The Impressive Body Art of Michael Rosner and Eye Level Studios.

While I had seen a few of these stunning images under the category of photography (by Tim Engle), the true artist here is body painter Michael Rosner.





Having begun his craft with an airbrush, Michael eventually perfected a technique using found objects as a masking element to impose architectural and geometric shapes upon the organic contours of the human body.




Painted upon live models, each can take between 16 and 20 hours of laborious handiwork. No computer enhancement is used and all props such as skulls, leaves, horns, masks and headpieces are real.





The result is a combination of humanity and machinery - a steampunk like underworld of mythological gods and goddesses, of devils and robots.















above photo by Allan Barnes Photography

"Transforming an organic object using paint fills me with a sense of accomplishment and integrity and is the creative vehicle that carries me toward the translation of my inner vision to a reality that can be shared." -- Michael Rosner of Eye Level Studios.

About Body painter Michael Rosner:

above: Artist Michael Rosner at work

Michael Rosner is an American artist born in Chicago, Illinois. After attending Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia in 1996 he relocated to Sacramento, California and worked as a painter, sculptor and carpenter before beginning the series of body paintings in 2006.



Eye Level Studio, founded by Rosner in 2001, is what he calls a 'collective of talented artists' which has grown to include an elite group of the industries top professional photographers, stylists, make up artists and models who have become the creative force that has helped to realize Rosner's unique vision of body painting. In addition to live models, Rosner is known for painting on 'unconventional' surfaces including elaborate paintings on real leaves with hand selected species collected each fall throughout California.

Real People. Real Paint. Unreal Art. Available for paid shoots and live painting shows all over the world. Model Submission and Booking info email: Info@eyelevelstudio.com

Prints of some of the photographs shown in this post are available in his online store here.

photos in this post by David Geuringer, Allan Barnes and Tim Engle and courtesy of Eye Level Studios.

Cross Dressing Portraits Make A Point In The Men Under The Influence.

"The men under the influence..." is a series of portraits by photographer Jon Uriarte that address the recent change in roles in heterosexual relationships and how those changes have affected men in particular. The project consists of full-length portraits of men wearing the clothes of their girlfriends or wifes, taken in the space shared by the couple.

The photos attempt to capture men's sense of loss reference, now that women have taken a step forward and have finally come into their own as equal partners.

Below are all of the images from the project.

Carlos wearing Nina's clothes:


Victor wearing Ana's clothes:


Santi wearing Sabela's clothes:


Javi wearing Gabi's clothes:


Guillermo wearing Beatriz' clothes:


Nick wearing Reiko's clothes:


Marcos wearing Lucia's clothes:


Matias wearing Sarah's clothes:


Steve wearing Fonlin's clothes:


Lastly, the photographer himself, wearing Ainara's clothes:

photos and project description courtesy of Jon Uriarte

A special thanks to Feature Shoot for bringing this project to my attention

Jon Uriarte

In Pieces. Lego Sculptures Blend Into Realistic Photography.

'IN PIECES' is a multimedia collaboration between brick sculptor Nathan Sawaya and Australian photographer Dean West. The exhibition consists of Lego sculpted pieces by Sawaya seamlessly placed into beautiful photographic environments by West. Both the Chromogenic prints and editions of the sculptures are available for purchase.



In some cases, the Lego sculpted pieces blend in so well, it's hard to find them. For that reason I have created images with callouts atop the art for you.

The photographs, photos with callouts and Lego sculptures:

“Dress”, In Pieces 2012, Chromogenic Print on Kodak Endura, 43.0 x 59.5 inches, edition of 7:


Dress, In Pieces 2012, Plastic Bricks, 54.0 x 34.0 x 44.0 inches, edition of 1:


“Bus”, In Pieces 2012, Chromogenic Print on Kodak Endura, 43.0 x 56.4 inches, edition of 7:


Dog, In Pieces 2012, Plastic Bricks, 22.0 x 15.0 x 43.0 inches, edition of 7:

Mannequin, In Pieces 2012, Plastic Bricks, 32.0 x 13.0 x 8.0 inches, edition of 7:


“Pool”, In Pieces 2012, Chromogenic Print on Kodak Endura, 43.0 x 65.3 inches, edition of 7:


Flip Flops, In Pieces 2012, Plastic Bricks, 4.0 x 14.0 x 10.0 inches, edition of 7:

Towel, In Pieces 2012, Plastic Bricks, 32.0 x 17.0 x 10.0 inches, edition of 7:


“Hotel”, In Pieces 2012, Chromogenic Print on Kodak Endura, 43.0 x 43.7 inches, edition of 7:


Large Cloud, In Pieces 2012, Plastic Bricks, 20.0 x 22.0 x 47.0 inches, edition of 7:

Small Cloud, In Pieces 2012, Plastic Bricks, 14.0 x 21.0 x 14.0 inches, edition of 7:

Bucket, In Pieces 2012, Plastic Bricks, 18.0 x 15.0 x 15.0 inches, edition of 7:


“Tree”, In Pieces 2012, Chromogenic Print on Kodak Endura, 43.0 x 51.8 inches, edition of 7:


Tree, In Pieces 2012, Plastic Bricks, 48.0 x 22.0 x 20.0 inches, edition of 7:


“Train”, In Pieces 2012, Chromogenic Print on Kodak Endura, 43.0 x 58.0 inches, edition of 7:


Tracks, In Pieces 2012, Plastic Bricks, 5.0 x 400.0 x 28.0 inches, edition of 7:


“Umbrella”, In Pieces 2012, Chromogenic Print on Kodak Endura, 43.0 x 57.0 inches, edition of 7:


Umbrella, In Pieces 2012, Plastic Bricks, 28.0 x 33.0 x 33.0 inches, edition of 7:

close-up:


Some images of the exhibition:





About the project:
The project is a series of tableau compositions based on ideas about nature, culture, society and more specifically, identity. Identity as a cultural creation has been heavily commercialized and manipulated, and we prominently portray this through a highly stylized representation of contemporary life. The integration of Sawaya's unique sculpture is key to the series' narrative and aesthetic.

The images have been constructed using modern photography techniques, combined with specially sculpted LEGO® objects placed within the scenes. The combination not only builds on and accentuates the images' aesthetic, but also compels the viewer to deconstruct each tableau, thereby exposing elements of the construction of cultural identity itself. Isolated individuals stand in recognizable but chillingly empty minimalist scenes with geometrical design, derived from common features of the American landscape. Their averted eyes gaze into nothingness, and a strange feeling of aloofness and displacement reverberates.

Referencing the aesthetic of the American Postcard in both the style and content- the series has been colour graded with pastels such as warm yellows and pale blues. The imagery, from a distance, appears entirely photographic. However, as the viewer begins to digest the images, the series reveals its brick by brick fabricated construction. The brick by brick, layer-by-layer process also represents the direct process involved with digital photography today with clear references to pixilation and technology.

Videos
A peek at the process:

Behind Lego:


Behind the construction of the red dress:




SALES INQUIRIES: info@inpiecescollection.com

NATHAN SAWAYA
www.brickartist.com

DEAN WEST
www.deanwest.com

In Pieces is showing at the Avant Gallery from February 28th, 2013 to March 17th, 2013