Exploring contemporary practitioners and journals.

1. Tessa Farmer: Uses wood, dead insects and other natural materials to create tiny anatomicly correct fairy-like figures. Themes: Fairytale, the ‘grotesque’, anatomy. Discovered in the saatchi gallery in 2010. Could be found in ‘sculpture’ journal.  Found: Ellis. P, 2007, Tessafarmer.com, Available from:http://www.tessafarmer.com/,[accessed  25/09/2012.]
2. Richard Saja: Uses embroidery to change the context of old fabric prints. Themes: History VS the present day, Humour, classical characters, masks, contemporary/tradition, the line between Art and Craft (if there is one). Found: Saja. R, 9/10/2012, Historiclyinacurate.blogspot.co.uk, Available from:  http://historically-inaccurate.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/code-name-lamda-anarchy.html [accessed 25/09/2012]
3. Frances Alys: Uses installation, performance and video. Themes: Politics, the power of art to unite people, the fragility of artwork (and everything else). Could be found in ‘Frieze’. Found: Dillon. B,First published in
4. Issue 133, September 2010 Frieze.com, Available from: http://www.frieze.com/issue/review/francis-alys/ [Accessed 25/09/2012]
5. Gerhard Richter: Uses paint 0n canvas to explore themes of: Method, process,photography and dreams. Could be found in ‘Frieze’, which looks at ‘serious’ artists. Found: GRISEBACH. L, Tate.org.uk, Date unavailable, available from: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/gerhard-richter-1841/text-artist-biography [accessed 24/09/2012]
6. Erick Swenson:Uses Resin, Silicone, Plaster and Paint to explore the themes of the animal world, particularly the beauty and tragedy found in the lives of wild animals. He also explores the ‘art/science’ boundaries and links. I found this artist in ‘Sculpture’ magazine, june 2012 issue. Found:International Sculpture Centre  June 2012, http://www.sculpture.org, available from:http://english.kaikaikiki.co.jp/artists/list/C4/ [accessed 25/09/2012].
7. Takashi Murakami: Uses sculpture and installation, print and objects like balloons to create Japanese style characters that explore different themes within Japanese culture and how they differ to western culture. He looks at the line between art and commerce  and other serious social themes. He could be placed in ‘Artpress’- which looks at lots of political artworks and installation. Found: Tashiki Murikami Tribute website, 2004, Tashikimurikami.com, available from:http://www.takashimurakami.com/index.php [accessed 25/09/2012]
8. Holly Level: Uses textiles to look at everyday objects and advertising. The message her work puts across is ‘think before you buy’ and ‘why do we buy’. She could be found in ‘Embroidery’, which looks at a mixture of contemporary textiles artists. Found in: Embroidery magazine, march/april 2012 issue, page 18.
9. Dave Chihuly: Uses glass blowing to create beautiful sculptures that are filled with colour and light. His main interest is in process, and working with other people (his works are too large and complex to be made by one lone artist). He also explores the natural world and dreams in his work. He could be found in ‘Crafts’ magazine because of the media he uses (though I’m not sure if that is right) Found : Oldknow.T, http://www.chihuly.com, 2003, available from: http://www.chihuly.com/dale-chihuly-a-selective-biography_detail.aspx [Accessed 25/09/2012]
   
10. Micheal Dean: Works with  Poetry, drawing, installation, graphic design and performance to explore the relationship between spoken word to its graphical representation and later, reading. He could be found in ‘Frieze’, because of the journals tendency to choose artwork that relies heavily on concept. F0und: Teasdale.P, http://www.Frieze.com, December 2011, available from:http://www.frieze.com/issue/article/focus-michael-dean/ [accessed 26/09/2012]
    
11. Pratchaya Phinthong: Uses found objects and looks at the politics of money and art in the present day, and the way it effects poorer communities. Works that initially apear minimal reveal themselves to be heavily political comments about the way the world is. Might be found in Frieze magazine, again for the emphasis political/conceptual ideas rather than the aesthetics or technique. Found: Rehber. V, http://www.artinamericamagazine.com, 11/13/09, available at: http://www.artinamericamagazine.com/reviews/pratchaya-phinthong/ [accessed 26/09/2012]
12. Gunter Brus: Uses performance and painting, drawing on DADAist concepts to create works with his own body. Could be found in the Tate magazine, which is fond of performance and ‘shocking’ works. Found: Wilso. A, http://www.tate.org.uk, date unavailable, available at: ://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/gunter-brus-827/text-artist-biography [accessed 26/09/2012]
13. Paul Noble: Uses pencil and graphite drawings to create new worlds. He began by making a font that was architecture based then began to develop imaginary places combining buildings, drawings of other peoples sculptures and very detailed objects observations to make surreal and delicate pieces. Might be found in Artpress because of his recent international boost after being short-listed for the turner prize.  Found in: Karamani. S, 2012, ‘Tate Britain presents:Turner Prize 2012′, England, Tate publishing.
14. Sparticus Chetwynd: Uses performance, hand made costumes and sets and looks at literature, theatre and the human condition with her work. She might also be found in Artpress, for the same reasons. She has previously featured in Frieze magazine. Found in: Carey-Thomas.L, 2012,’Tate Britain presents: Turner Prize 2012′, England, Tate publishing.
15. Luke Fowler:  Uses video, including interviews, to look at the human condition. Could be found in the Tate magazine, because of his recent exhibition there. Found: (Saw his work at the Turner prize show and looked it up) Tate, tate.org.uk, October 2012, available at:http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/turner-prize-2012?gclid=CMjnsqucpLMCFWbKtAodHygA2Q [accessed 26/09/2012]
16. Antony Gormley: Uses sculpture ( usually metal or clay) to look at the human condition, civilisation, form and material. Would have been found in sculpture magazine, but due to his growing status as an artist a new exhibition might be published in many different art journals. Found: Mostyn.O, Biggs.L and Gormley.A, 1994, ‘Feild for the British Isles- Antony Gormley’,  Oriel Mostyn Llandudno.
17. Rebecca Warren: Uses clay and looks at the human figure. She is interested in how her work relates to art history and traditional representations of the figure in art. Found: Saatchi gallery, saatchi-gallery.co.uk, 2012, available at: http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/rebecca_warren.htm [accessed 26/09/2012]
18. Haim Steinbach: Uses found objects to look at cultural and ritualistic themes. Found: Author unavailable, Haimstienbach.net, 2012, available from: http://haimsteinbach.net/ [accessed 26/09/2012]
19. Wang Yuyang: In his most impressive piece used hundreds of light bulbs to create an artificial moon. It was first displayed in Shanghai, where the moon is rarely seen due to pollution. Found: Jobson.C, Thisiscollossal.com, may 31st 2011, available at: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2011/05/wang-yuyang-artificial-moon/ [accessed 26/09/2012]
20. Caitlind Brown: Uses paper, bulbs, installation, film and people to make works that build and change with the people in them. Found: Author unavailable, incandescentcloud.com, 2012, available at: http://incandescentcloud.wordpress.com/about-the-artist-2/ [accessed 26/09/2012]
21. Annie Cattrell: Uses glass to create the inside structures of the body. Her work is extremely delicate and hand crafted. She might be found in ‘Craft magazine’ because of the material she uses. Found: London Metropolitan University, Metropolitanworks.org,2012, available at: http://www.metropolitanworks.org/case_study/case_study_listings/detail/9/ [accessed 26/09/2012]
22. Julian Perry: Does extremely life-like oil paintings of sheds. Might be found in  Blueprint magazine. Found: Desmond.A, Austendesmond.com, 2012, available at: http://www.austindesmond.com/artists/painting/t1/julian-perry/a190 [accessed 26/09/2012]
23. Thomas Hirschhorn:  Uses collage, sculpture, rubbish, found materials, text and space to create works. They are about consumerism, politics and world issues. He may  be shown in ‘Frieze’ because of his high standing status. Found: Author unavailable, arndberlin.com, october 2012, available from: http://www.arndtberlin.com/website/artist_1030 [accessed 26/09/2012]
24. Erik Renner: Uses pinhole photography. He is interested in how images effect culture. He might be found in something like the British journal of photography. Found: Author unavailable, pinholeresource.com, 2009, available from: http://www.pinholeresource.com/shop/gallery [accessed 26/09/2012]
25. Elsa Mora: Uses paper to create detailed and delicate sculptures. Her subject matter changes and she is primarily interested in the process of cutting paper, but says ‘Most of the pieces that I create have a story behind them’. She might be found in ‘craft magazine’ because paper is a material often associated with craft. Found: McCafferty.K, Ed (2011),’push- paper’, New York, Lark Crafts.
26. Liz Hickok: Uses jelly to construct miniature landscapes. Might be found in sculpture magazine. Found: Hickok. L, Lizhickok.com, 2012, available from: http://www.lizhickok.com/ [accessed 26/09/2012]
27. Katie MacDowell: Looks at our relationship with nature- our wonder at its beauty and our place in it contrasted with out destruction of it through climate change. Might be found in Sculpture magazine. Found: MacDowell. k, Katiemacdowell.com, 2012, available at: http://katemacdowell.com/statement.html [accessed 26/09/2012]