Some Really Big Ones

Aside January 7, 2021 Markosun Art

Wild and Unique Statues from around the World

Aside January 1, 2021 Markosun Art

Mustangs, Las Colinas, Texas

Expansion, New York

The Monument of an Anonymous Passerby, Wroclaw, Poland

Salmon Sculpture, Portland, Oregon

People of the River by Chong Fah Cheong, Singapore

The Knotted Gun, Turtle Bay, New York

Break Through From Your Mold, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Black Ghost, Klaipeda, Lithuania

Les Voyageurs, Marseilles, France

Nelson Mandela, South Africa

De Vaartkapoen, Brussels, Belgium

Cattle Drive, Dallas, Texas, USA

Hippo Sculptures, Taipei, Taiwan

Mihai Eminescu, Onesti, Romania

Man Hanging Out, Prague, Czech Republic

Rundle Mall Pigs, Adelaide, Australia

Kelpies, Grangemouth, UK (To put this into scale, note the man at the bottom, middle).

Boxing gloves. Pan Am Boxing Club, Winnipeg, Canada.

Balancing Stone Artist

Aside December 31, 2020December 31, 2020 Markosun Art, Bizarre

This guy is talented. And he must have the patience of a tree sloth.

Colorado artist Mike Grab creates astonishing towers of balanced stones using nothing but gravity, and his uncanny ability to find the natural balance of the stones. Grab says the art of stone balancing has been practiced by various cultures around the world for centuries evolving from simple curiosity “into therapeutic ritual, ultimately nurturing meditative presence, mental well-being, and artistry of design”.

The most fundamental element of balancing in a physical sense is finding some kind of “tripod” for the rock to stand on. Every rock is covered in a variety of tiny to large indentations that can act as a tripod for the rock to stand upright, or in most orientations you can think of with other rocks. By paying close attention to the feeling of the rocks, you will start to feel even the smallest clicks as the notches of the rocks in contact are moving over one another. In the finer point balances, these clicks can be felt on a scale smaller than millimeters. Some point balances will give the illusion of weightlessness as the rocks look to be barely touching.

Achieving a challenging balance requires contemplation of both mental and physical elements simultaneously. You must “get to know” the rocks you are working with. Some rock characters will coordinate better with other characters of rocks and vice versa back and forth right, left, up, or down. The trick I’ve found is to play and experiment. If you keep at it, a balance will be inevitable if you make yourself present in that moment of balance. The closer you get to achieving balance, the more weightless the rock seems to feel, since the majority of the work is applied upward on the rock you are trying to balance. Another tip I would suggest is try balancing larger rocks. using larger rocks only magnifies the feeling of the “clicks”. Also, more weight will usually have more stability in wind or other erosive forces.

Bizarre paintings of giant mecha robots prowling around eastern Europe in the early 1900’s

Aside December 29, 2020 Markosun Art, Science Fiction

The Polish artist Jakub Rozalski, who goes by the sobriquet “Mr. Werewolf,” has produced an amusing series of steampunk-ish canvases in which serene and idyllic rustic landscapes of what seem to be Eastern Europe (Rozalski’s very back yard, you might say) in the early decades of the 20th century feature the prominent and inexplicable existence of completely fictitious giant mecha robots.

Various iconographies are jammed together, the imagery of peasant life in the early years of collectivization, the imagery of science fiction, the imagery of modern warfare…. add it all up and you might find yourself calling to mind, ohhh, the first few scenes of The Empire Strikes Back, set on the icy terrain of Hoth, perhaps?

Rozalski’s intent is “to commemorate this sad and tragic period in history, in my own way, to light on this parts of history that usually remain in the shadows of other events… remember and honor the history, but live in the present.” He adds, “I like to mix historical facts and situations with my own motives, ideas and visions. … I attach great importance to the details, the equipment, the costumes, because it allows you to embed painting within a specified period of time.”

Amphibious assault. Better get running!

Incredible Temple in India Bursting with Statues and Art

Aside December 29, 2020 Markosun Art, Buildings

The iconic Meenakshi Temple is located in the ancient city of Madurai in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located in the heart of the 2,500-years-old city, Meenakshi Temple is dedicated to goddess Meenakshi, an avatar of the Hindu goddess Parvati — the consort of Lord Shiva. It has long been the focus of both Indian and international tourism as well as one of the most important places of Hindu pilgrimage. For the people of Madurai, the temple is the very center of their cultural and religious life.

Meenakshi Temple was originally built by Kulasekarer Pandya in the 6th century BC, but the credit for the present look of the temple goes to the Nayakas, who ruled Madurai from 16th to 18th century. The reign of the Nayaks marks the golden period of Madurai when art, architecture and learning flourished expansively. The riot of colors, however, is a more recent addition.

The temple complex covers around 45 acres and is surrounded by 12 gateway towers called gopurams, the tallest of which is the famous southern tower that rises to 52 meters. Each gopuram is a multi-storied structure in the shape of a steep pyramid, covered with thousands of stone figures of animals, gods, goddesses and demons painted in all colors of the rainbow.

There are several shrines inside the complex dedicated to goddess Meenakshi, her consort Lord Shiva (also called Sundareswarar) and their son, the elephant god Ganesha. Both the Meenakshi and Sundareswarar shrines have gold plated towers whose tops can be seen from a great distance. There is also a sacred water tank, several halls and innumerable Mandapas. Scattered throughout the complex are staggering number of sculptures and statues of gods, warriors on horses, battle scenes, and even characters from the mighty Indian epic Mahabharata. There are an estimated 33,000 sculptures all over the temple.

The temple wasn’t always so vividly painted. The original structure was probably unpainted granite. Then people started painting the sculptures because they wanted the temple to look colorful during big events and festivals. Although it’s pretty to look at, the mindless renovations over the years have deposited thick layers of enamel paint and cement over the ancient structures, hiding the beauty of the original stone sculptures which lay underneath.

Thankfully, for the last few decades there has been a growing awareness on the need to preserve the original beauty of the temple. Several restoration work had taken place in recent years with the intention of restoring the centuries-old Meenakshi Temple to its original state.

Mi’Kmaq Warrior and Former U.S. Marine Sniper Danny Boy Stephens

Aside December 23, 2020 Markosun Art

Hailing from Canada’s East Coast Danny Boy Stephens joined the U.S. Marines and became a sniper. He also is a Mi’Kmaq Warrior and dons the Warrior uniform in stunning photos.

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head2aMy portrait of Mi'kmaq warrior, dancer, and former U.S. Marine sniper, Danny Boy Stephens.

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Marine Corps medals can be seen over his heart.

Thomas Barbey: Photo Manipulation Artist before Photoshop

Aside November 27, 2020 Markosun Art

Thomas Barbèy (born 1958, Greenwich, Connecticut) grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, across the street from the “Caran D’ache” factory, the largest manufacturer of art supplies. He started drawing seriously at the age of 13, using black “encre de Chine” and gouaches for color. His influences were Philippe Druillet, Roger Dean and H.R. Giger.

After living in Geneva for 17 years and designing posters for musical bands, he decided to move to Italy. Thomas lived in Milan for 15 years making a living as a successful recording artist, lyricist and fashion photographer. Today, he resides in Las Vegas and travels the world, taking his camera wherever he goes.

Thomas has been a photographer for over twenty years now and prefers to use his old Canon AE1s when he shoots in 35mm or his RB67 when he shoots in medium format. More recently, he has been doing Black and White Photomontages for the sole purpose of doing Fine Art, without working for a specific client.

He’s combined several images taken over a period of twenty years to create surreal situations with the help of the enlarger in a dark room. His work has a specific style and is very characteristic. He only works with Black and White, including Sepia toning at times. Thomas exhibits in galleries throughout the world and is included in many private collections.

Heavy Metal Magazine Covers from the 1980’s

Aside November 27, 2020November 27, 2020 Markosun Art

Heavy Metal is an American science fiction and fantasy comics magazine, known primarily for its blend of dark fantasy/science fiction and erotica. In the mid-1970s, while publisher Leonard Mogel was in Paris to jump-start the French edition of National Lampoon, he discovered the French science-fantasy magazine Métal Hurlant which had debuted December 1974. The French title translates literally as “Howling Metal.”