Wow. Every time I look at these pieces, I’m in wonder. It’s so cool to see the works of artists like Rashad Alakbarov or Kumi Yamashita. These artists have found beauty in light and shadow. They take found materials and transform them into human forms or a city by throwing light on them at just the right angle.

Kumi Yamashita

Akari 2009 || Tokyo Japan || wood, light and shadow

City View 2003 || Osaka Japan || aluminum, light and shadow

Rashad Alakbarov

transparent color plastic shapes

At LS we pull inspiration for our events from anything and everything, especially art. Martin Pfeifle’s commentary on space and color translate very easily into an event setting, if you look hard enough. I love the colored paper hanging from the ceiling as a potential backdrop or partition. And, I’m a big fan of this pink spacial field turning into a table with one huge hit of color.

Lately, I’ve been mesmerized by water art/photography. The following artists show a passion for photography that extends into the underwater world. It’s a mystery to me on how they make taking underwater photos seem so effortless. The very nature of water makes each split second conjure up a completely different image. The colors and smokey feel of these images ignite a sense of organic beauty.

The breathtaking series Aqueous Fluoreau is the most recent body of work by photographer Mark Mawson, a nominee for the London Photography Award 2012.

Local artist (Piedmont CA), Michele Hofherr specializes in portraiture and commercial photography. Her current work (pictured here) is currently on display at Slate Contemporary Gallery in Oakland until February 25, 2012. Go check it out.

Last year, Ai WeiWei, a Chinese conceptual artist, amazed the world with his exhibit titled Sunflower Seeds at London’s Tate Modern. The exhibition carpeted, at a depth of 4-inches, an enormous space with over 100 million replicas of porcelain sunflower seeds. Maybe it’s the marketing side of me or the consumer side that wants to buy these for my own garden, or better yet, see them in a public space.

All Photos By Paul Grover // Daily Telegraph

Crazy Stats
Around 5 tons of sunflower seeds
100 million replicas
1,600 skilled artisans from Jingdezhen in China
2 years to produce

I’m totally loving textile artist Amanda McCavour Spirograph-like disks of yarn. She weaves these pieces of yarn onto a water-soluble fabric that melts away and leaves a bowl like shell form. Accumulation is an installation at Toronto’s Gladstone Hotel Cafe. These disks of beautifully threaded flowers cascade down the wall and inspire my own imagination to come up with new ways to decorate.

During the London Design Week, French designers Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec presented a collaborative project with danish textile company Kvadrat called ‘textile field’. And it is exactly as described; a 30 meter long, 8 meter wide installation of colored foam and texile pieces inviting museum-goers to comfortably lounge and stick around awhile. I enjoy imagining myself in the space and lounging right up next to a Botticelli. I love the color and comfort. What a great way to create atmosphere.

The exhibition was installed at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

‘our intention is to propose a different, casual approach to freely experience what can be a quite intimidating environment, such as a museum. we conceived an expansive, colored foam and textile piece with gentle inclinations to produce a sensual field on which to comfortably lounge while meditating on the surrounding gallery. everyone can immerse within this temporary installation, for a minute, an hour or more. that is the idea. no efforts, no apprehension, just contemplation.’
ronan + erwan bouroullec

Japanese designers and installation artists, Nendo, are a constant source of inspiration for me. Usually dressed in a monochromatic and minimalist palette, their prolific and ethereal work always has a hint of whimsy and play. The following exhibitions show Nendo’s breadth of work and very clear style. I’m always amazed with how much they can do with so little.

Installation for Kenzoki

Light installation for Tokyo Fiber Senseware

Climbing Wall

My London for Established & Sons

Thin Black Lines

Cabbage Chairs

Recently, I came across a new and very welcome change on my route to work in Mission Bay, a new mural along the CalTran tracks. The artist was San Francisco’s own Brian Barneclo. Barneclo has been creating murals all over SF for some time. The grand mural, over 600 feet in length, is the largest mural yet to be completed in San Francisco and stands at a pivotal location for those entering and exiting the city on CalTran. Named the Systems Mural Project, this mural represents the intersection of systems and man; from the solar system to government, making a commentary on the interconnectivity of man and nature.

If you’d like to find out more, go to http://systemsmuralproject.com.

The setting: Chris French Metal Shop. The artists: an array of established and up-and-coming Oakland locals featuring the wonderful sculpture artist, Ann Weber, photographers Melissa Kaseman (who graciously documented the event) and Greg Goodman, as well as ceramicists Sara Paloma and Whitney Smith. The food: designed and put together by Caleb Jones from Michael Minna with assistance from Maggie Weber-Striplin with Pachamama Cookery who served up her signature pierogies as an appetizer. And last but not least, the music: Uriah Duffy and Max McVeety. These were our most recent collaborators all responsible for a wonderful Oakland art event that we hosted on June 25th of this year.

The concept for Vessels came from a desire to merge different media of art while celebrating Oakland in a unique pop-up style food-infused event. The status: a raging good time with more events to come (stay tuned!).

Photos // Summer Makovkin’s Photography. // We veiled the chefs in a screen of multi-colored yarn to create texture and mood…a beautiful pop of color infused into an industrial metal shop setting. It’s really easy to do and makes a great backdrop. // Sara Paloma’s vases. // Our long dining table filled with colorful vessels.

Photos // Ann Weber and Sara Paloma // a delicious pierogi // Whitney Smith and Sara Paloma demonstrated their talents

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Theresa Himmer is someone to watch. The young Danish/Czech artist was born in Denmark where she studied, lived in Iceland from 2005 – 2009 and is currently working in New York. She creates mostly site specific pieces of art that interact with existing art and city life. The pieces we’re showing below are only a few that focus on her use of a specific material, but her talent extends far beyond. I bet these pieces within her sequin series really do glimmer in the light and dance in the wind. I wish I could see one in person. I love how she chooses to layer her material and art over existing pieces of graffiti, in a way creating a conversation between both expressions of art as well as a conversation between her art and the landscape in which she places it.

Photo // Kristinn Magnusson Volcano #01 (2008) (DETAIL)

Photos // Gunnar Þór Nilsen The Mountain Series Waterfall #01 (2006)

Photo // Gunnar Þór Nilsen Glacier #01 (2008) (2006)