This aeroplane coffin, made in 1951, was the first such coffin in Ghana. Made by brothers Kane and Adjetei Kwei, the coffin was their final gift to their 90-year-old grandmother who had never been in a plane but told them she often day-dreamed of flying.
The tradition for fish coffins is believed to have originated in the village Teshi, where fishermen were buried in two canoes bound together in the shape of a fish.
I was so happy to find information on Paa Joe today. When I was in 2nd grade I remember reading an article about him in Nation Geographic for kids. He's an artist/craftsman from Ghana that makes these amazing coffins to reflect the what the owners profession was during their life (prostitute to fisherman). It was such a beautiful amazing imaginative craft that I began to daydream about all the things I wanted to be burried in. And maybe that's a bit morbid ...but it was a light hearted funny idea at the time.
David Barth is an extremely talented 12 year old boy with autism. He has been published in a book titled Drawing Autism which included David's drawing called "Birds" which included 397 different species. super cool stuff.
Matt Lifson's explosive surreal paintings are pretty amazing. It's even more amazing that he's only 26. He currently resides in LA where he is getting his masters at Otis.
You might recognize the style from El Guincho's Bombay video, all of which were directed and produced by CANADA, a super creative Spanish company. They do everything from advertising to music videos. I love the flashes of quick stunning imagery- very provocative but in just the right way.
Barbara Kruger is an artist with an obvious graphic design background. Her trademark black and white images with confrontational red and white text speaks to power and control. Her work has been displayed publicly in a typical advertising setting so it has that same attraction and play with its luring promise of fulfillment but it allows us to discover its deception.
Jenny Holzer is another artist that uses words to provoke response."While her subversive work often blends in among advertisements in public space, its arresting content violates expectations."(Art21)
"Robert Montgomery works in the situationist tradition and continues to relentlessly hijack advertising spaces across the globe in order to provide a reflective space in which a public so used to being psychologically bludgeoned into a consumerist daze can find some respite from the relentless static of the modern world." Dazed. It's interesting to be bombarded with such emotionally charged melancholic poetry in a public space.
"Places and Objects are alive, we make them alive, they tell our stories and tales. Sewing poems in clothes in a way is giving the garments a voice. We are in relation -- with others, with things, with the world. This being-in-relation, is a way of perceiving, a mode of moving, a narrative of global truths designed by cultural fictions. Sewing poems in clothes is a way of bringing poetry to everyday life just by displacing it, by removing it from a paper to integrate it and fuse it with our lives. Sometimes little details are stronger when they are separated from where they are expected to be." I have done a post about Agustina Woodgate's stuffed animal rugs in April but there is something much more successful about her poetry bombing. love it. I love when art can be found in unsuspecting places in public.
Matthew Reamer has photographed the movement of Scraper bikes in Oakland. This trend should not be taken lightly, it has helped many to express themselves and keep young people out of trouble. To learn more about this social movement and positive trend check out their blog as well as the video below. Pretty amazing!