Stop and Smell The Roses

Carine Roitfeld for V (issue 74, Winter 2011)

2011-10-29T21:35:00.000-07:00

Cherries Jubilee

2011-08-29T01:46:00.000-07:00

Feast your eyes on this:

Available in single, double and triple, these glass-blown cherries by Nika Zupanc will make their debut appearance at the Silent Revolutions: Contemporary Design in Slovenia exhibition on 22-25 September 2011 at Tent London, during the London Design Festival...

Nika Zupanc // Silent Revolutions

"The Rig"

2011-07-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

Sabah, Malaysia

Seaventures Dive Rig

The Coleman Shrimp

2011-07-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

Here are just some underwater pics I took of these beautiful sea critters - the Coleman Shrimps. These photos were taken in the waters of Samal Island in Davao, Philippines at Dayang and Kaputian Beaches.

With the female being the larger one, these marine buddies are usually found in pairs on the toxic sea urchin.

The shrimps' black + white color contrasting to the boldness of their host fire urchins quickly caught my attention...hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I did.

My Animal Prints Collection

2011-06-30T07:29:00.000-07:00

Mutianyu Great Wall 慕田峪长城

2011-06-21T02:44:00.000-07:00

Our sojourn in The Middle Kingdom, Beijing 2011

Lady Dior's Journey to the Paris of the East

2011-05-27T00:43:00.000-07:00

In commemoration of the iconic Lady Dior handbag (given to the late Princess of Wales in 1995), House of Dior embarks on a mobile art installation showcasing crafty handbags and photographs, along with a central room where you can view the brand's latest ad campaigns.

Some of the featured photographers, filmmakers and visual artists include: David Lynch, Liu Jianhua, Quentin Shih, Olympia Scarry, Kohei Nawa, Ruven Afanador, Peter Lindberg, Marteen Baas, Alec Soth, Martin Parr, Nan Goldin and Arne Quinze...

Lady Dior's art installation is in full-effect from 12 May 2011-15 June 2011 at Plaza 66 in Shanghai

Lady Dior // Plaza 66 Shanghai

Table Tennis at its Finest

2011-05-05T23:16:00.000-07:00

NOWNESS featuring Sooyeon Lee by Matthew Donaldson

Pottery for the Soul

2011-04-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

Thursday afternoons with the pottery teacher, Mia Casal of Clay Ave.

Mia Casal blog // All About Mia

Wild Orchid Spring 2011

2011-03-21T05:41:00.000-07:00

Photographed by Steven Lyon
Styled by Charles Varenne
Hotness by Nadine Strittmatter

in your Face!

2011-02-27T23:41:00.000-08:00

Location: Tamaraw Beach, Puerto Galera

Pretty in pink.....

2011-02-22T16:29:00.001-08:00

Rodarte: The Curve of Forgotten Things (2011)

2011-02-12T03:28:00.000-08:00

Director: Todd Cole
Actor: Elle Fanning
Sounds: Deerhunter
Inspriration: 1970's California dreamin'....

In Andreia Chaves' shoes...

2011-02-05T06:56:00.000-08:00

Be stark in the Brazilian mastermind's Naked Shoes throughout Asia + Europe early this year....

Window Seats Give U the World

2011-02-05T06:32:00.000-08:00

Under the Tuscan Sun

2011-01-28T06:47:00.000-08:00

A sunflower filled field, rows of cypress trees and the medieval hilltop village taken from the passenger seat of Laura's car en route to Fiesole...

Abbey Lee Kershaw + Susie Bick

2011-01-21T05:16:00.000-08:00

Photographer: David Bailey
Publication: i-D Magazine (Dec. 2010)

David Bailey // i-D

Today is Tomahawk Man's 202nd birthday!

2011-01-21T05:03:00.000-08:00

In the Mood for [more] Love

2011-01-19T01:07:00.000-08:00

One of my fave Wong Kar-wai masterpieces resurrected...

in the mood for love

GlazedOver

2011-01-15T03:15:00.000-08:00

Images of glass works taken from the V+A in London...

Olivia Kim: Where her HeArt is.

2011-01-14T23:26:00.000-08:00

Olivia and I have nurtured our friendship since we met at the Florence Academy of Art (FAA) in 2004 (siesta moments along the Arno River!). She has one very beautiful yet complicated mind...and this is what I most admire about her, thus inspiring me to share her masterpieces accompanied by her deep-seated feelings, emotions and fears with you.

Celestial Music
Life-size
28 1/4" x 19 3/4" x 16 1/2"
Painted plaster
2005

Trust
Life-size
11 3/4" x 6" x 8 1/4"
Terracotta
2007

On your struggles + fears as an artist:

I'm sure this is a clichè, but dealing with myself is the biggest struggle. Art reflects directly what is inside of you. You can't make anything without revealing how you perceive yourself and the world. If you carry fears inside, you see every single one of them come out. So you have to be brave enough to know yourself and work beyond your fears. I've recently realized that my greatest fear was not knowing where my life, much less art, came from.

Constellation
6 1/2" x 4" x 14" inc. base
Bronze on iron base
2010

On Constellation:

I feel that we are linked to all things, even space. I remember reading that the elements which compose the starry heavens are on this planet, and are even part of our physical make-up. I used to wonder about what is out there, and what it's like on other planets. I thought it would be fun to defy gravity with a study of a man jumping, but launching himself backwards.

Out of the Abyss
27 1/2" x 27 1/2" x 21 1/2"
Aluminum on stainless steel wall mount
2010

On Out of the Abyss:

Out of the Abyss is pretty important to me. It was my first attempt to really move out of Academy-style studies. I used to be a slave to models and it was so important to be able to render the person exactly the way they were. The only thing is that the models were almost always uncomfortable because they had to pose still. I found that you have to sculpt them moving in order to capture what is truly fresh and living about them. I spent about 3 years between various commission works to study anatomy and the model’s quality of movement to be able to finally finish the sculpture. The time I had finished it coincided with one of the most difficult periods for me as an artist. It was when I finally realized the answer to my great fear as an artist and person.. Where does art and my life come from?

Innocence

32" x 13 1/2" x 9 1/2"

Bronze

2005

Why the varying styles? What goes on in your head?

In general, I like to leave spaces between the modelled pieces because it's like the space within and between our atoms.. I think it's important to remember that there is much of our make-up that is not defineable. The varying styles in my work come from changes in my working method. As for the more recent work that is sculpted from moving models, I am keeping my work sketchier to explore the rhythmic quality in material application. Movement inspires different kinds of touch, densities, rhythms. I am doing different kinds of studies to inform my work. Yoga and Chi-lel (Chinese form of movement somewhat similar to Chi-gong) and physical training...I find that the body has to understand the movement in order to sculpt it. I tried to understand intellectually but to no avail. The mind cannot understand body consciousness.

Cosmos
7 1/2" x 3 1/2" x 5"
Bronze and gold leaf on green marble and wenge wood base
2009

And what about your "emotional moments" while sculpting?

This was quite an incisive question for me.. I find that emotions are meant to be felt and lived out. When I'm emotional I can't work because I'm living out my emotions. Most of the time I get emotional before working on something. It's like a violin string getting tuned to the highest note it can take, but then when it's been played, the tension breaks loose and I get into a different kind of groove..a working groove that's very different from emotional episodes. I can get emotional when I try to anticipate and I get fearful. If I get blocked up in the fear, I have to stop working and feel out my emotions til I've processed what it is that is stopping me.

Artista nello studio

Does your creativity get affected depending on where you are...do you find more inspiration when you're in the rolling hills of Tuscany vs. working at home in Rochester?

Another incisive question! Contrary to previous belief, the place is a factor, but essentially the inspiration comes from inside of me. I've fought with that question for so long! I recently found out that a table with some tools in the basement are more than enough! You can find beauty in anything, anywhere.

Olivia Kim Sculpture & Painting Studio

The Hungerford Building 335

1115 E. Main Street

Rochester, NY 14609

T: +1 585 355 0706

F: +1 585 328 4078

oliviakimart@hotmail.com

Olivia Kim // FAA

Givenchy SS2011

2011-01-14T21:24:00.000-08:00

Givenchy

A Surreal Collaboration

2010-12-05T19:18:00.000-08:00

Luggage specialist Alstermo Bruk (est. 1804) makes exclusive limited edition designs for 5th Ave Shoe Repair, Autumn 2010, Sweden...

Skew Case

Typewriter Case

Fifth Ave Shoe Repair // Alstermo Bruk

Warm Winter Fash-Flash

2010-12-05T19:07:00.000-08:00

Braving the cold for big bargains at London's Broadway Market...

Bigger! Better! Bolder! Brighter!

2010-12-01T01:52:00.000-08:00

Ascher London is back in biz...

Ascher London