You can view this video in crisp HD on the Vimeo Web Site.
It is my great pleasure to feature this great time lapse video of the Las Vegas strip by Allan Gange. The film features beautiful day and night shots all around Las Vegas. Allan filmed Borbay and I during our second day of painting The Welcome To Las Vegas Sign.
Here is how Allan describes the movie:
Day scenes, night scenes, time lapse and people studies. Filmed during my last trip to Las Vegas April 2011. Thanks to Ari Lankin (arilankin.com) and Borbay (borbay.com) who let me film them working. Music is Nightmare by Artie Shaw. I didn’t have a nightmare but thought the music suited the night scenes especially and the transition from day to night.
A quick anecdote about the filming:
Allan introduced himself, asked us if he could film, and then set up his camera. While he was filming me I could hear someone breathing behind me. I took a half step back and there was a giant camera in my face. I turned and said to the guy “Hey, how are you doing? You could at least say hello.” I wasn’t rude, but I wasn’t overly friendly. I’ve had people photographing and videotaping me all day, but this guy was up in my space. I felt his gut with my elbow, and he didnt even say hello. I instantly returned to painting without giving him much thought. He kept filming for a few more minutes over my shoulder. When he left Borbay says to me, ”You’re overly friendly to every person except for the camera guy working for NBC.” Oops.
Allan has other videos posted on his Vimeo account, and I can’t wait to see more, they keep getting better.
Great job Allan, this video is fire!
View Borbay’s finished painting.
Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, The Sign Painting | 24″X24″ | 2011 | Acrylic and Collage on Canvas |
Just got back from an epic painting trip to Las Vegas with Borbay. I’ll be sharing the paintings and the stories starting next week.
Let’s take a look at the last painting I finished before leaving for Las Vegas, NYC Armory II.
This painting was inspired by Armory Vault a painting I made on location in front of The Armory Show in March. Incidentally it was my first outdoor painting of the season.
This painting was created in my studio on a different ratio canvas…
Starting out with a web of fleshy pink.
A different shade of pink to add mass to the veil structure.
Sculpting the main forms in black.
Leveling out the left form with the right form.
Adding light colors give the forms volume and mass by optical cohesion.
Here comes a new ochre color.
A strip of light blue across the width of the canvas suggests a horizon.
Dropping in the blue to push the cavernous white space into the foreground.
Taking time to simplify…
Softening the verticla lines.
NYC Armory II, oil and acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40 inches, 2011.
To finish the picture I added “light” with colors to the central portion of the picture.
The pink and the ochre forms allude to land and flesh, specifically fingers and the folds of the brain. The space in between the forms is both empty and full. Light is present but the source is unknown. The space is compact and infinite. Notice how the forms seem to push up against the picture plane and invite the viewer into the picture. I can enter this picture via visual, physical, and psychological levels and thats when I knew it was finished.
Some of my best drawings from when I was kid were of hockey players. This commission painting of Jaromir Jagr is the first in my hockey series. It is a pleasure to combine two of my passions. Stay tuned for more hockey paintings, but for now let’s dive into this painting.
Started out by collaging an image to the canvas.
I block out the image I’m going to paint in yellow.
A quick line sketch with pen to get my hand and eye on the same level.
Time to explore the space and let the painting lead the way.
The figure on the right is starting to look like a hockey player.
His gaze was intense and up ice so I added this spiral from his face.
Adding more details to his face and uniform.
The yellow line is what is known as the dasher on the boards. Was toying around with it as a horizon for a landscape.
I had this Rangers crest on my studio door for a few years and decided it would live a better life in this painting. Covered by tape for a dramatic unveiling.
Some changes to the background to bring the two figures into balance with one another.
Check out that patch, it looks great in person with the metallic threads and cloth texture.
Jaromir Jagr, 11 x 14 inches, acrylic, oil, pen, collage, and cloth on canvas, 2011. Ari Lankin
Time to resolve the negative space around the figures and the patch. I added some painterly marks to activate the skaters. A few more finishing touches on the right hand Jagr to make him come alive and the painting is finished.
For the video I selected Metallica because it is one of Jagr’s favorite bands as well as the person who the painting is for.
Next up in the series is a 30 x 30 inch painting of Mike Richards of the Philadelphia Flyers.
Check out the Stanley Cup painting, Lord Stanley’s Castle.
There is nothing quite as life changing as your first born child. A new chapter full of blessings and love. The beginning of a new family full of magical moments.
For this painting I had a lot of photographs to choose from. After listening to what they wanted I chose this one for two reasons.
The first is because I like the peaceful look on his face, the sea of blankets he’s in, and the gesture of his hands. Secondly, I couldn’t stop thinking about how his Grandma told me she wonders what he dreams about when she watches him sleep. I can only begin to think about how amazing baby dreams are. The longer I look at the photo the more I see a little man full of personality. As the painting evolved I sent them process shots for their approval. It felt great hearing how excited they were about the developing painting.
For the record this is my youngest portrait. All of five days old, the incredible Robert Gaetan Specht, aka, Robbie G.
I remarked how the “G” in his name kind of sounds gangster, and his grandmother quickly said, “Because he is gangsta!” This helped inspire the choice of “Every Day” by Girl Talk for the music on the video. The song samples John Lennon’s “Imagine” and layers it with some contemporary rap beats.
The painting of Robbie G, the new Boss of the family… (Video is best viewed on YouTube in HD)
This painting starts in the shadows of a black ground, inspired by his first 9 months in the womb.
Wrong placement in the canvas which is fixed by wiping down the canvas.
We didn’t want the painting to look exactly like the photograph. I chose some of my richer colors, and experimented with form.
A real man can wear pink. Confidence is sexy. Notice how he can drive with his left hand while pretending to talk on the phone with his right. While updating the first-time father with pictures of the painting in progess, he told me ”It’s only been four weeks, but he’s growing up so fast.” I couldn’t help but laugh. Soon he’ll be asking to borrow the keys to the car.
Keeping the energy high, and the brushwork loose I start to experiment with altering the source material.
Odds are he’ll be right handed, but I increased the size of his left arm to anchor him in the composition. I also took away his driving privileges by getting rid of the steering wheel. Sorry fella, your dreaming, not driving.
The patterning on the blanket starts to spell his name, “Robbie G.”
Time to add a little more peacefulness to his face, you can never have too much.
Robbie G | oil on canvas | 24 x 18 inches | 2011
Just a little more peace, and another reference to the family name folded carefully in the blanket above Robbie G’s left shoulder.
A beautiful baby who will grow up to be a legend.
“Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one”
-John Lennon, “Imagine”
If you like the soundtrack to the video I highly recommend downloading Girl Talk’s latest LP All Day for free at Illegal Art. Here is a link to a great article in the New York Times about Greg Gillis of Girl Talk. Looking forward to hear what he comes up with next and hopefully get a chance to see him perform live. Greg if you read this drop me a line because I have a question for you.
It’s Friday, so time for another time lapse painting video. This time things are going to be slightly different. I’m going to let you watch the video without any verbal description. The play by play after the jump.
Dual, Duel?, 30 x 40 inches, oil on canvas, 2011.
The video is best viewed fullscreen on highest resolution.
Bloom, oil on canvas, 30 x 30 inches. Ari Lankin 2010
Walking the streets of New York City is like jumping into a sensory abyss. Every sense is activated. Liberation or oppression is for you to decide. People are surrounded by man made things.
I make eye contact all day on the streets. This is how the humans that graze the concrete jungle anonymously connect. The moment eyes lock is a tremendous experience. These streets serve up encounters with strangers, potential lovers, celebrities, radiant children, and old friends. This is the biggest littlest city you’ve ever seen.
I am the guy that wonders the length of the subway platform late at night looking at the debris in the tracks, the graffiti, the travelers, the architecture, and the years of wear and tear. When I notice you on the street I’m going to look you in the eyes and acknowledge your presence.
I am also the guy that invents imaginary worlds. I do this to better understand the world we live in. Our world is full of energies that are larger than the physical self. This painting is a space inspired by the greatness that we all share from a divine source of love.
Speaking of love, I’d like to thank Das Racist for their track “Rappin 2 U” off of their fresh FREE mixtape Sit Down, Man. I was inspired to use this song after seeing them the other night at their sold out show at Highline Ballroom. They are tearing it up right now, touring all over the place. Catch them when they come to your town before they blow up and only play mega stadiums. Also keep an ear out for their new album dropping this summer.
And to the process…
Starting with a blank canvas on the first sitting. Very early it had a web structure but by the end of the day it was an eye. See the next picture for a close up of the texture. I love wet into wet, and I kept this painting wet for its entire creation.
Close up detail of the left side of the eye.
The subject of the eye begins to turn into a world of the seen.
A world visible on the outside and the inside.
Simplifying the space. Activating the surface with color, texture, and patterning.
Eye contact.
Building up space around a central figure who stares back at the viewer.
Heading towards more abstraction.
Or wait, this figure has a chance, but why is it here?
That’s what I’m here to find out.
Another face immerges behind the central figure.
Too much blue. Navigating the foreground.
A feeling and a potentiality philosophy overtake singular moments of representation.
A deep feeling that has been growing inside of me for years.
A universal human spirit.
A space for things to grow amongst one another.
Place your hands in the earth.
Unlimited growth.
Starting to change the landscape feeling into something more like an architectural portrait.
Time to fuse the different feelings.
Urban, nature, science, metaphor, experience, love, budding growth… the act of painting.
Composition is starting to solidify.
Changing points of access.
Bloom is about sowing the seeds of your life. Nurture them and feel them grow. Fill your garden with love and dedication. Smell the flowers, taste the fruit, and quench your thirst. There’s plenty to go around so feed the family.
The Making of Feathered Edge from MOCA on Vimeo.
There is nothing like bringing together great minds to form something truly amazing. The Bauhaus was a school in Germany that brought together creative people from all backgrounds. The result was a creative synergy that reverberated through art, architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design, and typography. Students and faculty worked together sharing their expertise eliminating any hierarchy in the arts.
That was a very minimal introduction to the Bauhaus. My point of writing this blog entry is to hear from the international community. Do you know of any modern day Bauhaus’ like situations? They do exist, but for the most part not at an institutional level. Please take a few minutes to share with us any places you may know around the world. Whether it be a university, a warehouse in New York, the streets of Berlin… let us know.
I think the structure of the Bauhaus would be an extremely fertile environment for creative professionals. Think of a school that crosses disciplines like architecture, fashion, new media, science/technology, and the arts.
Benjamin Ball and Gaston Nogues came together to form an ambitious collaboration called Ball-Nogues Studio. A group of people working together in art, architecture and industrial design. According to their website the studio consists of these ten individuals: Benjamin Ball, Martina Dolejsova, Benjamin Jenett, James Jones, Ayodh Kamath, Jonathan Kitchens, Alison Kung, Deborah Lehman, Gaston Nogues, Rachel Shillander. (Please excuse me if any of these links are to the wrong person, I did not have time to verify each link.)
The studio also collaborates with outside professionals to customize production and process for specific projects. Take a look at Feathered Edge, an installation exploring digital technology and craft at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. Click on the title of the piece and explore the project with photographic stills, and a great 7 minute video.
Here is the amazing project description in their own words:
Feathered Edge was commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. The project explores the convergence of digital technology and craft. It is one in a series of installations curated by Brooke Hodge and Alma Ruiz. Integrating complex digital computation, mechanization, and printing with traditional handcrafted production techniques, Feathered Edge explores our desire to alter a space with fluid architectural forms that require a minimal use of material while utilizing a new proprietary technique that yields the effect of three dimensional spatial constructs “printed” to resemble objects hovering in space.
Feathered Edge is comprised of 3604 individual lengths of twine, totaling 21 miles, that have been dyed, cut, and then suspended from mesh scrims installed on the walls and ceiling of the gallery. With the aid of the “Insta-llator 1 with the Variable-Information Atomizing Module,” a machine designed and manufactured by Ball-Nogues Studio especially for this installation, the strings were precisely saturated with solvent-based inks, created by a chemist for the project, using four digitally controlled airbrushes and then cut to varying lengths. Using specialized parametric software developed with a software programmer, we generated a map that was printed onto the scrim to establish the proper locations and lengths of the twine in the space. Each piece was attached to the mesh scrim, and then knotted by hand in a technique similar to that used to make latch-hook rugs. The weight of the string creates a complex system of overlapping catenary curves on which cyan, magenta, yellow, and black segments were “printed” to yield the effect of ghostly three dimensional objects. Sometimes the objects are visible, at other times they blur to resemble a fluid-like vapor that floats and hovers in the gallery space.
The software used to develop the parameters of the resulting ephemeral spatial condition can yield nearly infinite possible design configurations. While the environment is defined by the string formations and printed “objects,” it is also constructed from the negative space found within the array of catenaries, which allows sight to extend into and throughout the spatial structure. The space is activated by people, movement, and light, creating a continually changing experience.
Computers are great at quickly analyzing large amounts of information, then generating data used for fabrication, but they can’t yet produce fully realized works of architecture. At best they can produce highly accurate components and spatial mappings or systems, this is where hand craft comes in. We use our hands and our knowledge of material as a filter for the digital possibilities and to achieve the final “built” environment; in effect, we use the prowess of the computer to push the limits of the hand.
Feathered Edge is the third in a series of projects we refer to as “Suspensions.” Unseen Current (2008), exhibited at Extension Gallery for Architecture, Chicago, featured 2,500 suspended string catenaries, and Echoes Converge, exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 2008 used string to create intricate patterns inspired by the baroque ceilings of the city’s buildings. These softly structural, open-air spaces encouraged social interaction, enveloping rather than obstructing viewers.
Principals in Charge: Benjamin Ball, Gaston Nogues
Project Management: Andrew Lyon
Project Team: Chris Ball, Tatiana Barhar, Seda Brown, Patricia Burns, Paul Clemente, Sergio d’Almeida, Jesse Duclos, Matt Harmon, Karlie Harstad, Ayodh Kamath, Jonathan Kitchens, Andrew Lyon, Lina Park, Tim Peeters, Sarah Riedmann, Joem Elias Sanez, Geoff Sedillo, Norma Silva, Caroline Smogorzewski, Beverly Tang, Blaze Zewnicki, Sasha Zubieta, and the preparatory staff of MOCA.
Feathered Edge was on view July 26-November 15, 2009
Rigging: Kelly Jones of Jax Logistics
Custom Software Development: Pylon Technical
Live Video: Peter West
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” – Albert Camus
My client lives in the Northeast but loves the island lifestyle. For this commission we wanted to create a window to a tropical world. In his words, “I want to wake up everyday and feel like I’m on the beach.” My dream is to have a place in New York City and a place on a remote island, so I was excited to create a portal to a tropical getaway.
Part of my commission process is to keep the client updated with process shots. I turned the process shots into a time elapse video. The original music, “Desert Walk” is by Lior Magal of D-otherside Music Group.
A painting is a window to another world.
Tabula rasa.
The central tree is the strongest part of the painting so i started with that and a horizon line. I love sitting on the beach and seeing the slight curve of the horizon on the ocean.
Filling in the negative space to shape the tree.
Color number two, laying down the groundwork for the leaves.
Starting to get the total composition down. Kind of looks like an unfinished Cézanne. Cezanne often paints with clusters of closely placed linear brush marks. He is also known to keep sections of his canvas bare. I think one of the reasons he did this was to make it easier to carry a wet painting home.
Starting to fill in the left side of the painting.
The trees are starting to come alive.
Next comes the water.
Yellow and green give the trees more vitality.
Starting to add some detailed work to give everything a little more personality.
Keep your eye on the left side. The bushes are taking shape as well as some wetness in the sand.
Some darks to add more depth. Leaving some of canvas untouched in the clouds to show my respect for the picture plane.
The Dream, oil and acrylic on canvas, 36 x 60 inches, Ari Lankin.
A scene good enough for a Corona commercial. Don’t you wish you could just hop into this painting whenever you wanted?
After you check this out, or even before you check this out, watch the video I posted yesterday at 9pm, this is the video 13 hours later. If I had more mixed paint I would still be painting.
I decided to shoot a quick impromptu iPhone video tour of my studio after getting off the phone. Shot at 9pm on 10/28/10, one glorious take. A little Bon Iver playing in the background. At the 1:30 mark I invented the canvas cam, and I did manage to breach my two minute self-imposed time limit. Enjoy!
