Quirky Art: Paper and Pencil
Unusual Art: Paper and Pencil
They say a picture is worth 1,000 words. How much, then, for a sculpture from a single sheet of white copy paper or the pages of an old book? In the hands of Peter Callesen, Su Blackwell, or Brian Dettmer, paper becomes an entire story, an environment, a philosophical statement. These artists take something we use every day and transform it into something unique and personal. In so doing, they still manage to maintain the primary function of their media: COMMUNICATION. This lens showcases th...

Quirky Art: Sand and Sidewalks
Illusions in Sand and Cement
Not all kinds of art are destined to be permanent. Sometimes, their very impermanence magnifies their impact. The awareness that a piece of art is destined to disappear makes us view it with a special sense of wonder. Certainly, sand sculptures and sidewalk painting fall into the category of here today and gone very quickly. This lens showcases techniques that give a whole new meaning to the term "gritty art." From fanciful sand sculptures that go far beyond conventional sand castles to tro...

Quirky Art: Unusual Art Media
A Potpourri of Unusual Art
For most people, audiotapes are obsolete pieces of personal history -- media that once held the tunes to which we sang and danced. Now, they are reduced to waste, to be recycled or surreptitiously discarded. To an artist like Erica Iris Simmons, though, abandoned audio- and videotapes represent opportunities for artistic creativity. The same is true for the other artists represented in this round-up of unusual art. Each of them uses common objects to bring to life an artistic vision. This le...