flickr.
The Urban WoodsWalker: Pop Art Aluminum Can Hand Necklace
M.A. Enriquez, also known as Urban WoodsWalker has already been reviewed on cultcase with her spectacular "MONA" - a "Trash Chaos Vessel" made from newspapers and junk mail (see The Art of Junk: 7 Creative Approaches to Trash Reuse). Her used aluminum necklaces are made of beverage cans. The cans are washed and then the hands are cut out. According to Enriquez the hands remind her of Mexican Milagros (also known as ex-votos or dijes) - religious folk charms that are traditionally used for healing purposes. The above 1 3/4" x 1 3/4" item is named "Pop Art Aluminum Can Hand Necklace RESERVED FOR BRUCE". You can get yourself an "extremely similar" one such as the "Pop Art Aluminum Can Hand Necklace" shown below but not the Bruce one. There are no sharp aluminum metal edges, if you are asking yourself.
Enriquez's work is for sale at her etsy shop. She runs her own blog urban-woodswalker.blogspot.com and is the Admin of the especially originally named flickr group Fan>TAB>ulous Aluminum & Tin Can ART (Strongly recommend).
Orlando Forge Metal Studio: Blacksmith's Tin Can Art
The Orlando Forge Metal Studio in Belmont, NY makes custom forged steel, decorative and functional ironwork using "the time-honored tools, techniques, and traditions of the blacksmith". Charles Orlando who founded Orlando Forge Metal Studio has been working as a blacksmith for over twenty years. He taught and demonstrated blacksmithing techniques to blacksmiths and ferries across the United States and Canada and teaches regularly at the John C. Campbell Folk.
Amongst Orlando's other metal art works are reused tin can and other painted tin objects such as clocks, toys and musical instruments. Orlando's tin can works are included in the revised edition of Bobby Hansson's Fine Art of the Tin Can, 2005 (see Amazon). For more of his work see the Tin Can Art Gallery.
Janet Cooper: From Bottle Caps to Tin Can Dolls
In the 1980s Janet Cooper turned rusty bottle cap collection into a jewelry business and sold jewelry to stores, galleries and museum shops in the USA, Europe and Asia and sold it four years ago. Today, Massachusetts artist and curator Janet Cooper reuses mostly vintage cans to make unique somewhat 2D somewhat 3D figures such as the above.
Cooper's work also includes tobacco tags and other memorabilia items and has been showcased in folk art and contemporary craft museums. More reused art from Janet Cooper here.
VintageBeadShop: Vintage Tin Can Art Nursery Model
Most pieces at the etsy VintageBeadShop are either genuine antique, vintage, or made from the original old tooling from the early 1900's by family run shops that have been handed down through several generations. All are USA made -100% solid, pure brass. The above piece has a bit of a long title which kind of explains most of what we need to know about it: Vintage Shabby Chic Tin Can Art Nursery with Baby Doll Vanity Highchair Playpen Rocking Bassinet.
Here are just a few scraps: With the exception of "a few spots on the felt in the playpen and "some tiny rust spots on a few of the pieces" this set is promised to be in excellent condition for it's age as it was kept stored in china cabinets. Some measurements: Baby Doll: 4 3/4" L X 2" W from fingered hands to tiny little toes. Rocking Bassinet: 5" L X 5 1/2" H. Highchair with Movable Tray: 5 1/2" Tall X 2 1/2" W. More about this extraordinary set right here.
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Shine in the Dark: From Light Graffiti and Light Writing to Bachelor Party Installations and Activist LED Signs
Compared to the traditional paint-and-stencil graffiti, light graffiti (also known as light art, light writing and light painting), may seem minor to some of you if not entirely esoteric. Yet, this emerging concept, described by the Guardian as a new wave of ephemeral street art, is a most fascinating zeitgeist phenomena. Light graffiti can also be described as an organic, environment-friendly yet non-vandalistic channel for self expression in public. In most cases, no public space is being "liberated" for more than 30 seconds. Here, wall paint is replaced with flash lights and laser pointers, street walls - with megapixels. Naturally and as expected, where creativity, innovation and buzzy weather meet major companies (and their finest creative teams and branding divisions) can also be found. They are here because their job is to tag along the hype but with their corporate media power they also fuel the trend and make it stronger. The result: a new colorful scale of innovative human expressions such as the following selection of seven light art projects.
1. Lichtfaktor
The German collective Lichtfaktor has been well known for pioneering lightart photography since 2006 after, according to Wired.com, Marcel Panne - a video mixer with a background in photography - was approached to produce new material for an event themed "Energy in Motion". In the past two years major brands such as Absolut Vodka, Mark Ecko, Audi, Phillips and PlayStation have already paid Panne and his partners David Lüpschen and Tim Fehske to participate in a few innovative print campaigns. The above image, for example, is of a set recently shot in London and Brighton for British TV channel current.
In March this year the first ever Lichtfaktor TV commercial was released and included some of the most high-budget light art images ever created. The commercial was made for the BEKO ALL-STAR brand in Istanbul and includes music by Jingle Jungle. See selected snapshots above or just watch the whole clip here:
2. Illum
Conceived in summer of 2007 Illum is the brainchild of Sean Nelson and Chuck Grimmett - senior high school students from Amherst, Ohio, USA with a strong passion for photography art experimentation. Focusing on long exposures and different kinds of light art, light graffiti and light writing the Illum portfolio includes astonishing nature shots, self-brand signatures such as above, winter images and more.
Nature and Light Art shot
Circles
Winter shot
Urban shot
3. The Path of Light
Another creative two-man project started in Aalborg, Denmark in summer 2007 is The Path of Light. Using "the cityscape as a playground and flashlights as toys" Long Shutter and his (unanimous) are officially inspired by the works of Lichtfaktor. With pieces such as Satan's car, Turning on the lights (above) and Thoughts away (below) The Path of Light let their imagination "fill the streets with flowers and creatures" giving life to static environments.
The following is a recent stop-motion clip released by The Path of Light:
4. robokon_gt
Also with his own personal vision for car photography robokon_gt's "Getting chased..." and "The chaser becomes the chased..." (above) are excellent examples of how composition and motion vectors can be used cleverly within this medium. Other sets from this artist such as Gabe vs Gabe! and Feb light graffiti 010 (below) show a sense of humor is also on the checklist.
5. MRI
Ryan Warnberg and Michelle McSwain from Queens Brooklyn, USA turned their light art fascination into a local New York metro area business branded MRI, also known as M::R::I. Other than peculiar brand signatures such as the above ("m r i i n m n") the couple go with the slogan "Long exposures. Bright lights." and make unique kaleidoscopic portraits with original look and their own slightly sexy style. Version and Saint (below) are two excellent examples.
Above: items from the Version set. Below: Saint
If you happen to plan an odd drunken bachelor party or are otherwise interested in your own personal light session you are welcome to pick up your favorite email application and contact Ryan (the weird one) or Michelle (the pretty one). Worried about technical aspects of the production? There’. According to the MRI fellows Cameras, lights, cables and other must have accessories are all included. All you have to bring for a successful light event is yourself and your wildest ideas. See also the MRI Light Painting blog.
6. Luke Doyle
Luck Doyle from Oxford, UK uses acid purple lights to manipulate human figures into glowing super high-res light art photos. The above, titled Light people in bed, is in my humble opinion a true light art masterpiece. Click for image for a higher-resolution version or here for huge super high-res one. Another interesting set by Doyle that utilizes his branded purple is Glowing guitar. Super high-res version here.
7. Graffiti Research Lab: Night Writer
Another emerging method of using light to make your voice heard is using low-power led technology. Graffiti Research Lab, a division of the Eyebeam R&D OpenLab run by a couple of NYC-based artists who like projecting light beams onto buildings, had developed the LED Throwies as an inexpensive way to create a less temporary draw in light.
Consisting of a lithium battery, a 10mm diffused led and a rare-earth magnet taped together, The Throwie's functionality was recently extended by the Night Writer – a cheap easy way to make 12-inch glowing letters setup. With Night Writer letters are placed up on an iron or steel surface forming the coolest low-budget neon-style sign or a shockingly prominent activist electronic billboard - make your own choice. Just two important notes before you consider setting your Night Writer up:
The first one is that according to the GRL folks it's hard to conceal a 10-foot pole.
In addition: please note the NYPD vans are ferromagnetic. The GRL are also a prominent player in the fields of architectural light graffiti and projection bombing - another two forms of lightart utilizing more advanced yet still pretty simple accessories. Here the creation takes the form of realtime or pre-planned sequences of light, feed through high-powered digital projectors and projected on public buildings and walls. Check out WebUrbanist for more architectural graffiti and projection bombing on urban surfaces.
The Art of Junk: 7 Creative Approaches to Trash Reuse
The concept of "recycling" usually refers to the breaking down of used items into raw materials and then using those materials to make new items. In contrast, the concept of "reuse" includes both using an item again for its original function, as well as for "new-life reuse" where it is used for a brand new function. "ReUsing is similar to Recycling, only we aren't getting rid of things, we are finding new uses for them" explains INSPIRE, administrator of The ReUse Project group on Flickr that serves as an International hub for reuse artists. The following are 7 outstanding examples of creative approaches to the art of junk.
1. Two-and-a-half Dimensional Eggcubism Paintings by Enno de Kroon
Leading both recycling art and cubism into the 21st century Enno de Kroon from The Netherlands uses ordinary egg crates instead of canvas to make spectacular "two-and-a-half" dimensional paintings in a style he defines as Eggcubism. "The waves of the eggcartons limit the viewer's perception" explains de Kroon, making him "aware of his positioning towards the image." Classroom is a mega in-progress Eggcubism painting on which de Kroon has been working over the past 4 months. "I don't know the exact size of painted surface, but it has to be at least in the order of 40-50 square meters" he estimates. Above is a snapshot of the Classroom March 27 stage: Acrylic paint on eggcrates, 217 x 245 x 10 cm.
Lichtekooi (left angle shot): Acrylic on eggcarton, 29,5 x 30,5 cm, 2004. Collection Bouman Foundation, 
Schooldays (right angle shot): Acrylic on eggcrates, 2007. Dim. app. 90 x 60 x 10 cm. Collection of the artist. More Eggcubism art here or on de Kroon's official website http://www.ennodekroon.nl
2. Creative Ecodesign by Mario Caicedo Langer
Ecodesign creative expert Mario Caicedo Langer from Bogotá, Colombia makes toys, props and accessories from trash, ordinary day-to-day objects, computer parts and other reused elements. Above: The Attack of the evil Scorpions.
Decorative element for Cyclus Ecodesigns.
MOUSER 2.0 Toy made of plastic pieces.
Desk accessory made of PVC, and other plastic pieces. It has clamps and magnrtic clips. More reused ecodesign by Mario Caicedo Langer here.
3. The Heidelberg Project by Tyree Guyton
Two people have told the tragic story of the Michigan car industry better than everyone else: The second (chronologically) was Michael Moore in his groundbreaking 1989 documentary Roger & Me that illustrated the devastating impact of the closing of several GM auto plants in Flint, Michigan. The first was Tyree Guyton of The Heidelberg Project. Named after the street on which it exists in Detroit, Michigan, The Heidelberg Project was started by Guyton in 1986 and has since become one of the most influential art environments in the world.
Tyree was raised on Heidelberg Street and, at the age of 12, witnessed the tragic effect of the Detroit riots where vivid neighborhoods and live communities became segregated urban ghettos characterized by poverty, abandonment, and despair. With the help of his wife, Karen and his grandfather and mentor Sam ("Grandpa") Mackey, Guyton began cleaning up vacant lots on Heidelberg and Elba Streets. Soon they began using the refuse they collected to transform the street into a massive art environment turning the street, sidewalks and trees into a vast installation.
In 1991 and again in 1999, despite its international recognition as an art installation masterpiece, the city demolished parts of the Heidelberg Project. The rest of it is still there, serving as a source of inspiration for many artists and social activists.
The "Dotty Wotty" House has been in Tyree's family since 1947 and is considered the most famous house in the Heidelberg Project. This is where Tyree was first inspired to paint. The dots represent two things: His Grandfathers love of jellybeans, and the unity of all people.
In Detroit, a huge dot used to be painted onto a building designated for demolition. Tyree has taken the dot and made it his emblem, using it a great deal in his artwork. The above dotted bus, for example, can't run but it's so cool.
This house is located at one of the entrances to the Heidelberg Project. The animals used to be on the inside but are being relocated and glued to the outside. According to Tyree Guyton this is "to protect the house".
The penny car is dotted with a miraculous mosaic of coins. It honors the great motor city of Detroit, the state of Michigan and the entire American car industry "that once stood strong". A bit broken down and beat up, indeed, but still a fine example for this cultcase list.
Vacuum cleaner forest. Just think of all the dust these folks have busted. Don't they deserve a medal? Here is a short video glimpse of the project. For more about the Heidelberg non-profit organization and how it raises funds to keep art education in elementary schools see www.heidelberg.org.
4. Newspapers and Junk Mail Vessel by UrbanWoodsWalker
After spending decades as a "gun for hire" in a variety of positions including illustrator, graphic designer, animator and art educator UrbanWoodsWalker from Chicago, USA has finally turned to creating her own art. Though notably obsessed about detail she challenged herself to "use nothing thought of as having any lasting value". In other words, the art of UrbanWoodsWalker is made out of pure trash: objects found in the woods, garbage dumpsters, sidewalks, and recycling bins are reborn into art.
"MONA", measuring 5.5" wide by 4.25" wide, and 3.5" deep, is made from newspapers and junk mail and belongs to the "Trash Chaos Vessel" series. The vessel cannot be washed or used for food but it has a lot to say about modern society, hyper-media era, over stimulating culture and bombardment of visual noise.
To avoid fading of the inks and dyes on the paper MONA was given several coats of a gloss UV protective sealant. A tiny handmade clay human head is added as a bonus at the bottom of the interior. If you like her you can get MONA for $40.00 at esty.com. More reused art from UrbanWoodsWalker here.
5. Fused Plastic Bags by The Creative JAR
"Take recycled plastic bags and thread - add some scraps inside - fuse them together, sew them up - add a button - what do you get?" The Creative JAR's answer stands for awesomely cool reused fused plastic bag.
Wife, mother, daughter, worker, creator, crafter, artist and designer: this dame from Nashville, Tn, USA must be as hyperactive and busy as she is talented.
6. Junk Art by Steve Oatway
Australian junk artist, painter and art-director Steve Oatway helps to make the world cleaner and more beautiful through Junk Art – a formation of sculptures from found objects or junk found in the "most remote" Australian locations. "By the time I was 15 I learnt to fight and fight I have" writes Oatway on his site, explaining his major motives: "through alcoholism, asthma and a disabled son, who is my shining light for without him I have no heart".
Above: Knight’s Tale - metal horse sculpture, H190 x W240 x D160 cm, built from car chassis and abandoned junk which was harvested from the discarded junk piles found on farming properties. Below: Harley sculpture and horse.
More Oatway's Junk Art here.
7. Tin Can Dolls and Party Dress by Janet Cooper
In the 1980s Janet Cooper turned rusty bottle cap collection into a jewelry business and sold jewelry to stores, galleries and museum shops in the USA, Europe and Asia and sold it four years ago. Today, Massachusetts artist and curator Janet Cooper reuses vintage bottle caps and tin cans, tobacco tags and other memorabilia items as art and craft. Her work has been showcased in many folk art and contemporary craft museums.
Above: Tin can works: Made from Vintage Tin Cans. Below: Assemblage party dress made with materials from Cooper's travel. Fabric, Paper Images and Decorations. More reused art from Janet Cooper here.
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International Street Artists Add (More) Multicultural Sauce to Israeli Society
"The only tyrant I accept in this world is the still voice within. Culture of the mind must be subservient to the heart so individual freedom will naturally grow from self-determined activity." (Idiot The Wise)
It appears that the paintings of world's hottest British art star Banksy on the Palestinian side of the separation wall in the West Bank in summer 2005 were just the tip of the iceberg. Street art and graffiti scenes gain strong International momentum in Israel recently. Much of this trend is attributed to talented immigrants from former U.S.S.R. countries while there are also many active street artists in Israel who immigrated from European countries and North America.
As opposed to the Banksy case (above) and perhaps to what you may expect from street art in Israel, most of the street art messages are not related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but to internal society issues, while others refer to the conflict in a general, none-confronting approach. Some look at graffiti and street art as a form of vandalism. Others see it as a legitimate way of expression in a world where most public urban space belongs to commercial cooperates. This way or another, the new trend spices up the already heterogenic society in Israel with more multicultural sauce. Following are a few recent outstanding examples.
The Legal Action Gallery and Cosco Urban Lab
There are clear signs that Israeli street art is going mainstream. Take the 2nd Annual Inspiration Art Exhibition opened today (March 6, 2008) in the Legal Action gallery for example. Featuring the work of 100 street artists from around the globe, this spectacular exhibition curated by The Inspire Collective takes place next to the Casco Urban Lab in Florentine - at the heart of the "Soho" quarter in Tel Aviv, Israel.
The Legal Action gallery was founded by artists Jamie Ame and Joy van Erven in October last year and features top street artists from Israel and other countries such as Klone, Know Hope, Zero Cents, Jove, Mi-Shee, Mimi the Clown, TigaPics, Azione, Booty, x10art, Sanko17, Sumone, Omino17, iamunknown and even the only street artist we know of in Iran (yes, Iran) who goes by the name of A1one. Check on this audio visual tour of the 1st annual Inspiration Art Exhibition that took place at Barbur Gallery in Jerusalem in the spring of 2007. Here are two "sneaky previews" from this year:
Ame (35) and van Erven are two living indications for the new trend. Ame, better known as Ame72, is a British origin street and graffiti artist who has been living in Israel in the past three years. He is known in Tel Aviv streets for his use of Lego stencils which "represent thought provoking and funny images of life in today's society". Ame's partner, Joy van Erven, is an experienced Dutch mixed media artist who initiated various crossover projects involving visual arts, architecture and urbanism. Before immigrating to Israel in 2004, he initiated a foundation for public space art in the Netherlands and was the curator of other art exhibitions and urban art projects.
van Erven is also the owner of the Casco Urban Lab in Tel Aviv (above), another alternative culture establishment that combines art, design and food. Casco (Dutch word for "undefined space") allows local artists, designers and performers representing their view of the city.
klone
Above: progress shots from a painting by klone (formerly known as street artist 'Make') made for a group exhibition opening next week March 10, 2008 at the Dweck gallery in Mishkanot Sheananim, Jerusalem. Below is a spectacular panoramic wall piece, collaborated by klone and jesus. Don't miss the click for the high-res on this one!
More from Klone at http://www.flickr.com/photos/klone
Inspire - Idiot the Wise
After finding himself alone and homeless in the cold streets of Chicago when he was just 16, Inspire (31) grew himself up to become an International known artist. He immigrated to Israel 5 years ago and his works are well known in Tel Aviv streets.
Other than being the curator of the 2nd Annual Inspiration Art Exhibition mentioned above, Idiot the Wise has been documenting public art and activism in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv for the last five years. Being an active cyberspace artist, though, his connections and collaborations go way beyond the borders of Israel. Idiot the Wise (aka SEVEN, INSPIRE, Exodus and TRY) is a "writer of divine names, painter of flowers, public artist and curator" who argues we have been force fed with "false hope and ideals" through "branded advertising that invades our private lives until the two become one".
His Flickr group ArtAttack "urges you to react to your environment" and "talk back" yet emphasizing this is not an act of "war on advertising" but more of an "inside joke" meant to "rattle things a bit" so that people can "start noticing things for themselves again". Idiot the Wise is also the founder of many other popular Flickr groups such as the INSPIRE Collective ("What inspires YOU?" 2,147 Members) and MiddleEastStreetArt (Middle Eastern Graffiti, Street Art, and Public Activism, 942 members).
For more about Inspire check on this interview by Mr. Z or any of the following:
http://www.flickr.com/people/idiotthewise
http://inspirecollective.blogspot.com
http://telavivstreetart.blogspot.com
http://poeticchemistry.blogspot.com
Zero Cents
This 22 years old dude immigrated to Israel from New Jersey, USA a few years ago and is already a prominent figure in Israel's street art scene.
Above: "Old woman feeding birds", one of 10 wood cutout installations in 2nd Annual Inspiration Art Exhibition. Below: "Face"
Above: Safta (Hebrew for "grandmother"), portrait of Zero Cent's grandmother (photo by nush). Below: banso: detail of a wall by Zero Cents, produced mid 2007. For more walls as well as installations, paintings stickers and paper pain art go to http://flickr.com/photos/zerocents
This is Limbo
Above: "Haven been overcome by tongue-tied times, minor orchestras mend together the tune and in a clumsy accent play: please believe", Cardboard and gauze bandages on cement, Bethlehem Separation Wall 2007. More from This is Limbo at http://www.flickr.com/people/thisislimbo
aifo2
A wall
More street art from aifo2 at http://flickr.com/people/aifo. For more information and articles about urban street art and graffiti around the world see WebUrbanist - the ultimate source for International urban culture.
Challenging Neptune: 6 Underwater Cave Photographers
Cave diving photography is one of the most challenging and potentially dangerous kinds of all human activities. A lot of things can go wrong when you go into a deep cave. Many more can go wrong when the cave is also filled with water. This said, imagine doing the last two while at the same time being occupied with the right angle and perfect lighting of a beautiful underwater cave shot. Not the easiest job on earth, ha? Naturally, this kind of activity requires special training and equipment as well as state certification. Cave diving is not a game. According to American Caving Accidents, a special yearly report of The National Speleological Society tracking cave diving accidents, 50 American divers have died in 44 fatal cave diving accidents since the year 2000 and until end of 2007 and the numbers keep going up. So, just to make sure - if you are not certified and trained for cave diving, don't even think about trying it.
Gladly, in reality most underwater explorations end up with a satisfied diver and some very good stories, while some of them even have spectacular underwater photos to tell their stories for them. Following is a photo compilation from 6 cave diver-photographers who have followed the rules and came back to share their experience and photos with us. All images are copyrighted and are the property of the corresponding photographers. For more about Cave Diving see Wikipedia.
Wes Skiles
The underwater caving photographs of Wes Skiles are of the most well known and highly valued available nowadays anywhere in the world. Skiles is a professional high-definition nature photographer and film director and the CEO of Karst Productions, specializing in high-risk operations of nature exploration projects.
His clients include world leading media channels including the National Geographic with which he made quite a few amazing projects. During his career Skiles has won many awards including the HDFEST Deffie for Best Documentary Film (twice), Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival (finalist, 2003) Gold Aurora Award (2003), Crystal Reel Awards (2003) and Best Educational Film Cine Golden Eagle 2003.
http://www.wesskiles.com
Deighton
Deighton does not seem to be a professional cave diver yet he practices the combination of cave diving and photography and manages to obtain exceptional results with his photos. The above were taken during his cave diving journey in Mayan Riviera, Mexico on November 10-14, 2005. More photos from Deighton on this Picsa webAlbum.
Andreas W. Matthes
Andreas Matthes is a highly experienced Closed-Circuit Rebreathers Cave (CCR) Instructor living in Mexico who has been training CCR cave diving since 1997, conducting thousands of cave dives world wide. Matthes received the NSS-CDS International Cave Diving Safety Award as well as the NACD Wakulla Gold Award for 1000 completed cave dives, both in the year of 2001. For more about rebreathers technology see here.
Other than being a professional underwater cave diver and photographer Matthes is also an avid webmater. He runs a website dedicated to closed-circuit rebreathers (CCR) cave diving, a type of mixed-gas system, enabling descent to much greater depths than can be safely reached with oxygen rebreathers or normal compressed air equipment. For more about rebreathers technology see here. The above photos were taken in Mexico with an Olympus 3030 digital camera during a CCR exploration journey. The camera was placed into a Light and Motion Tetra housing featuring a screw-on wide angle lens converter.
http://www.andreaswmatthes.com
Allen Wooten
With a Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree Allen Wooten spends most of his time doing Corporate Accounting for a Fortune 500 Company in South Georgia USA. On other times, just about every other weekend, Wooten likes diving to the North Florida caves.
Wooten is a certified member of the NSS-CDS and DAN and practice various technical diving activities including sidemount, drysuit and scooter/DPV diving, as well as cave diving photography. He has a low-volume garage factory for gas mixing of nitrox, trimix, and deco bottles at home and has previously adopted 50 ft of cave passage in the deep section (165 ft deep) of Lower Lower Orange Grove Sink.
http://www.cavedivingrocks.com
John Blausey
With 14 years of dive experience John Blausey has a record of thousands of dives all over the world. He is the principal instructor and manager of AcmeScuba, a company specializing in various adventurous dive training including night dives, deep dives, search and recovery and underwater photography.
As a Master SCUBA Diver Trainer, Blausey provides a complete diver training program set forth by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. The above photographs were taken Jul 24, 2007 during an underwater caving trip in Dominican Republic. The camera in use is a Canon PowerShot G7. More photos from this dive on Blausey's Picsa webAlbum.
Nick
Not much is known about Nick except for his first name and the fact he is a skilled cave diver and a talented underwater cave photographer. The above photo selection was taken on Jul 31 - August 1, 2007 during Nick's caving journey in Florida. More photos from Nick on this Picsa webAlbum.
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Two-edged Media Sword: 10 Examples of Counteradvertising, Commerce Jamming and Propaganda Remixes
A plan to allow "domestic view" of data obtained from satellite and aircraft sensors that can "see through cloud cover and even penetrate buildings and underground bunkers" has been recently approved by the USA government. For the good and bad of it, Information age enhances the ability of states to control citizens and of business corporations to enlarge leverage our privacy into profit: better security means more information in corporate hands and less privacy. Furthermore, Information age allows business corporations and states to deliver their message more efficiently than ever before. This means more products, more advertisements and less free public space. Yet, Information age also allows activist groups and their counter messages to be heard by millions. Following is a fresh collection of popular and particularly interesting strategies, case studies and resources demonstrating the two-edged sword face of new media - where counteradvertising, commerce jamming and propaganda remixes make a stand.
1. The Blackspot Sneaker: Cutting Through the Hype of Mediated Reality
According to AdBusters Media Foundation, publishers of the most popular subvertising magazine in the world and a leading activist group based in Vancouver Canada, well made subvertisments need to efficiently "mimic the look and feel of the targeted ad, promoting the classic 'double-take' as viewers suddenly realize they have been duped". With a list successful media projects such as the TV Turnoff Week which was aired on CNN, the Buy Nothing Day videos of 2006 and 2007 and a series of viral TV subvertisments titled The Product Is You, AdBusters continue to demonstrate how TV commercial language can be altered and manipulated to "cut through the hype and glitz of our mediated reality" and reveal "a deeper truth within."
The Blackspot sneaker, designed by John Fluevog, is Adbusters' recent Commerce Jamming project, a first Anti-Brand and your chance to "unswoosh Nike's tired old swoosh and own one of the most Earth-friendly shoes in the world": 100% organic hemp upper, recycled tire sole, made by Vegetarian Shoes in a European union shop including a hand drawn (!) logo plus.
2. Busting Phillip Morris: Why are you buying your food from a tobacco company?
In fact, some culture jamming ads carry indisputable facts about their targets making some disturbing unfamiliar truths to be a little more familiar to the public. "Why are you buying your food from a tobacco company?" showcased a list of popular food products owned by Phillip Morris, the world's largest cigarette company: "...Chances are that you've been helping to promote Marlboro cigarettes without even knowing it. You can withdraw that support by personally boycotting these products" the ad said. "It's like giving money to a health organization that is working to find a cure for cancer - but in this case you are taking money from a corporation that causes it. So next time you go buy food- try it. You'll like it."
3. The Reality of War: Vertigo vs. Australia's Department of Defence
In March 2003 Australia's Department of Defence has withdrawn advertising from all student media across the continent in response to a controversial full-page parody of Defence recruitment advertising published on Vertigo, a student newspaper at the University of Technology, Sydney. The spoof ad satirically portrayed the Department of Defence as "a political tool of an Australian government intent on participating in an unsanctioned invasion of Iraq" and was followed up and reprinted by other student publications.
This act of solidarity was like a golden medal to the Vertigo activists who saw the fact "students are no longer being inundated with inaccurate representations of the Defence Force" as a great victory. Vertigo spokesperson, Jano Gibson argued that "the 'exciting', 'inspiring' and 'feel good' Army ads that appear in uni diaries, on billboards and television differs extremely from the reality of participating in a war" and that Vertigo's parody "simply corrects the omissions of the Department of Defence." Click any of the above pictures for a larger version or download the pdf here.
4. Volkswagen vs. a Sick Joke: The Suicide Bomber Polo Driver
Sometimes facts are not the issue neither is the spoofer's opinion and the busted ad is made either "for" a non-existent product, or with a real one simply as parody of advertisements. Rarely, a familiar brand language is mimicked so well that the entire world is successfully fooled. In January 2005, managers at German car manufacturer Volkswagen found themselves in the center of a global row after a meme hack sick video joke featuring a Palestinian suicide bomber in a Polo car was virally distributed across the world via the internet.
The spoof TV advert showed an "oriental" looking man stepping into a Polo car wearing a keffiyeh scarf, known as a symbol of Palestinian nationalism. After driving around the city for a while the driver stops near a resonant populated with lots of innocent civilians and detonates, yet leaving the car intact.
The video was punched-lined with the familiar style slogan announcing "Polo: small but tough". Check it out and see for yourself: Even though it is not very clear which "deeper truth" is actually being revealed here, this culture jammer was mimicking the familiar Volkswagen language so well it simply got people to believe it’s a real one.
5. Excuse me - Is that blood in your gas tank? Dave Ward vs. Hammer
"Please download the large version and pass it along to forums, websites and other people who might appreciate it. Spread the meme!" – Those were the words of Dave Ward, a professional photograp