Papercut Sculptures by Peter Callesen

Born in Denmark, Peter Callesen studied at the Arhus School of Architecture and at the Goldsmiths College (London), to name a part of his educational background.
One cay say that Callesen is mostly known by his paper scultpures, from A4 size papercuts to large scale works and installations. But he does not stick with paper, Callesen also uses MDF, paint and why not, light bulbs.
Many of his works have a common theme, classical fairytales, afterall his from the country of Hans Christian Handersen. Through this, Callesen conveys a union between childwood's fantasies and the reality of adult life.
His work has been exhibited at the Artgenda (Hamburg), Shangai Art Museum (China) and The Museum of Religious Art (Denmark).
He's also featured in public collections and publications.
Callesen is represented at this time by Helene Nyborg Contemporary.

Curate This !

Located at 527 Saint Joseph Street, New Orleans (USA), Beca Gallery is going to give the opportunity to all art appreciators in the world to curate their "Four" exhibition that will have its vernisage on August the 2nd.
For that, Beca Gallery will present (18th to 21st June) the submited works from which one will be abble to select 10 works.
From those 10, the 4 most voted will have their works featured at the "Four", the gallery's third international contemporary art exhibition.
The 10 selected works will also be featured in the "Curate This!" publication.
Know more about this event by visiting their blog.

Armed robbers get away with two Picassos

Three armed robbers entered the Pinacoteca Museum in São Paulo (Brazil) in broad daylight, managing to get away with two prints of Picasso's "The Artist and His Model" and "Minotaur, Drinker and Women".
Two oil paintings from the artists Di Cavalcanti and Lasar Segall were also taken.
The four works are estimated in $600,000.
More development here and here.

Interview with Jane Kivistö

Jane Kivistö is a finish artist based in Pori, Finland.
She considers herself a pastelist, but also likes to use other mediums.


So that we may know a bit more about her, Jane kindly granted an interview to The Art Inquirer.




TAI - Jane, thank you for granting this interview.
Tell us about the place where you live.

JK -I was born and raised in Inkoo, a seaside municipality on the south coast of Finland. It's a rather small (popul. 5500) and quiet place surrounded by the beautiful seashore nature. Nowadays I live in Pori, another seaside town on the west coast. Being close to nature is really important to me even today and I guess I have passed that on to my two children: some of our ways to relax is fishing, hiking and camping. I always carry a camera with me, you never know where the perfect scenery is.

In highschool I had art as an optional subject as well as in college, that was two extra hours of art on a week but that was all. I don`t have any art-related master degrees. At the moment I`m studying social pedagogy at Satakunta University of Applied Scienses and will graduate in this fall. Hopefully :D



TAI - From what age did you start to enjoy drawing and painting ?

JK - I remember I've always loved drawing, arts and crafts. I use to write little plays and perform them, yet the most important part of the whole process was building the set for the play. The plays weren`t that good, but I think I had some talent for the staging :) I was ten. So I guess at that point I realized that I'll always do something related to crayons :)





TAI - Did you keep on painting since then or were there any intermissions ?

JK - Yes I did keep on drawing and crafting. My father painted with oil colours but I didn't like to paint until I was 12. Before that, for some reason, I thought painting was something adults do. In college I found pastels and painted for a while but took a brake when I got two children. The brake lasted about five years.





TAI - When did you decide to take a more serious approach toward art ?

JK - Well, it was at that magical age of 12. I took an art class, it was oil painting and I just loved it. I loved the smell of the turpentine and the softness of the brushes and the whole world of painting. It was love from the very beginning. I wanted to learn everything. I really took it seriously. But the serious approaching lasted about an year :) After that it hasn't been serious, just pure joy :D I don't paint for living, I think I live for painting. And am very happy if someone likes my work and wants to buy a piece.





TAI - Have you attended any workshops ? If so, how did they influenced your skills and your approach ?

JK - Nope, or maybe a few a couple of hours lasting mini-workshops. But the idea was more like working together, not learning art. But the class that I took when I was 12, it of course had a great influence. Because of taking hardly any classes I consider myself as a self-taught artist.


TAI - How did you come up with the choice of your mediums ?

JK - It was in college I found pastels. When painting with them I kinda saw that I can paint! My technique was weird but I enjoyed doing it, I even got a few commissions. It was learning through experimenting and I`m on that road even today.

TAI - Tell us about your techniques.

JK - I’m a pastelist but like to paint in oils and acrylics too. I don't have any firm techniques or ways to paint, it depends on the subject. I like to try different and new things, like painting on different textures. Now I've been painting on staves which are from an old wooden tub. I like it a lot because I can still feel the history in them, I've left the staves partly unpainted so the texture is in the open.

TAI - What subjects to you like to paint most and why ?

JK - Food and people. Maybe nature too, animals and other little things like branches, nests, leaves. I like to paint old cottages too, fences and so on. Why? I like to see the life as it is, without any pretending, those genuine little things surrounding us.



TAI - Your website in writen in finnish.Haven't you felt the need to have an english version ?

JK - Yes I have. But since Finland is bilingual (Finnish/Swedish) I consider to have a Swedish version instead. But I haven`t decided it yet. Maybe both.





TAI - What projects do you have in hand for the near future ?

JK - I'll have four or five shows more this year, on July (one or two solos), August (solo), September (group) and October (group). That means a lot of work, alot of paint and brushes, pastel sticks and great time!



The works of Jane have been exhibited in two solo exhibitions and three group ones.


Her art is featured in private collections in Finland.





Visit her website to see her works.

The Winner of June has been found

The lucky subscriber who is going to get a free watercolour is from USA.
His name is David and he's from Washington.
By subscribing to The Art Inquirer using Feedblitz, you may win a watercolour every month.

Kurt Wenner - A Master Artist and Architect

Kurt Wenner attended the Rhode Island School of Design and Art Center College of Design. He then went to Italy to pursue his artistic career, after working for NASA as an illustrator.
Wenner moved to Rome in 1982 where he studied and drew from classical sculpture. He travelled through Europe to see the monuments in loco.

In order to support his studies and travels he worked as a "madonnaro", winning several gold medals and being recognize as a master.
Wenner's works have been commissioned by some world known companies such as Knorr Soup Hampton Inn and Lexus. He has also conducted public lectures at The Smithsonian Institution (Washington DC) and at The National Gallery (Washington DC).

Being a muralist, Wenner has good connexions with the world of architecture and has been commissioned important works based on his capabilitis of offering the viewer a rewarding experience of optical illusions based upon anamorphic perspective.
Besides this, Kurt Wenner is also an architect offering to his customers complex works based in the classical tradition featuring rich details and geometric techniques.

Muto A Wall-Painted Animation by Blu

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Muto is a wall painting animation made by Blu with the assistance of Sibe.
The music is by Andrea Martignoni and the production belongs to Mercurio Film.
The animation takes place in Buenos Aires (Bologne, Italy) and Baden.

This video was mentioned by Knappert at Wetcanvas.

Guido Daniele at the Luciana Matalon Foundation

From the 5th to the 25th of June, the museum of the Luciana Matalon Foundation (Milan, Italy) will present the works of the worldly known body painter and muralist Guido Daniele.

The opening will take place on the 5th of June at 18h30 and the artist will present a live demonstration with a model.

Guido will have the musical accompaniment of the percussionist Luca Malaspina from the cultural association Kolon Kandya.

Click here to see a movie with the works of Guido Daniele.

Free Painting for June

June as started and a new free painting will be given to a lucky subscriber.

The winner will only have to pay $5 to cover postage costs (to anywhere in the world).

Make sure that you subscribe to The Art Inquirer through Feedblitz (see right column) to be a winner. Read more about it here.

The draw will take place on the 10th of June.