ART CITADEL: Art Showcase

Yes, I know it’s not Monday. But yesterday was a holiday so consider this a rollover “Music Monday” post. In conjunction with our earlier article on the exhibition of photos documenting the rise of Japanese Hip Hop , we thought we’d kick off the week by listening to something from the genre. Kandytown is a 16-member troupe of MCs, DJs and track makers. (Above) R.T.N. is a track off the group’s 1st album, which was released late last year. Kandytown is based in Tokyo and comprised of a group of close friends, several of who went to the same school together. Their defacto leader is the young IO, a creative talent with a penchant for songwriting, but also slender good looks that have made him popular as a model. We’re loving 1Time 4Ever (below), a pensive track that really showcases the diverse group’s talents. Like what you hear? You can find more of their music on YouTube and Soundcloud . Kandytown is also on Twitter and Instagram . And be sure to check out our other Music M...

Proboscis monkey Masayoshi Matsumoto  (previously here and here ) doesn’t twist up your average balloon animal creations. Instead, the Japanese artist produces larger than life beetle larva and spider crabs, creating latex masterpieces that blow away the simplistic balloon animals we’ve come to expect. Multi-colored and not bound to any particular species, the works are incredibly realistic interpretations of the animals they imitate, making the requests at your child’s next birthday particularly bizarre. You can see more of his insects and animals on his Facebook , Tumblr , and Instagram. Capybara House fly Beetle larva Siamang Jumping spider Nautilus Spider Snail Termite Powered by WPeMatico The post New Balloon Sculptures Depicting Animals and Insects by Masayoshi Matsumoto appeared first on onArt magazine . from onartmag http://ift.tt/2rRDWh0 via IFTTT

Over the last three years photographer  Jem Cresswell  has photographed humpback whales during their annual migration to Vava’u,  Tonga , swimming with the great creatures in the vast waters of the southern Pacific Ocean. Cresswell’s series Giants captures the individual personality of the great whales, each of which seem to pose specifically for his underwater camera. “I was initially drawn to the whales’ gentle nature, sheer size and the feeling of insignificance in their presence,” said Cresswell. “Over the past 3 years returning to Tonga, I have sought to capture intimate portraits of these complex and conscious animals, bringing the viewer into the world of these mystical giants.” In addition to being intrigued by the animals’ size, the Australian-based artist is also fascinated by their brains. In 2006, spindle cells, which were only thought to be present in humans and great apes, were also found to exist within the brains of humpback whales. These cells, ...

Japanese rapper MACCHO (from Ozrosaurus) | all photos by Cherry Chill Will One weekend in 1996 when I was in high school some friends and I walked into a record shop in Shibuya and heard something that would alter the trajectory of our adolescent lives. The track was Ningenhatsudenjo (“human power generator”) and the group was Buddha Brand. The sound was raw, relatable and, best of all, undiscovered. Or at least that’s how it felt. We immediately bought the record but what we didn’t realize at the time is that we had stepped right into the rumblings of the burgeoning Japanese Hip Hop scene. And it was about to erupt. At that very same record shop a young Japanese man was working day shifts while going out to clubs at night, dreaming of one day making it as a rapper. But, sensing that he didn’t have what it takes to become an MC, he one day put down the mic and picked up a camera. This was the start of the career of Cherry Chill Will , a photographer who has been at the front of ...

Artist: Anne Speier Venue: Meyer Kainer, Vienna Exhibition Title:  Wild Date: May 3 – June 1, 2017 Click here to view slideshow Full gallery of images, press release and link available after the jump. Images: Images courtesy of Meyer Kainer, Vienna Press Release: “I find it harder and harder everyday to live up to my blue china. -Oscar Wilde “The ideal fusion of the useful and the beautiful found in these French ceramics is the essence of what inspired MaryLou Boone to assemble her outstanding collection from the foremost manufactories of the 17th and 18th centuries. Originally made to emulate Asian hard-paste porcelain imported into Europe, faience and soft-paste porcelain ultimately became distinctive and sought-after ceramics in their own right. The collection includes wares for dining and taking tea, for storing toiletries, and for preparing mixtures that comforted in time of sickness. These objects emphasize myriad aesthetic influences, ...