Zatista The premier source for original art online

image: guylaramee.com

It’s not what you think. This has got to be one of the most amazing uses for books that anyone has ever come up with (besides reading them, of course). Canadian artist Guy Laramee painstakingly carves intricate landscapes into old books, an act that is steeped in commentary.

image: inspirationfeed.com

Specifically, Laramee is concerned with notions of progress and the erosion of culture that is an inherent part of it. Hence the amazing, but also destructive feat at hand.

image: inspirationfeed.com

image: guylaramee.com

It takes real vision to recognize the potential of an unconventional medium such as this. The pages, all in an immense variety of muted pulp tones, some yellowed with age or grayed with years of dust, lend themselves to transformation. The result is topographical, substantial, and I would guess, quite profound in person.

image: inspirationfeed.com

When you have a free moment or two, I strongly recommend browsing around on art websites (hint, hint). You never know what you’ll find, and you’re bound (no pun intended) to find work that will blow you away!

Related articles

• Coffin In The Library (zatista.com)
• Guy Laramee (itsnicethat.com)

Maria Gabriela Brito is an interior designer and authority on why, where, and how to display contemporary art in any environment. Frequent contributer to Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP lifestyle newsletter, Maria knows the art world inside and out and is able to create the perfect environment to showcase a well curated art collection. An art collector herself, Maria’s mission is to help her clients live beautifully and get dialed in to the art scene worldwide. She is also an avid believer in encouraging kids to grow up around great works of art. Contributing writer Nancy Cost interviews this month’s Guest Curator, Maria Gabriela Brito.

When did you become familiar with the world of fine art?
Since I had memories! My parents were art collectors and my grandfather was an M.D. who, in his spare time, painted gorgeous oil-on-canvas landscapes.

Do you see any differences between the way Americans and South Americans incorporate art into their lives or interiors?
Not really. Perhaps some Americans are more exposed and can push the envelope a bit more.

What is your advice on how to start an art collection?
Do preliminary research and buy the absolute best that you can within your price range. Go to art fairs and galleries and buy what you love, BUT, always do preliminary research about the artist.

Lifestyling by Maria Gabriela Brito

Does good art have to cost lots and lots of money?
Not really. I’m always after the thrill of discovering emerging artists whose pieces are way more affordable than mid-career or established artists.

What was your most recent art purchase?
An Assume Vivid Astro Focus Print and a Sculpture that they made out of one of the original Dade County voting booths from the debacle of the 2000 Presidential elections.

What is the biggest misconception you find people making regarding art in their homes?
That they can’t have contemporary art because it’s either too edgy, too expensive, or too hard to understand.

Where are your favorite places to go get inspired by art?
Anywhere! From chic hotels to galleries to collectors’ homes.

What’s your number one tip for making an interior sizzle?
COLOR!

What was the first piece of art you bought?
A Rothko print at The MoMA 13 years ago.

Lifestyling by Maria Gabriela Brito

Have you ever purchased artwork on line?
Yes, from different sites around the world.

What’s hanging on your walls at home?
Vik Muniz, Mickalene Thomas, Assume Vivid Astro Focus, Flavia Da Rin, Faile, Mark Bradford.

What would our readers be surprised to know about you?
I love pop music from the 80s!

Famous German abstract painter and one of the leading figures of the art world, Gerhard Richter, turned 80 years old earlier this year. If you’ve been to a museum lately, you’ve probably seen one of his signature colorful smeared canvases as many museums seem to have a Richter on display. If he’s not yet a common name in your household, now’s the time to get to know Gerhard Richter. Even an armchair viewing of his current solo exhibition via the Internet will help you do just that.

Elizabeth I, 1966 by Gerhard Richter image: Tate.org

Organized by the Tate Modern in London, the exhibition (next on display in Paris this summer) spans almost five decades and is a major retrospective that groups together significant points in the timeline of his impressive career.

Abstract Painting, 1990 by Gerhard Richter image: Tate.org

The Tate describes Richter as, “…known for the diversity of his approaches to painting. His practice can seem to be structured by various oppositions, with paintings after photographs countering abstract pictures; traditional still-lifes alongside highly charged subjects; monochrome grey works and multicoloured grids. Some paintings are planned out and ordered; others are the result of unpredictable accumulations of marks and erasures. Even a single painting can seem contradictory, with some areas seeming gestural, and other parts almost mechanic.”

Abstract Painting (726) , 1990 by Gerhard Richter image: Tate.org

“The title of this exhibition, Gerhard Richter: Panorama, evokes the intention to look around at the range of Richter’s practice, discovering contradictions and connections, continuities and breaks. Each room is devoted to a particular moment of his career. While the focus is on painting, the exhibition also features glass constructions, mirrors, drawings and photographs.”

11 Panes, 2004 by Gerhard Richter

11 Panes, 2004 by Gerhard Richter

“Lovers of the epic beauty of Rothko, Twombly and Hodgkin will have much to enjoy, as will those who appreciate striking portraiture or the crystal-clear precision of photorealism.”

Abstract Painting (Skin) (887-3), 2004 by Gerhard Richter

Abstract Painting (Skin) (887-3), 2004 by Gerhard Richter

In addition to solo exhibitions in Paris, Beirut, Ecuador and Berlin this year, Richter ‘s work will be featured in group exhibitions in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium, the UK, Hong Kong, New Orleans, Minneapolis, New York, Chicago, and Maine.

Curtain, 2012 by Gerhard Richter Image: Gerhard-Richter.com

Get out there and get to know a living legend of the fine art world, Gerhard Richter!

Related articles

• Is it worth all the hype? – Gerhard Richter’s Panorama (myartexperience.wordpress.com)
• Gerhard Richter Mobbed by Paparazzi as Retrospective Opens in Berlin (artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com)
• New Gerhard Richter Documentary Shows Abstract Art in Action (wired.com)

If you haven’t heard about Pinterest yet, take a few minutes today to check it out. As lovers of all things visual, especially original art, we naturally love the site.  In the words of Pinterest:

Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.

Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.

Best of all, Zatista is pleased to announce we’ve got some great boards going where we regularly post a selection of the amazing works on the site.

So head over, check out Pinterest and follow our boards!

Girl With a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer on Wikipedia.org

Face it; reproductions in books or online are no match for viewing original artwork in person. With a nod to the recent popularity of “bucket lists,” here is my personal short list of seven paintings to see before you die. What’s on your list?

1. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer, 1665
At 18.5” x 15.7”, this work is relatively small but demonstrates Vermeer’s mastery of light and figure. It is currently located at the Mauritshuis in the Hague.

The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch on Wikipedia.org

2. The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch, 1510-1515
Not much is known about the artist, but this triptych is one of Bosch’s most famous and most recognizable works. It is located in Madrid at the Museo del Prado.

Study after Velazquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X by Francis Bacon on Wikipedia.org

3. Study after Velazquez’s Portrait of Pope Innocent X by Francis Bacon, 1953
This dark and haunting portrait is one of 45 works done in the 1950s and 60s which were influenced by Diego Velazquez’s portrait of Pope Innocent X. View it at the Des Moines Art Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse on Wikipedia.org

4. The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse, 1888
Based on a scene from Lord Alfred Tennyson’s 1832 poem bearing the same name. Located at The Tate Gallery, London, England.

Braids by Andrew Wyeth on Wikipedia.org

5. Braids by Andrew Wyeth, 1979
Part of The Helga Pictures, a group of 247 studies that the artist did of the German model Helga Testorf. Most of the paintings were purchased by millionaire Leonard E.B. Andrews in 1986.

Madonna by Edvard Munch on Wikipedia.org

6. Madonna by Edvard Munch, 1894
One of the five versions of the Madonna painted between 1894 and 1895. This version was stolen from the Munch Museum of Oslo in 2004 but was later recovered and remains there to this day.

Nighthawks by Edward Hopper on Wikipedia.org

7. Nighthawks by Edward Hopper, 1942
At The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois since its completion in 1942, this painting not only displays Hopper’s love of extreme perspective and effects of light, but also his deep sympathy for the unique scenes and characters of New York City.

Brian Sylvester is a guest blogger on WallSpin, and an artist on Zatista.

Related articles

• Vermeer draws us into a secret world (guardian.co.uk)
• Think Small Art (Zatista.com)
• Maddie On Things – A Dog As Art? (Zatista.com)