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Art is like a border of flowers along the course of civilization. ~Lincoln Steffens

Anassuwandi Hj. Ahmad

Abstract art is not from nothingness, an abstract art is pureness from another of you. Sometimes you can explain what you do, but sometimes you do not. ~Anassuwandi Hj. Ahmad

Anuar Dan

William Faulkner once said that the aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed, so that a hundred years later, when a stranger feasts his eyes on it, it shall move again, since it is life. Anuar Dan did precisely that.

Dato Ibrahim Hussein

Alé - Alé (1996)

Cambodia (1998)

To me, painting is like praying. When I paint, I am dealing with my heart, my work and God. There is deep joy and gratitude. Each piece frames a moment in my life. ~Dato Ibrahim Hussein

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Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable. ~George Bernard Shaw

Lomography

Lomographer: Jeepeng (Kuala Lumpur)

Camera: Holga

Lomographer: Xenin & Molotovcoketail (Kuala Lumpur)
Camera: LCA & Holga

Lomographer: Liad Cohen (New York)
Camera: LCA

Lomographer: Raghda (Dubai)
Camera: LCA

"The idea of lomo is that everything is interesting and worth shooting, because the cameras yield such interesting results" - Liad Cohen

Lomo, or lomography (shooting with cheap snapshot cameras) is known for its dreamlike, aesthetis, with optical distortion, supersaturated colors, exaggerated vignetting, streaks from light leaks, and unpredictable outcomes.

Upin & Ipin - A Review

This has got to be the best local 3d animation series I’ve ever seen on Malaysian television. They have definitely set the bar high for the local production companies. Produced by Les' Copaque Production, it is a fully 3d animated series starring twins Upin & Ipin (voiced by Nur Fathiah Bt. Diaz) who begin the story by sharing their first Ramadhan experience.

The character design is quite simple but very original. It is obvious the animators spend a lot of time refining the characters as they are believable and full of characteristics that Malaysians can identify with. Details like the slight nuances the characters make right down to the kind of fabric. The voice actors too give as much life to the characters as with the animators. The characters in Upin & Ipin give a lasting impression throughout the episodes. The neighbourhood kids Rajoo (Kannan A/L Rajan) and Mei Mei(Yap Ee Jean). I'm sure most of you have encountered kids like Mei Mei and Rajoo while growing up in Malaysia.

Although the characters are simple in design, the environment is so rich in detail right down to the door hinges, plants, textile’s design, kid’s drawings on the wall and even the tudung saji (the thing to cover food).Anyone in Malaysia will tell you how reminiscent the environment is of a typical Malay kampung (village).

What I am most impressed with is how educational and rich in culture the storyline is. It teaches you Malaysian culture and also the teachings of Islam. It has a very Malaysian sense of humour that may appeal to international viewers as well.

The one thing that they could improve on is the sound design. Not that it is bad or anything but they could add a bit more detail or get rid of the popping and hissing sounds produced by speaking too close to the microphone. It is not that obvious but it is there. I'm just looking for something to complain about because it's just too awesome!

The series is addictive and fun for the whole family to watch. This series will pave the way for many generations of great Malaysian 3d animators to come. Finally a Malaysian 3d company I can be proud of.

-Adam K

Upin & Ipin Trailer

Upin & Ipin : Episod 1 - Esok Puasa
Upin & Ipin : Episod 2 - Dugaan
Upin & Ipin : Episod 3 - Nikmat
Upin & Ipin : Episod 4 - Terawih
Upin & Ipin : Episod 5 - Esok Raya
Upin & Ipin ; Episod 6 - Hari Raya

Les' Copaque Production website

The Official Production Blog

Turkish Islamic Art of Marbling

The word marbling is in Turkish EBRU (cloud, cloudy) or abru (Water face) (En Français. It is derived from the word ebre which belongs to one of the older Central Asian languages and it means the "moiré, veined fabric, paper etc..." used for covering some manuscripts and other holy books. Its origin might ultimately hark back to China, where a document from the T'ang dynasty (618-907) mentions a process of coloring paper on water with five hues. Through the Silk Road this art came first to Iran and picked up the name Ebru. Subsequently this art moved towards Anatolia. Specimens of marbled paper in the Turkish museum and private collections date back as far as the 15th century but unfortunately there is no evidence to show at what date the art of marbling paper first appeared in Anatolia. Around the end of 16th century tradesmen, diplomats and travelers coming to Anatolia brought this art to Europe and after the 1550s, booklovers in Europe prized Ebru which came to be known as "Turkish Paper Turkish marbled paper making". After then it was broadly used in Italy, Germany, France and England.

There is agreement amongst scholars that the so-called Turkish Papers has a colourful influence on the book arts of Europe. In the early examples from the 16th century in the Ottoman-Turkish era, Ebru appears in the battal (large) form, namely without any manipulation. Ebru technique consists of sprinkling colors containing a few drops of ox-gall on to the surface of the bath of water mixed with with kitre (gum tragacanth) in a trough. By carefully laying the paper over the bath, the floating picture on top of it is readily transferred to the paper thus, each Ebru is a unique print. To obtain beautiful Ebru results, one needs to have a light hand, refined taste and an open mind to the unexpected patterns forming on the water. Patience and a good knowledge of traditional culture are characteristic of Ebru masters. Since the art of marbling had a significant importance in Islamic art, it is essential to recall the basic principles of Islamic art in order to have a better and closer look at marbling and thereby reach a deeper understanding. Ottomans tried to express the beauty of the divine in all branches of art. We see them seeking to illustrate mystical beauties in architecture, music and ornamental art. During the 14th to 19th centuries many religious schools, especially Sufi sects, became a kind of "Art Workshop" educating students by a master to apprentice method. Due to the modesty encouraged by dervish precepts many works of art even had no signature on them.

500 Years of Female Portraits in Western Art

Virgin Annunciate Maria der Verkündigung (1476)
Artist: Antonello da Messina

Mona Lisa(La Gioconda) (1503-05)

Artist: Leonardo da Vinci

Amalie von Schintling (1831)
Artist: Joseph Karl Stieler

Portrait of the Actress Jeanne Samary (1878)
Artist: Pierre Auguste Renoir

Woman with a Hat (1905)
Artist: Henri Matisse

Portrait of Françoise (1946)
Artist: Pablo Picasso

Head Bombarded with Grains of Wheat (1954)
Artist: Salvador Dali

This amazing video shows 90 art masterpieces from the second half of the 12th century until 1946.

This video features paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Rafael, Sandro Botticelli, Titian (Tiziano Vecellio), Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio, Giovanni Bellini, Pietro Perugino, Antonello da Messina, Albrecht Dürer, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Hans Memling, Hans Holbein the Younger, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Pierre Gobert, Caspar Netscher, Pierre Mignard, Jean-Marc Nattier, Fyodor Rokotov, Peter Paul Rubens, El Greco, Franz Xaver Winterhalter, Alexei Vasilievich Tyranov, Vladimir Lukich Borovikovsky, Alexey Gavrilovich Venetsianov, Antoine-Jean Gros, Joseph Karl Stieler, Orest Adamovich Kiprensky, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Edouard Manet, Henri Fantin-Latour, Alexei Vasilievich Tyranov, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Mary Cassatt, Alphonse Maria Mucha, John Everett Millais, Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse, Gustav Klimt, Rene Magritte, Amedeo Modigliani, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, and more.

http://www.maysstuff.com/womenid.htm

Why Art is important

"Looking at art can provide a much needed refuge for reflection, sympathy, quietude, inspiration, and even ecstasy in this increasingly chaotic world. Looking further can deepen knowledge of cultures and artistic practice, develop and hone observational skills, reveal insights into history that other documents can't, and encourage creative, analytical, and autonomous thinking. Art can be funny, and it can make you cry, too."

Anna Hammond
Deputy Director for Education, Programs, and Public Affairs, Yale