CRACKADE GOES TO ART CHICAGO 2011

Spent a healthy 3 1/2 hours checking out over 200 galleries (not sure on the number) on the enormous 12th floor of the Merchandise Mart. As you may have heard, Shepard Fairey—better known as Obey Giant—has been popping up around Chicago, pasting up his most recent work from his  'Revolutions' exhibition through the Robert Berman Gallery. The bizarre part, he nor the gallery were listed in any of the Art Chicago materials. Needless to say, it took a little while to find the gallery because most of the workers had no clue what I was talking about. Go figure. Regardless, it was badass seeing it all in person.

So like I said, there was a lot of stuff. I took pictures of whatever looked fresh, interesting or just down right bizarre.  Overall, it was a solid showing, but lacked a lot of street art aside from the Obey Giants and a Mr Brainwash. Surprised I didn't see one Banksy on display.

Shot pictures using my iPhone 4 camera as well as Hipstamatic and Instagram apps. I think the quality is alright with me.

Favorite of the Show: Renaud Delorme,  Mixed Media.
(Above) Shotgun shells, tennis balls, yarn, cassette tapes and other collected artifacts
(Below) Patchwork, electric toy racetrack, pill bottles.

 World Currency Butterflies by Erica Harrsh. These were Hand Painted if you can believe that.

 (Above) Ryan Humphrey
(Below) Mr Brainwash "Madonna"

 (Above) Obey Giant Album Covers. Framed editions of 8

 (Above and Below) Yi-Hsin Tzeng

 (Above) Sarah Palin Stamps.

 (Above) Victor Sydorenko
(Below) Detail shot of the above piece.

 (Above) Kelly Ratchford
(Below) Christina Nederberger. Acrylic on Plexiglass 'Chandelier'

 (Above) Warhol
(Below) Ed Valentine

 (Above) Horse Drawn Hummer Carriage

 (Above) Peggy Kouroumalos
(Below) Christy Langer. Creepiest thing I saw all day.

 (Above) Arno Elias

 (Above and Below) Bates Wilson

 (Above) Most unique way of selling art: Threaten to destroy it. Part of the NEXT section of Art Chicago, this gallery placed a time limit on each piece. If no one offered atleast minimum wage x the amount of time it took to create the piece of art, well, then, it gets the ax. This one was saved for $80 dollars

Obey Giant hanging from the lobby of The Merchandise Mart. Balling.

FISH BOOTH: FRESH USE OF A USELESS OBJECT

Who's used a phone booth recently? I can't think of the last time I stepped into one (on purpose). Thanks to lighting designer Benoit Deseille and artist Benedetto Bufalino, the phone booth has a new life.

Taken to task to contribute to the annual Festival of Lights in Lyon, France, Benoit and Benedetto have transformed an unused phone booth into a living aquarium. The juxtaposition and intrigue this simple installation has generated gives new reason to re-examine modern day uses of abandoned and obsolete structures such as the lonely phone booth. With the right city works and community involvement, a world with street aquariums has an exciting future. Via: Good

The artists inspiration explained:

                          With the advent of the mobile telephone, telephone booths lie unused. 
                          We rediscover this glass cage transformed into an aquarium, full of 
                          exotically colored fish; an invitation to escape and travel.

IS STITCHING MAKING A COMEBACK?

And why not? A lost art form, or just your idea of Grandma, embroidery is pretty damn cool. Break out the needles and thread, people. K-Powers via @Nussy. Poster Via: Fffffound.

BEST USE OF KIDS TOY

Our Picture of the Night comes from a far off land where pandas can live out their childhood dreams.

Via: fffffound

WTF? A baby stroller. Weapons included

http://damncoolpics.blogspot.com/2009/12/gun-shape-baby-carriage.html

Meet Dou. Russian Photographer of the exotic

He will trip you out and blow your mind with his Photoshop abilities. And then he will make you cry all over their porcelain skin. Click title to go to photographer's page.

http://douart.ru/