Art Kaleidoscope

Air. Forgotten genius Giuseppe Arcimboldo

Forgotten genius Giuseppe Arcimboldo
In fact, almost all the works of Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1527 – July 11, 1593) are permeated with the spirit of innovation and rebellion against the existing laws of art and life. Infinitely gifted, brilliant Arcimboldo spent all his entire short life doing all available at the time creative activities. Undoubtedly, he was a great artist, engineer, scientist and designer. Besides, Arcimboldo huge personality is comparable with the great Leonardo Da Vinci. After the death, Giuseppe Arcimboldo was forgotten for a long four centuries, but revived by the efforts of the surrealists in the early twentieth century. And he immediately stood by the great Leonardo da Vinci, not inferior to him neither in the breadth of erudition, nor the universality of talent of genius.
Read more »

Red landscape. Min Klementiev stone painting

Min Klementiev stone painting
By cutting and polishing variegated stones, such as jasper, marble, porphyry, and layered chalcedony or agate, master stone-cutters reveal the amazing world inhabited by real and fantastic images of bizarre lines and spots. Lilac winter morning and red autumn sunset, blue silhouettes of snow-capped mountains and olive expanses of the steppes. Russian artist Min Klementiev from an early age loved the beauty of a polished stone. Original compositions, images, stories were constantly before his eyes. Gradually, the idea to create a painting of the stone from the beginning to the end by himself captivated him.
Read more »

Hermann Hesse landscape watercolors

Hermann Hesse landscape watercolors

Nobel laureate 1946, Hermann Hesse – one of the most widely read authors of the XX century. According to him, all his art was a “protracted attempt to tell the story of my spiritual development”, and “a biography of the soul.” And one of the main themes of the writer – the fate of an artist in a hostile society, and a place of true art in the world. Hermann Hesse began painting with great enthusiasm since the First World War. Meanwhile, being self-taught, the artist dabbled in different styles: from the naive art and modernism to the graphics. However, the main theme – landscape motifs in lush iridescent colors. Indeed, nature inspired Hesse and helped restore internal balance. Rich colors and soft light emanate from the pictures. As a result, longing for harmony and happiness, Hermann Hesse has created the most significant legacy of 3000 watercolors. His paintings transfer the rainbow colors and beauty of Ticino – his chosen dwelling place on earth where he lived from 1919 and until his death in 1962.
Read more »

Stunning realistic portrait. Russell Powell painting on palm

Russell Powell painting on palm
California based artist Russell Powell creates realistic portraits on unconventional surface – his own hand. Painting on the palm has its own characteristics and originality. Incredibly, the textured surface does not keep him from adding intricate detail and dramatic shadows that give the impression of three-dimensionality of the picture. After Powell finishes portrait, he puts his painted palm onto blank paper. We know this process as “hand-stamping”. His signature paintings are intricate portraits, mostly of celebrities. With his brush strokes, he incorporates colors, textures, and fine details onto a very unusual medium.
Read more »

Movie poster. Frankenstein 1931 horror monster film. Universal Pictures. Directed by James Whale

Frankenstein 1931 horror monster film
From the artistic point of view, the film has become a perfect example of inspiration for artists engaged in movie posters creation.
A talented scientist Henry Frankenstein decides to surpass God himself. He creates a human being with his own hands. Glued together from the remains of corpses and the brain of killer creature immediately behaves aggressively towards the creator … Based on the novel by Mary Shelley, the film immediately became a classic of horror movies and Frankenstein monster took halo of cinematic monster. It is surprising that shot in the 30s movie impresses with its interesting scenario in which lies quite instructive idea.
Read more »

Apples. Valentina Maximova Textile collage

Valentina Maximova Textile collage
Born on May 1, 1953 in the village Kostyanka of Arkhangelsk region, talented artist of applied art Valentina Maximova lives and works in the old Russian city of Uglich. In 1975, she graduated from the Yaroslavl Art School. Noteworthy, Valentina Maximova is a member of the Union of Artists of Russia (1997), and a member of the Association of Uglich artists. Meanwhile, the collections of stunning Textile collages by Valentina Maximova decorate the Uglich museum, as well as Russian and foreign private collections. In addition, Valentina Maximova is a permanent participant of regional, national and foreign (Germany, Belgium, Italy, and France) exhibitions.
Read more »

Blue and yellow. Color and Geometry by Franco Fontana

Color and Geometry by Franco Fontana

First of all, Italian photographer Franco Fontana invented “photographic line”, more common known under the name of “the concept of lines.” Accordingly, since 70s of XX century, his work, thanks to its unique and recognizable style, has become a benchmark in the field of color photography. And what makes it stand out among hundreds of works of his colleagues – an incredible sense of composition, true geometric construction of the frame, and magical selection of colors.
Read more »