Internationally renowned contemporary artist, Bill Viola has over the years continued the study of the medium of video art.  The central focus of most of Viola's work has been universal human experiences including birth, death and the development of consciousness.  Like many video artists during the 70s and 80s Viola's interest in Zen Buddhism has influenced the feats in which he attempts in many of his work.  I enjoy a lot of Viola's work and appreciate their pursuits.  For although he does not push his body to the degree of some of his peers like Vito Acconci or Chris Burden, his involvement is still very far reaching.  Many of his videos involve water, which gives a temporal aesthetic that is visually activating. I can only imagine what witnessing one of his performances must be like.  

Parisian illustrator, Simon Goinard Phelipot's work is absolutely stunning.  His images are evocative, contemplative and of course, narrative , like most illustration work.  But where I find that Phelipot branches off is his ability to create very sensitive images.  In the midst of fine, expressive brushstrokes as well as a skillful color palette, lies also the determination to create an introspection of the human figure.  The people in his paintings are meant to be there, in that place and time.  The environment around them feels as though they have grown in accordance to their participation. This unique quality gives much more to the viewer than simple narration, it gives them a ephemeral situation.

Note: The work you are about to see is not for those shy of blood, nor vegetarians who may squirm at the sight of meat. For artist, Victoria Reynolds it is this subject that she glorifies in her work.  The raw, slimy, textured appearance of meat, especially red meat takes the forefront as they are render with the precision of a still life of an old master. In addition, her baroque frames often mirror the same kinds of marbling of fat in the meat of the work.  From far distances some of these paintings, through our own preconceived awareness of still-lifes, appear as floral or fauna.  But once the viewer approaches the work closer, they quickly conceive the truth of the work.  What is also unexpected about Reynold's meat is that they are actually quite beautiful.  They are vanitas, permeating with the sensibilities of organic life and raw matter.  

 Down the Primrose Path, 2003, 44 x 29 Inches  , Oil on panel 

Lickety Split, 2003, 14.5 x 12.5 Inches, Oil on panel

See more here.

This track is from the upcoming September release of Zero 7's high anticipated album, "Yeah Ghost".  This album appears to be a far more heavier, darker album, very different from the indie downtempo stuff from their previous albums.  "Simple Things", "When It Falls" and "The Garden" have all enjoyed much commercial success, but I feel that "Yeah Ghost" will be an album with far more liberties and risks to showcase the production skills of Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker.  Where previous albums established a kind of specific sound for Zero 7, "Yeah Ghost" is an attempt to reinvent themselves and leave behind characteristics that have inhibited the maturation of their music.