Trend: Gesture & Direction

Some symbols are universally recognized around the globe: A smile, chocking hands, the red of a stop sign, a heart symbolizing love…

Today’s feature, highlights the silhouette of a hand pointing you along your way. Whenever I’m on the road, I photograph fingers and the gestures they’re making. Be it graffiti, a menu, a sign for the bathroom, or just a fun mood signifier, the simplest line makes all the difference in communicating a mood. Here’s a roundup of some shots online (sources sadly unknown) to illustrate subtle and extreme messaging through gesture. Any of these speak to you?

December 9, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

Tuesday's Gallery Picks

We’re exploring the threads of culture and chaos in this week’s gallery picks.

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1. This latest series was motivated by Reza Derakshani’s return to his native country, where, disappointed by what he saw after decades living overseas, a commentary on the state of Iran today has manifested itself in “My Wicked Persian Carpet.” at Taymour Grahne
2. By blending physical reality and mental abstraction, José Gurvich gave life to a new and rich category of non-objective painting at Cecilia De Torres
3. In her work, Aiko Tezuka engages with the meaning of fabric, its cultural heritage, its designs, the origin of motifs and the globalized market of industrial productions.at Michael Janssen
4. New painting installations and video works by Shoja Azari that seamlessly intertwines myth with reality, quotation with intervention in order to examine the integral roles played by history and context in depictions of the Islamic world at Leila Heller Gallery
5. In Post-National Bliss, Carla Busuttil imagines and explores the rituals and conflicts of a fictional world perpetually on the brink of chaos at Goodman Gallery
6. Panic Room focuses on the destabilization of the human subject and problematizes
how we define ourselves in this digital and virtual age at UNIX Gallery

December 3, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

A Background & Foreground Mashup

In celebration of Art Basel, which kicks off this week, W Magazine commissioned a collaboration between George Clooney, Girogio Armani, Yayoi Kusama, and Emma Summerton for their latest art-inspired cover story. The dots playfully balance Clooney’s serious stance and sharp suit, a fun juxtaposition of moods. Off the heels of the Louis Vuitton mashup, Kusama continues to swim between the art and commercial realms. The cover reminds us a bit of this, this and this, yet has a masculine timelessness that’s uniquely fresh. If you’d like to purchase the second print, the good folks at Artsy just released the details today.

December 2, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

Illustrations from Natalya Balnova

Two weeks ago, I visited Comic Arts Brooklyn. It was so good it could have lasted the whole weekend (I wish it had). The work was varied across genders, ranging from the clever to the dark to the intricate. I left several prints richer and a few new pieces (pictured above on my living room chairs) are from Natalya Balnova. Natalya’s illustrations are whimsical, dark and witty. They play with color beautifully and present moments in time, humanizing the funny behaviors we often fantasize about or exhibit.

November 25, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

Two Brains and a Work of Art

We have our left brain and we have our right brain and then we have this. Who here’s heard of Mwat Mwat? It’s a lovely and simple illustration/coloring book for kids that encourages two trains of thought. Designed and sold in Paris, I stumbled upon it through the Nelly Rodi newsletter and am a huge fan. For those of you with kids, what do you think, are you into it?

November 21, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

Set Design & Creative Retail Displays

Here’s a short round up of a few retail displays in and around New York, enjoy!

Aritzia: I find myself snapping Aritzia’s windows just as much as Anthopologie’s. From a creative perspective, they’re just as interesting, though carefully minimalist. Here the retail team devised 3D cardboard hexagons covered in a lux marbling technique.

Anthropologie: These in-store ornaments resemble mythical suns and the spirograph application of the rubber bands add a fascinating touch. These could easily be a DIY project to do at home.

Hugo Boss: This unisex window represents the gift-giving season in a subtle, stately way: a swing of gift boxes constructed together gets the point across after a sidewalk double-take.

Best Pizza: This Williamsburg Pizza shop has crowd sourced their wall art, using customer drawings to make a fabulous and familiar texture. It’s delightful to get lost in the illustrations while getting a late night slice.

November 20, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik