While it may not necessarily be possible to transcend realism, Chinese sculptor Shi Jindian certainly comes close with his wire vehicle sculptures. Jindian has professed his dislike for hard and heavy materials, opting instead for “fine delicate things.” This penchant for delicacy is reflected in the sculptor’s chosen medium of fine wire mesh.

After years of searching for a brand new and completely untraditional medium, Jindian learned how to crochet strands of steel wire into a 3-dimensional form. Working primarily though trial-and-error, the sculptor has devised an entire arsenal of unique tools which allow Jindian to expertly manipulate the wire into everything from a military motorcycle to the frame of an army jeep.

Beginning by wrapping the mesh around a solid object, the wrapped form is subsequently removed, leaving an almost ethereal exoskeleton. While the process may perhaps seem simple, in fact, Jindian spends years rendering even the smallest details of the original model in wire. The sculptor seems to find peace in his painstaking labour, entering a state of “tranquility and calm,” which only emerges from Jindian’s exacting and almost ritualistic depiction.

- James Lavapie

Set for release next week is one of many projects from Hollywood’s consummate Renaissance man, James Franco. Franco’s latest endeavor sees the prolific actor assume the role of writer, lending his skills to a book which will accompany an exhibition presented by The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) from May 15th through June 23rd at JF Chen, Los Angeles. Aptly titled, “Rebel,” both the book and the exhibition will pay tribute to the classic film Rebel without a Cause.

The 192-page book delves into the iconic film, expanding on its narrative and examining its themes of masculinity, moral decay, and the auto culture of the 1950s. Featuring contributions from Douglas Gordon, Harmony Korine, Damon McCarthy, Paul McCarthy, Terry Richardson, Ed Ruscha and Aaron Young, Franco collaborates with each artist with the objective to give new meaning to the film’s plot and rumored behind-the-scenes events.

The book includes film stills and photographs, while also documenting the videos, photography, painting, drawings, and sculpture presented in the exhibition. The bookʼs cover design includes a “Rebel” logotype created by legendary tattoo artist Mark Mahoney, who collaborated with Franco on the work “Brad Renfro Forever” (2011), in which, as a tribute to a contemporary rebel, Mahoney carved the late actor Brad Renfroʼs first name into Francoʼs arm with a switchblade.

The book will be available initially at OHWOW and at the MOCA Store, retailing for $49.95 USD. “Rebel” will be on view until June 23rd at JF Chen, located at 941 North Highland Avenue in Los Angeles.

(Images © Rebel. OHWOW/MOCA, 2012)

Mesmerizing, yet simultaneously scary, perhaps best describes the latest work from French artist Baptiste Debombourg. Entitled, “Aerial,” the site-specific installation instantly had our attention in a vice grip after witnessing the cascading layers of shattered glass consuming the walls at the Abbey Brauweiler in Germany.

Debombourg began his career at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Lyon, going on to post-graduate study at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. The artist’s main discipline of sculpture is certainly put to good use in his latest work, which took more than 420 hours to fabricate and install. Vast in scope and inspiration, Debombourg’s “Aerial” is composed of more than two tons of feuilleté glass, in addition to wood, nails, and paint.

While the notion of shattered glass may be inherently violent, we love the overt sense of beauty Debombourg manages to incorporate into his work. What initially might appear to be an experiment in chaos and destruction becomes increasingly beautiful as the intricate patterns in the shattered glass and the rigid fluidity of the structure reinforce an almost architectural aesthetic. The piece seems as though it’s a part of the space rather than a foreign and imposing product of Debombourg’s vision. For those interested in viewing the work in person, Aerial will be on display at the Abbey Brauweiler until May 20th, 2012 as part of the Spiritual Ground exhibition series.

- James Lavapie

Even after a lengthy study, we remain lost in the intricacies of the latest creative endeavour from Paris-based art director and illustrator Ugo Gattoni. Entitled ‘Ultra Copains’ the fresco measures 10 metres in length and 1.2 metres in height, and features an entire world straight out of the illustrators imagination. With the average scale of the figures measuring 1 centimetre, the piece is a marvel simply by virtue of its scrupulous intricacy.

Gattoni painstakingly depicts hundreds of vignettes in exacting detail with buildings, figures, and explosive scenes weaving seamlessly in and out of one another. We really like the illustrator’s stark use of a black and white palette; it almost reminds us of a high school notebook doodle gone wonderfully awry.

The drawing is available for viewing in detail though an interactive dedicated website where users are able to identify, tag, share, and search the individual elements of the piece (like zooming in on a party happening in the streets or finding the pretty girl lost in the fields). And for those lucky enough to live in Paris, the piece is now on display until May 14th at Gallery Surprise. And what many surprises there are to discover in this majestic work indeed!

- James Lavapie

New York-based artist Lauren Gibbes has certainly got us feeling nostalgic with her vintage-inspired paintings. Gibbes, a South Carolina native, uses her work to reinterpret standards of beauty from the 60s in order to incorporate new meaning to the norm.

Exploring power symbols, gender roles, and feminine identity, Gibbes is naturally drawn to the nostalgic in her aesthetic. However, the artist achieves a very modern edge in her work through her omission or emphasis of certain body parts among the women she chooses to depict. Some are missing their noses, while others are rendered in an idealized fully nude form.

Gibbes’ almost shimmering realism makes us feel like we’re seeing the world through a pair of rose-coloured glasses. The artist’s seamless appropriation of nostalgia helps to convey the continued disparity among genders. Gibbes’ referential, yet simultaneously novel approach to the subject matter results in a series of images which wholly capture the feminine. More information on Gibbes is available through her website.

- James Lavapie