We’re so stoked about our next show with artist Brice Stephens, and so excited that he let us peek into his creative process. Join us March 9th for the opening.

What started out as just a commission, has turned into a wide traveling public art project. The RedBall Project was originally conceived as a one time temporary installation for Arts In Transit. Perschke used the money from the commission to take the RedBall Project to Barcelona, then to Sydney when a curator there had requested it, and since then has been traveling around to different cities all around the world. The inflatable ball is 15 feet high and weighs 250 pounds. For each site the RedBall Project  goes to, it is inflated directly into the site making for an interesting composition within the structure it’s squeezing into. Viewers are free to look, touch, and judo-chop the giant red ball.

Cutlery Fish at Heddon Street in London, By Ian McChesney. This suspended installation is in an area known for it’s restaurants and is made out of 1,000 forks.

This installation is made from dangling objects and light, so simple yet so amazing. By Rashad Alakbarov.

Don’t trip over the giant pharmaceuticals on the ground. Pill Spill by Beverly Fishman, made out of glass.

These are real books (15,000 of them)! And they’re all about Abraham Lincoln, every last one. This installation is in the newly constructed Theatre Center for Education and Leadership in DC.

Whoa LED lights (55,000 to be exact) ! This installation was part of the Festival of Light in Belgium. Made by the Luminarie De Cagna family.

Favorite? GO!

“If it were not for art, I would have killed myself a long time ago.” – Yayoi Kusama

The art world is buzzing with talk of Damien Hirst and his spot retrospective, which we previuosly blogged about.

What the art world SHOULD be talking about is the retrospective for Yayoi Kusama, who also works with colors and spots, and does it beautifully and with purpose. Kusama’s whole reason for making has been to help her deal with her many pyschological issues since childhood. Her work often has themes that are based on psychosis and infinity and seem to have a hypnotic and obsessive quality. Throughout the artists career her work has ranged in a variety of media and includes paintings, sculpture, performance, and installation.

Yayoi Kusama was a famous artist in the 60’s in america, but was almost forgotten in the 70’s when she moved back to Japan to check into a psychiatric hospital where she still lives. Since then Kusama has had some of the highest auction prices for a living female artist (Woo!). Kusama is now 82 and will have a retrospective of 150 works in what are considered some of the most outstanding Art Musuems in the world. The Retrospective starts at Madrid’s Museo Reina Sofia, and will travel to The Tate, The Whitney, and Centre Pompidou in Paris.

This woman rules.

From Robots to Warlocks – Sci-Fi and Fantasy Art in the 21st Century : 2/2, 6-9PM at The Orlando Museum of Art – A comprehensive look at art inspired by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Universes (how amazing does THAT sound?). Art, music, food, drinks, awesomeness. $10

Tree of Light Project: 2/2, 8-10pm at the Seaside Plaza – A sculptural interactive installation by Orlando artists Cole NeSmith and Josh Owen. The Tree of Light Project is a recipient of the United Arts of Central Florida grant, and part of ArtsFest 2012 that will be running all of February in Central Florida. $Free

Nude Nite: 2/9,10,11 from 6pm – 12am at the Church Street Exchange Building - Nude Nite is an annual juried art event that focuses on the beauty of the nude. This three day extravaganza will include paintings, photography, performance art, sculpture, and installation. $25

Collide*Scope: 2/13, 6:25pm at Urban Rethink – A new monthly happening. Each month a group of creative minds will be chosen and given a challenge, they will have one week to collaboratively come up with an awesomely creative presentation on the challenge topic. $Free

Maybe It’s Still All A Dream Closing Reception: 2/23 at twelve21 gallery – Did you miss our opening? Shame on you! Just kiddin’. You get a second chance to come hang out with us and see all of the amazing art. $Free

Replicated: Now at The Falcon- This already started in January, but will be ongoing through February. Replicated is a group art show celebrating the 30th anniversary of the film Blade runner (sweet). $Free

February’s lookin’ pretty nice, right?!

This year Nude Nite Orlando will be held at the church street exchange building on February 9th, 10th, and 11th. You have three different nights to check out this titillating (yeah..said it) event.

Plan accordingly and watch this! :  Nude Nite 2012 Photoshoot from Lure on Vimeo.

Depixtions is a community photo show happenin’ in Orlando featuring only photos taken with a camera phone (no cheating, they can tell).

Smart phone cameras keep improving and getting more and more like real cameras. There’s a whole slew of photo apps like instagram, camera +, the hipstamatic app, etc.(you get it) that give photographic creativity endless possibilities.

Submit your best camera phone photo to Depixtions by February 17th and your photo may be chosen to be in the community show at Orange Studio on March 10th.

BONUS – Each print is for sale and the proceeds will go to New Hope For Kids, an organization helping Central Florida children and families suffering from grief, loss, and life-threatening illness.

Make sure to check the website for guidelines, peruse your instagram photos, and submit the best one!

Embroidery is typically seen as craft, but in recent years it’s been making it’s way into the contemporary art world. What changes embroidery from craft to contemporary art? Perhaps it’s content – the subject matter, if it’s being pushed beyond it’s traditional means.

Here is some of the best stuff we’ve found.

Orly Cogan creates art that’s inspired by relationships and aims to raise questions about the societal female role.

Jenny Hart works with many different materials, this work is made on deer skin with human hair! (her own).

Frederique Morrel hand makes life size  animal molds and then covers them in found vintage embroidered art. Repurposing at it’s finest.

Maurizio Anzeri embroiders over top of anonymous vintage photographs, creepily awesome.

All of these artists are taking something that has been being practiced for centuries and giving it new meaning in a contemporary context. What do you think?

You can see more awesome here.

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