Xing Danwen is a Japanese photographer renown for her work using modern building maquettes. She takes the buildings and then adds her own touch by portraying characters that live in the buildings. She takes photographs of herself as a model living in the building and sometimes alters these images digitally.
Xing Danwen was born in Xi’an, China in the year 1967. The artist attended the Chinese Central Academy of Art located in Beijing earning a B.F.A. The artist went on to earn a M.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts located in New York City.
In this clip a brief interview with Xing Danwen talking about her work:
Danwen is now based out of Beijing, China.
Price range information: Most photographs anc C-prints range between $10,000 to $50,000.
I enjoy the contemporary feel and thought process of this artist. Since she uses models that will someday in the future be actual buildings, her work has a futuristic appeal to it. The fact that she takes this a step further to develop characters based on what she sees and feels makers her work very unique.
Sylvan Lionni is an abstract artist who paints with very bold color. Lionni attended the School of Visual Arts located in New York City earning a B.F.A. The artist went on to earn a M.F.A. from Bard College located in Hudson, New York.
The artist refuses to define himself as to what kind of painter he is. Lionni believes that once you say you are this kind of artist, it closes the door to a level of creativity. The artist admires the minimalist and abstract art movements.
In this clip we visit a show with the great James Kalm featuring the work of Sylvan Lionni:
The artist has also worked as a printmaker most recently as an artist in residence at the University of Connecticut.
Lionni works mainly with arcylics and often works on unique surfaces such as steel.
Price range information: Sorry none available.
Below a link to the website of Sylvan Lionni. The homepage has what at first glance looks to be a photograph of a ruler that is in fact a painting. In creating these works the artist has created a process similar to the way manufactured steel is produced.
Lionni is also shown in the group of artists by the great James Kalm. Lionni’s work appears at 3: 55 into the clip:
What I enjoy most about this artist is his sense of space and the fact that he can create remarkable works of art either abstractly or in a trompe painting style. In his trompe style his rulers often look like photographs, very impressive!
Kate Shepherd is a wonderful artist working in abstract style with basic geometric shapes and limited color. Kate Shepherd was born in New York City in the year 1961.The artist is a painter and printmaker.
Shepherd attended Oberlin College located in Oberlin, Ohio earning a B.F.A. The artist went on to earn a M.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts located in New York, New York. The artist also studied at private ateliers in Paris, France.
Most works are a combination of acrylics, oils, and enamel on wood panel. Her use of materials and mediums leads the viewer to see themselves in the reflection on the surface of Shepherd’s paintings.
Shepherd has always enjoyed architecture and often uses paints that were made for industrial purposes.
price range information: Works range from $5,000 to $50,000.
In this clip we view an installation by Kate Shepherd:
Bill Plympton is among the best and most successful animators on the planet. In some animated movies Plympton drew all of the frames himself, one of few artists to do this huge task.
Plympton was born in Portland, Oregon in the year 1946. The artist attended Portland State College before transferring to the School of Visual Arts located in New York City.
The artist has been nominated for Emmy and Oscar awards.
Here we view a short animated movie style that has become the artist’s trademark. A man imagines what could be in his pool:
To finance his longer movies Plympton will create a comic book version he sells first.
What I enjoy most about this artist is his attitude. I was reading a book about Plympton recently and he stated he turned down the opportunity to work for Walt Disney. Disney sent an expensive lawyer to tell Plympton he would be paid one million dollars for his services. Plympton turned this opportunity down be, cause he wanted the freedom to create as much as he wanted. If he would have signed with Disney, the Disney Corporation would own everything he created.
I found this fascinating because I also recently saw an interview with Stan Lee and he was asked if he was mad about not owning character rights for his characters he had created. Stan Lee said no he wasn’t mad, that was the terms of the contract.
Below a wonderful interview with Bill Plympton talking about his very successful animation career:
Price range information: Sorry none available.
Here we view a wonderful short that explains how Belly Button lint occurs:
And last we view a work featuring musician Kanye West. What a great job Mr. Plympton did on the caricature. Plympton often draws himself in funny situations!:
Inka Essenhigh is a fantastic painter renown for her Surrealist work with the figure and other creatures and monsters. Inka Essenhigh was born in Bellafonte, Pennsylvania in the year 1969.
Essenhigh attended the Columbus School of Art and Design located in Columbus, Ohio. The artist also studied at the School of Visual Arts located in New York City.
Here we visit a show from a few years back with our favorite art critic, James Kalm!
The artist is now based out of New York City.
Essenhigh, like many artists featured here, is also married to an artist named Steve Mumford. Both husband and wife attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Below is an example Steve Mumford’s style.
What I enjoy most about this wonderful artistic family, their composition skills. As for Essenhigh, she paints every subject superbly, but her trees have a great sense of lighting and the artist uses wonderful greens that don’t overpower her landscapes.
Price range information: Essenhigh works in oils and is also a printmaker. Prints start at $10,000 and originals can reach up to $250,000.
Gary Simmons is an American artist working in a variety of mediums including oils, chalk, and acrylics. For his artistic education Simmons attended the School of Visual Arts located in New York City. He also attended the California Institute for the Arts located in Valencia, California for his masters studies. Simmons works in small sizes up to mural and installation size. Simmons is a painter, printmaker, and sculptor.
Simmons uses many symbols from current pop culture. In addition some recurring themes are race and class. In some works some racially significant items are used including nooses and the symbol of the Ku Klux Klan.
Simmons has regular shows in Europe and New York City.
The artist was included in the Whitney Biennial that took place in 1993.
In this clip Simmons talks about a very large mural and how he went about getting the motion and energy of his smaller drawings into the large sized mural.
Here we view the artist at an exhibition that took place in 2013:
Price range information: Non sculpture works range from $5,000 to $60,000.
The “ghostly drawings” of this artist impress the most of his repertoire. What a unique effect and even something as still as a chandelier seems to have a wonderful movement.
James Romberger is an American artist born in Jefferson, New York in the year 1958. Romberger has made wonderful landscapes of European cities but is renown for his artwork depicting the lower East side of New York City. For his artistic education the artist attended the Munson Williams Proctor Institute and the School of Visual Arts of New York City.
Romberger has worked for many of the leading cartoon and comic book companies including Marvel.
Romberger works with pastel as his choice of medium.
In this clip we visit a show featuring James Romberger and Rick Prol with our dear friend James Kalm:
Romberger is included in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum.
And to close we have an interview with the artist at a book fair that took place in Brooklyn in 2013. The artist talks about drawing out his ideas for this book.
What I enjoy most about this artist are the unique vantage points used. The artist gives us a tremendous feeling of space in his portrayals of urban life.
Ran Hwang was born in South Korea in the year 1960 and is an awesome contemporary artist who uses items including, sequins, buttons, beads , and pins. Her process is quite simple. She finds an image she likes, projects it onto the wall, traces it, then fills in the shapes with thousands of pins or buttons or whatever she chooses for her medium. Her work tries to get the viewer to look at the many thousands of people that make up a mass movement, from the bead that signifies one person, to a mass of beads symbolizing a movement.
A link to a gallery specializing in the work of Ran Hwang:
Hwang really enjoys the meditation part of the process, that of filling in the outline a given medium.
Ran Hwang found her artistic style after seeing the events of 911 in the United States. She uses thousands of whatever medium she chooses to represent people in her society.
For her artistic education she attended the School of Visual Arts located in New York city. For her masters degree she went back to South Korea and attended the Graduate School of Arts Chung-Ang University Seoul, Korea.
In this clip we go to see an Art Basel Miami 2010 to see an entry in this exhibit by Ran Hwang:
In this clip we view another show by Ran Hwang, this one took place in 2012:
Morley is a fantastic street artist working out of one of the greatest cities of earth, Los Angeles. His birthday is unknown. Morley is said to have the attended the School of Visual Arts in New York. His style is simple but easy to remember. Working in black and white Morley uses text to make social commentary that causes the viewer to question society and culture.
In this clip a brief bio about the street artist Morley.
2011 was a breakthrough year as the artist came under the watchful eye of Steve Lazarides. Lazarides helped Morley get started selling prints of his work.
Has taken part in a lecture at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art dealing with the art of printmaking.
First solo exhibition was in 2012.
Price range information: Most prints are 250 euros. A link to the Outsider website that sells prints by Morley.
Its important to know that the figure represented in Morley’s works is himself. Imagine if Banksy included himself on all of his art! Morley in addition to being a clever artist when it comes to using text, is also very skilled at drawing the figure from a variety of positions. The added figure gives the text more emotional content.
James Nares is a fantastic British painter born in London, England in the year 1953. When you think of his work “time capule” should jump into your head. Nares tries to capture the EXACT moment an object was created. Nares uses a variety of unique materials such as thermoplastic on linen or iridescent pigment and wax on linen. Nares most renown works show the trail of a paintbrush dipped in one tone and drug across the canvas.
In this clip we visit a gallery show given in 2009.
For his artistic education Nares attended the Chelsea School of Art located in London, England. Nares also attended the School of Visual Arts located in New York City.
Currently lives and works out of New York City after moving here in 1974.
James Nares has also made some movies and was part of the New York underground film scene in the 1970s.
price range information: Works range from $5,000 to $60,000. This was for original works, unable to find prints available.
In this lovely clip we visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and stroll down the streets of the big Apple. A wonderful installation work!
And a link to the artist’s own website. Very informative and many films and photography works to check out:
Diattaart Blog 
Artist of the moment…..Los Angeles Street artist legend Morley
{ August 4, 2013 @ 2:49 am } · { Uncategorized }
{ Tags: american, California, los angeles, Morley, School of Visual Arts New York City, social commentary, street artist, text, Wheatpaste } · { Leave a Comment }
Morley is a fantastic street artist working out of one of the greatest cities of earth, Los Angeles. His birthday is unknown. Morley is said to have the attended the School of Visual Arts in New York. His style is simple but easy to remember. Working in black and white Morley uses text to make social commentary that causes the viewer to question society and culture.
In this clip a brief bio about the street artist Morley.
2011 was a breakthrough year as the artist came under the watchful eye of Steve Lazarides. Lazarides helped Morley get started selling prints of his work.
Has taken part in a lecture at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art dealing with the art of printmaking.
First solo exhibition was in 2012.
Price range information: Most prints are 250 euros. A link to the Outsider website that sells prints by Morley.
http://www.theoutsiders.net/item/7253,no-ghost-blue
A link to the artist’s own personal website. Updated pretty often (at least as far as visual artists are concerned!)
http://iammorley.squarespace.com/
Its important to know that the figure represented in Morley’s works is himself. Imagine if Banksy included himself on all of his art! Morley in addition to being a clever artist when it comes to using text, is also very skilled at drawing the figure from a variety of positions. The added figure gives the text more emotional content.
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