{art} – Page 634 – { feuilleton }

The art of Nicholas Kalmakoff, 1873–1955

Astarte (1926).

Kalmakoff’s beautiful paintings turn up most often (if at all) in collections of Symbolist art although most of his work comes after the Symbolist period which was pretty much killed off by the revelations of Cubism. Like Harry Clarke, Kalmakoff is one of those artists who evidently felt that the aesthetics of the 1890s required further exploration; like Clarke there’s also some interesting occult illustration going on. Unlike Clarke (whose work appeared in lavish illustrated books and stained glass window designs) he had to contend with an art world that had little time for imagination unless it was presented in a Surrealist package. Kalmakoff’s fascinating story is detailed here and there are three galleries of his paintings here.

Previously on { feuilleton }
• Austin Osman Spare

The art of Arnau Alemany

La raffinerie.

Since his first exhibition in Barcelona in 1978, Spanish artist Arnau Alemany has dedicated himself solely to painting. In recent years, he has shown in Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, Lyon, San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Valencia, receiving second prize in the 1991 Montecar Biennial. A collection of his work also hangs in the prestigious Museum of Spanish Contemporary Art in Japan. Beginning the creative process, Alemany creates an imaginary urban landscape, either with signs of destruction or general abandonment, which are the artist’s expressions of the incompetence of city planning. Above all, he hopes to show that visual surprise is possible, through the use of magical realism.

Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The fantastic art archive

Previously on { feuilleton }
• The art of Gérard Trignac
• The art of Jean-Pierre Ugarte

The Major Arcana

Tarot designs proliferate at a seemingly unstoppable pace (you can see a selection of them here) so it’s probably fair to say that the world doesn’t need more of them. However, most modern designs are pastiches or fantasy-oriented works that tend towards an elaboration even more baroque than some of the older designs. My As Above, So Below poster was an earlier attempt at presenting traditional occult schematics in a modern setting. The challenge with this Tarot design was to try and create a Major Arcana set using nothing but international symbol pictograms or dingbat sets. It succeeds for the most part although I had to cheat a couple of times (creating a light bulb from scratch, for instance) and it’s debatable how recognisable these cards would be without their labels. I was following the Aleister Crowley scheme that renames a few of the cards, and some of his designs, especially The Aeon which replaces The Last Judgment, are rather resistant to simplification.

I would have uploaded this to a new CafePress shop as a poster design but their servers don’t seem to like my big jpegs just now. Maybe later.

Update: It finally uploaded. This is the shop.

The Journal of Ottoman Calligraphy

Seeing as we’re living through a period of recurrent paranoia and hysteria, with a whole state of matter being declared dangerous, with people falling under suspicion for not being white, and with events like this a daily occurrence, one can only wonder how we endured thirty years of deadly IRA terrorism in this country without panic in the streets or the nation turning into a police state.

Useful then to be reminded of some of the many positive aspects of Arab culture which is exactly what the Journal of Ottoman Calligraphy is devoted to. This is a new blog so there isn’t much there just yet (although what’s there is gorgeous) but I look forward to seeing what they post in the future.

Via the excellent BibliOdyssey.

Previously on { feuilleton }
• Word into Art: Artists of the Modern Middle East

Giant mantis invades Prague

Viriconium comes to life… Or should that be VR-conium? 360º panorama of this event.

A giant praying mantis invaded Old Town Square in Prague today at 8:15 pm to the delight of hundreds of human onlookers, and a few horses too. The humanoid invaders, on extended springy legs, drove their giant insect through the Old Town amid fireballs and deep heavy funk grooves. The police stood by, trying to direct the bug to more peaceful environs, as many of the grumpier tourists nearby were rather put off their expensive goulash and roasted duck.

The Letni Letna circus theater festival has come to Prague again! If you are in the area, the giant bug will be making another appearance, as well as plenty of other slightly perverse and zany acts.

Via Boing Boing.

Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The panoramas archive

Previously on { feuilleton }
• Paris III: Le Grande Répertoire—Machines de Spectacle