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
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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Live Fast, Die Young: 20 Great Artists that Never Reached 30
The phrase Live fast, die young and leave a good-looking corpse, originally spoken by actor John Derek in Nicholas Ray's Knock on Any Door (1949), emphasizes how unfulfilled promises have always been fascinating and intriguing for many of us. While some great artists lived up to their full potential, sometimes through decades of fruitful careers, others have passed away long before that, leaving many of us wondering which masterpieces might have lost along with their elder years. Following are 20 great artists that enlightened our souls with their art for a short time, but signed-off to rest in peace before reaching the age of 30.
1) Jean Vigo
French film maker Jean Vigo contributed to poetic realism in film in the 1930s and influenced the French New Wave of the late 1950s and early 1960s. He died of Tuberculosis on October 5, 1934 when he was 29.
More about Jean Vigo
Picture: lucidscreening
2) Egon Schiele
Austrian painter Egon Schiele is well known for his twisted body shapes repeating in many of his paintings and drawings. Schiele became one of the notable exponents of Expressionism but died of Influenza on October 31, 1918 when he was 28.
More about Egon Schiele
Picture: myspace
3) Janis Joplin
In 2004 American singer and songwriter Janis Joplin was ranked by the Rolling Stone magazine #46 on a list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. She was a heroin addict and died of heroin overdose on October 4, 1970 when she was 27.
More about Janis Joplin
Picture: herbgreenefoto
4) Kurt Cobain
American musician, singer, guitarist and songwriter Kurt Cobain was co-founder of the Seattle based rock band Nirvana and their leading singer. Even though there are many different versions for what really happened with that shotgun on April 5, 1994 the official version is that Cobain shot himself to death when he was 27.
More about Kurt Cobain
Picture: justnevermind
5) Brian Jones
British musician Brian Jones was a founding member, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist of British rock band The Rolling Stones. Jones drowned in his own private swimming pool in Sussex, England on 3 July 1969 when he was 27.
More about Brian Jones
Picture: preciousstones
6) Jim Morrison
American singer, poet, songwriter, writer and (frustrated) film director Jim Morrison, also known as The Lizard King and Mr. Mojo Risin', was the founder, leading singer and lyricist of the legendary rock band The Doors. Considered by many as the greatest, most charismatic and influential figure in rock history, Morrison ended up with very few friends and a heart attack while bathing in a Paris hotel room on July 3, 1971. He was 27.
More about Jim Morrison
Picture: dailymail.co.uk
7) Jimi Hendrix
American guitarist, singer and songwriter Jimi Hendrix is considered as one of the greatest and most influential guitar artists in rock music history. According to Dr. Bannister who attended the star at the time of his death Hendrix was drowned in his own vomit, almost entirely red wine served at an earlier party. The full circumstances which led to his death, however, have never been fully uncovered. Hendrix was 27.
More about Jimi Hendrix
Picture: guitarch
8) Jean Harlow
American film actress Jean Harlow was one of the most prominent sex symbols of the 1930s. Also known as the Platinum Blonde and The Blonde Bombshell, Harlow starred in several films, mainly designed to showcase her magnetic sex appeal. She died of uremic poisoning and kidney failure on June 7, 1937 when she was 26.
More about Jean Harlow
Picture: doctormacro
9) Sharon Tate
American film actress and Golden Globe-nominated Sharon Tate was one of Hollywood's most promising upcoming stars even before her marriage to genius film director Roman Polański. She was murdered on August 9, 1969 by the Charles Manson gang. Tate was 26 years old and two weeks from giving birth at the time of her horrific death. This famous photo (from John Gilmore and Ron Kramer's Manson: The Unholy Trail of Charlie and the Family) shows Tate on the murder day.
More about Sharon Tate
Picture: lehigh
10) Georg Heym
German poet Georg Heym is known for his outstanding groundbreaking expressionist poetry. He drowned in a frozen lake during a skating trip while trying to save his friend Ernst Balcke. It was January 16, 1912 and the genius poet was just 25.
More about Georg Heym
Picture: wikimedia
11) James Dean
Double Oscar-nominated American film actor James Dean became a cultural icon following his roll as Jim Stark in Nicholas Ray's monumental film Rebel Without a Cause. He played two more pantheon rolls (Cal Trask in East of Eden and as the Jett Rink in Stevens' Giant) but was killed in a car crash accident at the age of 24. Dean was one of the most talented and original style actors Hollywood has ever seen. He was the first actor to receive an "after death" Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Actually, Dean the only actor ever received two such nominations.
More about James Dean
Picture: smu
12) Judy Tyler
American film actress Judy Tyler appeared in the 1957 film Bop Girl Goes Calypso but is mostly remembered for her co-starring with Elvis Presley in the movie Jailhouse Rock. After completing her part of the Presley movie filming Tyler and her husband Greg Lafayette went on a vacation. They were killed July 4, 1957 in a car accident north of Rock River, Wyoming. Tyler was only 24 when she died. She was so young she never got to watch any of her only two films.
More about Judy Tyler
Picture: elviswomen.greggers.net
13) River Phoenix
American film actor River Phoenix was an Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated and was listed on John Willis's Screen World, Vol. 38 as one of twelve "promising new actors of 1986". On the Halloween morning of October 31, 1993 Phoenix died of speedball (mix of heroin and cocaine) overdose outside a Hollywood night club named the Viper Room. He was 23.
More about River Phoenix
Picture: freewebz
14) Ian Curtis
British vocalist and lyricist Ian Curtis joined the new wave band Joy Division in 1976 and quickly became their undisputed leader. Years after his death Curtis is still a major source of inspiration and a subject for many other artists. Curtis hanged himself in his own kitchen on May 18, 1980 after watching Werner Herzog's Stroszek and listening to Iggy Pop's The Idiot. Amongst suggested reasons for his suicide are epilepsy related problems and failure of his marriage. He was 23 years old.
More about Ian Curtis
Picture: liverpool.com
15) Dominique Dunne
American actress Dominique Dunne appeared in several made for television movies, television series, and films but was most known for her role as Dana (the oldest daughter) in Poltergeist (1982). Dunne was strangled into coma on November 4, 1982 by her ex-boyfriend John Thomas Sweeney after she refused to reconcile with him. Sweeney, then a popular Los Angeles chef, strangled Dunne in the driveway of her home. She died a few days later, at the age of 22.
More about Dominique Dunne
Picture: nndb
16) Buddy Holly
American singer-songwriter and rock and roll inventor Charles Hardin Holley aka "Buddy Holly" is considered one of the most influential artists in pop music history but only lived to see about one and a half years of success. He was described as "the single most influential creative force in early rock and roll" and in 2004 ranked #13 on a list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time by the Rolling Stone magazine. He died in an airplane crash on February 3, 1959 on his way to Fargo, North Dakota. The plane took off in light snow and gusty winds at around 12:55 A.M., but crashed after only a few minutes.
More about Buddy Holly
Picture: buddy-holly.com
17) Sid Vicious
British punk musician John Simon Ritchie also known as Sid Vicious was the bass player of the Sex Pistols and one of the most prominent prophets of the punk-rock decade. He died of heroin overdose on February 2, 1979 at the age of 21.
More about Sid Vicious
Picture: dubhthachsidheag
18) Charles Sorley
Scottish war poet Charles Sorley volunteered for military service in England during World War I and arrived at the Western Front in France as a lieutenant in May 1915. He ranked Captain at the very early age of 20 but was shot in the head by a German sniper at the Battle of Loos on October 13, 1915 and died instantly.
More about Charles Sorley
Picture: thelondonseason
19) Divya Bharti
Indian film actress Divya Bharti born Divya Om Prakash Bharti was a popular Indian film actress in the early 1990s. Bharti was already a shining star in 1990 when she was just 16 years old. In 1992 she appeared in more than 14 Hindi films which was at the time a record for a newcomer to the Hindi film industry. Bharti's career was ended in April 5, 1993 when she mysteriously accidentally fell off a 5-storey apartment building in Mumbai. She was 19 when she died.
More about Divya Bharti
Picture: treklens
20) Tara Correa-McMullen
American actress Shalvah McMullen, better known with her stage name Tara Correa-McMullen, was mostly famous for her role as gang member Graciela Reyes on the CBS TV series Judging Amy. McMullen had just about enough time to co-star with Martin Lawrence in a first feature film - Rebound - but was murdered on October 21, 2005. She was just 16 when she died.
More about Tara Correa-McMullen
Picture: minorcon
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.
Days by Ray Davies: A Cursed Rock Masterpiece?
Almost 40 years have passed since The Kinks burst onto our souls with Days. Originally recorded on May 23 and May 27, 1968 at Pye Studios in London, this bittersweet rock ballad written and produced by Ray Davies was released as the A-side to a Kinks single in June 28. By the end of summer 1968 Days took the 12th slot in the UK Top Hits and was also included in Top 20 hit lists in several other countries. What's also known as the last recording ever made by the original lineup of the legendary Kinks was the type of rock ballad people could just not get enough of. Here is the original version preformed by Davies and the Kinks.
For Davies, things have been going pretty well since the demise of the Kinks in the mid-90s, especially when the nature of the pop industry and biological age are taken into account. His February 2006 album Other People's Lives, for example, was his first top 30 hit in UK since the Kinks days in the 1960s.
Above: Davies and the Kinks.
Below: Davies in 2006 (source bmi.com)
Yet, for other prominent artists who reproduced Davies' song things did not turn out so nicely. Actually, three of them who made their own successful cover versions for Days during the years of 1968 to 1995 have passed away after a few years. Their deaths had nothing to do with the song. Tragically and disturbingly, however, they all died during their 40s.
Luke Kelly
Died: 1984
Age: 43
Cause of death: Brain tumor
Luke Kelly was one of the greatest Irish folk artist of the 20th Century, mostly famous for his membership and leadership of the The Dubliners. A CD of 9 previously unreleased tracks by Kelly was released in 1999 titled after Davies' song. With most tracks recorded prior to joining The Dubliners or when he was not a member of the group, this CD includes an extraordinary rendition of the classic ballad.
On June 30, 1980 during a concert in the Cork Opera House Kelly collapsed on the stage after suffering from headaches and forgetfulness. Later on the reason was diagnosed as a deadly brain tumor. Although Kelly kept on touring with the Dubliners after enduring an operation his health was further deteriorated. On his European tour in autumn 1983 he came off the stage in Traun, Austria and again in Mannheim, Germany. Kelly spent one more Christmas with his family but was then hospitalized again in the New Year. On 30th January 1984 the whole of Dublin grieved the early death. Following his death the Luke Kelly Memorial Fund for brain research was launched.
Kirsty MacColl
Died: 2000
Age: 41
Cause of death: Hit by speedboat
Kirsty Anna MacColl was a famed folk, pop and new wave musician, some would say of the greatest harmony singer in rock and roll history. MacColl had a busy successful year in 2000. Her latest album Tropical Brainstorm was doing very well. Five years have passed since her cover version of Days reached the Top 50 of the UK Singles Chart when MacColl decided to take some time off. She took a vacation with her partner musician James Knight and her two sons and traveled to Cozumel in Mexico.
On December 18, 2000, MacColl the group went diving in Cozumel in an area that was restricted for watercraft. As the group was surfacing from a dive, a speeding powerboat entered the restricted area. MacColl saw the boat coming for her sons with one of them - Jamie - appearing to be in the boat's path. She had enough time to push her son out of the boat's way but was hit by the boat and killed instantly. Today, more than 7 years later, no one has been made accountable for her death and her mother Jean is still seeking justice for Kirsty's tragic and untimely death. For more about this incredible story see justiceforkirsty.org
Solveig Dommartin
Died: 2007
Age: 46
Cause of death: Heart attack
Solveig Dommartin was a talented French-German actress who began her career with the Compagnie Timothee Laine and the Theater Labor Warschau theaters. The first chance most of us had to watch Dommartin's unique acting style was in Wim Wenders' 1987 film titled Der Himmel über Berlin, also know as Wings of Desire. Her professional association and romantic relationship with the leading german director resulted with the couple co-authoring Until the End of the World (1991, Bis ans Ende der Welt) as well as traveling around the world in search for suitable shooting locations. "We thought that we only had the right to enter into such a sacred area like a person's dreams, if we would bring something into the work that was sacred to ourselves" Wenders once noted about their collaboration on this movie.
In one of the most magical scenes of Until the End of the World, portraying a magic millennium party, Claire Tourneur (Dommartin) performs a fantastic unplugged version of Days under the light of colorful garlands. This scene is held by some of the most powerful living actors at the time such as Jeanne Moreau, Max von Sydow and Sam Neill to name a few. Death, sorrow and happiness have never been mixed better by anyone but Dommartin's performance is the overwhelming highlight here. Dommartin died of a heart attack on January 11, 2007 in Paris. Although she was "officially" born in 1958, Dommartin's mother told reporters her daughter was born in May 1961, making her 45 at the time of her death.
See also: Wenders MySpace page dedicated to Dommartin
Days Lyrics
(source: lyricsfreak)
Thank you for the days,
Those endless days, those sacred days you gave me.
Im thinking of the days,
I wont forget a single day, believe me.
I bless the light,
I bless the light that lights on you believe me.
And though youre gone,
Youre with me every single day, believe me.
Days
Days when you cant see wrong from right.
You took my life,
But then I knew that very soon youd leave me,
But its all right,
Now Im not frightened of this world, believe me.
I wish today could be tomorrow,
The night is dark,
It just brings sorrow anyway.
Thank you for the days,
Those endless days, those sacred days you gave me.
Im thinking of the days,
I wont forget a single day, believe me.
Days
Days when you cant see wrong from right.
You took my life,
But then I knew that very soon youd leave me,
But its all right,
Now Im not frightened of this world, believe me.
Days.
Thank you for the days,
Those endless days, those sacred days you gave me.
Im thinking of the days,
I wont forget a single day, believe me.
I bless the light,
I bless the light that shines on you believe me.
And though youre gone,
Youre with me every single day, believe me.
Days.
An amazingly detailed list of Days releases by the Kinks
Days chord file