city – K. M. Alexander

June 29, 2019September 14, 2019

Visual Inspiration: Marilyn Mugot

The urban landscape has long been a fascination of mine. Lovat—the central city in my Bell Forging Cycle—is my own love letter to the city form with its allure and optimism and the gritty shadows cast by those glowing ideals. Those contrasting juxtapositions are what makes the urban environment so appealing. I love the spaces between spaces, the often ignored corners where lives are lived, and the drama of humanity is played out. Whenever I find an artist who can capture that essence, I find that it enlivens me creatively.

“I strive to create a visual universe where fantasies, dreams and travels come together. Landscapes at night exacerbates a specific contemplative feeling which has encouraged me to create a new, obscure and sparkling world full of secrets and mystery.”

—Marilyn Mugot

So, it’ll come as no surprise that I’m an enormous fan of Marilyn Mugot’s photography, in particular, her Night Project series and much of the work she shares on her Instagram account. She excels at finding those small places and capturing them from angles that make me dwell on the city and its impact on our lives. There’s a beauty inherent within the urban environment, and in each of her pieces, Margot encapsulates those spaces with a cinematic quality, a touch of the surreal, and a subtle tenderness.

I’ve shared a few of my favorite pieces below. You can click on any image to view it larger.

Marilyn Mugot – Conquest of paradise

Marilyn Mugot – Seven in the evening

Marilyn Mugot – Light candies

Marilyn Mugot – Back street

Marilyn Mugot – Nupital moment

Marilyn Mugot – Colorvision

Marilyn Mugot – Ultraviolet night

Marilyn Mugot – Backstairs

Marilyn Mugot – God moves in mysterious ways

This is just a tiny sample of Mugot’s work. I’d encourage you to check out her Venus’ Gardens series where she brings her iconic use of color to the natural world. It’s stunning stuff. You can see much more on her website, and I’d encourage you to follow her on Instagram as well. If you’re looking to purchase any of her pieces, you can buy prints from her online store.

If you like Marilyn Mugot’s work, be sure to check out some of the other artists who I’ve found inspiring in the past. While there’s certainly a theme to the art that inspires me, you’ll find lots of different styles, tones, and moods.

August 23, 2018September 14, 2019

Visual Inspiration: Filip Dujardin

Often when I share an artist that’s been inspiring to me, it’s usually someone who works as a concept artist. Today’s entry will be a bit of a departure from that. Filip Dujardin is a Belgian photographer who manipulates photos of architecture and cityscapes to create beautiful photomontage works that question the notion of architected spaces.

“I want to play at being an architect. All my creations leave the impression that they could have been built, it’s just that you’ve never seen them.”

—Filip Dujardin

In many ways, I think of my own work—and Lovat in particular—as a love letter to cities. Even if it’s just tangentially. There’s something fascinating about the constructed spaces and interactions that happen within. I love the optimistic concept of the city and the unpleasant realities that dwell in the shadow of that idealism. I find those juxtapositions beautiful. Many of those same themes are present in Dujardin’s work, in particular, his Fictions series. The interplay of form and function both natural and unnatural are warped and distorted, and it gives me pause as a viewer. I’m forced to reflect on the nature of urban environments and our interplay with them as occupants—what they mean, what they remove, how they shape us, and how they distort our experiences and change our perceptions.

I’ve selected some of my favorites below. Click to view them larger.

Filip Dujardin – GMRS 008

Filip Dujardin – Untitled, from the series ‘Fictions’

Filip Dujardin – Memorial II

Filip Dujardin – Chicago Shuffle #1

Filip Dujardin – Untitled, from the series ‘Fictions’

Filip Dujardin – Chicago Shuffle #2

Filip Dujardin – Untitled, from the series ‘Fictions’

Filip Dujardin – Memorial I

Filip Dujardin – Untitled, from the series ‘Fictions’

This is just a tiny sample of Filip Dujardin extensive body of work. You can see much more in his book Fictions and over on his website. (Be sure to check out his Guimaraes series.) If you’re looking to purchase any of his pieces, many are available online at Artspace.com.

If you like Filip Dujardin’s work be sure to check out some of the other artists who I’ve found inspiring in the past. While there’s certainly a theme to the art that inspires me, you’ll find lots of different styles, tones, and moods.

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December 5, 2014

Friday Link Pack 12-05-2014

We’re back baby! It’s time to share a few links I’ve found over the last few days. Some of these I mention on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! Have a link I should feature in the upcoming link pack? Let me know! All right, let’s get to it.

Writing:

Here’s One Genre That Could Replace Post-Apocalyptic Stories
My favorite io9 writer, Charlie Jane Anders, discusses the potential in colonization science fiction as opposed to the doom and gloom of post-apocalyptic fiction. It’s a good idea.

Amazing Times
New York Times Bestselling Author Russel Blake talks about the broad reach within the literary market. Never before has someone been able to reach an audience so broad. It’s cool to think about. He’s right. We live in an Amazing Time.

Booker Winner Ben Okri Nabs Bad Sex Prize
Oooof… but to be fair, it’s real bad and potentially offensive if this sort of thing offends you, but really it’s more hilarious than offensive. I mean, “She felt certain now that there was a heaven and that it was here, in her body.” C’mon man.

NaNoWriMo Is Over, Now What?
You finished your 40k word project in a months time! Awesome! You should be excited. You should celebrate. But what do you do when NaNoWriMo is over? Here’s some ideas.

Old Broken Road Giveaway
I’m giving away five signed copies of Old Broken Road on Goodreads. Signing up to win is easy. Giveaway ends January 6th. Tell your friends!

Art:

Chattel
Photographer Kevin Horan takes beautiful portraits… of sheep and goats.

Paperholm
Artist Charles Young is building a giant city out of tiny paper models. Follow along.

Motion Exposure
Long exposures of light combined with activities like canoeing and kayaking. The results are as beautiful as they are serene.

Random:

Typeset in the Future: Alien
Okay, I think I found another favorite blog. Typeset in the Future explores typography in science fiction movies. This article on Alien is incredibly deep and is a must read. The articles on Moon and 2001 are also great.

The Ice-Skating Waiters Of Switzerland
Serving drinks and skating never looked so classy. (Thanks to Steve for the tip.)

Really Awesome Old Maps
My love of maps is no secret. Recently my friend Jazmine shared this link and I absolutely loved everything posted. Mapophiles rejoice!

Stephen Hawking Warns Artificial Intelligence Could End Mankind
Here you go luddites! Even Hawking is afraid of robots!