Mutterings of a Mad Woman

I was reminded of a quote today by Georgia O'Keefe: "To create one's own world in any of the arts takes courage." This is true of all genres, but I think the statement has a heavier truth when applied to artists whose focus falls outside the realm of the mainstream; whose subject isn't easily identifiable as beautiful to most people.

All artists have to face scrutiny, and there is a chance that some (if not many) people will dismiss the notion of the artist having talent. But I think it's harder for the haunter or artists whom are more dark at heart, because sometimes people aren't just rejecting your skills, but how you view life, and what you deem to be beautiful (or what you classify as art, for that matter).

Kris Kuksi is a genius. I can get lost in the tiny details of his sculptures. Whenever I view his work online, I end up leaning forward in my chair, nose close to the glass of my monitor, but I can never see it as clear as I'd like to.

Each piece is like two works of art in one: you have the wide view, like a dark landscape; and then you have all the tiny characters within it.

Luckily, it seems he is coming to the Meta Gallery in Toronto from May 15th to June 14th, 2009, so I will finally be able to see those micro-beauties clearly.

For those of you who aren't going to check out his show in person, you can view his sculptures online. He has a handy (yet finicky) flash application that allows you to zoom in fairly tight on the images.

He has an interesting bio posted on his site, not unlike many stories we've heard before. But there were specific quotes that resonated with me:

I thought I would share a few videos with you to help fight off the Monday blahs.

First it's the Happy Tree Friends in "Remains to Be Seen". In this episode, the furry creatures deal with the disaster of zombies.

I think my favourite moment is when the manual lawn mower comes out.

You can see more episodes (including some with a Halloween theme) on the official website.

The second flick (below) is a music video brought to my attention by Eve Noir who thought I might like it. And I will admit, it has grown on me.

When you start a business, it's important to know your target audience and the positioning of the product you're selling (a basic decision of who it's for, what it does, and how to appeal to your target group). With this in mind, I think the folks over at Casket Furniture need to work on their selling angle. Or at the very least, reorganize their website. I get the feeling they didn't want to miss out on either crowd - people mourning a loss and people who look at coffins as entertainment.

For example, the second menu item on their website after 'Casket Furniture' is 'Casket Gaming' where you can find items like this Coffin Poker Table.

Are you now in a fun and fancy free mood? Totally on board with how coffins aren't just for funerals? Goooood! Because the third menu item is 'Casket Plans' where we switch gears from fun and games. Suddenly the messages take on a sombre tone to discuss how hard it is to lose a loved one, and the products aren't for fun, but for eternal peace.