SOME NEW WORK BY YOURS TRULY

Copyright Sara Nickleson, 2010.

I'm currently working on some digital collage that will likely become a series of paintings. Super excited.

xo.s

SANTIAGO YDANEZ

David Delfin and Gorka Postigo; collectors of Ydanez' work, in their home

I stumbled across the work of Santiago Ydanez very recently and haven't stopped staring. I have always been especially fond of portraiture for the obvious reasons: its ability to convey an acute and wide variety of human emotions; conveyance of striking realism or shocking mutation as seen in expressionist work; and always the intense reading of the EYES.

Ydanez works on 200cm canvases with minimalist colouring. Many of his pieces are done with more variation in hue, but I've chosen the above to showcase because I LOVE the strong contrast in his use of black and white.

What's most intriguing is his brushstroke; his work leans toward expressionism in its wild application of paint, however, it is evident that there is extreme calculation in his gestures. His portraits are not born of improvisation or of loose emotional abandon, but of painting used as an instrument and not an aim unto itself. It is an extremely successful pairing of opposite schools of thought.

While researching Ydanez I came across one of the reference images he had shot himself for one of his many 'untitled' works (top). He covers his subjects' faces in everything from (what looks to be) food colouring to whipped cream before photographing their screaming, twisted visages.

It's brilliant. So powerful. Be sure to have a look at the gallery video!

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xo.s

THAT'S NICE

Back in April I did an iPhoto mashup-type post that I'm feeling again today. Enjoy.

xo.s

ANA KRAS

A random link to link to link to link lead me to Ana Kras' site. Artist. Photographer. Designer. Charmer.

From her site's 'about':

"Ana woks on many personal and commercial freelance projects and she might be happy to work with you". And nothing more.

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xo.s

SARAH SPITLER

Just found San Francisco artist Sarah Spitler on the site 20x200, where you can buy prints for as low as $20! Check out her work and have a look through 20x200, where the theory is that there are thousands of artists that want to sell their prints.... mass quantities at low prices over the internet gets their names out and helps them make a profit!

You could fill your empty walls for one or two hundred bucks, China! (told you I'd keep my eye out... xo)

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xo.s

HENRY DARGER: IN THE REALMS OF THE UNREAL

I mentioned wanting to post about Henry Darger back when I saw the work of 'Igor and Andre's Danny Roberts.  I've finally been re-inspired. 

The real interest behind this artist lies in his obsession, reclusion and complete creative secrecy until on his deathbed in the early 1970s.  A janitor in a catholic hospital by day, he spent his nights in a tiny apartment in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago, writing and illustrating what is known to be the world's longest novel (with quite possibly the world's longest name): 'THE STORY OF THE VIVIAN GIRLS, IN WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE REALMS OF THE UNREAL, OF THE GLANDECO-ANGELINNIAN WAR STORM, CAUSED BY THE CHILD SLAVE REBELLION'.

A poor man, he turned garbage and book pages into photo enlargements for his work, often repeating the imagery to create hundreds of paintings, some over ten feet long.  Freud would have a field day as to why he might be compelled to write and illustrate a 15,000 page (!!) story about little girls who fought against evil, had rudimentary penises and gutted the men who forced child slavery upon them.  The artwork is surreal and twisted but also beautiful; colourful and ornate.

It wasn't until days before his death that his landlords, the Lerners, found the paintings; Nathan Lerner, a photographer for the New York times, recognized the work's significance and dedicated himself to publicizing Darger's creations.  Had he not, it might have been lost......

I could go on and on because both the story of the artist and that of the work itself are fascinating, but I insist that you rent the documentary, which weaves together Darger's life and the story he writes of the Vivian Girls.  Or, watch it in parts on youtube... as long as you watch it! Even the wikipedia article on Darger is great!

and yes, that's dakota fanning narrating.

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xo.s

JONATHAN VINER

Jonathan Viner is a New York illustrator with a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design.  I first found him on myspace years back, and his work keeps getting better.  His muted palette is stunning, and his characters are beautiful; somehow at once both equally serene and tortured. 

A little bit Tim Burton-esque, in the best way possible.....  

I want one :)

http://www.vinerstudio.com