Saturday 29 August 2009

Ernst Haeckel

Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919) was a German scientist and illustrator, and an ardent supporter of Darwin. He was also a proponent of scientific racism, but looking at these I think we can just about let him off. His work is now in the public domain, and much of it can be found at Wikimedia Commons, including the whole of Art Forms in Nature (1904). Just don't expect any kind of 'scientific' accuracy.

Naoya Hatakeyama

Found via But Does It Float, the work of Tokyo-based photographer Naoya Hatakeyama. Lots more here and here.

Sunday 23 August 2009

Hannah Höch

These are from The Photomontages of Hannah Höch, which I would very much like to own but which is out of print and rather expensive. Höch (1889-1978), the only female member of the Dada movement, was one of the first artists to experiment with the technique of photomontage, alongside the likes of Raoul Hausmann (with whom she had a turbulent relationship), John Heartfield and George Grosz.

More here, here and here.

Nadia

My girlfriend found these while researching her dissertation on autism. Click on the image to view large version and read the text. The girl was 3 1/2 and 5 years old when she drew these.

Tuesday 18 August 2009

Made In Japan III

Matsubara Naoko

Iwami Reika

Sekino Jun'ichiro

Azechi Umetaro

Ueno Makoto

Tokushi Katsuhira

Yoshiro Nagase

Masao Maeda

Azechi Umetaro

Ugatawa Kuniyoshi

Matsubara Naoko

Part I
Part II

Fantastic Planet

Stills from René Laloux's entirely bonkers 1973 animated feature Fantastic Planet (La Planète sauvage), featuring the bizarre inventions of French artist and writer Roland Topor. The giant blue Draags keep humans (or 'Oms') as pets, believing them to be simple, undeveloped creatures. The Draags attempt to keep the number of feral Oms down by exterminating them using poison gas and other methods. But then one pet Om begins to be exposed to the telepathic education intended for young Draags...