December 21, 2020
Art Is More Than Ink or Paint
Most people tend to think of drawings, paintings, sculptures or tattoos when they hear the word ‘art’. Art is so much more than that though. The definition of art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination. As long as that is kept in mind, art can be virtually anything you make of it. Lastly, work does not have to be ‘perfect’ or ‘aesthetically pleasing’ to be art. The following artists create their works using radical and unorthodox mediums and applications.
Laura Bell – Dryer Lint Artist
What most people toss out without much thought, artist Laura Bell has been using to create her work. She was inspired to make her own art after seeing a portrait made of lint with her husband and children while on a trip in the early 2000’s. Her first and most notable work was a rendition of Da Vinci’s ‘Last Supper’. Bell claims that she easily spent roughly 700-800 hours doing laundry to have enough fibers to make her 4’x14′ replication. Like an artist mixing their own paint, Bell bought specifically colored towels and other garments that would provide the right hues for her work. Her completed ‘Last Supper’ was sold to Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. Since then Bell has produced several other renditions of famous art, as well as commissioned portraits – all carefully made of lint.
Maurizio Savini – Bubblegum Sculpter
Maurizio Savini is an Italian born sculptor based in Rome. He studied architecture at the University of Rome and made art in traditional mediums before his revolutionary idea to use bubblegum. Though he doesn’t chew the gum, Savini explains that the process is still painstaking and time consuming. He and his assistants work to warm the gum with heat guns and then flattened with rolling pins so that it can be formed into shape. Savini claims that his use of bubblegum signifies the influence of American pop culture in his work. The vibrant pink pigmented sweet was first introduced to Europe after WWII and was coined “American Gum” by many. Savini’s work is in high demand, with prices soaring between $6,000-$60,000.
Erika Iris Simmons – Cassette Tape Artist
Erika Iris Simmons is a Chicago based artist that takes great pride and joy in her ‘found material’ art. Using old cassette tapes and film reels, she carefully arranges the tape to form portraits of iconic celebrities and musicians. Simmons’ work is designed with the intention of ‘capturing’ the musicians or celebrities on the tapes. Her inspiration comes from the philosophy of Gilbert Ryle. Ryle’s concept of life remarks that humans are just ordinary bodies with souls living inside. Simmons replicates the same idea in her work, illustrating the spirits that exist within cassette tapes or film reels. “I imagine we are all, like cassettes, thoughts wrapped up in awkward packaging.”
Young-Deok Seo – Chain Artist
Young-Deok Seo is a South Korea born and based artist. He tactfully creates realistic human sculptures with various types of chains. Seo claims his inspiration is derived from the chains, in that they are just a small component to much larger machines. He likens the human condition to being just a small part of much larger machines as well. “We are interlocked and running like parts of a giant machine.” He hopes that in creating his unique art, it will make others feel less alone or suppressed. Seo’s art is made by tactfully welding pieces of chain together to form lifelike versions of human expression.
Nick Sayers – the Sphere Project
Based in the UK, Nick Sayers is a multi-talented artist specializing in multiple mediums. His vision is simple, but with an unusual execution. His work incorporates recycled objects with polyhedral forms. Sayers art aims to illustrate the endless streams of waste that we create as humans. His work is both large and small. Materials range from tires, playing cards, plastic bottles, bike reflectors, real estate agent signs – and so much more! Sayers creates his art by carefully and strategically placing the objects to form spheres. Many of his works are made without glue and rely solely on specific cuts that lock the materials together.
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