Unexpected Surprises

the corner

You never know what unexpected surprise may be lurking in the corner…

“The Ghost in the Machine” Series by IRI5

I unexpectedly stumbled onto the “The Ghost in the Machine” series by IRI5. Most of the pieces are portraits that are created out of disgarded material, most notably cassette tapes  and old film reels.

 

Jimi Hendrix – cassette tape on canvas (via IRI5.com)

The inspiration behind the project is described as:

The idea comes from a phrase (ironically) coined by philosopher Gilbert Ryle, a description of how your spirit lives in your body. I imagine we are all, like cassettes, thoughts wrapped up in awkward packaging.

Bob Marley (via IRI5.com)

The Power of a Rainbow Graffiti

If I’m not unloading my miseries onto my friends when I’m having a bad day, I’m probably sitting in front of my computer, pouting at the screen. The internet is my go-to place to escape reality and just immerse myself with the endless (and mindless) flow of data, images and videos out in the virtual space. It’s distracting but in these cases, a distraction I welcome.

These awesome rainbow graffiti’s have been showing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico:

Jigsaw

Getting in touch with my creative side.

Fiori di Como by Dale Chihuly [Bellagio Hotel and Casino]

I just got back from a brief 3 day trip to Vegas.  It was my first time to Sin City, and now I can finally comprehend all the hype surrounding it.  The pictures that you see on TV and online do not even closely reflect the massive scale of these buildings nor the constant buzz and activity in the air.

I stayed at the Bellagio (thank you parents!) and got to see the Fiori di Como by Dale Chihuly.  The 2,000 sq ft glass scuplture that is hanging in the lobby of the Bellagio is beautiful in pictures but even more breathtaking in person (I see the common theme of this post).

Street Doodle: Girls on Girls

I almost choked when I saw this outside a very old school Chinese plaza in Milpitas.

At the first glance, it looks like a slightly high bunny rabbit thing.  But then you noticed it says ‘girls on girls’.

“Newsaint” – Terry Allen

Newstaints by Terry Allen, Bronze, 1991

I had the chance to visit the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University today with my parents and grandpa.  The museum is beautiful and they had some very interesting exhibits while we were there.  This bronze sculpture was my favorite piece there.

The Public Isolation Project – By Cristine Norine and Joshua Jay Elliott

The Public Isolation Project consists of two symbiotic and simultaneous art pieces–Joshua Jay Elliott’s An Examinable Life and Cristin Norine’s The Future of Socializing.  An analog analogy of the contemporary experience of living in the Internet age, Cristin Norine will spend one month living within the confines of the bSIDE6 Gallery—in total view from the gallery’s windows.  Her isolation will be alleviated solely by digital interactions with the outside world.  Viewers of the piece will reflect on their own expanded accessibility that technology has brought them.

(Source: The Public Isolation Project)

Light Installation Graffiti by Armsrock

Danish outdoor artist Armsrock has graced the city of Copenhagen with his graffiti-style installation art series, Markinger. The temporary light installation was created by projecting unique engravings done with an etching needle on black Pani slide.

Graffiti and D.C. Metro Rides

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I love riding on the D.C. metro during non-peak hours.  The negative thoughts of 9-5ers worrying about being late and the ever-present look on  the face of commuters as if they have poop under their nose is usually nonexistent after 10am.  It is also pleasant to be surrounded by nonchalant metro-riders not wearing businesses formal attire.  In addition, with the absence of a smart phone, ipod or a good book, my attention span acts as if it’s on crack (or some four loko).  Riding the metro has become the best time to take note of the things in my immediate environment.  There are always interesting-looking people to people watch or juicy bits of conversations to eavesdrop on.

My usual metro route starts from Silver Spring and takes me into the city, about a 20 min commute.  The commute goes through the Northeast quadrant of the capitol.  Both Northeast and Southeast are notorious for having high crime levels and low poverty levels.  The view the window frames changes rapidly and unexpectably.  The closer you get to downtown, the cleaner and more pristine the neighborhoods become.  Washington D.C. is well-known for the gaping wealth and poverty levels.  Yet, reading about social problems is one thing, seeing it unfold in front of you during a commute fuels a whole other level of understanding.

Instead of focusing on the dilapidated neighborhoods and the discrepancy between the rich and poor, I choose to focus my attention on the art that surrounds those walls – graffiti.

                                      some graffiti you may see on the D.C. metro                                          photo by: proborderhopper via flickr