Showing posts with label gems. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gems. Show all posts

Monday, January 27, 2014

Mineralogy

Crystals, minerals and gems have been a recurring theme in a lot of contemporary art and culture of late. This is a round up of some of those mineral inspired items that have caught my eye. You see minerals in art like the spectacular paintings by Carly Waito previously covered by magpie&whiskeyjack. You can also find artist-made minerals in all sorts of media.

http://ashleyzangle.com/index.php?/work/bubble-bath-pours/
Ashley Zangle, detail of bubble bath pour

http://ashleyzangle.com/index.php?/work/bubble-bath-pours/
Ashley Zangle, Nine Pours Spring: 2012, 44 x 60"

Ashley Zangle uses bubble bath and ink on paper to capture and sculpture the multifarious look of minerals.

http://ashleyzangle.com/index.php?/work/bubble-bath-pours/
Studio installation by Ashley Zangle
http://ashleyzangle.com/
Ashley Zangle




Rocks and minerals show up in the collages of collections by Amber Ibarreche.


Gemz, collage by Amber Ibarreche

Keetra Dean Dixon and JK Keller produced a series of layed wax sculptures with embedded text which look like giant mineral specimens.


Layered Wax Type: Become; in orange, Detail. 24" x 13" x 7", 
wax, acrylic paint and foam, 2009
by Keetra Dean Dixon and JK Keller

Layered Wax Type: Become; in orange, 24" x 13" x 7", wax, acrylic paint and foam, 2009
by Keetra Dean Dixon and JK Keller


Layered Wax Type: Become; in orange, Detail. 24" x 13" x 7", 
wax, acrylic paint and foam, 2009
by Keetra Dean Dixon and JK Keller
Tabirtha Bianca Brown, or thepairabirds, has some great mineral and gem prints on Etsy.

http://prf.hn/click/camref:10l3tr/pubref:pairabirds/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Fca%2Flisting%2F75327694%2Fsoft-rock-geometric-facet-art-print
Soft Rock Geometric Facet Art Print by thepairabirds

http://prf.hn/click/camref:10l3tr/pubref:pairabirds/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Fca%2Flisting%2F70496304%2Famethyst-geometric-facet-art-print
Amethyst, Geometric Facet Art Print by thepairabirds

Lindsay Jones has a whole mineral calendar.

http://prf.hn/click/camref:10l3tr/pubref:lindsayjones/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Fca%2Flisting%2F119327704%2F2014-minerals-calendar
2014 Minerals Calendar by shoplindsayjones

David Scheirer has a great print of a rock collection watercolour.

http://prf.hn/click/camref:10l3tr/pubref:studiotuesday/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Fca%2Flisting%2F158085828%2Frock-mineral-collection-art-print-8x10
Rock mineral collection by studiotuesday

I love the more stylized illustrations of crystals and minerals by Ryan Putnam too.

Ryan Putnam, crystals and minerals

I myself have begun making linocuts on Japanese kozo paper with iridescent chine colle of different minerals.

Quartz linocut by minouette


Minerals show up in fashion, like this 'Mineralogy' scarf by Charlotte Linton:

'Mineralogy' scarf by Charlotte Linton
Or more photorealistic silk scarves with photos from Jen Altman's Gem and Stone:

 

https://www.cisthene.com/products/dry_goods/CIS004.html
Labradorite scarf, photo by Jen Atlman

You even see minerals in street art, like the fabulous paper and resin 3D 'urban geode' works by Paige Smith of A Common Name.

http://acommonname.com/street-art-project/
A Common Name, Geode #3, DTLA 

A Common Name, Geode #10, Arts District
A Common Name, Geode #33, Uluwatu

Perhaps the most unexpected and delightful medium is soap!

http://prf.hn/click/camref:10l3tr/pubref:amethystsoap/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Fca%2Flisting%2F63222747%2F2-oz-soapamethyst-crystal-soap

2 oz. Soap/Amethyst Crystal Soap by amethystsoap


Friday, March 27, 2009

tapestry of colour, gems & floating heads

Creature Comforts featured the work of LA artist Sarajo Frieden. This is someone who knows about textures, lines and colour, has a good sense of humour, and a whimsical thing for the birds. See what she has to say about colour:



Some of her work incorporates embroidery, like this:


stitched bird 4 (7.5”w x 11”h framed: 11.5”w x 15”h)


lady leaving chair (7.5”w x 11”h framed: 11.5”w x 15”h)


pinktree (gouache, collage on paper 28 1/2″w x 22″h)


green journey 2 (gouache on paper 23 3/4″w x 15″h 2005)

Recurring images include the "mini me", birds, trees, people dressed as cats, mushrooms, water, silhouettes, ship and gems. Which leads me to ponder, what is it with all the crystals in contemporary art, anyway?


jewelled bush (gouache, collage on paper 22.25″w x 24.5″h 2007)

Crystals appear frequently in a stylized network of lines and explicitly as gems.

These are the work of NYC artist Ramblin Worker (Steve MacDonald), whom I first found years ago on www.craftster.org. He also combines drawing and painting and sewing. For the record, most of his work does not contain disembodied puma heads- I just happen to really like them. Beyond the multimedia, these artists have something in common in their exuberant colours, lines and nets, and layering of pattern (as well as boats and natures as subjects). Some of the tapestries (I can think of no better word) are incorporated into 3D sculptural pieces.




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