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There is no doubt that our world is changing in many ways. Internet and virtual reality has a tremendous influence on our day-to-day experience, as well as on other creative fields, such as art. Merging between digitally created vision with our usual objective environment is just a matter of time; in fact, this process has started long time ago. New devices, such as google glasses, are on their way of interlacing the material world with the endless virtual reality; video games are getting better and better in reсonstructing the details of our surroundings. There are even studies of the architecture and social relations withing the game world. 3-D technologies are offering a huge variety of ways to turn our vision of the environment upside down. And some artists are very much into it.

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Meet Vernon James Manlapaz , 3-D artist and animator who took Instagram by storm with his realistic interventions into the usual cityscapes. Starting with simple animation, he quickly grew into a cartoon creator and visual storyteller.

A post shared by Vernon James Manlapaz (@vernbestintheworld) on Jan 18, 2016 at 4:52pm PST

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"Being able to animate characters is exciting for me. I am inspired to go to work every day. Animating characters to punch, blast, fly, and spew fire—it's awesome."

A post shared by Vernon James Manlapaz (@vernbestintheworld) on Jan 28, 2017 at 6:15am PST

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If you are an art lover, you are always welcomу at our blog! But today we have something special prepared for all of the music fans. Something so exciting, that will satisfy both! We'll give you a hint. Have you ever wondered who makes some of the amazing album cover designs for singers and music bands? First thing that comes in mind is Pink Floyd with their amazing and conceptual album art. Well, that's your answer! We know who did it! 

Meet Storm Thorgerson, the man behind some of the greatest pieces of album cover art ever. While one of his main areas of interest is design, in 1968 together with Aubrey Powell, Thorgerson started the graphic art group named Hipgnosis. Along with the growing team and various contributors, Hipgnosis will be one of the main influences in the design and art of the 20th century. 

Storm Thorgerson had an interesting educational background, which can probably explain his focus on the surreal elements, fascination with photography and conceptual underlying of his designs. He majored in English and Philosophy at the University of Leicester where he had received the bachelor degree; for his master degree he studied Film and Television at the Royal College of Art. So he had this unique perspective of philosophical studies combined with newest medias and pop-culture; not to mention his long-time friendship with Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, the relationships that seemed to fuel each other with creativity and inspiration. 

"I like photography because it is a reality medium, unlike drawing which is unreal. I like to mess with reality ... to bend reality", quoting Thorgerson is the best way to describe his notions. Cover design with the help from him and his team became a notable part of the whole art process and evolved greatly. It represents the idea of the whole album, artist's aesthetics, it sets the tone to the mood of the product as it is the first thing you see. Creating such artwork is a complicated and responsible process, it is a combination between art, music and design with a pinch of marketing. 

This simple recipe can easily be the basis for some iconic art pieces, and that is exactly what'd happened. Pink Ployd cover of the album The Dark Side of the Moon has been widely praised over the years and claimed to be one of the greatest covers in history. Designed by Thorgerson and Hipgnosis, the artwork itself was drawn by George Hardie.

The band wanted something bold and simple, something different from the typical album designs of the time. The cover reflected the concept of the album, where each side had a continuous piece of music with five tracks that contemplated various stages of life, exploring the experiences of human existence, feelings, fears, love, death and infinity. It also featured one of the most important "signature" elements of Pink Floyd oeuvre - stage lightening that created a sensational shows and surreal environment during live performances. Profound, mythical, yet simple cover art has proven to be one of the biggest influences in visual design ever. Storm Thorgerson had been collaborating with Pink Floyed for numerous project, creating the distinguishing and conceptual visual aesthetics, that played major role in their oeuvre.

So you think you cannot build a house? You assume you must go through years of learning and get some degree? Well, you are completely wrong. You can even build a city, trust us! Or better trust this guy, Charles Young, Edinburgh-based artist who has built (and still building) a whole city with a help of mere scissors, paper, and glue.

It all begun in the summer of 2014, when Young decided to give it a go and take on the paper modeling. He was already fluent in this field, but wanted to set a bit of a challenge and practice each single day. So he decided to make a structure on a daily basis.

His skills had improved drastically and we can observe the progress of his first steps. On Young’s Tumblr archive you can follow artist’s improvement month by month. “Why first steps?”, you might ask. Well, because he didn’t exactly stop there.

Charles Young prolonged his project for a year. He came from the simple buildings and shapes to the complex cityscapes that create a whole new narrative! Some of his works are moving and he animated them into GIFs. It is almost impossible to get your eyes of this amazing paper architecture!

And the best part is – he is still doing it! None the less, he continued to build his paper city for almost three years! Now his megapolis totals in 635 structures; some of them are even moving! With precision and persistence worthy of respect, Young has created his own little world with a big heart to it. Every little detail is well thought of, structures evolved in a most sophisticated manner.

The moral of this story is very simple. You do not need much to achieve your goals; just dedication and a lot of practice. While people think big, sometimes it is really useful to think small.  

Henry Hargreaves is a living proof that you can turn almost anything into a form of art, you just need some inspiration and desire to create. New Zealand based photographer started his career path not in the art industry, but in the food industry. He was amused with the connection between peoples choice of meal and their personalities, and that's how he started his obsession with food-related topics. And for the record, some of them are quite scary. 

But let's start with a more pleasant "first course" and, actually, it involves James Bond. "Dying to eat" is a collaboration between Henry Hargreaves and Charlotte Omnes and is based on Ian Fleming's famous spy series. In a postwar period these books were a great fit with their adventurous nature and luxury lifestyle. Well, we all have seen Bond movies, at least some of them. However, what we haven't seen are the exotic meals Fleming described in his novels while the main character consumed them all around the world. 

And we are sure you wouldn't mind joining Bond in this adventure! Although, this can hardly be true for our next "course".

This one is peculiar all around, but suitable only for the strong gourmets. "No Seconds" is a project that tells a story of the prisoner's last meals before the death sentence. 

Hargreaves became interested in a topic and started his research after realizing that this basic request for a meal can create a convict's portrait in a way. In addition, food and dining has been a universal sign of connection between people, even among the primal tribes dinner is a social event and a sign of acceptance. So the viewer cannot help but relate on the basis of the universal need of provision. We see people that have committed terrible crimes, yet we perceive them not as monstrous caricatures, but as fellow human beings who went along horribly wrong path. Moreover, the perspective which photographer uses puts us in the shoes of those criminals, as if we were looking at the last meal from the fist person's view, which makes the whole experience even more disturbing. Surprisingly humane, yet frightening photo project. So it is high time to move to the dessert, and we promise it won't involve any crimes. 

It will only deal with cakes."Celebrated For You", a collaboration with set designer Nicole Heffron, is a year-long project dedicated to the iconic filmmakers and their birthdays. This series is a fantasy of a presumable obsessive fan that would bake a birthday treat for his favorite director, leaving clues to his works and general oeuvre at the scene. Humorous and atmospheric, we cannot ask for more. 

If you are looking for something rather enigmatic in the search for the spring time, you came to the right place. Herbert List’s vision of Paris in 1930’s is as mesmerizing, as puzzling. There are no smiling couples and streets full of velvet verdure; only an empty, foggy city that seems to enjoy its solitude.

Half-Jewish photographer was born in Germany and was not hiding his orientation and bourgeois lifestyle.  Of course, it was just a matter of time for the Nazi party and the Gestapo to take notice. Lots of his friends had already left the Germany and eventually, he decided to do the same. With his friend and partner, Heinz Rittmeister, List escaped to the Switzerland and then to Italy. His trip was filled with sun and an excitement for the upcoming new life. Herbert List followed advice of his friends and decided to settle down in Paris. And exactly at this place the reality had overtaken him; being an immigrant at such uneasy times was defiantly not some dolce vita. Though he was close with a great deal of Parisian artistic elite, the financial situation was not a beneficial one; List tried to do some commissioned fashion shoots but was not satisfied with the outcome.

This personal journey definitely gained a reflection in his Parisian works. One of the most romantic cities of the world seems cold and uninviting; monumental architecture sharpens the feeling of individual insignificance. Gloomy atmosphere rather refers to the times of Hugo’s Notre-Dame de Paris and Gothic aesthetics.

Dark undertones and emptiness reflected not only List’s personal experiences. These were the years of Nazi’s rise in Germany and the whole Europe seemed to be taken by a silent premonition of danger. The collective unconsciousness was aware of the upcoming disaster that would change humanity forever. The cities were awaiting for the future to come, including Paris, the city of light, the city of love.      

Although Herbert List’s oeuvre is quite complex structure; he succeeded in many different styles and spheres of photography. But particularly this Parisian series opened up a path for a darker visual language in the art of photography. A bit surreal, these images are so convincing in their simplicity, that there is only one thing left to do – to quote the master himself “…Photography the art of leaving out, the one is made to stand for the many, right detail for the whole, clear, concentrated form for profusion… Less is almost invariably more.”

If you are as inspired by the moving images as we are, you will certainly love this article! GIF-art has its strong feeling of magic, of the picture that came alive, just like in the newspapers from Harry Potter cinematic universe. If we think this way now, can you imagine what people felt 100 years ago? And yes, there were some animated images back then.

In 1832 Belgian physicist Joseph Plateau created a device called phenakistoscope. Though the notions of this mechanism’s work principles were available earlier, Plateau is large associated with the popularization and finishing touches of the phenakistoscope. A fluent illusion of motion was achieved with a spinning cardboard disk vertically attached to a handle and images of different phases of animation concentrated around the center. These were the first steps towards a movie production, tiny steps. But can you imagine the impact of these retro GIF images? Now we can observe digitized versions of the old phenakistoscopes thanks to The Richard Balzer Collection on Tumblr. The blog is a mini research on the tastes of the 19th century audience. And we must tell you, they are pretty silly.

Speaking about retro, would you like to see some of the old photographs coming to live? Nicolas Monterrat likes it too and he shares his vision on Tumblr. Typical imagery from the past gets a new life with a bit of a surreal aftertaste. If you are looking for the vintage inspiration with a postmodern sense of humor – you came to a right place.

However, if you are more of a contemporary art and design lover, you will not regret visiting David Szakaly’s blog. 

His GIFs have a modern Technicolor scheme and semi-organic futuristic shapes. They resemble living computer cells a bit, if they had ones. But we must warn you, that mind-blowing effect might occur due to the optical illusions that are seasoned with a perfect pinch of digital manipulations. See for yourself and don’t blame us for any psychedelic effects, we have warned you. Enjoy!  

If you think that in our completely technocratic society there is no room left for fairy tales and wild folklore, Charles Fréger will prove you wrong. With his photographic series Wilder Mann, Fréger explores the mythical traditions at carnivals and festivals across the Europe. As it turns out, there are much more demons, monsters, and wild beasts.

Though most of these festive events have Christian roots, the rituals itself go way deeper in the pagan times. The dual nature of life was depicted back than with the help of celebrations and various rites, costumes and masks were usually used to embody spirits, gods and forces of nature. They are frightening and mysterious, but at the same time they symbolize circles of live and vitality.

 Charles Fréger was trying to capture those unique symbols and traveled to 19 European countries over two winters. He photographed people in the traditional costumes during the celebrations; some of them stood for the hunting rituals and sacrifices, some meant to entertain and imply morals. Whatever concept is, the one thing can be stated for sure – despite all changes in our modern world, there is still a need for wilderness. Primal traditions are meant to interact some dangerous or unexplainable situations, to face the demons, to pray upon the better future; they have a sacred meaning as well as a psychological power. As men were always afraid of the unknown, it is better to have a little rehearsal before meeting the danger face to face. 

Traditionally the festivals are the places to burst out your energy, good one as well as bad. In the past they were considered to be religious ceremonies, but nowadays they resemble a kind of psychoanalytical therapy. They offer an opportunity to fulfill the need to have a spiritual experiences and a feeling of togetherness.

Good day to all our readers! If you do not have any plans for the weekends, we can suggest you some very nice movies choices. They are not only beautifully directed, but also have an educational message. The relationships of an artist with his creations are complicated, but they are even more complicated when it comes to muses. In addition, we have a little bonus advice, that you, as an art-lover, will surely enjoy!

La Belle Noiseuse This 1991 feature film tells us a story of a acknowledged painter that now lives quietly with his family afar from the crowds and cities. His settled life is disturbed by the arrival of his young colleague and his girlfriend, beautiful Marianne. After meeting her, master decides to accomplish his once started masterpiece. But, of course, it is not that simple, and the story develops into a study of art limits, authority, jealousy, and passions. The motion picture received positive reviews from critics and two Cannes Film Festival prices! Not to mention a stunning Emmanuele Beart in the leading role.

Factory Girl World just can't get enough of Andy Warhol! The name of the movie is referring his famous studio in New York, the Factory. The film revolves around one of Warhol's muses and "it girls" Edie Sedgwick. Her style, her energy was moving and quite fresh. She was considered to be a very big star, but life decided differently. To see the whole story you have to watch the movie! Lots of pop-art and 60s outfits included!

Klimt Gustav Klimt is a legendary figure not only because of his perplexing art. He was known for his frequent encounters with numerous women, who were or became soon his models. He was fascinated with women's beauty, with their sensuality. In this biographical fantasy Klimt, played by the exceptional John Malkovich, not only reflects on his previous romantic interests, but also on his struggles for artistic freedom and search for self-expression. In this movie you can distinctly see a cinematic style that matches Klimt's oeuvre, especially his gold works.

Surviving Picasso 

Picasso is a legend. From Many points of view. He had this incredible ability to forecast trends and to execute them with a supreme talent. Nobody knows how he did it. How he managed to stay on top for so mane years. Some say he stole ideas, some say he is simply a genius, other think he was inspired by his lovers. With this film starring Antony Hopkins we have a chance to view life with Picasso through the eyes of his muse and lover Françoise Gilot. Movie also has some famous people in its sleeve, and tells rather a contradictory version of perks of sharing life with a genius. 

Camille Claudel Award nominated movie starring iconic French actors Isabelle Adjani and Gérard Depardieu. If you know the name in the tittle of the movie you are probably familiar with the whole story. But no worries, we will not give away any spoilers! This is a story about great sculptor Auguste Rodin and his muse/lover/fellow colleague Camille Claudel. They begun their relationships when Camille was only 19, and it was a rise of the carriers for both artists. But life always has its perks, so let's see where these two passionate souls will go.