Matchstick

This matchstick lamp is designed by Sam Thompson. The lamp is defamiliarizes a matchstick as a lamp. The top of the lamp also resembles the striking area of a matchbox. Though this lamp looks simple and fragile inside the lamp consists of complex wiring and steel bars. The light switch is hidden at the top of the lamp as the red cube which is interesting because it is similar to how a matchstick. A matchstick is light when the top is stroked against the matchbook this in which is similar to the lamp because the top of the matchstick also needs to be activated to create light.

What I find interesting about this lamp is that on the outside the lamp looks simple and easily made, however when you truly look at how it is built it is more complex then you think it is. Most people probably underestimate how hard it is to build the things we commonly seen everyday. This reminded me of the saying don't judge a book by it's cover because their is more on the inside then the outer appearance.

Confetti Death

This artwork is called Confetti Death by the artist Typoe. The colorful confetti splash is produced from shards of paint spray caps and a skull is attached to it.

I enjoy this piece of artwork because not only is it vibrant but it also has a bit of a quirky disgust to it that makes it interesting. What makes this artwork fascinating is that the skull appears to be vomiting on to a wall where the skull seems to be the base of the artwork but in reality the "vomit" is supporting the skull to hang off the wall. The color of the vomit creates and interesting contrast with the white from the skull and the white wall which emphasizes the skull . Not only does the skull appear to be vomiting but it also seems like life is being sucked out of the mouth. It almost seems like the color is being taken away from the skull. I think the artist is trying to display life as color and how makes people who they are. Without the different experiences of life everyone would either be the same or nothing which is shown as a skull in the artwork.

A family in disguise

This us a series of artworks I recently found by Yu Jinyoung:




The series of artworks is A family in disguise, it displays a group of partially transparent dolls up against a patterned wall. All the dolls are different but made of the same material. I find it interesting because the bodies all seem like frail bubbles shaped as bodies. Also I find it interesting that only the faces and random parts of the body are solid rather than transparent.

The transparency of the dolls intrigues me the most because from a far distance only the solid parts will show causing the dolls to camouflage into the wall. Whether the artist means the dolls are disguised as a family or the family of dolls are disguising themselves as walls is questionable. If I were to looks at a doll on it's own I would interpret it as a person who isn't noticeable and blends in with the background. I would also interpret it as a person who is visible and have nothing to hide or people can easily read them. This artwork reminds me of how everyone seems almost the same in society, majority of the people in the world don't get noticed and are disguised within a crowd of people.

Overall not only the subject is interesting but the placement of the doll in front of a patterned background because lets the dolls pop out more from the background. If the dolls were to be placed on a plain white background the artwork may seem a bit plain. But when an unusual shaped and patterned background is placed the doll becomes more dynamic due to the transparency.

Free Parking

Ever play the game Monopoly? Well Monopoly is a board game where try to earn the most money by buying properties. Now there are many different versions of Monopoly, but what they have in common most of the time is the space on the board called free parking. This space allows the player to gain money that was lost from the board or it can just be a safety space to land without paying.

What I find interesting about this picture is that it takes the free parking from Monopoly and places it at the entrance and exit of the parking lot. This is quite interesting but only people who recognize the symbol from Monopoly, this indicates that it is a Vernacular design.

This design is to advertise for McDonald's special Monopoly event. Whether it truly means they have free parking is questionable but I find this design quite eye catching. It draws the audience who recognize the design because it is placed in a real life situation rather than a simple board game. Though Monopoly is based on real life retail it would be interesting to see a city that is built exactly like the board game and having a competition with houses and hotels that look like the pieces.

Alice in Wonderland

Artworks by: apricot8585

These artworks are based on the story Alice's Adventures In Wonderland. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland is a story about growth having that in mind, the artwork displays several elements that a child can relate to, such as doll. The random toys, dolls and signs in the artwork are one of the few elements that display the unpredictable mind of a child as seen in the original story. The artwork combines the western story of Alice in Wonderland and Japanese style art to create a Japanese style of Alice's Adventures In Wonderland.What makes this artwork amazing is the details of the floral patterns and the details of the background. The unity of the red ties the artwork together and the movement of the artwork lets the audience enjoy the overall appearance.

On the left you can see is Alice falling down with Peter the rabbit and on the right is Alice with Tweedledum and Tweedledee. As you can see the pictures still remain to tell part of the story. Nowadays there are many mash ups of stories and cultures, either way the moral stories always remain.

Tori Trigger

This is an artwork I recently found called Tori Trigger by Nanami Cowdroy.


Tori Trigger is a pretty interesting artwork to me. Not only is it beautifully rendered but it shows great meaning. I find it interesting that the artist placed the two contrasting elements of the gun and the cranes together in the art. Tori is translated as bird in Japanese and as you can see origami birds/cranes are flying out of the gun. Origami cranes are seen as a symbol of hopes and wishes , it was once said that if a 1000 cranes are folded then a wish will come true. In contrast a gun is seen as a symbol of war and violence. By placing these two elements together it forces the audience to think about what the artist is trying to display in their artwork.

I believe that the artist is trying to tell the audience that people rely on violence to protect them, this is what gives them hope that they will protect them. As the gun appears to be shooting out cranes, it also looks like the birds are escaping out of the gun. It feels like the birds are being release and I interpret it as birds(society) finally get their freedom as they escape from the violence.

Liar game

Liar game is a physiological manga/drama that plays with the concept of lies and trust.



This story starts of with a woman, Kazaki Nao, who is known for being "too honest for her own good". She doesn't tell lies and believes in almost anything she is told. One day she is sent an invitation to join a tournament that consists of many different games and she joins ends up joining by accident. Each round consists of simple games, but strategically the games are more complex than they seem.

The main idea of the story is about society and how people need to lie to survive. This is tested through the liar game tournament in the story, each player tries to lie to gain trust from the other players. In life, whether it is possible to survive without lying is questionable. In society their are swindlers who lie to take advantage of people and their are people who tell simple white lies. I believe that the author is trying to tell others that lies are not only for deceiving but can also help others. Though the author tells a moral story about trusting others I believe it is hard to trust people in society now a days. This is because there are many people who live on lies and coning people.

Before and After- Spot the difference

This illustration is by Kosterina Katerina. I find this artwork interesting because it familiarizes a live pig to a cooked on. Placing the 2 side by side creates a comical irony; both are the same thing but one is alive and the other one cooked. I reminds me of when people compare the before and after photos of someone to see the change. The ironic part of this artwork is when the artist ask the audience to spot 10 differences. If you look at the picture closely it says "Fair or Unfair, That is the question". In my opinion I think the artist is trying to ask whether it is fair to kill a pig even when it has a family to feed. Is it truly fair to kill a pig even when it has a family just to feed our own family? That is what I think the artist is asking.

The Mask She Wears

This artwork is called The Mask She Wears by Yuta Onoda. The medium is a combination of digital and mixed media. I find this art work interesting because it is beautifully rendered. Also it has a contrasting elements of the mask and the beauty of the petals that make the work intriguing. The pink petals is emphasized by the monochromatic drawing which shows a balance of beauty and darkness. The artist possibly wanted to let the audience see the contrast of beauty and ugly/scary. This reminds me of the saying: someone my look beautiful from behind but when you look that them up close they are truly not what they seem to be, sort of like don't judge a book by it's cover. Overall I enjoyed the grotesque mask that is contrasting with the delicate flower petals.