Nina Levy Compels Us With More Creepiness at the Salamatina Gallery

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#publisher=0d650ffe-1ec7-4395-883b-24e806d21a65&type=website"></script><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrX4XQ5hkNXlHj9c8oPI17JtLSlPSN3zjuH63G8PJaUVe-ktG46JL9GjlP5fnBnDTAZh8ULltHcfcd9knYXvFvBHQhqZJTlMBsCCtwSV5fKuqiH9j6dbV2kAanD3XHAhv6ngo7Lh4laXk/s1600/nina+Levy+exhibit+hero.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629003606333489634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrX4XQ5hkNXlHj9c8oPI17JtLSlPSN3zjuH63G8PJaUVe-ktG46JL9GjlP5fnBnDTAZh8ULltHcfcd9knYXvFvBHQhqZJTlMBsCCtwSV5fKuqiH9j6dbV2kAanD3XHAhv6ngo7Lh4laXk/s400/nina+Levy+exhibit+hero.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 532px; height: 532px;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">above: Nina Levy, Boy With Eyes, 2011 (cropped)</span></span><br /><br />Artist Nina Levy recently exhibited “Related Forms” at the <a href="http://www.salamatina.com/"> Salamantina Gallery</a> in New York. Her first exhibition in New York in five years, it featured two new sculptures, a new series of photographs, and a selection of Levy’s work from the last ten years.<br /><br />This has prompted me to reprise a post I wrote on her work a few years back and share the new pieces with you along with much of her work.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhnFWmRQOxENxBbY51ZQrfiaNbyzoeonQqyK8Xg7MdR3dkp67Sbell-rNhJ57Td_Wdun3AkBbJfyQQWSbcs99LjHxZQYVYaul651Op9wnglIGYTBFXLfajYsBJcqXZck9dfKQIIKKr9k/s1600/Nina+Levy+BoyWithFist40x30.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627935036664792258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhnFWmRQOxENxBbY51ZQrfiaNbyzoeonQqyK8Xg7MdR3dkp67Sbell-rNhJ57Td_Wdun3AkBbJfyQQWSbcs99LjHxZQYVYaul651Op9wnglIGYTBFXLfajYsBJcqXZck9dfKQIIKKr9k/s400/Nina+Levy+BoyWithFist40x30.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 525px; height: 700px;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">above: Nina Levy, Boy With Fist, 2011</span></span><br /><br />Artist <a href="http://www.ninalevy.com/">Nina Levy</a> has been living and working in Williamsburg, Brooklyn since 1996. A prolific photographer and sculptor, her work has been widely exhibited across the United States, including The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. where her life-sized portraits of four artists' heads hung as part of the gallery reopening in 2007 (shown below):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCV4MxXmsAUVzhN1NHe2xu0jwG7Ark3Bl5V-8zev712g9pZBdGXN9MLuI2fyMpar4BCJRRopN81CPubVtoywOE7sJZ-9zTZm6sJwOdQABeB6VEVUOT5WNNHlBjDQKdezur_fDMAkJlo4sv/s1600-h/HeadsSpectatorWeb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343366355451492562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCV4MxXmsAUVzhN1NHe2xu0jwG7Ark3Bl5V-8zev712g9pZBdGXN9MLuI2fyMpar4BCJRRopN81CPubVtoywOE7sJZ-9zTZm6sJwOdQABeB6VEVUOT5WNNHlBjDQKdezur_fDMAkJlo4sv/s400/HeadsSpectatorWeb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 526px; height: 352px;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">above: a view of the installation in the National Portrait Gallery in the Smithsonian, 2007</span></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSG_nN0Rk1xb7Z-vFmFr4S05JMmfH2whCQLIo0PgnpL_37OZDHcamCsHh7k87j4EghEBXnyVhyphenhyphen8i5AaJOlK-TSoLM5RKLvvolAb4o8B6cvhmfv-S4BJ9QKrkUtK0SQpAfY4Whyd9ydbvy5/s1600-h/Picture+2.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343364024724301090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSG_nN0Rk1xb7Z-vFmFr4S05JMmfH2whCQLIo0PgnpL_37OZDHcamCsHh7k87j4EghEBXnyVhyphenhyphen8i5AaJOlK-TSoLM5RKLvvolAb4o8B6cvhmfv-S4BJ9QKrkUtK0SQpAfY4Whyd9ydbvy5/s400/Picture+2.png" style="cursor: pointer; width: 524px; height: 357px;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">above: life-sized self-portrait sculpture Spectator, 2002 (also used in the 2007 National Portrait Gallery installation)</span></span><br /><br />An artist who has long worked with body parts made of oil-painted resin, gypsum or clay, fiberglass, cast polyurethane and other materials for over a decade to create large outdoor sculptures, indoor installations, portrait heads, and self-portraits in many forms, created her own series of family portraits or 'family resemblance' from 2006-2008.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLP3MKdLtr0a7jJVF_BvSzuzuwM0a4Lvb50JH7OgBAuiPRQkOnj8pDtdY4sTl7BpxMxYyQjFFpa_wDTJXoTyO3pnuJcw6nvDNdVWmyiVqZW6uU_65KPOMJL96QVdrIkyBGrn3TsFXqZAT4/s1600-h/Woman-huge-fist_1416240i.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343245129859554690" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLP3MKdLtr0a7jJVF_BvSzuzuwM0a4Lvb50JH7OgBAuiPRQkOnj8pDtdY4sTl7BpxMxYyQjFFpa_wDTJXoTyO3pnuJcw6nvDNdVWmyiVqZW6uU_65KPOMJL96QVdrIkyBGrn3TsFXqZAT4/s400/Woman-huge-fist_1416240i.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 537px; height: 346px;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">above: Woman with huge fist (self-portrait) 2008</span></span><br /><br />She has a very impressive education, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from Yale with a B.A. in English and Art in 1989 and she received a Masters in Fine Arts from The University of Chicago in 1993. She's also the mother of two young boys, whom are frequently the subjects of her recent photographs. But these aren't the kind of family photos you're used to seeing embellishing hallways and mantels.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSTQ_rzVexm18PNDCyL4zRM0v5t5Czv7RoJrq-lot5xsaAxA9hUScGuGlujfeuRdNeAEzBaIlkq8Urg713rgxrftxo-0JqNWhjuo704ioW7r3mu_aQGBQzMdfhyphenhyphenQ1DIsCtbdQxJcpq1a7/s1600-h/FamilyRes1editedweb.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343374363381814882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSTQ_rzVexm18PNDCyL4zRM0v5t5Czv7RoJrq-lot5xsaAxA9hUScGuGlujfeuRdNeAEzBaIlkq8Urg713rgxrftxo-0JqNWhjuo704ioW7r3mu_aQGBQzMdfhyphenhyphenQ1DIsCtbdQxJcpq1a7/s400/FamilyRes1editedweb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 525px; height: 700px;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">above: family resemblance, 30" x 24" EDITION OF 6 + A.P.</span></span><br /><br />To say that her portraits of herself and her family, consisting largely of her two sons, Archer, now 8 and Ansel, now 4, are bizarre is an understatement. Creepy and disturbing may be more appropriate descriptors for some viewers.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieukUU2fusvi9UqXOHXvSZtkD79VO9m68afZytNMvSnd-28dq5XWcdQrmBaCmjupSYpEuinx7XH37dnJiubg7qoP5vxfP7xiHqu853alh-9AaPikUFYc1mmRH3Xi2glVtamkVjtXtlE5l9/s1600-h/ALBHWithHeadWeb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343253042206398514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieukUU2fusvi9UqXOHXvSZtkD79VO9m68afZytNMvSnd-28dq5XWcdQrmBaCmjupSYpEuinx7XH37dnJiubg7qoP5vxfP7xiHqu853alh-9AaPikUFYc1mmRH3Xi2glVtamkVjtXtlE5l9/s400/ALBHWithHeadWeb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 536px; height: 428px;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">above: Nina's older son Archer with giant prosthetic baby head,2007</span></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8-mWD4Zz4HrqZ1SEegIZSodL4NBSABm2_KKTAVLt0aE9goln18L7OQ7k1F4h-2cfMi0wggUqSpCpWcWgi6Ww02wus6bRS_Mw5ggm9AOt8BHMvFEzQBlWX8k58g5fYNxtcQ10c6KNv2lx/s1600-h/ALB2WithHead2Thumb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343243832776694946" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8-mWD4Zz4HrqZ1SEegIZSodL4NBSABm2_KKTAVLt0aE9goln18L7OQ7k1F4h-2cfMi0wggUqSpCpWcWgi6Ww02wus6bRS_Mw5ggm9AOt8BHMvFEzQBlWX8k58g5fYNxtcQ10c6KNv2lx/s400/ALB2WithHead2Thumb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 536px; height: 427px;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">above: Nina's youngest son Ansel with giant prosthetic baby head</span></span>, 2007<br /><br />What's respectable, and certainly unexpected nowadays, is that there is no digital manipulation involved in her photographs. She actually sculpts the enlarged body parts or prostheses and then juxtaposes them with her subjects, so that the size relationships you see are actual real physical representations.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyqy3HQSL0w0AGjtmixWbFk969LJJnluBGPhLPAF_MqjEN99Ws13aNsaxcGKZwH-JrihOPEkKpSiakBWqxNQjDNB758m2fP4-T-SHag9R57u3ZYtKKI1sVJR_rN4adtiHfaPuW97ay3Gt/s1600-h/Kid-ride-huge-fist_1416245i.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343239713029149442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyqy3HQSL0w0AGjtmixWbFk969LJJnluBGPhLPAF_MqjEN99Ws13aNsaxcGKZwH-JrihOPEkKpSiakBWqxNQjDNB758m2fP4-T-SHag9R57u3ZYtKKI1sVJR_rN4adtiHfaPuW97ay3Gt/s400/Kid-ride-huge-fist_1416245i.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 530px; height: 341px;" /></a><br /><br />Babies eating babies, children cradling what look like lifeless bodies and small-framed, vulnerable boys sporting hulk-like hands and steroidal limbs are the subjects of some of her these recent photos. Here's a look at much of her family portraits and family resemblance photographs, 2006-2008:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MM-APbOhyphenhyphenQWdGxAul9V_Jl2PwIxSiUGyVvZcIeFWYmtL03XF4yT0ic2Q7FUFtXG8wlOGrB8dYVhDhA1DYeT0Gcjqm6-KFjPuS4RbfPXksmbEYIeNLzhtDL8G1xS3fE6tX-DeMkIY-ZjN/s1600-h/07-12-03-026HeadThumb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343241927624661618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MM-APbOhyphenhyphenQWdGxAul9V_Jl2PwIxSiUGyVvZcIeFWYmtL03XF4yT0ic2Q7FUFtXG8wlOGrB8dYVhDhA1DYeT0Gcjqm6-KFjPuS4RbfPXksmbEYIeNLzhtDL8G1xS3fE6tX-DeMkIY-ZjN/s400/07-12-03-026HeadThumb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 522px; height: 651px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8tQC9H0LvMV127tAA2yzsy2qSN92RktJAFXZa6RJies6ivWEdTp9tpXRXXjOMFJCaQgisfJ90StLSdTLXlpDUxti94pST__z7M6i3gmRmAd1oI79VtTW1G9zt5MQt0riCspIfewOehyo/s1600-h/TicklishRAWWeb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343372665457465218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8tQC9H0LvMV127tAA2yzsy2qSN92RktJAFXZa6RJies6ivWEdTp9tpXRXXjOMFJCaQgisfJ90StLSdTLXlpDUxti94pST__z7M6i3gmRmAd1oI79VtTW1G9zt5MQt0riCspIfewOehyo/s400/TicklishRAWWeb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 527px; height: 407px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuOUJYBoaXKQsC7DDZRRdAB1xjneek8qHhdDtU3kfX5ZIrgmwu1dBHew8noRNQAfY-xfm_tFaP1lQsbe66YcKk37f0dxmeCjohiOR8kEw9Y-S-UNjK02YiWwXBgew9sYaYqv9eOtJD5Ye/s1600-h/ALBHWithHeadFloorWeb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343239931784908146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuOUJYBoaXKQsC7DDZRRdAB1xjneek8qHhdDtU3kfX5ZIrgmwu1dBHew8noRNQAfY-xfm_tFaP1lQsbe66YcKk37f0dxmeCjohiOR8kEw9Y-S-UNjK02YiWwXBgew9sYaYqv9eOtJD5Ye/s400/ALBHWithHeadFloorWeb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 527px; height: 659px;" /></a><br /><br />Nina explains: "I have been interested in using fragmentation and shifts in scale to explore both discomfort with the human body and with other people"<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbReH_DKKpRnOmZgB4ydXMDv6RnqtZ6bdwN_PQiwmziIJyz7h49aR9tVT4BxEDETrjljfqVqS172MN8J89icfm2nhDlr5OEWjXweyJZdElzMNThbijc_TvNhXrbEUZ9AvG8FSQZ6xXERLQ/s1600-h/ALBHulkwithLittleBabyWeb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343239228508364082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbReH_DKKpRnOmZgB4ydXMDv6RnqtZ6bdwN_PQiwmziIJyz7h49aR9tVT4BxEDETrjljfqVqS172MN8J89icfm2nhDlr5OEWjXweyJZdElzMNThbijc_TvNhXrbEUZ9AvG8FSQZ6xXERLQ/s400/ALBHulkwithLittleBabyWeb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 527px; height: 421px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZIVWjbInSI8aInn930dO5E1rf7J-0Fv62kwiOpqcBXRz2z0HbR6Pu81TFBdmvH2U1XIUAozT3sTasUDbQIqODWzwwbF958NHe8e74xNk2c8ua1aSCAQ49wwL3qlitJNIFCyZdBXdKz4o/s1600-h/VF6C9243LittleBabyWeb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343243552365133682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZIVWjbInSI8aInn930dO5E1rf7J-0Fv62kwiOpqcBXRz2z0HbR6Pu81TFBdmvH2U1XIUAozT3sTasUDbQIqODWzwwbF958NHe8e74xNk2c8ua1aSCAQ49wwL3qlitJNIFCyZdBXdKz4o/s400/VF6C9243LittleBabyWeb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 532px; height: 425px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIyOrj7ymIuyRmUxWtvo3tXz9OJuqYuijnW_odODIHEOLHNoPpU9V6o6YWmqQazcn_vPUFenaJHfykhhfMlDqz23A8KrtLkDRVs3vwL1g9LHrh-7eU_1EQjvcUZuS2-plIdTPu2Zs5XNdz/s1600-h/VF6C9303ALB2LittleBabyWeb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343238917396448178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIyOrj7ymIuyRmUxWtvo3tXz9OJuqYuijnW_odODIHEOLHNoPpU9V6o6YWmqQazcn_vPUFenaJHfykhhfMlDqz23A8KrtLkDRVs3vwL1g9LHrh-7eU_1EQjvcUZuS2-plIdTPu2Zs5XNdz/s400/VF6C9303ALB2LittleBabyWeb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 528px; height: 659px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2chIs97wYDeTAe9_tfss-Qb_ennDfJ4J9X21qMOrYzo6FM2itA7YFdl3kDRKXSQpT0rAeygVPyZGT20EAqKU3sXJNN4PkzDPnxP6AZklKiLt-IbOx612IeC4RFG9X18zEK4Y_3K3THdM/s1600-h/07-12-01EaterWeb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343237135295883762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2chIs97wYDeTAe9_tfss-Qb_ennDfJ4J9X21qMOrYzo6FM2itA7YFdl3kDRKXSQpT0rAeygVPyZGT20EAqKU3sXJNN4PkzDPnxP6AZklKiLt-IbOx612IeC4RFG9X18zEK4Y_3K3THdM/s400/07-12-01EaterWeb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 523px; height: 678px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKpOuPGw5rLf2VVkiFxr0YYGvbmN43yiyedIg7K6H1JkHfth5hQ24hH-7tiqcvsgCYyJdqz4bRrmwkH_jIJlr52nQdhUUoCI4dyZzUxhA9gNzFVtj1qPB5J6e86VU0ZxfIAH2yPVYfju5/s1600-h/Child-riding-on-sh_1416237i.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343245955909437426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKpOuPGw5rLf2VVkiFxr0YYGvbmN43yiyedIg7K6H1JkHfth5hQ24hH-7tiqcvsgCYyJdqz4bRrmwkH_jIJlr52nQdhUUoCI4dyZzUxhA9gNzFVtj1qPB5J6e86VU0ZxfIAH2yPVYfju5/s400/Child-riding-on-sh_1416237i.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 526px; height: 339px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PVw7-bYcmUzztYrEdKjR8-JcKPNPcct9jSEGyEM4DiqJ2DeerPY0vs2UNecNY25JKqupGG1TeIi-fEgKczvoKMRewi0ZuxkEUuAavVr5rnXLJYy9AQShEa2Act5gkMKrEvHYnwJhJm7e/s1600-h/Mouth-toes_1416242i.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343234346409963522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PVw7-bYcmUzztYrEdKjR8-JcKPNPcct9jSEGyEM4DiqJ2DeerPY0vs2UNecNY25JKqupGG1TeIi-fEgKczvoKMRewi0ZuxkEUuAavVr5rnXLJYy9AQShEa2Act5gkMKrEvHYnwJhJm7e/s400/Mouth-toes_1416242i.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 528px; height: 340px;" /></a><br /><br />"I started to make photographs, mostly featuring myself interacting with a series of sculptural props and prosthetics that I modeled and fabricated from clay or plaster and cast in resin," she says.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtTOJX6YB-jccnChGnr34BcoR2lPnBpj1zqnKpf3tS64oMcBtOMPW96V9ZV4dW9YtySG3GzJfL7luarpZsQ5mrCY5yww-1eOvNOCFNuI3gTTrO0DViV2SrnponhwhgNCighT0Kg9oo0bd/s1600-h/07-12-03-034HeadsThumb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343243251014373170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtTOJX6YB-jccnChGnr34BcoR2lPnBpj1zqnKpf3tS64oMcBtOMPW96V9ZV4dW9YtySG3GzJfL7luarpZsQ5mrCY5yww-1eOvNOCFNuI3gTTrO0DViV2SrnponhwhgNCighT0Kg9oo0bd/s400/07-12-03-034HeadsThumb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 529px; height: 422px;" /></a><br /><br />"I am now the mother of two small boys, and the primary subject of my work has become my own dysfunctional parenting and the often overwhelming intensity of small children"<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sCd7XdFTfgZ5T2nv6P3LSbuj-oL3DkhKxz3TiAAWMZIE0usooOWh_yMxj097Pe7nUE53P8C9MD8b0rXL3ZwCXzyGaNQOs-DnZuiwitFCTJNdaTSQkGLU_NykjYZHuH5EcLNVjx8HjrRs/s1600-h/07-12-01-006AandAHandsThumb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343241800695764498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sCd7XdFTfgZ5T2nv6P3LSbuj-oL3DkhKxz3TiAAWMZIE0usooOWh_yMxj097Pe7nUE53P8C9MD8b0rXL3ZwCXzyGaNQOs-DnZuiwitFCTJNdaTSQkGLU_NykjYZHuH5EcLNVjx8HjrRs/s400/07-12-01-006AandAHandsThumb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 527px; height: 421px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhTgD5R8R6K3JTJWz05Iztq-8FNMgqpytU9DPnTPztXr2bjlrlJpsIyeiV3AktlE_2XqJZ04lKLMuOQ7VETY1aRzkn3Sg-X6w5rsMTLo-5aNSg8_KOyz7HxmMFHp49SMwws95GzOySnB7/s1600-h/VF6C929ALB2HeadCompThumb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343244549876368450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhTgD5R8R6K3JTJWz05Iztq-8FNMgqpytU9DPnTPztXr2bjlrlJpsIyeiV3AktlE_2XqJZ04lKLMuOQ7VETY1aRzkn3Sg-X6w5rsMTLo-5aNSg8_KOyz7HxmMFHp49SMwws95GzOySnB7/s400/VF6C929ALB2HeadCompThumb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 526px; height: 176px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRCpWlanDKWZb6wvBquWaKpPodTrYwG3AUlLI89nmhvNJp98TjeR-p1_hngxp4dInHpW-ix5t9bvxsj_-Khbk7DB81K2NJy8pmG220Vfc-yh5OpZIg98Uq2cASZNSCUXeCHJScc3DdPiX/s1600-h/ALBHeadCompWeb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343239372526921890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRCpWlanDKWZb6wvBquWaKpPodTrYwG3AUlLI89nmhvNJp98TjeR-p1_hngxp4dInHpW-ix5t9bvxsj_-Khbk7DB81K2NJy8pmG220Vfc-yh5OpZIg98Uq2cASZNSCUXeCHJScc3DdPiX/s400/ALBHeadCompWeb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 525px; height: 153px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6A8lf7xNNfacaAlRHGRxJtPxmQuMM6oa5ptM4-iiCJOkaQPWhKjNrQU1PDK8PbyCSH3o_0cvb2f_cTZCCTyUkMYRx0gFpaxd9FTVPXU0D-r8wyu2XtS90Mur_99z64FmLPJk18KwCL2Ql/s1600-h/07-12-01-Tongue.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343239279493612306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6A8lf7xNNfacaAlRHGRxJtPxmQuMM6oa5ptM4-iiCJOkaQPWhKjNrQU1PDK8PbyCSH3o_0cvb2f_cTZCCTyUkMYRx0gFpaxd9FTVPXU0D-r8wyu2XtS90Mur_99z64FmLPJk18KwCL2Ql/s400/07-12-01-Tongue.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 524px; height: 149px;" /></a><br /><br />"Ansel, however, boycotted my last photo shoot," says Nina, "and is under-represented... but thanks to the promise of a highly desirable set of action figures, Archer was willing to assist me"<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJbDVfNX3xlJt7FyqnOY8yhYaH5KM9zGtGTqvgJ4f3UTuztIn1_E_ZlnfXzkW4OhBf545yylCytEcEszATni_T_QPsVakY0gQPoGHUZvKdAYGD2oa9d3TtKQWokENS9Khepos1FbJVErY/s1600-h/BoywithBigArm2Thumb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343246538837788258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJbDVfNX3xlJt7FyqnOY8yhYaH5KM9zGtGTqvgJ4f3UTuztIn1_E_ZlnfXzkW4OhBf545yylCytEcEszATni_T_QPsVakY0gQPoGHUZvKdAYGD2oa9d3TtKQWokENS9Khepos1FbJVErY/s400/BoywithBigArm2Thumb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 533px; height: 426px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2M87kxwZzYSF6LsRRvQkoWTZRpV8NGVvbmy8bBfqTvrmuZ_WtJv-quT7NMpRO9CgfqBUR47yHaVzFrmoetjQt71XW-ViSzrqbZ98emlzsvh4GNk2gRS0Cab6NzAAJ5pT9rHiRkMILLuL/s1600-h/Kid-Big-hands_1416247i.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343240433925772370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2M87kxwZzYSF6LsRRvQkoWTZRpV8NGVvbmy8bBfqTvrmuZ_WtJv-quT7NMpRO9CgfqBUR47yHaVzFrmoetjQt71XW-ViSzrqbZ98emlzsvh4GNk2gRS0Cab6NzAAJ5pT9rHiRkMILLuL/s400/Kid-Big-hands_1416247i.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 529px; height: 341px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAf8VNY2f2LghUZ9ZGqEJNLaD8aSSgKuQTFF3-8LBXACaq6NonX2h_DU_UwINF-Idv1ndas6blsnGNMLKpmhulTdyZS-YDrMGstEpQf3g72wQK0wQjfY285vTAXrko61QP_70ZtwWkBTDa/s1600-h/BoyWithArm2Thumb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343241106647903634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAf8VNY2f2LghUZ9ZGqEJNLaD8aSSgKuQTFF3-8LBXACaq6NonX2h_DU_UwINF-Idv1ndas6blsnGNMLKpmhulTdyZS-YDrMGstEpQf3g72wQK0wQjfY285vTAXrko61QP_70ZtwWkBTDa/s400/BoyWithArm2Thumb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 525px; height: 420px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpI95jrqcejs7M59mlk9gvpZWLBUJk7HWgbweAJwOh7QV0Hq5B8_Z56wsctxqR-uxINo4XqZiPjjroNacwcluzSu1AW77vSyV-T2gMYd2iepfjGHaZaNbveO1WwU_DBjoQkKVLxrw9z3z/s1600-h/Mini-hulk-child_1416243i.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343234399443510962" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpI95jrqcejs7M59mlk9gvpZWLBUJk7HWgbweAJwOh7QV0Hq5B8_Z56wsctxqR-uxINo4XqZiPjjroNacwcluzSu1AW77vSyV-T2gMYd2iepfjGHaZaNbveO1WwU_DBjoQkKVLxrw9z3z/s400/Mini-hulk-child_1416243i.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 524px; height: 337px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEWeNSDfjycZUOTwJkzHPuEEBbpD6ePKqUJ6v_3QOpejbBu3Vv8uanB_ATXrtazTOldIopHrPPMCNuakK2pPfJdRlzdmmHPIwQCR9MH1DVkL9sf8hdy-OMp3rdXZk1ipZPuEaq3Ptiifu/s1600-h/Big-arm-kid-palm_1416238i.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343234531542128466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEWeNSDfjycZUOTwJkzHPuEEBbpD6ePKqUJ6v_3QOpejbBu3Vv8uanB_ATXrtazTOldIopHrPPMCNuakK2pPfJdRlzdmmHPIwQCR9MH1DVkL9sf8hdy-OMp3rdXZk1ipZPuEaq3Ptiifu/s400/Big-arm-kid-palm_1416238i.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 524px; height: 337px;" /></a><br /><br />"The photographs were, and still remain, very low tech - there is no digital manipulation," says Nina. "All of the objects and people in the images exist exactly as they appear."<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66dmRSn5ajCuYtHyPe_BTMXPHkyANnot0D5zWqeuZuK53j_1MKu1BY8UKU3Q-w-aGIjcODB9Ls7lQ9OK6AGhFkzTBpzk9-Fo9Nr-Z7NQ5HljiioBt0tGjSpgOOW_WLE8D-rQwQjqc6C2d/s1600-h/Womans-head-mouth_1416239i.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343236054948959506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66dmRSn5ajCuYtHyPe_BTMXPHkyANnot0D5zWqeuZuK53j_1MKu1BY8UKU3Q-w-aGIjcODB9Ls7lQ9OK6AGhFkzTBpzk9-Fo9Nr-Z7NQ5HljiioBt0tGjSpgOOW_WLE8D-rQwQjqc6C2d/s400/Womans-head-mouth_1416239i.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 526px; height: 339px;" /></a><br /><br />Special thanks to the UK's <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/">Telegraph</a> for the quotes from the interview with Nina.<br /><br />HER PORTRAIT COMMISSIONS:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4cW8PyZsY-GQIdbkcON0OUcTkTWWemzXJHjDuF4SzMMYWlGf8yVWT7zXq5piDnaRncpfCvm1GnLT6BkX2GD7StzLIQ0wEh0OqY9A-qqT0Qljz_RiiJ4o0ubqXQXo_PuuGJH4JLvuqAHW/s1600-h/darknatureportraitsweb.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343364939414231346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4cW8PyZsY-GQIdbkcON0OUcTkTWWemzXJHjDuF4SzMMYWlGf8yVWT7zXq5piDnaRncpfCvm1GnLT6BkX2GD7StzLIQ0wEh0OqY9A-qqT0Qljz_RiiJ4o0ubqXQXo_PuuGJH4JLvuqAHW/s400/darknatureportraitsweb.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 530px; height: 398px;" /></a><br />Her commissioned portrait heads are available cast in resin, ultracal or gypsum painted with oils and in more traditional treatments and materials (bronze, plaster, cement). Please contact <a href="mailto:nina@ninalevy.com">Nina Levy</a> for more information.<br /><br />See her <a href="http://www.ninalevy.com/">website here.</a><br />To check out her work prior to 2002, <a href="http://www.ninalevy.com/imagescontentspage.htm">go here.</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.salamatina.com/"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627935662945848530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnnq2HpPffNEurURClpiiJAs0te_cHROzfMDQs5Rwef91hquw_KyOROlcWdXx52fAMrVn1UYCSOittUX3h5DKIS5PRWapsUt02LDlG8i8a0FmEjyT0CG4lQY6zMOZ94Cfylf9oa0Xsd4/s400/salamatina_logo.gif" style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 233px; height: 149px;" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.salamatina.com/">SALAMATINA GALLERY</a><br />2210 Northern Boulevard<br />Manhasset, NY 11030<br />AMERICANA MANHASSET<br />GALLERY HOURS: Mon - Sat 10-6/Thur 10-7/Sun 12-6<br />T: 516 439 4471

Nina Levy Compels Us With More Creepiness at the Salamatina Gallery

above: Nina Levy, Boy With Eyes, 2011 (cropped) Artist Nina Levy recently exhibited “Related Forms” at the Salamantina Gallery in New York...

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Jewelry The Cat Coughed Up. Feline Furball Necklaces, Earrings and Rings.

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#publisher=0d650ffe-1ec7-4395-883b-24e806d21a65&type=website"></script><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuaR-HzNFbcsq24ifZ26lWl_YJYuVrxLbWGgfsyAxY6YcHVoPGlZ2FJrH-B_mR6FU1KAfivsuVxd7MyH0Mv8XfDkJN2gmEN_5EEIa1OfNThMSp29yCXWVc8oYWE03bYRtgEd4XB3C4rnf/s1600/HairballJewelry31.grid-8x2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605610418681444578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuaR-HzNFbcsq24ifZ26lWl_YJYuVrxLbWGgfsyAxY6YcHVoPGlZ2FJrH-B_mR6FU1KAfivsuVxd7MyH0Mv8XfDkJN2gmEN_5EEIa1OfNThMSp29yCXWVc8oYWE03bYRtgEd4XB3C4rnf/s400/HairballJewelry31.grid-8x2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 525px; height: 357px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQh7VF9aX8jTQO28LCZYnw6qClEqHb0svWD7Xbkih_T1g-VPYZcOzO4ttdvFX37SZOW6JOe845nC3rJlXXWCbDKT1Sf8B8NUpSrxZWZtZ6i29TgGgud8ZHghNbnXQQELwJfbh-c0wTpzD/s1600/HairballJewelry41.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605610283047303090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQh7VF9aX8jTQO28LCZYnw6qClEqHb0svWD7Xbkih_T1g-VPYZcOzO4ttdvFX37SZOW6JOe845nC3rJlXXWCbDKT1Sf8B8NUpSrxZWZtZ6i29TgGgud8ZHghNbnXQQELwJfbh-c0wTpzD/s400/HairballJewelry41.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 527px; height: 284px;" /></a><br /><br />Okay, so it hasn't actually been digested by a cat, but the custom jewelry by <a href="http://www.moderncat.net/">Moderncat</a> blogger and jewelry designer <a href="http://heidiabrahamson.com/">Heidi Abrahamson</a>, is actually made from the fur of a feline.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGRo0pbSkI80EyrPa-SIwCmxgwfdGCezTkVIwm93ca24gP_V8ex-ctVm4yaPJjrioPnQGB82HdbfbGkcBmaalBiydQTrZHypTMStWPzpZm1SP7eK7w33Yb709mT-5LlRxUpNlByGISTVB/s1600/HairballJewelry1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605610714590647554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGRo0pbSkI80EyrPa-SIwCmxgwfdGCezTkVIwm93ca24gP_V8ex-ctVm4yaPJjrioPnQGB82HdbfbGkcBmaalBiydQTrZHypTMStWPzpZm1SP7eK7w33Yb709mT-5LlRxUpNlByGISTVB/s400/HairballJewelry1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 525px; height: 392px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XnGuu5wAHz4gROuedPKofbjXuvIzwW4tRN2CU_U5fosEAECoDcq-lnjxJnH-K1FpoJM0FGKjXwQTnaXQSwkR1tyHamfDn_3XC0rcIK6opUFLdRGwpMzVYB9kqTMKMg8vVeaAMxa0ROda/s1600/HairballJewelry21.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605610510420749506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XnGuu5wAHz4gROuedPKofbjXuvIzwW4tRN2CU_U5fosEAECoDcq-lnjxJnH-K1FpoJM0FGKjXwQTnaXQSwkR1tyHamfDn_3XC0rcIK6opUFLdRGwpMzVYB9kqTMKMg8vVeaAMxa0ROda/s400/HairballJewelry21.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 530px; height: 396px;" /></a><br /><br />The one-of-a-kind pieces where made when Kate Benjamin (shown modeling the jewelry above) gave several cats a good grooming (she recommends <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D0%26ref_%3Dnb_sb_noss%26y%3D0%26field-keywords%3Dfurminator%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Daps%23&tag=iishish-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">the Furminator</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=iishish-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" />) and then hand-rolled each ball of cat fur into a tight bead. By rolling the loose fur between her palms, the strands become felted together, forming a solid little bead. Her friend Heidi then added her silversmithing skills by attaching jewelry findings to the furballs and then mounting them on earrings, ring shanks and chains.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzqwsB6Howw-9aHQ8OmVIwjZ1B3HQYhSmqB5qct-tynSoU4MCAt2VwenU0luwOnp7Ie9l9Cs8BMpaZilBCOYzm6q-5L4GBOtIoCD6ISubyiIBciA-TrjIajlYjwPCTHG2OUAlZMV3mCDi/s1600/HairballJewelry51.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605610219993213282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzqwsB6Howw-9aHQ8OmVIwjZ1B3HQYhSmqB5qct-tynSoU4MCAt2VwenU0luwOnp7Ie9l9Cs8BMpaZilBCOYzm6q-5L4GBOtIoCD6ISubyiIBciA-TrjIajlYjwPCTHG2OUAlZMV3mCDi/s400/HairballJewelry51.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 530px; height: 445px;" /></a><br /><br />Yes, Heidi said she would be happy to create custom hairball jewelry for you, too! Feel free to <a href="mailto:heilegekatzen@yahoo.com">contact her</a> for pricing and details.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">all photos by Kate Benjamin. Info and images courtesy of </span><a href="http://www.moderncat.net/" style="font-style: italic;">Modern Cat</a></span><br /><br /><br />If you think this is bizarre, check out the <a href="http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/2008/10/wearing-hair-of-dog-portraits-of-people.html">people who make sweaters from their dog's fur here</a><br /><br /><a href="http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/2008/10/wearing-hair-of-dog-portraits-of-people.html"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605614619330542274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UhWHCRHxSjN_0mvmVl-qW3aoaNWtKxLTTAUX6trNNMq7F8PvLzrYk59r8OFhyphenhyphendmkL8ItmiFxfVNdvqyZhKHy5w5YJuOVQa8xdjsLMtJmcslXwzEDWZjjvOMN82X52lBj6GS9renUaFXc/s400/dogfursweaterimage.png" style="cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 321px;" /></a><a href="http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/2008/10/wearing-hair-of-dog-portraits-of-people.html"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605615196243271218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYq7XP4OTp8DFN52xAH3JJRYIztZp_yd8Xt2tEZNIX9yOGmyIvB-_M2es0JWMs3o3-8lWpYCzZCbQPY4fxvfXpS0NKg4ne2hKURKYwnEPV6iEswhp3oYWGnzoT-3VW5k-wpXpRFmbkArqH/s400/dogfursweater2.png" style="cursor: pointer; width: 255px; height: 321px;" /></a>

Jewelry The Cat Coughed Up. Feline Furball Necklaces, Earrings and Rings.

Okay, so it hasn't actually been digested by a cat, but the custom jewelry by Moderncat blogger and jewelry designer Heidi Abrahamson ,...

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Shoot, That's Fun. The Bullet Hole Art Of Walt Creel.

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#publisher=0d650ffe-1ec7-4395-883b-24e806d21a65&type=website"></script><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJhV1gmW-zPWBGEkHYGVhzXbxTvRkt6rgobigdeeWAMgO5bC6FiloSirVRzr52k9uPvO3oyObCzWfit8yL5iEAURORogJMOheHqkMYoRoUZrU7yi2uhaKv6hGKTN0Sn1HrtViTRvIYcs/s1600/rabbit-walt+creel.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567087309041769442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJhV1gmW-zPWBGEkHYGVhzXbxTvRkt6rgobigdeeWAMgO5bC6FiloSirVRzr52k9uPvO3oyObCzWfit8yL5iEAURORogJMOheHqkMYoRoUZrU7yi2uhaKv6hGKTN0Sn1HrtViTRvIYcs/s400/rabbit-walt+creel.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 525px; height: 370px;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">above image courtesy of The Birmingham News</span></span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.waltcreel.com/">Walt Creel </a>of Birmingham, Alabama uses a deadly weapon, ironically, to create images of sweet Southern wildlife. Brandishing a rifle, he fires .22 caliber bullets through 4' x 6' white painted aluminum panels to form images of a deer, an owl, a rabbit, a possum, a squirrel and bird in his project, De-Weaponizing The Gun.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeIV7cwMmM1jEQFXGGmhMrY27GGTUbz6lJ-pLifV1fZXjntAiOdnfrTFmRVCMwTTlI2Um6ck-VkK4JbVdIypRaX4hntY3L-nuJmLo34uGJq_r_PPSAWY9rJat5k3N0ky89nzKhPQ7tsU/s1600/Picture+14.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567080735984461186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeIV7cwMmM1jEQFXGGmhMrY27GGTUbz6lJ-pLifV1fZXjntAiOdnfrTFmRVCMwTTlI2Um6ck-VkK4JbVdIypRaX4hntY3L-nuJmLo34uGJq_r_PPSAWY9rJat5k3N0ky89nzKhPQ7tsU/s400/Picture+14.png" style="cursor: pointer; width: 525px; height: 381px;" /></a><br />detail of Rabbit:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFm9JbLSiYf5-TlEGBaBdGAXX7Vqzdn-bu-PElIbGq1mGpWZMGsTk4nQw8BaySksY66RDlMYd4Yclyh_wUbFWsIAovEqrl4h987qeOFR9Z2j550q8orpN-vhvxOCRIPHeeb9uII6fEcTc/s1600/rabbit+detail.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567106217969755810" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFm9JbLSiYf5-TlEGBaBdGAXX7Vqzdn-bu-PElIbGq1mGpWZMGsTk4nQw8BaySksY66RDlMYd4Yclyh_wUbFWsIAovEqrl4h987qeOFR9Z2j550q8orpN-vhvxOCRIPHeeb9uII6fEcTc/s400/rabbit+detail.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 524px; height: 480px;" /></a><br /><br />The pointillist-like art is as interesting to admire up close as it is from afar, and is the artist's attempt at taking away the destructive power of the gun.<br /><br />Squirrel:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUr6OQk6W7vSBcGBVO0jNG20QBF8WsuUb1ueaPxauE7yWk3NOZVnnXyuwKZFgJBenDnRsm9MnosS6-R2HJ_hbPB337H0_JdvMnar6hk36FUijZOddCoWf1BfokqiGN7J9UaL0ahgd1bgM/s1600/Picture+8.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567082144320745938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUr6OQk6W7vSBcGBVO0jNG20QBF8WsuUb1ueaPxauE7yWk3NOZVnnXyuwKZFgJBenDnRsm9MnosS6-R2HJ_hbPB337H0_JdvMnar6hk36FUijZOddCoWf1BfokqiGN7J9UaL0ahgd1bgM/s400/Picture+8.png" style="cursor: pointer; width: 525px; height: 357px;" /></a><br />The finished image of Squirrel [above] and creating the piece [below].<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEep8zi_2rD-nxVcSklOdHkZvEv8LaQWyuXFJrbuB3cf_MGDruuyLxtTQOQXrsDXXQ-9meNqrC2Dv9XDzppNHSoYVHn9D6Zv_0uAI387lhu-ynRLoCGa28SeoBanWU13cvhYUJDHoQPU/s1600/Picture+11.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567081114748813410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEep8zi_2rD-nxVcSklOdHkZvEv8LaQWyuXFJrbuB3cf_MGDruuyLxtTQOQXrsDXXQ-9meNqrC2Dv9XDzppNHSoYVHn9D6Zv_0uAI387lhu-ynRLoCGa28SeoBanWU13cvhYUJDHoQPU/s400/Picture+11.png" style="cursor: pointer; width: 525px; height: 380px;" /></a><br />Deer:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-m21uAowNnDbcuZJEIYQtEn9r5c1fN0JX6f1ds6le0W8EyxnNDZwYK8_C6yFKqKYMT4BJmSjPM1qE98Zw9m_wA-P4F4XrXHs01sJFSmGaQw9mcKvq4XzuOStdYLaxsUJeCkwdSKVK7U/s1600/Picture+2.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567081645372593586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-m21uAowNnDbcuZJEIYQtEn9r5c1fN0JX6f1ds6le0W8EyxnNDZwYK8_C6yFKqKYMT4BJmSjPM1qE98Zw9m_wA-P4F4XrXHs01sJFSmGaQw9mcKvq4XzuOStdYLaxsUJeCkwdSKVK7U/s400/Picture+2.png" style="cursor: pointer; width: 524px; height: 764px;" /></a><br />Close -up of deer:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6en1sh7o3cGMPC9n5w9Mi7QiZFgvbEf49AvRq5RdKJonfpbKn-Tu99C5URmwny2z70aH_dZs3Px9LSgJtnjvQQoJIeLKIK5EsDMPZZBHaPoMmkQZhKscyMyKA_G7CbCzJ4PhQp0knsB4/s1600/deer+cu.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567085683111494690" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6en1sh7o3cGMPC9n5w9Mi7QiZFgvbEf49AvRq5RdKJonfpbKn-Tu99C5URmwny2z70aH_dZs3Px9LSgJtnjvQQoJIeLKIK5EsDMPZZBHaPoMmkQZhKscyMyKA_G7CbCzJ4PhQp0knsB4/s400/deer+cu.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 524px; height: 182px;" /></a><br />Bird:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAi8SrB2HezprCfCFKzgnwbLrPfYAFJLJ2xo8QdSBvBklt14fDKDfB6MZBlTlCgxr5qHZtuLQn_SMOWGgqkTGeKMUMHivVVtreorHyDPk0QKpk1tKqXbOcA3kml-ttRgliFItZkFHtWdY/s1600/Picture+9.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567082222014791490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAi8SrB2HezprCfCFKzgnwbLrPfYAFJLJ2xo8QdSBvBklt14fDKDfB6MZBlTlCgxr5qHZtuLQn_SMOWGgqkTGeKMUMHivVVtreorHyDPk0QKpk1tKqXbOcA3kml-ttRgliFItZkFHtWdY/s400/Picture+9.png" style="cursor: pointer; width: 527px; height: 353px;" /></a><br />Possum:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-Xj_KhWzyiQHXlpcCXFk3-SFfYpmn5o0g-HGV4tOj_3kHAQ9AB4L6BHP3YRzpVgf1FWf7FxazzcmJonMD3IbD-iMuKqvJxWNcDqOmP0xL4fym2zWGbvhK4yn5Vb6OroQC4EfzqTUv1E/s1600/Picture+4.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567081812878707090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-Xj_KhWzyiQHXlpcCXFk3-SFfYpmn5o0g-HGV4tOj_3kHAQ9AB4L6BHP3YRzpVgf1FWf7FxazzcmJonMD3IbD-iMuKqvJxWNcDqOmP0xL4fym2zWGbvhK4yn5Vb6OroQC4EfzqTUv1E/s400/Picture+4.png" style="cursor: pointer; width: 522px; height: 756px;" /></a><br />Rabbit:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibu6zMz204AtT_TKfJKLiFdDehnycfC-u-cfwFKZHcrD3pYeFaYG2ldJGirIsNh0t-amFJs4GDGhL6imoalvTLaSrDMCUM9N3Jo9X-sLPsML44uL8ITHueoMzO7oRTHhsy0Pv_ZEJg2ew/s1600/Picture+7.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567081901511394050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibu6zMz204AtT_TKfJKLiFdDehnycfC-u-cfwFKZHcrD3pYeFaYG2ldJGirIsNh0t-amFJs4GDGhL6imoalvTLaSrDMCUM9N3Jo9X-sLPsML44uL8ITHueoMzO7oRTHhsy0Pv_ZEJg2ew/s400/Picture+7.png" style="cursor: pointer; width: 527px; height: 355px;" /></a><br />Owl:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jj2j1H3PqksNlygYQsQr8_-hAOAuh3SUgPmSHkXXwbq2abagLmuHJdi7jwy2tHZnezCMFFoBuqb77c3oYsRJXziSLwfGX1ZxGUNPRY5Eufe9v84OWgh0WT0CfHHpQo5OkyjXAuxO6KY/s1600/Picture+3.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567081738326490034" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jj2j1H3PqksNlygYQsQr8_-hAOAuh3SUgPmSHkXXwbq2abagLmuHJdi7jwy2tHZnezCMFFoBuqb77c3oYsRJXziSLwfGX1ZxGUNPRY5Eufe9v84OWgh0WT0CfHHpQo5OkyjXAuxO6KY/s400/Picture+3.png" style="cursor: pointer; width: 524px; height: 767px;" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">DEWEAPONIZING THE GUN by Walton Creel</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">In t</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >he artist's own words:</span><br />The terms gun and weapon are practically interchangeable. From hunting to war, self defense to target practice, the gun has been a symbol of power and destruction. Art and entertainment have both taken the same approach to he gun. Traveling Wild West shows had gunslingers that shot crude silhouettes and names, but this was done to illustrate the shooters prowess. Some artists have used high speed film to capture a bullet slicing through its target, while other artists have melted guns into sculptures.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuyxSAfzGJtDMS4btySe4-ylUsHkb7ri6dZas_Diqqz3pXc198612F7MCgoQVOgY0YByQowmMsBOBlRWZiLXKk02Sl_2UXsxlLpHQS8Tvi2kv_bAGNK_kSjT3hpI7oBcGDSH0tSUx3nw/s1600/walt_creel_2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567080645716921090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuyxSAfzGJtDMS4btySe4-ylUsHkb7ri6dZas_Diqqz3pXc198612F7MCgoQVOgY0YByQowmMsBOBlRWZiLXKk02Sl_2UXsxlLpHQS8Tvi2kv_bAGNK_kSjT3hpI7oBcGDSH0tSUx3nw/s400/walt_creel_2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 527px; height: 349px;" /></a><br /><br />When I decided I wanted to make art using a gun, I was not sure what direction I would have to take. I knew I did not want to use it simply as an accent to work I was doing, but as the focus. My main goal was to take the destructive power away from the gun. To manipulate the gun into a tool of creation and use it in a way that removed it from its original purpose, to deweaponize it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrKPIH4GgFM6_smlt-ddzTAl3VHjba46NX4plNmpZ_XDukCRPSwwS22I1lmCWd_T-H5BCL-NiHToHf7K6h9GAry2VFQrLPvNTrSqQiTlHcSKntCtAUDvS1wWEFd5vY_YOC9yPtnCx_DAI/s1600/walt+at+work.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567085407075264738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrKPIH4GgFM6_smlt-ddzTAl3VHjba46NX4plNmpZ_XDukCRPSwwS22I1lmCWd_T-H5BCL-NiHToHf7K6h9GAry2VFQrLPvNTrSqQiTlHcSKntCtAUDvS1wWEFd5vY_YOC9yPtnCx_DAI/s400/walt+at+work.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 528px; height: 188px;" /></a><br /><br />During my first experiment I came across the concept of creating an image hole by hole on a surface. I also figured out that canvas would be too stressed by the process of a rifle firing many bullets into it.<br /><br />A test firing of the bullets into canvas:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZ09OytdGynHNX_oQ8E2XCgElFjBPFBr2TTYT_XTfTmg4RXA3mJGzKh3amGyCiwO1s9zUSeCcEQKoBdedYv2TtHtXUAf1xzvrjd8tnqeokTZKV7WwBTAQOYt-ShjinDKeE_Rz-uFrnAU/s1600/Picture+13.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567080939579983730" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZ09OytdGynHNX_oQ8E2XCgElFjBPFBr2TTYT_XTfTmg4RXA3mJGzKh3amGyCiwO1s9zUSeCcEQKoBdedYv2TtHtXUAf1xzvrjd8tnqeokTZKV7WwBTAQOYt-ShjinDKeE_Rz-uFrnAU/s400/Picture+13.png" style="cursor: pointer; width: 526px; height: 380px;" /></a><br /><br />I moved on to aluminum and, with further experimentation, I figured out exactly how far apart my shots needed to be and that moving beyond .22 caliber was simply too destructive. When the aluminum was painted beforehand, the blast of the gun knocked off a tiny amount of paint around each hole, which helped fuse the image together.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjDWfIedaoLLzjhjvmVDqyRSXyxHxUSHaDgp6KDwrqiC2WkRHfxwyAZoceRwGM2V8XdPt491GnpYA94nUI343Y08h-QdDI6kslF5RUjtDvdyVrKkE6-I54jUBwzeEGH8vlLevTMYLeEA/s1600/Picture+10.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567081215456298770" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivjDWfIedaoLLzjhjvmVDqyRSXyxHxUSHaDgp6KDwrqiC2WkRHfxwyAZoceRwGM2V8XdPt491GnpYA94nUI343Y08h-QdDI6kslF5RUjtDvdyVrKkE6-I54jUBwzeEGH8vlLevTMYLeEA/s400/Picture+10.png" style="cursor: pointer; width: 524px; height: 380px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rYAlriqrg0LLg7UW3gim6vdw_7jLnZp7-fc3NYEEB08ufU5uHaZHBI9C2Puv4biGNJc-5mLgwkLEnKIFf5MqsFoUpuYze-mTLwIE4Pt8rZqsakzzhG7-Mz5HL-JWfKn-olizBw1UUpc/s1600/Picture+12.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567081023151263842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rYAlriqrg0LLg7UW3gim6vdw_7jLnZp7-fc3NYEEB08ufU5uHaZHBI9C2Puv4biGNJc-5mLgwkLEnKIFf5MqsFoUpuYze-mTLwIE4Pt8rZqsakzzhG7-Mz5HL-JWfKn-olizBw1UUpc/s400/Picture+12.png" style="cursor: pointer; width: 521px; height: 378px;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">images courtesy of </span><a href="http://www.waltcreel.com/" style="font-style: italic;">the artist</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and the </span><a href="http://colemanarts.org/2005/ex_Creel.php" style="font-style: italic;">Coleman Center For The Arts</a><span style="font-style: italic;">,</span></span><br /><br />Deweaponizing the Gun is an ongoing series presented in installments.

Shoot, That's Fun. The Bullet Hole Art Of Walt Creel.

above image courtesy of The Birmingham News Walt Creel of Birmingham, Alabama uses a deadly weapon, ironically, to create images of sweet So...

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