Todd Murphy

Today I went to a few galleries and found a few interesting works.  However, the most inspiring and fascinating works I discovered were those by artist Todd Murphy at the Astolfi Art gallery.  The gallery did not seem to have a cohesive show up at the moment but a few pieces from some of the artists they represent.  Todd Murphy creates mixed media paintings as well as sculptures and photographs.  The pieces of his at the gallery that I was most awe-struck with were his mixed media paintings, which are actually photographs and paper under plexi-glass that have been painted on top of on the glass and possibly the paper as well. However,  I'm only making this statement based on observation and am not entirely sure that this is true because I have not actually been able to find an artist statement or anything about his process online. An interesting fact that I did find online was that at one time his work could be bought from Restoration Hardware.  This discovery was a little disappointing because to know that an artist is selling their work through a large trend setting company means that they are mass producing work at a rapid rate in order to make money, placing less of a value on the content and concept of their work.  Nevertheless, I love the look of his paintings, which are not really justly communicated when you view a photograph online.  They carry a very rich texture and quality of light that presents an illusion to the viewer because one is not sure at first what medium they consist of.

Lynn Hershman

In my search for inspirational collage artists I found Lynn Hershman. Hershman is not a collage artist in the traditional sense however she does composite images together. I find this juxtaposition of bodies and machines to be very interesting in her series Phantom Limbs. The image I am most drawn to is an image entitled "Seduction". I believe this speaks about how seductive television has become to society and how it influences our identities. Hershman's other series are also very interesting and can be found at her website http://www.lynnhershman.com/.

Yo Insa

I recently found an artist that I am inspired by, especially with the themes I'm currently working on. Yo Insa creates photographs, graffiti murals, illustrations, and even high heel shoes. Although initially his work appears to be low brow pictures of half naked women on bikes and brightly colored patterns spray painted on walls, I believe his work speaks of the excesses seen in society in regards to materialism and sex. The work also comments on a particular kind of street culture. I especially like his set of paper dolls, showing the roles that a woman from this culture may play, focusing on stereotypical roles of a woman.

Hans Bellmer

Another artist I have been inspired by lately is Hans Bellmer. If you are not familiar with his work, he has maintained a career long obsession with the doll and creates doll sculptures as well as photographs of those cultures, drawings, and etchings. His obsession stems for his longing for an ideal girl which I wish to explore in my work. I find his photographic arrangements to be bizarre, interesting tableaus. You can see more of his work at MOMA's website. http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A452&page_number=1&template_id=6&sort_order=1

Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin

Looking through The Photograph as Contemporary Art, I found a husband and wives team, Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, that I wanted to know more about. The photo showcased in the book is titled The Widow(Black) and pictures a bizarre arrangement of a young model with a hand holding a dress behind her. I found their website(http://inezandvinoodh.com/) and am delighted with their work. It appears as though a majority of their work is done for fashion and editorial purposes and if you are hot in the fashion world, you definitely want to work with them. However, there is something more to their work than just weird fashion photography. Their work looks at exaggerations of glamour and often uses disquieting poses and odd situations to comment on this. I feel that their work is also a comment on materialism and does not present the ultra perfect presentation of the fashion world like most fashion ads one sees. I'm enchanted by their videos as much as I am their photos and especially love the Lady Gaga video, as they deal with her ever-present theme of gender and acceptance.http://inezandvinoodh.com/news/lady-gaga-you-and-i-jo/ Also, under Vintage on their website they have a short series of photos that I am drawn to. These are manipulated photos that appear to deal with the sexualization found in vintage fashion ads and are an interesting narrative.