Cindy Blazevic

I was helping Cindy choose images to support a grant application she is putting together. From the selection were these shots from Belgrade (Serbia) taken this past summer while we were there working on the project.

From top to bottom: Advokat (2008); Belgrade Night 1 (2008); Belgrade Night 2 (2008); 19 And Bored (2008).

Work In Progress v5.1

Progress and detail shots of the mural.

Work In Progress v3.2

Progress on the shelling series.

Valérie Belin

L'artiste Française Valérie Belin takes obsessive photographs of obsessive subjects. She's also interested in multiples of something assembled together either in one complete photograph or a series. The resulting images are perfectly composed—cropping, content and tonality—which brilliantly intensifies what we are looking at. Take a detour to her site. Lots to see.

From top to bottom: from the series Michael Jackson, 2003. (Michael Jackson impersonators).

Work In Progress v5.0

I'm painting a large mural for a client on Camden Street in Toronto. It's my second time doing this location—Nicole and I had painted it two years ago. I was asked to paint it again after the owner resealed and repainted the building. Here are progress shots:

Sketch for the background. The whole surface is approx. 82' wide.


First pass for the blue breaks. I have to work at night, the space is used as a parking lot during the day.


Sketch studies for the lettering spelling out "Mon Petit Chou".

Wanda Koop

Magenta (Publishing for the Arts) is launching an extensive book showcasing 192 Canadian painters this Saturday at the Museum for Contemporary Canadian Art. The launch is paired with an exhibit that features 30 of them. I'd like to highlight one: the great Wanda Koop. Shown above are recent canvases that she painted in 2007 and early 2008. More here and here.

From top to bottom: Untitled (Shoal Lake) 2008; Untitled (White Bands) 2008; Untitled (Pink Landscape) 2007; Untitled (Bright-yellow Horizon) 2007.

Ivo Parac in Rome

Ivo Parac is one of the funniest persons I know. Pair him with photographer Mladen Saric and you're guaranteed to pee your pants. Ivo just sent me these pictures of him taken by Mladen while they were visiting Rome. I had to share them.

Douglas Coupland

Vancouver-based artist Douglas Coupland probably needs no introduction. Most people know his work—his large-scale photo montages, art installations, sculptures, novels or picture books—but if you don't, then here's where you can get the full briefing. Further, here's a great clip with Coupland discussing plastic.

From top to bottom: Security Blanket no. 1; Security Blanket no. 2 (modeled); Security Blanket no. 2; Security Blanket no. 1 (detail). All 2008, and from www.coupland.com

Isidora Bojovic

Shown here are the photos of Serbian artist Isidora Bojovic. Bojovic re-creates absolute scenes with the help of close-friends and collaborators (in this case Magdalena Klasnja on wardrobe; Natasa Prica and Ivan Kirincic as models) where she then photographically narrates her stories.

Tradition is often where she'll start building her work's aesthetic from—such as Yugoslavian 1960's and 70's films, or in other series, classic neo-Gothic painting—but sure enough the shots emerge emitting a total contemporary-feel—a look that flirts with fashion or glossy/high-end magazine photography. Here are links to see more of her work.

From top to bottom: from the series B. Breht (2007).