Lost AT E Minor

Sam Weber

There’s some awesome new work up on New York-based illustrator, Sam Weber’s website, including this one above which is did for the Soulpepper Theatre. We asked him a little while back about what his studio workspace was like: ‘I am fairly particular about where I like to work, and what sort of stuff I like to have around me. There are things that I look at often — a book of Max Ernst collages, one on Yoshitaka Amano, and a big stack of clippings from magazines and the Internet that I will periodically leaf through to get inspired’. Read more

Marton Schoeller’s Portraits of Female Bodybuilders

Marton Schoeller’s new book of portraits aims to highlight the contrast between the extreme physiques of female bodybuilders and the vulnerability expressed through their eyes and nuanced facial expressions. Read more

Brandt Peters

Trapped in a time warp between then and now, the work of Brandt Peters combines an old school aesthetic with a modernity bordering on futuristic fantasy, with a touch of morbid fascination thrown in for good measure. In other words, he creates wonderful imagery combining cartoon-like pin-ups with sometimes freakish attributes (large skulled beings, for instance), and every now and then seems to throw in a nod to sci-fi — such as a mechanical glass jar — for good measure. Muted tones replace the bawdy colours often associated with such mediums, giving his pieces a whimsical, dream like quality. He must live in a delightfully wispy world.

Corey Arnold

Corey Arnold’s world straddles two disparate, yet wonderfully integrated, pursuits — he works as both a professional photographer and an Alaskan crab fisherman. Now there’s a story. We asked him how his inside perspective on human and animal relationships influences his photographs: ‘When I was a kid, I used to stalk birds and other animals with my BB gun in the backyard. My hunter instinct was strong and I’d spend hours searching for victims. Then, after killing something, I was torn by my adrenaline fueled sense of accomplishment and deep sadness for what I had done. The same applied to sport-fishing as a child. The goal was, of course, to seek out and kill the largest, most beautiful fish! At home, I’ve fathered many pets — cats, snakes, dogs, and rabbits. For some instinctual reason, I’m endlessly curious about animals. I like to be in close quarters with them, whether it be gutting a fish for dinner or letting my cat sleep on my head. The human animal series came along naturally. It’s a series of curious animal situations that I’ve encountered throughout my recent life. This is an ongoing series, an exploration of how we relate to animals, and it covers a broad perspective of events both real and designed. My time at sea as a commercial fisherman has given me a more animal perspective on animals than a human one in some ways. The goal is to make pictures that are sometimes brutal and often ridiculous, which is how I experience our shared world with animals’. Read more

Christine Callahan’s colourful photography

There is magic in these photographs by New York photographer, Christine Callahan. The vibrant colors and the beauty in the everyday give me the feeling that everything is going to be just fine. Read more

Claire Beckett’s In Training: Soldiers before War

Boston-based photographer Claire Beckett earned a BA in Anthropology from Kenyon College and an MFA in Photography from the Massachusetts College of Art. Her photo series — In Training: Soldiers Before War — was inspired by the two years she spent as a part of the Peace Corps Volunteers in the Republic of Benin, West Africa. We interviewed her about it: How did this project begin? ‘I was drawn to this subject initially in late 2004, around the time that there was a lot in the news about the lack of up-armored humvees (the armor necessary to protect soldiers). At that time, we weren’t allowed to see photographs of the coffins of deceased soldiers. I felt a strong compulsion to make work on the subject because I thought it deserved more attention than it was getting. I have stayed with the work because I still find the subject moving, and because it really interests me’. Read more