Relax

Lauren Berke

Nice style, very conscious of script and design, with easy going graphic drawings. I really like her paintings, and her simple but eloquent "digitally colored" works. link

Rotting Shark

The decompostion of artist Damien Hirst's iconic work, "The physical impossibility of death in the mind of someone living" poses some interesting questions about the authenticity of contemporary art work, such as, is it the same work of art, if it is entirely replaced by the artist? Here's a bit of what's happening to Damien's "preserved" shark piece, "The animal suspended in formaldehyde has deteriorated dramatically to the naked eye since it was first unveiled at the Saatchi Gallery in 1992 because of the way it was preserved by the artist. The solution which surrounds it is murky, the skin of the animal is showing considerable signs of wear and tear, and the shark itself has changed shape." So if he replaces the shark, is it the same piece? Read this article to find out more here.

Drawer Geeks

This is a cool art collective site, that has a lot of fine illustrations of subjects ranging from mermainds, childhood nightmares, Wonder Woman, the Hulk, Darth Vader, Godzilla, King Kong, Alice and wonderland, monster movies, and more!!
link

Toys and Tattoos

Slow day, this comes way of Boing Boing, but here's a site that features both tattoos and toys. FYI most of the tattoos are of film/toy franchises. link

Transformers

Had to post this "Bumble Bee" image from the upcoming Micheal Bay film, Transformers. I believe the head of the robot is facing down, but you can get a sense of scale and size of these "transformers". Click here for more behind the scenes info and images regarding the film.

Dragon Tiger Gate

"The Gate of Dragon and Tiger, created by media magnate Tony Wong Yuk-long in the 1970s, was a milestone in the history of Hong Kong comics. More than one generation of Chinese youngsters have been mesmerized by its tales of heroism and heart-pounding martial arts scenes. Inspired by the basic human values that the series upholds, the film revisits a bygone era, where back street boys can fight for justice in the community. While the spectacular action will appeal to Chinese and international audiences, the film is also an attempt to rekindle the passion and vitality lost in a mercenary and morally ambiguous society." Check the trailer, here!

Melissa Thorne

Melissa Thorne is a painter of meticulous care. She creates slick flat facsimiles of Afghan blankets. Her paintings continue the post modernist style of "grid painting" but instead of creating cold detached linear grids, her work brings the sense of hand craft, domesticity, and humor to the forefront. The images here don't do the work justice, but imagine the patience it takes to replicate the intricate woven pieces she uses as her subject. Check out Melissa's work here. Also, Melissa plays in a band called Bedroom walls, and although I don't know much about them, I do know they are getting a lot of "buzz" here in L.A.

Jason Hackenworth

Jason Hackenworth is one of those artists that make you smile, and say to yourself, "How did he come up with that?". He is a sculptor of balloons, and not your typical children's birthday party balloons either. He creates what he calls the "Megamite" which he claims to be an anemone, a creature from the deepest reaches of your id. Despite how it looks, these are serious art sculptures and have been shown at such prestigious art events as the Venice Biennale. To get an idea of Hackenworth's work, both in size and scope, go here.

DDR

Poor video, nice spectacle. Check out this kid's moves while he plays Dance Dance Revolution. He starts out slow, but then he gets it going. link

Lightning Strikes Shanghai

This reminds me of Ghostbusters, check out that bolt of lightning hitting the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai. Whoa.

Dead Man's Chest

The premiere of Dead Man's Chest was this Saturday at Disneyland, and Mice Age has some great images from the red carpet event as well as some great Disney released photo stills of the changes to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Check it out, here!

Painful Laughter

You will want to tear your eyeballs out as these sweet Chinese children sing the "Laughing Song".... And for the record, Yes, Chinese children's television is this annoying. link