The jelly’s in the pot
On my best days I feel just like a great white shark. Not all-conquering and indestructible — though I have my moments — but rather that if I ever stop moving, if I take a moment to correct myself in the full glare of the light, I’ll probably sink. I think this a sentiment typical of our time: we’re a people of movers, a swarm of busy-ness. We’re motivated not so much by greed as we are by an overriding fear of failure. And as a result, we create, we experience, and we consume far more than anyone else before us. We’re individualists, yet form clusters within. We’re dreamers, wheelers and schemers. We’re movers. Generation text? The baby boomboxers? Whatever. We defy categorisation because we don’t stay in one place — neither physically, mentally nor emotionally - long enough to own it. Our world gets smaller by the second and as it does, the mystery … the joyous excitement of new discovery, becomes less definable. How nice would it be to strip back the fine layers of resilience to leave us all vulnerable for a while. To feel the rawness of each new breath as it surges through our lungs. To be exposed to the realness of it all. At least for a day or two. Or until the next series of Temptation Island hits the screens. [illustration by Fernanda Cohen]
- 4
- 3
Also by ZOLTON
The vision of South Korean design consultancy Heerim Architects, the 35 story Hotel Full Moon is being built in Baku, Azerbaijan, on the west coast of the Caspian Sea.
Benjamin Johnson and Vince Agostino
I like the retro colours and subtle detail that permeates the work of Australian illustration and design duo, Benjamin Johnson and Vince Agostino.
Crazy chairs from the Campana brothers
Who said chairs had to be boring? Or practical? This range of chairs from designer brothers, Fernando and Humberto Campana, nicely blurs the line between form and functionality, art and science. Read more
YOU'RE SAYING (3)
jenn said | 9 April, 2008
2:27 am - time check…..up late with strep throat reading posts by Zolton.
This is well written and i think it worthy enough to let you know so. It all drives right home to the heart of it that we are “motivated not so much by greed as we are by an overriding fear of failure.”
Andy said | 18 July, 2008
Zolt… I love these thoughts mate, and this line: ‘the mystery … the joyous excitement of new discovery, becomes less definable’ really strikes a chord.
For example, comparing the historical musings of ancient travel in the novel (or in my case, audiobook) ‘The Art of Travel’ to today’s Google Earth rich, guidebook laden tourist trail just seems worlds apart. As the world shrinks and we all become more informed of places far and wide from our living rooms, we’re losing the romance and thrill of the sheer unknown. Shame, really.
When I arrive in a new city with no bookings, no guidebook and not even a map, people stare bewildered when I say ‘Hey! I just got here. Where should I stay? What should I do?’. I guess they don’t get it. They don’t understand why I love wandering into the unknown. Little do they know, there’s nothing more exciting than discovery.
These musings of your are seriously top notch. Thought provoking, real and emotional.
HAVE YOUR SAY
We love the work of Canadian-born, New York raised illustrator, Benjamin Marra. We asked him about it recently. Read more
The latest band to make LA proud is tropical-nu wave act Abe Vigoda. These guys are so new and so exciting that even your grandparents don’t know who they are. Yet! They describe themselves as tropical punk, but I like to think of them as nihilistic rockers — no form, no shape, just chaos. If LA’s new breed of punk popstars such as Health, Meiko Meiko and Pocohauntas make you tremble, then this band are sure to get you very worked up.
Palpably somber, the beautiful work of Californian illustrator Jorge Mascarenas really lends the viewer a tangible means through which to wallow in quiet melancholy. Read more
10:15 is a photoblog on which participating photographers from around the world snap a shot every day at 10:15am sharp and post the results. Read more
The very talented Jess Snow, the first video artist to be featured by Female Persuasion — the original site for provocative and political female artists — has created this ethereal short video for Lost At E Minor. We feel it. We love it. [see also the promo video Lifelongfriendshipsociety created for us]
The graduate exhibition of third year graphic design students at Sydney’s Design Centre is called 342 Seconds and relates to the estimated time required to view the show. The exhibition takes place on December 3 and looks to be well worth checking out, if these works by Jenny Lee [above] and Sean Batchelor [below] are anything to go by. You can check into their blog and stay up to date with events leading up to the opening. Read more
Love your Converse All Stars? Well, designer Daryl Van Wouw has taken his obsession to the next level, creating an entire pant and shoe configuration. Yes, it’s a very interesting design. But practical? That depends entirely on the whims of the individual.
WE'RE RESPECTING
WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST
While I am as impressed as anyone with an artist’s ability to render accurate and lifelike human figures, I’m more often compelled aesthetically by looser and more stylized images such as Camilla Engman’s. The wide-set eyes, bulbous bodies, and skewed proportions of the people and animals in Engman’s paintings lend them a certain expressiveness and melancholy. Read more
James Blagden’s neon fantasies
New York illustrator James Blagden’s work is so wonderfully trippy, I feel like I need to wear shades and a top hat when looking at them just to do them justice. Read more
Saira McLaren’s interpretation of the spiritual world
Saira McLaren is a Canadian born, Brooklyn-based artist whose blurred paintings of the natural and spiritual world are disturbing for what they reference as well as what they deny. McLaren has shown at Heskin Contemporary, New York, NY, Acuna-Hansen Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, and Mississippi State University. Read more
When I was living in China, a friend of mine had an idea to publish a guidebook about the country’s bathrooms because many expats spend the first few months living abroad going through unfortunate, awkward, and nightmarish experiences coping with sanitation issues, squat toilets, and curious locals trying to catch a glimpse of Western junk. WorldToilet.info is a hilarious but very useful resource for travelers wondering what to expect and how to behave in various exotic locals when nature calls.
I’m a sucker for just about anything to do with printmaking. UK illustrator Jonny Hannah makes a very strong case. Busy, colorful, spontaneous and brimming with inspiration, THIS is the stuff amazing is made of. Read more
Legendary pop culture artist and Agit Pop founder Ron English will be a guest compiler of an upcoming issue of our email newsletter, writing about his favorite cultural discoveries. To read Ron’s edition of Lost At E Minor, simply sign up to our weekly newsletter. It’s free, you win!
Using both highly rendered images and softer graphic design elements, Nate Frizzell weaves stories into his paintings that we all can see ourselves being a part of. Giclee print on Sommerset velvet archival paper 12”x20” in a limited edition of 25.
Discuss
- hdacvt on "The Relentless Eye"
- Stomp on "Gutter Twins Announce Sideshows"
- JamieD on "Melbourne Bride Wedding Expo"
- shoebuy on "art in shoes"
- lucebaz on "Freelance Graphic Designer in London"
- lucebaz on "Freelance Graphic Designer in London"
- JaneAbma on "The Grafik Museum"
- teacut on "Illustration vs fine art"
DISCOVER MORE
SO...
SEARCH: Can't find what you're looking for? Do a search..
IS IT GOOD FOR YOU TOO?
We hope you're enjoying your time on Lost At E Minor, but it’s not over yet. Got something to share? Tell us about it and we'll look to publish it. If you want to have your work featured on the site, we'd love to hear from you. Or if you’d just like to talk amongst yourselves, that’s cool too. Pssst, we also have an online store stocking some of the goodies we feature on the site.
If you're a media agency and want to use this platform to connect with our readership, then drop us a line and tell us about it. Oh yeah, and we do digital consulting for cool brands that want to reach the sort of demographic that visits this site.
Rebecca said | 9 April, 2008
This is beautiful writing. Very insightful, i aim for this :).