Words: Anna Con

Images: Naomi Nowak

To look at a painting or read a graphic novel by Naomi Nowak is akin to experiencing another world,  one which touches on our own but goes beyond to more mystical realms.  Her work overflows with lush colors and ethereal subjects, and is often imbued with forces both natural and supernatural.  Her latest graphic novel, Graylight, is no exception.  It tells the story of Sasha, a young woman who finds herself working in a remote northern village over the course of an arctic summer.  Her life becomes intertwined with some of the locals, nearly to her demise.  The complexity of the relationships, along with the haunting environment and magical forces at work, makes for an exceptional reading experience that goes beyond dialogue and plot line.  There is a method to the madness so to speak, and as with all of her work, leaves a wonderfully deep impression on the imagination.

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Words & Images: Michelyah (blog here; website here)

I’m drawn to things aesthetically pleasing to the eye. I have a quiet
demeanor. At times I will appear aloof and uninterested in new surroundings.
You may never get to really know me  and I’m completely fine with that. If
you do have the opportunity to truly know me then you’ll know I’m not just
the quiet front I put on.

I go by the name Michelyah…I guess you can call that my artist name, which
is odd for me to say. As a child I’ve always said if I become known for
something that will be the name I go by. I’m a native of Atlanta, Georgia
who had no choice but to become artistically inclined. With a mother who is
a talented seamstress and jewelry designer and a father who dabbles in
furniture design, architecture and drawing I started exploring art at a
young age. As a woman growing into her own I find that my femininity is what inspires my work.

Words: Carly Rogers
Quotes: NY Times
Photos: Various works taken from “Remembering Dash Snow” By Ryan McGinley

Granted, Dash Snow was not one of the most notable or classic artists of his time, nor was he the classiest.  Or perhaps classy at all for that matter.  Once referred to as “the Paris Hilton” of photography, Snow was controversial; his work included semen atop newspapers (on numerous occasions), and he was reportedly high more often than not. He was self-destructive, hyperactive and wild.  It was this lifestyle that eventually led to his demise last year; when he was found dead in a hotel room after an overdose.  It is easy to dismiss his work as being as vapid and shallow as the socialite to which he was compared, but Snow has produced a number of pieces that provide a raw and honest social commentary on today’s culture.  There is a reason why he possessed as many friends and admirers as he did, despite his troubled mind. read more »