Zatista The premiere source for original art online

While researching tiny art for my previous post, I came across some examples of art that were not small in size themselves. Instead, the artwork portrayed tiny subjects—or subjects that at least appeared tiny.

NPR’s “The Picture Show” featured some extremely beautiful microscopic images assembled by scientists at the University of Wisconsin for an exhibit called “Tiny: Art From Microscopes at UW-Madison.” Who knew fruit fly embryos and mouse lungs could be so gorgeous?

A series of images from the blog Pink Tentacle shows paintings of tiny insects made with the aid of a microscope by the Japanese artist Kenbikyō Mushi No Zu during the mid-nineteenth century. Below is one example of the paintings from the scroll.

from Kenbikyō Mushi No Zu's (”Illustrations of Microscopic Insects”), published in 1860

Tilt-shift photography, on the other hand, portrays full-scale images in a way that makes them appear to be miniature godzilla sets. While digital cameras create this effect via software, film cameras produce it with a special lens. Unlike a standard lens which have a fixed focal plane, a tilt-shift lens has a focal plane that can shift and concentrate the focus onto one point. The image below is a full-scale image of an airport.

Vincent Laforet for Smashing magazine

The tilt-shift effect on video is even more disorienting. The people in them look like tiny claymation sculptures moved in increments from frame to frame. They’re not! Keith Loutit’s video, Beached, is an awesome example that’s really worth watching. Enjoy!

Headed to The Guggenheim or The Getty Center? Let your weekend trip to the museum inspire your next art purchase.

Sound expensive? You may be saying, “Sure, I’d love to own a Picasso but I’m no Rockefeller!” And neither am I. Whether you’ve purchased art before or not, sometimes a little point in the right direction is needed.

Your taste in artwork is already engaged when you select which museum you’ll visit. So, use this opportunity to take your creative interests a step further by enjoying the freedom to explore your intuition when it comes to art. After all, there’s no built-in pressure to buy at the museum the way you may feel when going to a gallery. Forget your art history lessons, the artwork’s value, and your budget just for the day. Within the walls of the museum, get in touch with your creative side. Walk through the museum’s galleries and notice what speaks to you.

Maybe you see a Jackson Pollack and think, “Wow, I love the scale! I want to buy something big.” Maybe you see a Mark Rothko and realize that you are so moved by color you want your next art purchase to be a all about color. Or maybe a Richard Serra print will inspire a very graphic black and white image that tickles your mid-century sensibilities. Let the art on those museum walls talk to you. If you are responding to a Caravaggio, maybe you like portraiture or the exploration of light and shadows. If Van Gogh has always been a favorite, is it because you like bright colors? whimsy? or very expressive painting styles? What exactly are you responding to? Let the answers you discover at the museum shape your art collection and let your own artistic voice shine through the art you buy.

My recent trip to “Slash: Paper Under The Knife,” a paper exhibit at Manhattan’s Museum of Arts & Design, inspired me to make this art form my next purchase. I was already interested in paper when I planned this visit, and the moment I walked into this show I was so excited by the creative use of paper and the unusual treatments the artists employed using this ubiquitous material. Not even half way through the show, I was determined to start looking for a piece of artwork in this genre that I love and can afford. That makes my hunt for art so much easier! See below for images that inspired me from this exhibit paired with artwork that is a very real possibility to own.

From “Slash: Paper Under The Knife” Inspiration art: Carol Kunstadt/photo: Kevin Kunstadt

Possible purchase: Jan Sessler/photo: Jan Sessler

From “Slash: Paper Under The Knife” Inspiration art Mia Pearlman/photo: Jason Mandella

Possible purchase: Mia Pearlman/photo: Voluta

From “Slash: Paper Under The Knife” Inspiration art: Mona Hatoum/photo: Stephen White

Definite purchase: Mexican paper flags/photo: Gwen, courtesy of Flickr

Experiencing an emotional connection to your purchases increases your love for them. The story surrounding each piece of art you buy becomes half the fun of collecting. So… get inspiration for your next art purchase by visiting a museum and observing what works speak to you. Use that as your guide.

I have to admit, I didn’t expect to find my new favorite photographer while browsing in touristy downtown Sonoma. Free wine tastings, useless trinkets, and gourmet cooking utensils, yes. Arresting images, stunning subjects, and a gorgeous color palette? Not exactly.

And yet… there it was. Sandwiched between a wine bar and a boutique, the Lisa Kristine Gallery features world images that will have you itching to add more pages to your passport. I wandered through the gallery for the better part of an hour, mouth agape, stunned by each image.

Stripes by Lisa Kristine

Twilight #1, Zanzibar by Lisa Kristine

Lisa Kristine is a San Francisco based photographer who focuses on  “capturing the essence of indigenous people.” For the past twenty-three years, Lisa has traveled to more than sixty countries, working closely with translators to earn the trust of the subjects featured in her photographs. The bulk of the photographs on her website and in the gallery were shot using a K.B. Canham 4X5 field view camera with Nikkor lenses. She never uses telephoto lenses, as she “prefers to be intimate with [my] subject.” According to the gallery owner in Sonoma, none of her photographers are digitally enhanced.

If, like me, you can’t afford to own your own Lisa Kristine piece, you can still find amazing world art right here on Zatista. Type your country or international city of interest in the search box in the upper right corner  to find your next great photograph, painting, or mixed media piece.  Here are a few of my personal favorites:

River Spean by Ian Porter, a Zatista Artist

Naples Fishing Pier by Brian Methven, a Zatista Artist