Julie Rrap: Camouflage #8 (Jeanne)

Julie Rrap's main focus has been the human body and its representations, with a particular emphasis on the female body within western art history. Over a 30-year period this interest has been explored through a variety of media that challenge conventions. Photography has been a particular focus and the use of digital techniques has allowed the exploration of surrealism and medical interventions into the body. Rrap has used numerous media, including sculpture, painting, drawing and video, often combined as installations.

Assemblages & Constructions

Jim Kazanjian’s surreal landscapes offer phantasmagoric visions of a where-is-this world, defined by impossibly complex architecture and M.C.Escher-esque black-and-white graphics. Inspired by the imaginary realms of cult author H.P. Lovecraft—whose wild short stories set the mold for much of the 20th century's best fantasy fiction—Kazanjian’s aim is to redress the “misunderstanding that photography has a kind of built-in objectivity…to defamiliarize the familiar.” 
Welcome to his surreal black and white world:

Edward Burtynsky

Nickel Tailings No 30 (Unretouched photograph)

Ed Burtynsky is a commercial photographer who has become an environmentalist with his unique images of the destruction of nature. Burtynsky has spent the last few decades using his craft to depict the enormous impact humanity has had upon the earth as we destructively carve up nature with mining and drilling and fail to recycle responsibly. His images have a grotesque beauty and some need to be seen closely to be believed... he doesn't retouch or use photoshop for his images!

Burn brightly, Pete

Kim Joon's Bodies

Ahh, back to the body! There seems to be a theme appearing here - bodies and paint and sensuality. Kim Joon is a Korean artist who has made a recent impact with his body painting - not the type you see at Sexpos and Beerfests (although they wouldn't be out of place), but body art that has been elevated to another level. Like Emma Hack, Kim Joon's art walks a fine line between kitsch illustration, clever illusion and acceptable fine art. A former Korean soldier, Joon is now a professor at Kongju University and his exhibitions in the London art scene have had growing acceptance over recent years.

He uses 3-D animation software to create the body or bodies he wants, and he constructs them. Then after building the 3 dimensional body, he works to get the image he really desires. Then, he grafts on the type of skin he desires—it could be animal skin, artificial skin, human skin, the skin of a leather bag or skin of a shoe.  The computer program 3-D Studio Max (used to create Shrek and other 3D animation films) is used and there is no physical painting of models ever in any of the works.

There are obvious connections between the images and tattoos - an art form that has cultural resistance in Korea. It is illegal to have tattoos done in parlours there, so the works tend to have a slightly different meaning in his native Korea. Although the works are quite sensual (particularly the more recent works) Kim Joon never really set out to create erotic pieces. Any material serves him as a pictorial pattern, whether they are floral motives, commercial brand logos or Superman comics, whose graphic potential is enormous and explored and exploited by the artist.


Burn brightly, Pete

Reality Break

Need a reality break? Welcome to the world of Lissy Laricchia, a Canadian photographer who threatens reality with her use of light, texture, photoshop and the images you see below. You can see more of her work on Flickr or at her home page.

Burn brightly, Pete

Pride of Lines

Jem

My daughter does modelling occasionally and was recently sent a box of Marc Daniels Hair products with her face on the cans. This means I'll get to see her when I shop at Coles and Woolies. Clever kid - she seems to have a great amount of self belief that was not inherited from my side of the family. Go girl!

Burn Brightly, Pete.