The Cool Hunter

Contextually it’s pivotal, an artistic exploration of the metaphysical, developed in the digital; all rhymes aside, Los Angeles based artist Anthony Gargasz,’s new collection ‘Metallic Faces’ simply cannot be ignored for these three reasons. Fifteen years ago there was no such thing as ‘Photoshop art’. The thought that art could be generated on computers would have made traditionalists cringe. However, what Anthony has managed to achieve by using his background in digital design is breathtaking and its art in the finest sense of the word. His work is far more than simply ‘generated’, instead it’s an array of elaborate details carefully constructed, layer upon layer to create clean and unique imagery. Anthony follows the exact same artistic progression as somebody who paints, sculpts or draws yet the main point of difference is that his tools are a keyboard, mouse and drawing tablet. His work does what good art should do, it takes familiarity and makes you question it. Related: Art

E-merl.com JR:Photographer showcases his 'Wrinkles of the City' project in Berlin People Bucket Korean Artist Transforms Her Small Studio Into Dreamlike Worlds Without Photoshop EmailEmail Korean artist Jee Young Lee’s beautiful dreamscapes are living proof that you don’t need Photoshop or even a large studio space to create amazing surreal images. She creates all of these scenes by hand in a room that is only 3.6 x 4.1 x 2.4 meters and then inserts herself into the pictures. Source: opiomgallery.com

Futility Closet Art as Therapy: Alain de Botton on the 7 Psychological Functions of Art by Maria Popova “Art holds out the promise of inner wholeness.” The question of what art is has occupied humanity since the dawn of recorded history. For Tolstoy, the purpose of art was to provide a bridge of empathy between us and others, and for Anaïs Nin, a way to exorcise our emotional excess. In Art as Therapy (public library), philosopher Alain de Botton — who has previously examined such diverse and provocative subjects as why work doesn’t work, what education and the arts can learn from religion, and how to think more about sex — teams up with art historian John Armstrong to examine art’s most intimate purpose: its ability to mediate our psychological shortcomings and assuage our anxieties about imperfection. Like other tools, art has the power to extend our capacities beyond those that nature has originally endowed us with. De Botton and Armstrong go on to outline the seven core psychological functions of art: What we’re worried about forgetting … tends to be quite particular.

The Daily What Incredible paintings of sci-fi suburbia will make you wish you were Swedish Welcome to rural Sweden, sometime in the late '80s. Citizens go about their mundane lives and children explore the countryside. But something isn't quite right. Robots and hovercrafts are commonplace, and decaying science facilities sprout from the harsh Scandinavian landscape. There's even a rumor circulating that dinosaurs have returned from the dead after some failed experiment. This is the world that exists in artist Simon Stålenhag's mind, and it's only accessible through his paintings. The artwork is impactful as a result of this juxtaposition between the harsh realities of life and the sci-fi technologies of our dreams. Simon Stålenhag used a Wacom tablet and pen to digitally paint the works below.

Books of Adam What Happens When You Zap Instant Film With 15,000 Volts | Wired Design Phillip Stearns is an artist who sees beauty where others see computer bugs. Phillip Stearns He collects images of artful computer abnormalities on his blog and has transformed images from fried cameras into tasteful home furnishings, but for his latest project called High Voltage, Stearns is experimenting with electricity and chemistry. Each image in this series is created by zapping Fujifilm instant color film with electricity produced by a transformer used to power neon signs. Stearns' process isn't exposing the film per se. The light from the sparks accounts for some of the bluish colors in the background of the shots, but the electrical "tree" structures, technically called Lichtenberg figures, are created when the electricity vaporizes the silver halides embedded in the film. He adds to the image by pouring liquids—bleach, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol—onto the film and arcing electricity through them which which adds chemical coloration. "Plasma.

MyLifeIsAverage An Incredible Fantasy World Mapped With Google Street View | Raw File Unorthodox Aaron Hobson Iceland Italian Drop-off Civitanova del Sannio Las Champas New York, Ireland La Línea de la Concepción South Africa Falls Middle Earth Spanish Floods Occurence Above Rio Verde Bridge Otuzco Bugarach From German forests to the French Pyrenees, from the Rock of Gibraltar to Iceland’s tundra, artist Aaron Hobson spends endless hours traversing continents looking for eye-catching scenes. There are plenty of GSV photo projects out there, but Hobson’s heavily ‘shopped Cinemascapes are a refreshing departure from the usual documentary reality. “GSV is a fantasy world,” says Hobson. Hobson estimates that 95% of his time on GSV yields nothing of interest, but an accidental benefit is an increased geographical knowledge. “Patience is key. Once he’s got a shot he likes, it’s time to add some fantasy. Hobson came to surfing GSV when he was location scouting for a movie to be directed in Los Angeles. All images: Aaron Hobson It’s just about mad enough, it might be genius.

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