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Just as advances are being made on an infinitesimally small scale, so too are people pushing the boundaries when it comes to art on a grand scale. Swedish artist David Aberg spent two and a half years and 100 tons of paint to complete his work, “Mother Earth.” He painted the 86,000-square-foot creation by himself inside an aircraft hangar in Angelholm, Sweden.

This undated aerial file photo shows a painting in Angelholm, Sweden, that has been verified by Guinness World Records to be the world's largest painting done by a lone artist, more than twice as big as the previous record holder. David Aberg painted the image, which covers some 8,000 square meters (86,000 square feet). Photo: David Aberg / AP

Artists sometimes work together to create a work of art, as in the case of the 1200 Pakistani students who painted the 42,000 square foot flag of Pakistan

Students work on the world’s largest painting at the National Hockey Stadium in Lahore —Dawn Photo

Run out of paint? What about coffee beans? In June 2012, after more than 10 days of work, a 30-metre creation of a woman’s face was unveiled in Moscow’s Gorky Park.

Assistants of an artist stick coffee beans as they complete their creation after more than ten days of work at the Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure in Moscow. The artwork that occupies an area of about 30 square metres, has been considered the biggest picture in history made of coffee beans. Reuters photo/Maxim Shemetov

An assistant of an artist sticks coffee beans while completing the creation after more than ten days of work at the Gorky Central Park of Culture and Leisure in Moscow. Reuters photo/Maxim Shemetov

For your own environment, scale can often be a determining factor as to which piece of art you chose. Zatista has a great variety of diverse large -scale works.

Summer Cornfields by Simon Fairless on Zatista.com

Don’t forget that you can also get specific works commissioned and many artists will agree to paint larger or smaller sizes of a chosen piece of art.

Grove by Pavel Kasparek on Zatista.com

Next time you are looking for a painting, consider scale. Put the world in perspective.

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It is often said that the power of great art is in its ability to evoke emotion. People speak of its capacity to shock, awe, inspire, and bring joy.

Sometimes the art world can feel like an exclusive club, a gated community and a silo of culture reserved only for those who are in the know. Although Zatista and other progressive organizations have been working hard to share incredible art with the world and break down boundaries, this perception still exists in some circles. Oftentimes, alongside this feeling of exclusivity comes a certain air of seriousness. While seriousness and somber emotions are valuable, the world of art is, of course, far broader.

Idiot Talking on the Phone by Jed Williams on Zatista.com

Once we take art back to an emotional level, the spectrum with which we classify it increases infinitely and truly opens up to match the breadth of the spectrum of our emotions. One very important emotion that (although present in many places) seems to be quite easily forgotten in others, is humor. Humor and art have a very strong connection.

Visual art is frequently used as a vehicle to push boundaries. It can be controversial, and often some of the leading thoughts at the forefront of society are manifested in cathartic artistic expression. Humor is also a powerful medium and is frequently a means for pushing boundaries.

First Cup by Ralph Verano on Zatista.com

So, let’s open up our artistic horizons to truly explore how it can make us feel and laugh a little along the way. Let’s embrace humor in art, whether it is pushing boundaries or simply just because it is fun or funny. Images are very effective for conveying humor. Share with us here on Zatista the art that brings a smile to your face.

The Show Must Go On by Ralph Verano on Zatista.com

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Valley View by Diane Walker-Gladney on Zatista.com

When decorating a home, many start with the furniture. First a couch, then some chairs to match. Next, one might look for a table that fits in. Finally, one may take a step back and look for décor to match the newfound furniture and to complete the picture.

UNTITLED (NO. 6), 2011 by Lisa Caccioppoli on Zatista.com

While this is of course a perfectly fine approach, many seasoned art lovers recognize the power of visual art and do not leave it ’til last.

Montera Beach by Lena Levin on Zatista.com

When you walk into a room, a beautiful piece of art can really draw your attention. Often, it is the true focal point of a room. As we know, a great work of art can affect mood and really set the stage for the feeling and tone of a space. Art is impactful.

NO. 2.32 by Mark Mazurczyk on Zatista.com

For some, art remains an afterthought or a complimentary element. But why not switch it up? For an element of design that is so transformative, you may want to consider it sooner. Why not start with selecting your art?

Soft City: Blue Wall by Marilyn Henrion on Zatista.com

Although art does not have to be your first purchase, and you can more than likely find a piece to match your furniture, it pays dividends to bring art into the conversation earlier. Give it a try, you might like decorating a room this way!

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What’s in a name? The element of a piece of work that gets the most attention is usually the image itself. However, there is another auxiliary element to it – the title. It can mean different things to different artists and get varying responses from those who read it or hear it spoken. Sometimes the title may be an afterthought for an artist. Other works are untitled, perhaps as an attempt of the artist to isolate and only use one medium to influence the viewer. It could be that the artist feels the image should evoke emotion without having words:

Untitled by David Collins on Zatista.com

Some artists describe exactly what the work is; the title becoming an informative description:

Royal Palace, Turin, Italy by Massimo Listri on Zatista.com

Yet to other artists, the title is an element of the piece. Sometimes it may even come first, before the work is completed. In these instances it is contributing to the imagery, influencing thoughts by relationship, or bringing in outside feelings. It can be slightly subtler such as bringing in additional context in a work such as:

Morning Drive by Richard Szkutnik on Zatista.com

The title can also be a complete and dominant element of the piece such as, “An Oak Tree”, seen below:

An Oak Tree by Michael Craig-Martin. 1973 image: wikipedia

Other titles are famous and transcend the image itself – the words spread further. Some may recognize the name the Mona Lisa or Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night, but perhaps couldn’t recall specific details aside from their general appearance. If you feel inclined, next time you are buying a piece of art, take a glance at the title. How does it make you feel? What might the artist have been thinking of when he or she named the piece?

Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci image: wikipedia

The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh image: wikipedia

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What do Madonna, Elton John and Victoria Beckham have in common? Yes they are all musicians that have (in their hay-day) pulled huge crowds. However, there is something (or someone) else that draws them together: Damien Hirst. All three celebrities are known to have purchased his works.

The Child's Dream by Damien Hirst Photograph: Tate St. Ives

Not surprisingly, the art world is a playground for the rich and famous. Other notable celebrities reported to have purchased big name art are:

Beautiful Abstract Landscape Pretentious Art Nonsense Rug by Damien Hirst

Jay-Z, who has purchased works by Damien Hirst and Paul Pfeiffer’s, “The Long Count, Rumble in the Jungle”:

The Long Count (Rumble in the Jungle) by Paul Pfeiffer

Steve Martin who has quite a large art collection including works by Franz Kline:

Mahoning, 1956 by Franz Kline

And Marc Jacobs who has purchased work by Karren Kilimnik:

The Perch by Karen Kilimnick

Jennifer Aniston and Christina Aguilera are also art lovers, and the list goes on. In some cases, the art isn’t that far removed from buyer as many of the celebrities are artists themselves, only of a different medium.

The Incredible Journey: Damien Hirst's zebra in formaldehyde

The good news for artists? Celebrities investing in art can bump prices and their star power also generates enormous buzz around the artists they cherish. Some of the artists lauded by celebrities are house-hold names in their own right, but purchases by the rich and famous have been known to fast track the careers of emerging artists as well.

‘Medicine Cabinets’ by Damien Hirst, L & M Arts, 2010. Courtesy of Tom Powel Imaging

As will all purchases, some are for the love of the piece, others for investment, and for the lucky ones it’s both. It was reported that after a few drinks, Hugh Grant purchased an Andy Warhol piece at auction and eventually went on to make millions when he sold it for 10 times its original value at auction nearly 6 years later. We’ll have what he’s drinking. Cheers to buying art!

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