No matter how detail oriented you are, Motoi Yamamoto will still beat you to the punch. Using salt and an extraordinarily steady hand, this Japanese artist merges organic influences with the most basic of natural elements, salt, to his build his masterfully intricate installations. Yamamoto’s work has progressed from an inquiry on death to the exploration of salt as a meditation on life. “Now I believe that salt enfolds the memory of lives…salt is used across culture as an antibiotic, preservative, and purifier. Salt is a life-sustaining element.” For the full story on Yamamoto’s work, pick up a copy of this month’s Theme Magazine– unfortunately the online version omitted the story.
It doesn’t take long to see techniques reinterpreted and trends take hold when an artist gains global acclaim. Using sugar in place of salt, Marian Bantjes, a typography genius, illustrates a variety of styles for Stefan Sagmeister’s book, Things I have learned in My Life So Far. Infusing a touch of luxury to this trend, Cartier crafts golden fingerprints for thier latest ad campaign, Trinity, which can be found in Time magazine’s April supplement entitled, Fashion’s New Attitude.
