La Negra is pretty much modblog royalty at this point, and as such deserves to be immortalized as a work of art. As a community defined by taking artistic expression to the extreme by permanently wearing the art, it should come as no surprise many in this community are also involved in other forms of art as well. When one person can bring fine arts and body arts together, it is particularly appealing.
This particular work of art is a watercolor & pencil piece by Jennie Philpott.
As I mentioned earlier this week you’re going to be getting a look at some of the stuff Samppa Von Cyborg has been doing while on the road in the US. Today’s post is about a recent performance Samppa and Aneta did as part of their recent NYC tour stop. The centerpiece of the show was a blood painting that Samppa did of himself, Steve Haworth, and Lukas Zpira, using Aneta’s blood. The painting is now up for auction, with all proceeds going towards relief efforts in Japan.
Keep on reading to see some shots from the performance as well as how you can own this painting. Fair warning though, it is pretty bloody.
Oh look! Press release:
On Sunday March 20th, 2011 the Von Cyborgs had their first U.S. debut performance at New York Cities Club Rebel. This avant-guard performance included suspension, needle play, blood, and candle wax. The performance began with Samppa Von Cyborg inserting multiple needles in the forehead and arms of Aneta Von Cyborg and painting the words murder + victim across her chest; as she kneeled on the stage exposing her milky white skin that created a lovely contrast to the vivid red blood. Once the needles were removed the blood was collected to be utilized by Samppa to create a master piece. As Samppa diligently went to work on the canvas in the background; Aneta remained center stage enduring pain and pleasure through use of needles and candle wax. Both performers were absolutely captivating and together created such an incredible energy. As you looked around the audience each person waited in baited breath to see what next stroke Samppa would make with the brush and what each drop of blood used would create. Each second that went by the image slowly revealed itself; though usually Samppa creates the images of notorious serial killers this time the master piece created was a blood portrait of Steve Haworth, Lukas Zpira, and Samppa himself, the C-Y-B.ORG masters whom also performed and gathered for the C-Y-B.ORG Sickness Tour. As Samppa took his last stroke; Aneta was suspended 2ft above the stage suicide style; resembling a trophy victim to be adorn. Samppa then exited the stage; leaving portrait and victim to be exposed and admired by all. Audience members remained hypnotized and amazed by the astonishing performance; which received excellent reviews and had audience members craving another dose of the Von Cyborgs. Their tour began in New York City and will continue across the U.S.; they are available and accepting bookings. In addition the portrait created has been place up for auction with bidding starting at $3000; proceeds earned will be used to help the people of Japan; a place where the Von Cyborgs have performed on numerous occasions, made many lovely friends and hold very near and dear to their hearts. All and all it can be stated that the Von Cyborgs truly are an experience to remember guaranteed to astonish
Well it looks like the beautiful Sarah B. has been busy yet again. This time, with the help of photographer Ray Del Mar, the two of them have re-imagined a couple of pieces of art into something fresh.
Is that statue in the way? Don’t worry, keep reading and you can see the original photo, without that pesky statue.
So for the first photo we have Sarah tied up to mimic the Venus de Milo. As for the painting behind her, I know I’ve seen it before, but I can’t recall exactly. Hopefully some art savvy readers can fill me in.
Next we have Sarah interjected into Edward Hopper’s “Room in Brooklyn”.
The combination of her piercings and the bondage, mixed with the classical feel of the paintings brings forth a perspective of both cultures blending together almost seamlessly.
Back in February, our very own Tristan made generous offer. He would paint a commissioned portrait and in return donate the funds to the BME Legal Defense Fund. Tristan sent me some photos of one such portrait to share with all of you.
Detail shots after the jump!
Don’t forget to check out Tristan’s website to see more of his amazing work!
What’s that you say? I can have my portrait painted and help BME at the same time? Tell me more! That’s right readers, our very Tristan, who you may remember from such posts as this one, has sent us the following:
Elation
A portrait of Robin Henry-Wilson
11 x 14
oil on boardI finished this painting in under 20 hours; record shattering speed for me. I’ve never painted someone while they were around to watch the progress or even stand over my shoulder. It was surreal. I loved watching the look on her face as she’d run by and point, “that’s me!”
I’m donating my time to help the BME Legal Defense Fund. For $200 + s/h, I’ll paint a 9″ x 12″ portrait from a photo. 100% of that $200 goes to the BME Legal Defense Fund and you keep the original painting.
I understand money is tight right now for everyone so this is a test. I’m doing one painting on a first come first serve basis. After that painting is complete, If others would like to participate I’ll paint more. If you have any questions please email me at thewhiteleaf at gmail dot com.
You can see more of Tristan’s stunning work at his website. IAM members can contact him directly through his IAM page. Non-IAM members can use the email listed above or through his website.
Don’t forget, BME’s Internship 2.0 applications need to be in by Saturday (my birthday, you know)! Keep those applications coming.
So, you want a tattoo celebrating one of your favorite movies, but one that alludes to other artists as well? What to do?
I really wanted a Star Wars tribute tattoo, and my artist really wanted to do one. I didn’t want anything overused or anything, like the insignia or a lightsaber, and I didn’t want a huge scene with ships and everything, so we decided to kind of create something. I liked the shape of the AT-AT walkers, but they were kind of beefy. I was thinking I wanted something more slender, like a Dali elephant, and here it is! I’m so happy with how it turned out, and I’m really glad to have something completely original on my body.
(Star Wars/Salvador Dali mash-up tattoo by Paul at Old School Tattoo in Bellingham, Washington.)
See more in “Sci-Fi Tattoos“ (Tattoos)
It can be a crap-shoot when adapting a painting into a tattoo, trying to balance which elements can be translated effectively and which will require certain modifications. Consider what Wil from Randy Adams Tattoo in Ft. Worth, Texas, did to interpret Dali’s The Ship here. Everything seems a little more “solid” in the tattoo than in the original (Ed. note: I am not a student of visual art and there is not even a slight chance that I’ll use the proper terminology here), and that it was consciously “tattooified” (Ed. note: This, however, is a perfectly cromulent art term) rather than the artist making an effort to create a carbon-copy of the source material. In this case, this seems like an appropriate course to take. What do you all think? About this interpretation, about adapting paintings into tattoos in general, about the world … let’s chat, ModBlog.
