TMNK is a fabulous graffiti-folk artist based outta New York.  I’ve been following his blog for almost a year now and he is probably one of the most wonderful human beings on the planet.  He’s just so amazingly beautiful. Read his blog once and you’ll see what I mean. I’ve always told myself that if/when I finally make it to New York, I am totally going to Soho to stalk him.

And his art? Fucking awesome.  I’ve always had an affinity for graffiti art. I always photograph it when I can.  It’s probably because it’s a type of art that I will never, ever be able to do. It’s wonderful to be in a place where I can just appreciate it as an audience member.  And holy crap, when it’s done right, it’s done amazingly well.

TMNK is one of those who does it amazingly well, my friends.

Anyway, I know I have talked a bunch of shit about money and art. But, he’s going through a bit of a rough time right now (though, you wouldn’t know it if you read some of his blog entries - such a positive person - again, he’s beautiful, ‘memba?) So I am willing to be called a hypocrite, if you head over to eBay and place some bids on some of his work. And not just because he’s going through a rough time, but because the work is rad and TMNK adds goodness to our world.

He’s just released a new series. And here’s a snippet that I swiped from his site:

“Street Artist TMNK™ has begun to release a new series of original paintings/drawings he’s calling “Tiny Pieces of My Soul.” These paintings are smaller than his normal works (4″×6″) and are meant to be a more intimate sharing of the artists feeling and emotions. These works are very personal, and offer an introspective look into the artists own personal struggles, challenges and triumphs. While many of these works will be on paper, some will be on found objects, and other discarded materials.
“I plan to leave tiny pieces of my soul scattered on the streets of New York, and throughout the world.””

So, go go go now and place a bid!

Exciting!

Must get!

Love Ben!

In ways that are sick, wrong, and probably illegal.

ETA: Wow, that whole Aliza Shvart thing is pretty crazy huh? People are not happy. Me? I think its concept and shock art at its finest. I think the whole entire point is that the artist is trying to generate controversy and the “oh my god, she did WHAT!?!” shocked response. I think that is the piece of art. And, gotta say, she’s doing a pretty good freaking job. I think that is probably at the root of this whole thing, not whether or not she actually impregnated and aborted. I’d wager that it’s a concept piece and the masses and press are totally feeding into it. Now, whether it really happened or not, who knows. Yes, its shocking. Yes, its moral ambiguous. Yes, it might be considered “wrong”. But all I can say is that (if she actually did it - which is pretty freaking questionable at this point) at least she did it to herself and not someone else.

Normally, I try not to refer artists to people. I’m of the mind that each person has a vastly different idea of what art is and I really don’t wanna be pushing my artistic agenda on anyone. I just think people really need to discover what they like on their own terms without the influence of anyone else. When I find someone I like, I usually throw a link to their website on my list of links. That way, if anyone wants to know what I like, they can always just look there. Plus? Let’s remember that I am lazy.

But, sometimes, I discover an artist that just takes my breath away. Such is the case with Sue Rubira. Good great Universe! Her portraits are absolutely stunning and sublime. Usually, portraits can be pretty lifeless (my own included), but Rubira’s portraits are like living breathing things. Gorgeous. And it amazes me that most of her work is watercolour. Crazy. I mean, I know I am a watercolour neophyte, but I am always amazed when watercolour goes right and isn’t necessarily flowers or landscapes, but I digress.

You should go to her website right now and check out her blog too. She hasn’t updated in a while, but scroll through her archives. She chronicles her process very well. Very interesting stuff. She’s a goddess, I think.

Actually, her work elicited a similar response to that of the one I made when Esch and I discovered Maya Kulenovic (her website seems to be down at the moment, hrm :() at the now-defuncted Quab gallery. Though, admittedly for vastly different reasons.

Still, each artist seems to be uncomfortably intimate with their subject matter. And the skill! The skill is absolutely staggering. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t feel pangs of envy. I’m always fascinated by the skills and work ethic that artist of this calibre have. Especially when I consider my own laziness. I mean, I wonder what kinda schedule they keep, how many hours they spend doing studies or just drawing and how much research goes into a drawing. I have almost no regime, which is something that I’m trying to rectify, but the regime that artists like this have must be gruelling!

Still, when I see work like this, it emphasizes my need to get started on my figure/anatomy project and solidify that regime I keep talking about. I can’t wait for the holiday season (and my recent slew of projects) to be over with so I can start.

Speaking of my work, I did a bit on the turntable painting last night. It was primarily fixing my proportions. Its in a better place, methinks. I just wish my brain would join it.