ArtworkX of Mann - International Arts Agency

The Beauty of Realism and Impasto

2012-03-01T04:23:00.003-08:00

Hello and welcome. My name is James Flynn, and I am a new member of this brilliant site, and I would like to welcome you to my first post!......

It has been a long fascination with me how there are many different ways to express what you see using paint.
My personal artistic journey so far has been a long and exciting one!
In my opinion, the two extremes at either end of the scale, has to be "hyperealism", and "impasto" painting techniques. There is no way anybody can say which is best, and this is not the purpose of this post, rather I would like to highlight and celebrate both of these brilliant techniques, and show you the best paintings that I have gathered from both sides of the spectrum.

I will start with the paintings that used to catch my eye back in the day, when I was first discovering the art world, and which still fascinates me today........

"Hyperealism"........

What you are seeing here is the work of Roberto Bernardi.
This mans paintings really have to be seen to be believed. And even when you see them, you still can't quite believe it!!
This painting could quite easily be passed off as a photograph, and it amazes me still that anyone can actually paint in this way.

Here is another by Roberto Bernardi....

Quite amazing, I think you will agree.
Lets see some more amazing hyperealistic paintings, this time from Raphaella Spence......

Again, these paintings are so detailed and real, you only know that you are looking at a painting when somebody tells you that it is!.....

And lastly, I will show you a painting from Simon Hennesy......

And from Tom Martin.......

So there it is, "hyperealism".
Quite an amazing method of putting down paint I hope you all agree. And I used to wonder how on earth anyone could actually top this?
How could you portray anything with paint following paintings like these?

Well, that is the beauty of art.
A painting does not have to be as detailed and precise as the ones shown above to be a good painting (although the above paintings are good in my opinion, and credit goes out to the artists concerned), and the following paintings that I have gathered, certainly prove it.

Here is a painting from an artist I have recently discovered called Leonid Afremov.....

Quite the opposite end of the scale I think, but a beautiful painting nonetheless.
And here is another from the same artist......

Much less of a realistic approach, but what an amazing "atmosphere" this artist creates!

I will move onto another fascinating artist I have recently discovered called Francoise Nielly. She is an amazing portrait artist who I think paints in a very impasto style, using bright, fluorescent colours........

Francoise Nielly really is an amazing painter, and worth checking out...http://www.francoise-nielly.com

And finally I leave you with a another great example of impasto painting by Ben Quilty.....

A slightly disturbing painting, but great nonetheless!!....

So there it is, the two extremes for all to see.
This is the beauty of painting for me, the fact that you can portray things in different ways and different styles, and still produce great paintings.
And I will continue to appreciate both of these amazing styles and I hope that you do too.

I hope that maybe this has given you an extra bit of inspiration!.....

Keep on painting and creating, and I will see you next time, thanks for reading.
James Flynn

2012-02-24T05:53:00.005-08:00

ART REVIEW - 2011

Faye Halsall: Art Review by http://kittycrozier.wordpress.com/

Posted: September 21, 2011 in Uncategorized

She calls it CasaBlanca. It has a kaleidoscopic, rich, spirited and vivacious quality reading full of vim and vigor that wildly records a dreamy and abstract reality.

Faye Halsall is a dynamic Manx Artist, born and bred in Douglas. Faye’s talent lies safely in watercolours, but her work with oil pastels has created pieces of art beyond the barriers of colour vibrancy and vivacity.

Her striking images on canvas are fiery and effervescent. The beautiful, bold imperfect perfections in her artistic style host a captivating and lively energy. That demanding exuberance would stop the most traditional art lover in his accustomed tracks.

Faye’s playful and spirited pieces are true visually buoyant conceptualisations of her zestful and passionate personality.

This artist seems to have a love of visually rewriting the laws of physics and biology in her visualisations of people, flowers and cityscapes. Changing Mother Nature’s pallet on a whim to support still frame snippets of her harlequin mind.

In her recently sold ‘Flutterbys’, Faye shows her skills at their most brilliant and bold. ‘Flutterbys’ depicts vividly arresting colours, patterns and fiery shapes in greens, gold, reds, blues, creams and pinks, swirling, launching and flowering across the canvas with purposeful collusion.

‘Flutterbys’ looks like a metaphysical dream, with what seems to be the shape of a human in awe or shock at a surrounding pandemonium of colour.

Faye’s ‘Fuchsia’ offers something different, a remarkable flower and bud, showering the page with a fiercely hot red against tranquil greens and blues. Uncharacteristically, Faye’s hyperbolical understanding of this natural juxtaposition harmonises to create a bewitching and beguiling piece of art.

Faye is currently a member of the Isle of Man Arts Society and a contributor to joint & group exhibitions both on and off Island. Her unique artistic style is a treasure to behold, I look forward to seeing her solo show toward the end of the year.

Here, on the Isle of Man, we have artists waiting to be heard, ideas waiting for a chance to detonate, we have talented, experienced amateur and professional avant-garde artists with the gusto and creative genius to produce inspirational work.

Check out Faye Halsall’s full collection at:

http://www.artworkxofmann.com/prod_cat/category_517_faye_halsall.html

New Year Greeting to all our Friends!

2012-01-06T03:21:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to you all and thank you for your support in 2011.

Personally, 'Boy am I glad to see the back of 2011' I have never been so depressed listening to the news in general about all the ills which have beset the world as a whole.

However, before you begin to switch off, get more depressed of decide that, your Art Career has not worked for you....

There is GOOD NEWS - Light at the end of that tunnel, hope at the end of that rainbow:-))

Yes folks, the latter stages of 2011 were astounding for Artists, Art Lovers, Art Buyers, Collectors and all Creative's in general as there were record purchases of artwork from mid November 2011 and the best news is it is continuing even now!

So, don't lose heart, get in on the action and fire your Art career into the next gear for 2012.

Hear are some tips on how you can do this for yourself...For FREE, except for the your time of course!

1. Organise the images of your artwork, held on your computer, laptop or photo album

2. Check out some free websites and upload your artwork to them, here a couple of favourites which my team have put together for you.
http://www.artflakes.com/
http://www.mygall.net/
http://www.saatchionline.com/
http://fineartamerica.com/
http://wix.com

All of these offer FREE website creation, just take the time to Explore, upload and promote.

3. Set up a BLOG and tell people who you are and invite them to like, join or follow your art.

Do the same with twitter and facebook. In the case of Facebook, please remember to make your image small and place a Copyright marker on them as otherwise they will be claimed by others as their own work, NOT GOOD!!

So, I sign off by saying to all of you...Enjoy your Art, in 2012 and if you think this advice was helpful? Then do join my blog to get regular snippits of Art News to help you in your quest to become the next X-Factor Artist of 2012.
here is our gallery address for more art News and Images - http://artworkxofmann.com/

Best of Luck

Roberto
CEO - AOM Enterprises Lt

I will promote you or your video to my 20,000+ youtube friends for $4

2012-01-03T00:58:00.000-08:00

I will promote you or your video to my 20,000+ youtube friends for $4

Which Princely Personality are you?

2011-11-29T01:26:00.000-08:00

MONDAY, 31 OCTOBER 2011

Which Princely Personality are you?

Take our quiz and find out which historical figure you are most like.

In social situations you would describe yourself as:

The quiet one: You like to sit back and let others make the decisions
The wild one: You’re always up for gambling, partying, you name it
The entertaining one: always singing, dancing and making others laugh
The flirty one: You love making others blush, and aren’t shy about letting others know you think they’re cute

Your favourite subject in school was:

History and Geography
Textiles: the only way to inject fabulous fashion into the dreary school days
Drama: you’re a triple threat, and then some
English: you never could get your head out of the books

You find your biggest flaw is:

You lack self confidence
People think you’re shallow and superficial, when you aren’t
People judge you by your family, rather than for yourself
You have trouble committing to people

If we asked, your friends would describe you as:

Cold and serious.
Beautiful and glamorous.
Empathetic and talented.
Ambitious and successful.

In what field would be your dream job?

Education: A teacher or professor
Fashion: a fashion designer, or a model
The arts: signer, actress, or playing an instrument would keep you happy
Big business: CEO, president, something for you ruthless ambition.

Now tally your answers and find out who you would be.

Mostly A’s…

You are the last king of France, King Louis XVI. You resemble Louis XVI, a quiet, intelligent man who lacked the self confidence to be a ruler, preferring the academic pursuits to the political. Mistaken for being cold and hostile, you really are just shy, rather taking a back seat to making the big decisions. That’s not a problem, as long as you don’t reach the same sticky end as Louis XVI did!

Mostly B’s…

You are the glamorous, infamous, party girl herself; Marie Antoinette. You are on the cutting edge of fashion and everything cool, wild and always up for a good time, much like the last queen of

France

. People sometimes think you’re superficial, but at heart you are sweet and loving, if not a little extravagant.

Mostly C’s…

You are the talented Madame Pompadour, the official mistress of Louis XV. Madame Pompadour and you both share an artistic flair, enjoying the stage, opera, or even playing an instrument. It’s not all about the drama though; both Madame Pompadour and yourself are empathetic to the feelings of those around you, striving hard to win everybody over.

Mostly D’s…

You have a lot in common with the Russian Empress Catherine the Great II. Ambitious and confident, you won’t let obstacles stand in your way. You know what you want and don’t care about what people say, as long as you get it. Your flirty streak sometimes gets you into trouble, but you know its other people’s jealousy that sparks the rumours, and so far from the truth it’s laughable.

2011-11-24T08:05:00.000-08:00

Wildlife Artist Of The Year Competition 2012

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Julie

Now in its fourth year, our wildlife art competition attracts many hundreds of entries in a spectacular array of different styles and media, from the UK and around the world – last year, we received artworks from as far away as India, China, Brazil and Australia. So choosing the winners is a pleasurable challenge for our panel of expert judges.

Last year a superb pastel study of a pair of Amur tigers bewitched the judges with its powerful composition and strong sense of movement and light. Amur Ambush won Stella Mays the prestigious title of BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year 2011 and an unforgettable trip to Sabah, Borneo, in search of orangutans.

This years categories:

• British Mammals (behaviour and portraits)
• British Birds (behaviour and portraits)
• All Other Wildlife (behaviour and portraits, in the UK and worldwide)
• The Wonder of Plants (British and worldwide)
• Beneath the Water (marine and fresh water)
• Animals in their Environment (British and worldwide)
• World Mammals (behaviour and portraits)
• World Birds (behaviour and portraits)
• Black and White Nature (pencil, lino cuts, etchings, wood block etc)
• Visions of Nature (innovative, creative impressions of wildlife)
• Frozen Planet (please note: entries must feature animal life)
• Endangered Species (entries must feature species listed by the IUCN as ‘Endangered’ or ‘Critically Endangered’)
• International Artists – a category judged digitally, exclusively for artists outside of the UK. This is to save our international entrants the great costs of sending artwork to the UK. International artists can enter up to eight images in this category only.

No artwork may be entered in more than one category, aside from international artists. The artwork must not have won a prize in any other competition anywhere in the world, or been published by a third party. Artwork must feature wildlife – birds, mammals, waterlife, invertebrates and plants – in a natural or captive environment. Computer-generated artworks will not be accepted.

Eligibility

The competition is open to all artists worldwide aged 18 or over, amateur or professional.

Prize

The BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year 2012 will win a place on a 10-day painting safari in Botswana (worth £3,450). This incredible trip will run in October 2012. The prize includes flights from the UK and accommodation is in comfortable camps – a truly unforgettable experience.

All of the category-winning pieces will be showcased at the prestigious annual exhibition of the Marwell International Wildlife Art Society in August 2012, in a special display alongside the work of 200 other artists and sculptors. The awards ceremony will take place on the opening night of the exhibition.

The overall winning artwork will also be displayed at The Natural Eye, the 48th annual exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists at the Mall Galleries, London, in autumn 2012.

All of the category-winning pieces will be published in the August 2012 issue of BBC Wildlife (on sale 4 July). The winning, runner-up and commended artworks will also be published in an online gallery.

2011-11-24T02:57:00.000-08:00

Portuguese Surrealism In The 21st Century

Santiago Ribeiro and Paula Rosa

November 18th, 2011 by Leo Plaw

Surrealist artists Santiago Ribeiro, from Coimbra and Paula Rosa, from Lisbon, will organize an exhibition entitled “Portuguese Surrealism in the 21st Century”, at Moinho das Lapas Museum, in Cernache, Coimbra, Portugal.

Santiago Ribeiro will present traditional paintings, oil on canvas, while Paula Rosa will present digital mixed media artworks. This exhibition offers to the public the possibility to see around 15 artworks that will enrich the space of the museum, under the direction of Marco Cruz.

The exhibition will open on Saturday 8th December and continue to January 8th and can be visited, Monday to Friday, from 2pm to 7pm.

“Portuguese Surrealism in the 21st Century” is a project that aims to celebrate the Surrealism’s transversality understood as awareness in the face of civilization and culture, rejecting conventionalities and diving into the realm of absolute freedom of expression. Far from feeding sterile polemics and meta- perceptive languages, the project exalts the revolutionary and avant-garde aspects of the surrealist imagery, focused on the insight, the discovery, the internal development of the artist and in the importance of the metaphor, symbol and analogy.

As an art movement, Surrealism has its chronological origin perfectly defined in the history of art, in the context of the 20’s of the last century, a period of strong social and political uncertainty, an aspect which has been recurrent in the history of our civilization. Prevailing cultural beliefs in Europe, as well as human vulnerability, were being questioned facing a reality more and more difficult to understand and to accept. Surrealism sought to overcome the conventional and traditional perception of reality, developing an aesthetics based on the value of the Freudian findings about the Unconscious as a complement to the conscious life and the dream’s ability to communicate. It appears, therefore, as awareness, opposing to the conventions with freedom itself, replacing positivism by dreams, the unbelievable, the unusual, because it was felt that man overcomes the limitations of matter in the pursuit of abstract.

Portuguese Surrealism In The 21st Century

Santiago Ribeiro and Paula Rosa Exhibition

2011-11-23T10:40:00.001-08:00

Japanese Art Department

Japanese Paintings, Prints, Ceramics, and Works of Art Auctions

The year 2009 has seen Bonhams become the UK's leading auction house for Japanese art.

Since Bonhams held its first dedicated auction of fine Japanese art in London in November 2007, the department has gone from strength to strength, recently achieving top prices for Meiji Period metalwork, cloisonné enamel and ivory works of art. Our internationally renowned and highly regarded specialists in London have over 50 years combined of expertise in this area and will be working as part of a global team so that our clients worldwide will have the option of selling and buying at key locations.

Japanese art encompasses a broad and varied range of collecting categories, and we handle all types of antique and modern works of art including prints, paintings, screens, lacquer, netsuke and inro, ceramics, cloisonné enamel, ivory carvings, metalwork, armour, swords and sword fittings.

Sales are held twice yearly in New Bond Street, London and Madison Avenue, New York and are scheduled to coincide respectively with 'Asian Art Week'.

Thinking of Selling?

News and Announcements

Japanese art valuations for auction

To arrange a confidential auction valuation with a view to selling, contact;

Suzannah Yip or Neil Davey
japanese@bonhams.com
+44 (0)20 7468 8368

Gallery of Highlights

International contacts

Bonhams Breaks World Records for Inro and Netsuke Sold at Auction in Japanese Sale
Bonhams Cements Its Position as Market Leader for Japanese Art in Europe with £4.6 Million Sale Press Release

Record Prices Paid Once Again for Works of Art by Shibata Zeshin at Bonhams
Part Two of The Edward Wrangham Collection Realises £1.6 Million with 94% Sold by Value Press Release

From Rare Muromachi Paintings to High Quality Lacquer and Top Meiji Craftsmanship, Bonhams Reinforces Its Position as Market Leader for Japanese Art in Europe
Sale Realised £1.7 Million with Significant International Interest Press Release

Most Expensive Inro in the West: Japanese Medicine Container Makes World Record in an International Sale at Bonhams
Sale Totals Over £2 Million with Top Lots Selling for Over Ten Times Pre-Sale Estimates Press Release

Bonhams Cements Its Position as Market Leader for Japanese Art in Europe During 'Asian Art in London Week'
An Extremely Rare Medieval Longbow Sells for Twenty Times Presale Estimate Press Release

Bonhams Expands Asian Department with New Focus on Japan Following Hong Kong Launch Press Release

If you want to be kept informed about your area(s) of interest click here.

Forthcoming Featured Auction Sales

Fine Japanese Art
Thursday 17 May 2012
London
Auction Details

A fine, rare and small iron jizai (fully articulated) okimono of a dragon,
By Myochin Kiyoharu, Edo Period, 18th/19th century
Sold for £118,850

Other Interests?

Click here to view catalogues recently published for upcoming sales around the world spanning a wide variety of interests.

2011-11-18T01:21:00.000-08:00

Review courtesy of -Blogger & Art Critique Expert Kitty Crozier http://kittycrozier.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/artist-faye-halsall-a-review/

Artist Faye Halsall: A Review

Posted: September 21, 2011 in Uncategorized

She calls it CasaBlanca. It has a kaleidoscopic, rich, spirited and vivacious quality reading full of vim and vigor that wildly records a dreamy and abstract reality.

Faye’s playful and spirited pieces are true visually buoyant conceptualisations of her zestful and passionate personality.

‘Flutterbys’ looks like a metaphysical dream, with what seems to be the shape of a human in awe or shock at a surrounding pandemonium of colour.

Check out Faye Halsall’s full collection at:

http://www.artworkxofmann.com/prod_cat/category_517_faye_halsall.html

Art Collecting: Are you an Art Target? Part II

2011-11-14T16:19:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of www.artbusiness.com

Art Collecting: Are you an Art Target? Part II

Wondering what it's worth? Get it appraised here >>

Ever wonder how "sales consultants" sell art at predatory commercial art galleries? What you are about to read is a firsthand account that was emailed toArtbusiness.com in response to the article Are You an Art Target? Predatory galleries typically operate in popular tourist destinations like Soho, Fisherman's Wharf, Honolulu, Laguna Beach, Carmel, and New Orleans. Characterized by aggressive sales consultants, lavish interiors, art by "modern masters" and "household names," and by staying open late, they can be found in most other major cities as well-- typically in "Old Towns," expensive shopping districts, upscale malls, restaurant and nightclub areas, at or near large hotels, and near scenic or tourist attractions. Some of these galleries use highly questionable tactics to sell art, tactics like those you're about to read. If you enjoy visiting these types of galleries, here's a little tale about what you may be getting yourself into...

I'm an artist, art collector, have represented artists for ten years, and once owned a gallery in Southern California for two years. The first time I visited Carmel, California (the Monterey Bay Area) was to find gallery representation for two artists, which I did. While there, I also sold three more paintings by three other artists to three different people. I had such a great time that I kept coming back. After a number of visits, I decided I liked the area so much that I made it my home.

One afternoon, I walked into a downtown Carmel gallery, looking for an artist friend, and found him talking about his art with a sales consultant. I joined in the conversation as I had a few minutes to spare. At one point, the sales consultant said, "See that $47,000.00 painting? How do you sell a $47,000 painting of cows?" I studied the painting for a few moments. I gave my opinion based on an artist's eye, an art collector's view, and a gallery owner's perspective. The consultant was so impressed that she arranged for me to talk with the gallery's director, thinking that maybe I could sell art there.

What is Art?

2011-11-13T08:36:00.000-08:00

POSTED BY roberto ON MARCH - 13 - 2011 0 COMMENT

The Literal meaning or description of ‘Art’ is a form to show or visualise an event or capture a moment in time. Is this really all Art Is? I don’t think so, it is so much more.

Since the dawn of time, Man (and Woman of course) has strived to use Art as a device to tell stories, explain feelings, and pictorialise events which have taken place in history, whether it be a war, a meteor shower or just a tale about their own life.

Art has played such a dramatic role in the history of civilisation that, it is truly difficult to define, but with your help, I would like to give it a try. We must first begin with a time line of historical events and how Art came into being. This will help us to see the bigger picture so to speak.

Early Man and Woman used ‘Art’ as a means of communication first and later as a form of pictorial documentation of their lives. Some of the more famous of these are known to us today, whether we realise it or not – think Egypt and hieroglyphics or Cave drawings by the Aborigines’ in Australia or the famous Maori Carvings or the American Indian Totem poles. I could go on as there are many examples to choose from, but you get my meaning.

After ‘Art’ was used in the basic make up of our Language it was then incorporated into our most important life element, the concept we call ‘Religion’. Everyone has heard of the ‘Old Masters’ but you may or may not know exactly what this phrase means, but you are at least able to associate it with ‘Art’. Now there are some who will tell you that, their religion was the first to use Art as a form of worship to their God or deity. I cannot confirm nor do I really care who was the first group to use Art as a form of worship. The fact is it has been used primarily as a way for Man to get his head around the fact that, this higher power cannot be seen on a daily basis by us mere mortals and it is not a ‘I should have gone to Specsavers’ moment. These old Master like Caravaggio, El Greco, Rembrandt and countless others, who are too numerous to mention, have used ‘Art’ as a way of celebration to their God and as a tool for the Church, to try humanise and explain matters to the ‘Common Man’. Some might have and I’m sure did find this insulting i.e.: Well fella, some of us are just not intelligent enough to understand the concept of God without having a Pictogram to help us get it.

Portrait of Pope Pius V - El Greco, 1541-1614

Christ in the Storm on Lake Galilea - Rembrandt van Rijn, 1606-1669

Sacrificing Isaak - Michelangelo Caravaggio, 1571-1610

This now brings us to the more modern use for ‘Art’ – I speak of course of ‘Art Therapy’ my pet subject. Yes, Art is being used more and more a form of therapy. The use of Art has and continues to prove useful for us all to heal ourselves emotionally and in other ways. The most commonly used of the ‘Art Therapies’ is of course Colour Therapy. In some quarters it is being hailed, almost like a wonder drug, but the reality is…the peoples in the Far East have been using this form of therapy for centuries. It is just now being more widely introduced here in the western world. There are many applications for ‘Art’ as a form of therapeutic heeling, especially amongst returning War veterans.

Ask yourself have you ever heard of ‘Colour therapy’? Before you answer, “No, What is this guy on about?”, think again. The phrases like “Oh I’m feel BLUE“, or “The RED mist came down with his anger“, or what about “WHITE light therapy used to counter the effects of SAD syndrome (Seasonal Affective Disorder)” commonly known as “The Winter Blues“. On a side note, it’s funny that we say winter BLUES; why not say Winter Maroon or Turquoise?

Next use in today’s world is: Art Investment. If you speak to an Artist he or she will look at you with a sense of disdain, which can only be compared to the look a wife gives to a husband who has just announced news of an affair. However, if you ask a businessman or a member of the public who have lost money in a certain Bank collapse, then the answer would or could be expected to be a massively different one. As Tom Cruise so eloquently said in his movie called Gerry Maguire ‘SHOW ME THE MONEY”. In today’s world Art is and continues to be associated with the Rich and Famous usually, as it is only their rather large pockets who can accommodate the purchase of the more sought after pieces of Artwork.

So in conclusion, have we answered the original question – WHAT IS ART? The answer is the I’m not sure as there is not just one definitive answer to this question. Art means different things to each person, what I have tried to get across to you is the message to stop and think, don’t just blindly agree with your peers about what a piece of Art means. Make your own mind up about what emotions the piece evokes in you and choose Art which ‘You feel ‘means something to you. Look at the piece, try putting yourself in the place of the Artist who created the piece and make your own judgement.

Bottom line is…Art is like Death – It is personal, you alone must take part and it is final!

So till next time, this is Roberto saying BLOG OUT…

The Art Market

2011-11-13T08:33:00.000-08:00

POSTED BY ManxVoice ON FEBRUARY - 18 - 2011 0 COMMENT

A new outlet has opened at The Strand in Douglas, a store called The Art Market. This is the latest venture to come under the wing of local Company Director Roberto Edmanson-Harrison of ArtworkX of Mann.

The idea of this market was borne out of collaboration between four local companies, working together in during the ‘Crossroads Charity Christmas Market, which was held in a unit within the Strand Shopping Centre, last November & December 2010.

Roberto contacted the company owners and asked if they would be interested in continuing their business relationship on a more permanent basis and the rest just came together with the help of The Strand Shopping Centre’s Manager Mr John Shakespeare, who with his open and forward thinking attitude to business, along with the co-operation and agreement of Strand Owners have leased one of the units on a temporary basis to trial attitudes locally to this New Artisan Concept in the Isle of Man’s Capital, Douglas.

So come along to…The Art Market, Strand Shopping Centre, Ground Floor, between Mothercare and The Early Learning Centre. This Unit, will play host to our Saturday Only Artisans Market.

Here is a list of just some of the products available via this specialist Market place.

Originals & Ltd Edition Prints
Fair Trade products
Celine Appleyard Ceramics
Flotsam – Designer Jewellery
BOHO Sky – Designer Bears and soft toys
Murano Glassware
Netsuki – Japanese Carving
Blank Greeting & Art Cards designed by Local Artists
Specialist Photo Editing services via ArtworkX of Mann
Mini Art exhibitions
Pyrography from the United States
Hand Painted frames from India & parts of China

If you want further details you can pop into the store on a Saturday, give them a call on 01624 616700 or email them atTheArtMarket@gmx.com. You can even find them on Facebook.

Is this Art or 'PORN' - You decide...

2011-11-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

ArtworkX of Man... posted this article on Mon, 07/19/2010 - 09:50

Is this Art or ' PORN' - You decide...

Our Featured artist onsite at present is, shall we say a little unusual in her approach to Art and the creation of same.

Her traditional critics in Greece say that...'She should not be showcasing her work anywhere as it is filth and an offence to term Art'.
Some others say...MyRa's work is astounding and is a true breath of fresh air to the Art world in Greece and indeed globally.

MyRa's New Style of Art LYRrealism is a fusion of a Lyrical approach to life, combined with a new way of treating the mastery of realism.

As her work primarily concentrates on the Male & Female nude forms, it has obviously provoked a somewhat 'Old fashioned' view point from some Church Leaders and certain single minded individuals around the world.

All this controversy over whether it is 'Art or Porn' and whether or not her work should be banned has lifted the lid on the modern day viewpoint of 'Our Rights' and censorship not just in the media but in general.

We invite you to view the artwork of Karin MyRa Heckel atwww.artworkxofmann.com and judge for yourself whether you believe her work...Is Art or 'PORN' - You decide...

Roberto saying...BLOG out!

by postcardsfromengland on Mon, 07/19/2010 - 17:52

Having tried extremely hard to masturbate to it, and failing, I decree it to be 'Art'.

You're welcome.

by Amna Shaddad on Wed, 07/21/2010 - 09:26

oh come on-only 3 of them had naked women on them (in the international bit at least)-they weren't doing anything pornographic---who exactly got so offended by these-has she been trying to stick them up in churches or something?

by rontocknell on Wed, 07/21/2010 - 14:03

There will always be those who consider the portrayal of a nipple as porn. I thinks it's best to disregard such unenlightened opinions. I think your paintings are beautiful.

Sex is always such a sensitive subject... yet it is the essence of life. Sexuality is a perfectly valid subject to express in art and it is one that can be expressed so beautifully!

If I were to make a distinction between art and porn (and I don't really think I am qualified to do that) I would say that porn exploits people. Art never exploits... although it sometimes challenges. And so it should.

ArtworkX of Mann - International Arts Agency: Planes Over Paris - Courtesy of 'Manx Voice.com'

2011-11-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

ArtworkX of Mann - International Arts Agency: Planes Over Paris - Courtesy of 'Manx Voice.com'

Planes Over Paris - Courtesy of 'Manx Voice.com'

2011-11-11T09:46:00.000-08:00

POSTED BY pablo100 ON JANUARY - 25 - 2009 2 COMMENTS

When a band is called something such as this, it invites too many puns based on their name. I think to do this to a band of this calibre would be doing them a complete disservice. Planes’ have been together in this format for about a year now, previously going by the name of Gratiz 3 and raising quite a decent following on the Manx music scene. But now with the new name and new material, also with the addition of keys/synths and a tweak of their sound to a more atmospheric direction, there’s no reason why this band cannot achieve great things away from the Island. Last night’s show to a packed out Trafalgar went a long way towards proving this…

From the outset, you can tell that is a band that has made every effort possible to rehearse every note to the point of perfection and this is evident in the way that their songs are put across. With material of the quality of Someone Else’s Sun and Hospital Patio (both incidentally available to listen to on the Planes Over Paris MySpace page) you can hear the rare sound of 4 musicians playing as a single unit. Over the top of Ben & Martyn who are one of the tightest rhythm sections you’ll have the pleasure to hear are some wonderfully subtle synth sounds from new recruit Steff that for once in a band don’t overpower you and actually add to rather than detract from the overall melody. Topping this off is a rhythm/lead guitar combination from Paul that actually bucks the trend for most vocalists/guitarists, in that he doesn’t take control of the overall sound and treats the band as an extension of his instrumentation!

The gig itself was played to practically a full house in the Traf, in which Billy had had the foresight to move the tables out of the band room and into the green room, so for the first time in living memory, it actually felt like a gig in there and not someone playing at the top end of a furniture shop (now about moving that pool table out of there…). One thing that shows through is that, as intricate as these songs are, they are meant to be played live, but through a decent PA with a competent engineer as for the most part for the instrumental “post-rock” (a genre I know nothing about and had to be told what it meant!) passages, you need to be able to hear the individual instruments each playing their own lines, that’s not to say that what they play is indulgent noodling, but rather, an overall sound where all 4 (or 5 if you count the vocals) instruments contribute to the overall feel of the song.

Musically this is a band that has taken a variety of influences from the last 2 decades and managed to make disparate sounds somehow fit together. Last night I heard, amongst other things, old school goth, new wave, the late 80’s Manchester & Leeds sounds and (so I was told) the new post-rock style. It’s a very hard thing to explain in terms of what they sound like, but the closest I can get is an overall feel that The Bravery were a pastiche of, The Cult used to try to sound like around the time of Dreamtime & Love, The Sundays made commercialised and The Sisters Of Mercy had for a short while before they reinvented themselves as The Pet Shop Boys go to a funeral. Throw in some Mars Voltaesque time changes and that about sums things up (see what I mean!)

The only thing I can actually suggest is to go and see this band yourself as they defy description, but I can assure you that you will come away not unhappy and in these days of too many complaints about no gigs to go to and no venues to go see these non-existent gigs in, that can’t be a bad thing at all.

Here are some photos from the gig:

Photos by Martin Critchley

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