Sharing Marc Cohen’s wonderful display of the sculpture garden for World Art Day!
World Art Day Carrizozo looks to be a colorful and inspiring day for fine art, poetry, fashion, music, food and drink..all along our new highway and promenade.
“Cat Hours.” All images © Rain Szeto, shared with permission
In Rain Szeto’s intricately rendered fictional universe, people partake in work and pastimes surrounded by stacks of books, snacks, merchandise, and mementos. Her detailed illustrations (previously) portray the organized chaos of everyday activities in domestic spaces and in shops, cafes, and outdoor areas. Typically centered around a single character like a baker behind a counter or a figure carrying a pot of flowers, the scenes are filled with with quotidian objects, providing a lived-in feeling that brims with colorful energy.
Based in San Francisco, Szeto began working in comics during art school, which cemented her interest in narrative drawings. Specific details like the design of food packaging, an elaborate audio mixer setup, or pastries in a glass case suggest individual hobbies, jobs, and personalities distinctive enough that they could be mistaken for real places. Many of her recent pieces also feature feline friends that stride by confidently or curl up on cushions, including an orange tabby that could just as well be making the rounds to all of the inviting spaces.
Most of these works are on view through April 26 in Szeto’s solo exhibition Idle Moments Too at Giant Robot’s GR2 location in Los Angeles. Find more of her work on Instagram.
“Loaves”
“Afternoon Movie”
“Checked Out”
Left: “Lunch Break.” Right: “Springtime”
“Corner Shop”
“First Customer”
“Noodlin’”
“Shop Cat”
“Smoked Fish”
“Summer Waves”
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Rain Szeto Renders Imaginitive Scenarios in Intricately Detailed Ink and Watercolor Illustrations appeared first on Colossal.
A photographer is refusing a prestigious award after admitting to being a “cheeky monkey” and generating the prize-winning image using artificial intelligence.
The German artist Boris Eldagsen revealed on his website that he was not accepting the prize for the creative open category, which he won at last week’s Sony world photography awards.
The winning photograph depicted two women from different generations in black and white.
In a statement on his website, Eldagsen, who studied photography and visual arts at the Art Academy of Mainz, conceptual art and intermedia at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, and fine art at the Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication in Hyderabad, said he “applied as a cheeky monkey” to find out if competitions would be prepared for AI images to enter. “They are not,” he added.
“We, the photo world, need an open discussion,” said Eldagsen. “A discussion about what we want to consider photography and what not. Is the umbrella of photography large enough to invite AI images to enter – or would this be a mistake?
“With my refusal of the award I hope to speed up this debate.”
He said this was a “historic moment” as it was the first time an AI image had won a prestigious international photography competition, adding: “How many of you knew or suspected that it was AI generated? Something about this doesn’t feel right, does it?
“AI images and photography should not compete with each other in an award like this. They are different entities. AI is not photography. Therefore I will not accept the award.”
Eldagsen suggested donating the prize to a photo festival hosted in Odesa, Ukraine.
The stunt comes at a time of intense debate over the use and implications of AI with some issuing apocalyptic warnings that the technology is on the brink of irreversibly damaging the human experience.
Recent advancements in the use of AI in chatbots, driverless cars, song-writing software and the development of pharmaceuticals has spurred the discussion. Google’s chief executive, Sundar Pichai, said concerns about AI had kept him awake at night and warned that the technology can be “very harmful” if incorrectly deployed.
A spokesperson for the World Photography Organisation said Eldagsen had confirmed the “co-creation” of the image using AI to them before he was announced as the winner.
“In our correspondence, he explained how following ‘two decades of photography, my artistic focus has shifted more to exploring creative possibilities of AI generators’ and further emphasising the image heavily relies on his ‘wealth of photographic knowledge’. As per the rules of the competition, the photographers provide the warranties of their entry.
“The creative category of the open competition welcomes various experimental approaches to image making from cyanotypes and rayographs to cutting-edge digital practices. As such, following our correspondence with Boris and the warranties he provided, we felt that his entry fulfilled the criteria for this category, and we were supportive of his participation.
“Additionally, we were looking forward to engaging in a more in-depth discussion on this topic and welcomed Boris’ wish for dialogue by preparing questions for a dedicated Q&A with him for our website.
“As he has now decided to decline his award we have suspended our activities with him and in keeping with his wishes have removed him from the competition. Given his actions and subsequent statement noting his deliberate attempts at misleading us, and therefore invalidating the warranties he provided, we no longer feel we are able to engage in a meaningful and constructive dialogue with him.
“We recognise the importance of this subject and its impact on image-making today. We look forward to further exploring this topic via our various channels and programmes and welcome the conversation around it. While elements of AI practices are relevant in artistic contexts of image-making, the awards always have been and will continue to be a platform for championing the excellence and skill of photographers and artists working in the medium.”
The victorious photographers in the 2023 Sony World Photography Awards have been revealed – and the images in this year’s winners’ gallery are as remarkable as ever.
Each year, the prestigious contest, which receives entries from across the globe, runs several competitions, including the professional contest and the open competition. Standout images include a photo of a forest in India lit up in spellbinding fashion by fireflies, a hypnotic image of raccoons on the prowl in San Francisco, a breathtaking image of an Alpine meadow in Italy and a picture that shows the Milky Way framing Chureito Pagoda, a pagoda that overlooks the Japanese city of Fujiyoshida and faces Mount Fuji.
Reigning supreme overall, the Photographer of the Year title and the $25,000 (£20,220) cash prize were awarded to the Portuguese photographer Edgar Martins for his series ‘Our War’, which paid tribute to his late friend, photojournalist Anton Hammerl, who was killed during the Libyan Civil War in 2011.
Commenting on his win, Martins – who submitted his winning series to the Professional competition – said: ‘It is quite an emotional experience because I get to honour my friend on a world stage… there’s no award that has the reach of the Sony World Photography Awards.’
Sharing his thoughts on Martins’ winning project, Mike Trow, Chair of the 2023 Professional competition, says: ‘Photography is so often about memory and its nature… Our War by Edgar Martins has used memory and invention to give us a powerful, personal set of portraits that attempt to explain the last days of his friend, the photojournalist Anton Hammerl. His work highlights the lengths photographers will go to tell a story and create meaning; each image giving a sense of the journey Anton took without ever being explicit about how his life ended. The entire jury this year was fulsome in their appreciation of the work and its narrative force.’
Exhibiting the work that captivated the judges, the Sony World Photography Awards 2023 exhibition opens at Somerset House, London, until May 1, featuring over 200 prints and hundreds of additional images from winning and shortlisted photographers. Scroll down to see some of the category-winning and shortlisted images from the overall contest – with Martins’ award-winning work at the very bottom…
!['In the area surrounding Nordenskjold Land National Park in Svalbard [a Norwegian archipelago], a lone polar bear is exposed on rocks where a decade ago there was a glacier.' So says Australian photographer Mark Fitzsimmons of this poignant picture, titled 'Climate Change'. He adds: 'Despite relatively healthy numbers in the Svalbard region of the Arctic, polar bears face many issues, including increased human/wildlife conflict, warmer summers and receding glaciers.' Impressing the judges, the image was shortlisted in the 'Natural World and Wildlife' category of the Open Competition](https://www.mecreates.com/story/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/69921287-11980687-image-a-10_1681746649852.jpg)
![Putting a spotlight on the women's peace movement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this picture is part of a series by British photographer Hugh Kinsella Cunningham. In the shot, captured in the country's North Kivu Province, peace activist Liberata Buratwa can be seen speaking to communities that were displaced by an M23 rebel offensive. Cunningham says: 'Liberata arrived to host a meeting where she received updates on the security situation to share with her network. Shifting frontlines mean that it is often unclear which areas are unsafe for civilians. Activists also speak to recently displaced civilians to collect testimonies of human rights violations they may have witnessed.' Of the wider series, he says: 'Nearly 20 years on from a conflict that killed five million people and upended tenfold more lives, the Democratic Republic of Congo is once again sliding into chaos. As renewed conflict with the M23 rebels, massacres and regional militarisation caught the world’s attention this year, the vital contribution of women to peace remains invisible. Despite escalating violence, some women are working to create [a] dialogue between armed actors and communities. They track human rights violations, warn of impending violence and plead with rebel leaders to stop attacks. In doing so, they take immense risks.' The series took the top prize in the 'Documentary Projects' category of the Professional Competition](https://www.mecreates.com/story/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/69907281-11980687-Putting_a_spotlight_on_the_women_s_peace_movement_in_the_Democra-a-5_1681746619600.jpg)
![In this dynamic shot, Kelsie Whitmore, the first female professional baseball player to play in an all-male pro league, pitches in the bullpen before a game at Richmond County Bank Ballpark on Staten Island, New York. It's part of a wider series focusing on Whitmore, which was captured by photographer Al Bello. He explains: '[Kelsie] plays outfield and pitches for the Staten Island Ferryhawks in the Atlantic League of professional baseball... on September 3, 2022, Kelsie became the first woman to record a hit in association with Major League Baseball.' The series took the top prize in the 'Sport' category of the Professional Competition](https://www.mecreates.com/story/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/69907271-11980687-In_this_dynamic_shot_Kelsie_Whitmore_the_first_female_profession-a-9_1681746619602.jpg)
As a new homeowner on a budget, I’ve taken my fair share of trips to IKEA in pursuit of adding a few affordable basics. Even as I’ve matured into a mostly post-IKEA lifestyle, the world’s most famous purveyor of modern flatpack furniture still holds sway when I need to find something contemporary, affordable (and in-stock). The Swedish brand’s super power has always been the supremely adaptable nature of their wares, a catalog imagined for every corner of the home offered at prices that tap into that same urge that makes shopping at the likes of Costco or outlet stores so impulsively dangerous.
Now celebrating their 80th anniversary, IKEA is refreshing a selection of home goods and furnishings plumbed from their archives and given a colorful, contemporary refresh. The deliciously candy-coasted Nytillverkad collection arrives to furnish the apartment and homes of an entirely new generation on a budget, and we have to admit, their design team makes a compelling case to revisit these designs with a new eye.
The Nytillverkad collection isn’t so much a single collection, but the kickoff of an ongoing series of curated reissued designs sourced from the brand’s archives, reinvented with new colors and materials, and sporting new names. IKEA says, “Over the next few years, we will release a series of carefully selected home furnishings…updated to match the bold outlook of the next generation.”
“This collection is loud, colorful, and fun. All the products have a story behind them, like one of our most iconic products LÖVET, first introduced in 1956. In the Nytillverkad version, we call it LÖVBACKEN, and it comes in orange, blue, and light green with an ash veneer top, adding a bold pop of color to any room”, says Karin Gustavsson, the Creative Leader of Nytillverkad collection, IKEA of Sweden.
The first collection is arriving to stores in July 2023, and includes mid-century style side tables, tubular stools, tree-like coat racks, round rugs, bedding, pillows, candle holders, and tablewares. Tell us what you think of the first IKEA Nytillverkad collection on our Instagram!
Odessa Arts’ MuralFest, presented by United Supermarkets & Market Street, is pleased to announce the selected artists and entertainment for the May 13th event.
“152 artists applied for the mural commissions,’ Odessa Arts executive director Randy Ham said in a press release. “We selected 4 of the best. We are so excited to bring their talents to Odessa.”
Selected muralists include: Nekoda Witsken, Dan Thompson, Maxilie Martel, and Jeremy Flores. Muralists were encouraged to create designs that celebrate Odessa’s designation as a Music Friendly Community by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2022. Mural locations and designs will be revealed when the muralists begin work the week of May 7th. Murals have been sponsored by Eofficial Enterprises.
As well as the four new murals, seventeen additional artists will be installing designs on twelve traffic boxes and five donated pianos in the downtown Odessa footprint.
“Downtown Odessa, Inc. has been an amazing partner throughout the planning process. Not only have they taken on the logistics of the permits, permissions, security, street closures, and so much more, they also helped to fund the wrapping of the remaining traffic boxes in the Downtown footprint. Each box wrap was designed by a different local artist and they also reflect the Music Friendly designation,’ continued Ham, ‘It’s one of the things that we’re really proud of with this festival. There will be permanent leave behinds that will last for years, even after the crowds have gone home. MuralFest will also include several immersive art experiences and performances. With the support of the FMH Foundation, the Bike Zoo from Austin, TX will offer opportunities for community members to ride on artist designed bicycles that resemble living creatures: butterflies, armadillos, and the first West Texas appearance of the Bike Zoo snake skeleton.
Paradox Traveling Art, an immersive art installation inside a repurposed school bus will open its doors for exploration and activities, courtesy of the Moore Foundation.
A children’s area will offer activities including painting, and other arts based crafts, and is sponsored by the Children’s Miracle Network at Medical Center Hospital.
A silent disco will give dancers the opportunity to move to the groove of three different DJs.
The newly completed Odessa College green space will host a rotating lineup of local talent including musicians, theatricals, dancers, and more.
‘We are so excited to be one of the first events in the new green space. We’ve been watching the construction with so much anticipation. We cannot thank OC enough for partnering with us on this event,’ said entertainment coordinator Amber Gray.
Forty vendors including food trucks and local artisans will line the street from 5-9pm for participants to shop. West Texas native Barry Corbin will hit the stage at 7pm at the Ector Theater with CBS7’s Jay Hendricks to talk about his Hollywood career: from Urban Cowboy to Northern Exposure. This ticketed event will benefit Meals on Wheels. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/7390622/an-evening-with-actor-barry-corbinbenefiting-meals-on-wheels-odessa-odessa-the-ector-theatre
A special Preview Party at Homemade Wines on Friday the 12th will give patrons early access to many of the MuralFest offerings. Tickets for the preview party are on sale now.
