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It seems like lava photos are all the rage and creative photographer Benjamin Von Wong has taken things to a new level by placing a model within striking distance of the molten rock. We’ve seen the Montreal-based photographer capture stunning underwater images and set a man on fire, but his newest series of work called for a whole new thought process to ensure everyone’s safety. Von Wong called on lava photography expert CJ Kale for his expertise while planning the shoot on the Big Island of Hawaii. The crew was warned to pack light, but wanting to be ready for anything, they couldn’t resist trekking four miles to the location with gadgets from smoke balls and a 2L water sprayer to a battery-powered smoke machine. In the end, this equipment was fundamental in giving the photographer the surreal, apocalyptic atmosphere he desired.

Model Tau Samuels was kept cool with the mist from the 2L water sprayer, which also gives an effect of steam rising from the hot surface. In order to get the backlit effect that brings definition to the images, a crew member worked in tandem with Samuels, having to position himself directly behind the model in order not to be seen in the images. This choreography allowed for the perfect lighting in order for the photographs to pop and not be overwhelmed by glowing red lava in a sea of black. 

It was a desire to give something back that pushed Von Wong to these extreme conditions. “From draughts to devastating hurricanes—it seems almost impossible these days to turn on the news without being exposed to the latest extreme weather events. For me, this has always led to a feeling of hopelessness—something that I’ve never been good at dealing with,” Von Wong writes on his blog. “The desire to do something, anything—led to the birth of this shoot featuring a tribal character facing a desolate landscape. My hope was to bring attention to indigenous communities at risk from climate change and to donate 100% of print profits to victims of Hurricane Matthew.”

To that end, prints are available for purchase with the profits going to the St. Boniface Haiti Foundation. The foundation is a Haitian organization that focuses on bringing affordable healthcare, education opportunities, and community development to Haitians in need. According to Charity Navigator, the foundation spends 90% of funds received on its programs and services and enjoys a 4 out of 4 star rating. Check out more images from the shoot, as well as a behind the scenes video, below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uai5cnia12s?rel=0&w=750&h=422]

Benjamin Von Wong: Website | Blog | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Benjamin Von Wong.

Inspired by the art of motion pictures, Hamburg-based illustrator Julian Rentzsch creates meticulously detailed and exquisitely executed portraits of the silver screen’s most prized directors. Delicately painted (both in watercolor and digitally) and rendered in dramatic grey-scale tones, the unique portrayals feature strikingly lifelike portraits of the famous figures. From the timeless drama of Stanley Kubrick to the gory brilliance of Quentin Tarantino, the legendary history of cinematography is ingeniously explored in each phenomenal portrait.

Each director’s face is surrounded by—and even appears to morph into—iconic scenes and characters from his most celebrated films. While some of the motifs—like Inception’s spinning top found in the foreground of the Christopher Nolan homage or the well-known Nightmare Before Christmas scene that seamlessly blends with the lens of Tim Burton’s glasses—are obvious at first glance, others require more of a detail-oriented eye. Like watching a film, the more you look, the more you discover.

Additionally, captivating quotes selected and beautifully transcribed by Rentzsch sprawl across the canvas, and a brief biography of the featured director (namely, his name, date of birth, and a chronological filmography) are cleverly disguised as the credits typically found at the bottom of a movie poster.

Fortunately for us, Rentzsch has collaborated with Stellavie, a “no-nonsense, independent and creatively led, multidisciplinary design studio and manufacturer” to turn this striking series of paintings into a collection of signed and numbered giclée prints. Each high-quality reproduction is printed using museum-quality ink on textured, acid-free cotton paper. You can purchase some of these stunning prints from Stellavie’s online shop, where you will also find more astounding details of the sensational portraits.

Above: Steven Spielberg

Tim Burton

Stanley Kubrick

Quentin Tarantino

Francis Ford Coppola

Christopher Nolan

Martin Scorsese

David Lynch

Alfred Hitchcock

Julian Rentzsch: Website | Behance | Shop
via [Fubiz]

All images via Julian Rentzsch.

For the fourth year, artists have descended on Las Vegas for the Life is Beautiful Festival under the guidance of JUSTKIDS curator Charlotte Dutoit. Fresh off success in Arkansas at the Unexpected, JUSTKIDS culled a lineup of heavy hitters worthy of past lineups, which have included the likes of Roa, Vhils, D*Face, and Kiki Smith. This year, legendary artist Shepard Fairey joined the fold to paint a large mural at one of the busiest intersections in Las Vegas. Titled Corporate Welfare, JUSTKIDS shares that through the work he “hopes to inspire us to take a closer look on the intrinsic connection between faceless corporations and a nontransparent government in a questionable democracy.”

Life is Beautiful encompasses music, cuisine, comedy, and more, with a full roster of concerts and lectures, but it’s the art that remains year-round. More than 40 pieces dot the urban landscape, with Dutoit selecting an eclectic roster of artists who move from figurative painting to industrial installations in order to bring contemporary art to the streets of Las Vegas. We’ve selected highlights of the 2016 lineup, which included 14 artists from Europe, South America, Australia, and the United States.

Above image: Shepard Fairey, Corporate Welfare

Shepard Fairey at work

Mike Ross, Big Rig Jig. Created in 2007 Ross’s installation was included in Banksy’s Dismaland, but has found a permanent home in the courtyard of the Ferguson Motel. The piece is constructed from two discarded tanker trucks. According to Ross’s website, visitors may enter the lower truck, climb through the tankers, and emerge to a viewing platform between the rear axles, forty-two feet in the air.

Dulk. The Spanish artist has created a fantastical world inspired by the state of Nevada. In keeping with his style, the piece continues to unfold small details the more time the viewer spends observing this Surrealist vision of the desert.

Justin Favela. In less than a week local artist Favela transformed this building into a shocking pink piñata. Favela’s work is innovative while at the same time paying homage to his heritage (his father is Mexican and his mother Guatemalan).

Justin Favela

Fafi. Legendary French artist Fafi’s work incorporates her iconic Fafinette character. One of three female artists in this year’s lineup, her take-charge figures in brilliant colors blend in perfectly with the bold spirit of Las Vegas.

Fafi and Shepard Fairey in progress. Fafi and Shepard Fairey’s works can be found on one of the busiest intersections in Las Vegas on the Emergency Arts Center.

Pantone. Ripped straight from a 1980s computer fantasy, the Argentinian artist worked to give the building a 3D effect through trompe-l’oeil and an architectonic lighting spectrum.

Betz. The Polish artist, one half of the popular Etam Cru, has added a twist to the traditionally large single figures found in his work. The background, painted to give the illusion of stained glass, contains the allegory of St. George and the Dragon. The young boy dreams of this iconically heroic tale, which has been painted throughout art history, from Medieval to modern times.

Crystal Wagner, work in progress. Photo by Krystal Ramirez. Working outdoors for the first time, the contemporary artist completed a 120-foot long installation constructed from her signature media of paper and fabric.

Martin Whatson. Whimsical in his work, the Norwegian artist continually uses illusion to transform the architectural structures he works on. Juxtaposing colorful, old-school graffiti with neutral, gray walls, the artist provokes us to think about which type of environment we want to inhabit.

Tristan Eaton, Fear No Fate. Photo by Krystal Ramirez. Eaton is known for his classic female figures, which contain a hint of old-world glamour. Here he’s fully embraced all things Las Vegas, from poker chips to the almighty dice that determine our fate on the tables. In fact, “No Risk, No Reward,” is the name of the game for adventurous gamblers or Eaton’s heroine, who could be a Vegas showgirl.

Tristan Eaton. Photo by Krystal Ramirez.

Life is Beautiful: Website | Facebook | Instagram
JUSTKIDS: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by JUSTKIDS.

As all cat owners know, nothing excites our feline friends more than finding the perfect place for a cat nap. Whether curled up on our laps or happily squeezed into anything they can (almost) fit into, cats simply love to be cozy—a fact that has inspired Elevele, a small family-run business and Etsy shop, to craft toasty-warm cat beds, baskets, and even original “caves.”

Elevele is run by Klaidas and Elena, a husband and wife who live in Lithuania with their cat, Rainis. Klaidas is the shop’s creator, Elena is the designer and maker, and lucky little Rainis is the “product tester and model.”  Elena first experimented with felting four years ago. One day, she noticed Rainis—who, at the time, was a kitten—sound asleep in a slipper she had recently crafted. She decided to produce a bigger “slipper” for the slumbering kitten—and so began her current passion!

Each Elevele dwelling provides the perfect place for both cats and kittens (and even little pups!) to snuggle up. The quirky cat cave features a snug, closed design and a comfy layer of cotton and linen batting, making it an ideal kitty hiding place (and an even better spot to snooze). Similarly, Elevele’s beds and baskets offer cats a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing place to relax, with an open-top design and beautifully crafted details. Each comfy creation has been hand-felted by Elena from three simple ingredients: olive soap, water, and Bergschaf wool—a luxuriously soft and natural wool sheared from sheep found in Italy and Austria. In addition to natural materials, Elena also often incorporates nature-related motifs into her designs. “The entire collection includes interpretations of a flower, a leaf and a hornet’s nest,” she says on her website. “I experiment with different fibers and materials to create new textures and maintain caves’ shape unchanged.”

You can find the cuddly cat beds on Elevele’s Etsy shop. And, with both made-to-order and ready-to-ship options, it truly is the cat’s meow!

Elevele also creates baskets and beds for cats to comfortably lounge in.

Elevele: Etsy | Facebook
via [So Super Awesome]

All images via Elevele.

Artist Katy Lipscomb creates colorful portraits of animals that showcase their inner spirits. Using a rainbow-inspired palette, she produces mixed-media drawings and paintings that are realistic representations of wolves, deer, lions, and more, but expressed with jewel-toned hues like magenta and turquoise. This bold approach—contained within wispy shapes reminiscent of smoke—gives the work a fantastical feel, as if these creatures are summoned by magic.

Some of Lipscomb’s most striking pieces jump off the page and into her hands. To create this illusion, she has painted wolves and cut them out like paper dolls. Then, as if she’s a giant from a fairy tale, Lipscomb playfully lifts these vibrant characters and dangles them in the air. This three-dimensional approach adds another level of imagination to her work that transforms the still portraits into a fanciful story.

Lipscomb’s 2D portraits also offer a beautiful fusion of fluid color and intricate details:

Katy Lipscomb: Instagram | Facebook | Deviant Art
via [Reddit]

Just as Microsoft announced their stunning all-in-one PC, Apple has introduced the latest in its generation of laptops, the newest Macbook Pro. The timing is fitting, too—the device was released in the week that marks the 25th anniversary of its first notebook, and it arrives with the laptop’s most defining feature yet: the Touch Bar, a secondary touch-sensitive display band that rests above the keyboard.

The Touch Bar is an application-specific Retina display that supplements the larger screen above. Photoshop is one program that will shine from this addition, as the Touch Bar contains the controls needed for a tool or task, such as changing brush size or selecting colors. To use, simply drag your finger along the surface. In addition to app support, the Touch Bar includes a Touch ID fingerprint sensor (perfect for Apple Pay) as well as the function keys like brightness and sound.

Aside from the Touch Bar, the Macbook Pro has impressive upgrades to its hardware. It’s 130% faster in rendering 3D graphics and can be connected to multiple 5K displays (ideal for high-quality video editing). The primary display is 67% brighter with a 67% higher contrast ratio. As a whole, the computer consumes less power and has a 10-hour battery life.

The new Macbook Pro is now on sale in 13″ and 15″ sizes. If you’re itching for the integration of Photoshop, you’ll have to wait a bit longer—Adobe hopes to have touch compatibility by the end of 2016.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVPRkcczXCY?rel=0&w=750&h=422]

Apple Macbook Pro: Website
via [PetaPixel, ArchDaily]

Artist Mike Leavitt is a man of many talents. The Washington-based artist can “do satire, carve wood, sculpt idols, design toys & make dolls in [his] basement,” and describes his eccentric and inventive style as “Hi-Pop”, which is, in his own words, “basically pop art, but with a soul.” His collection of quirky creations spans hilarious action figures of politicians, silly celebrity dolls, and, recently, King Cuts, a star-studded sculptural series of iconic film directors morphed with their most well-known characters.

King Cuts presents 16 of the “all time best film directors” fused with the very characters they have created. While each hybrid figure features the recognizable face of the depicted director, his or her (often inhuman) body, clothing, and props are entirely inspired by film. Alfred Hitchcock hilariously takes on the body of a bird, James Cameron seductively lounges as an Avatar aboard the Titanic, a composite of George Lucas and Jabba the Hut wields Indiana Jones’ iconic whip, and Steven Spielberg tries to “phone home” as E.T. Each piece measures 18 inches—either in length or width—and is hand-crafted with wood, polymer clay, and acrylic paint.

Though seemingly silly, the peculiar homages to Leavitt’s favorite storytellers also explore the role of the director from an artistic perspective that is both abstract and literal. The artist views directors as dedicated individuals who embody and personify the tireless nature of the filmmaking process—so much so, in fact, that their identity becomes interchangeable with their creations. “Great film directors get cut up. They take pains with the details, story, money and sacrifices to their vision. Their body succumbs to the pressure,” he writes on his website. “Tarantino, Kubrick, Scorsese and more physically consumed by their work. Hitchcock, Coppola and others are cut from blocks of wood like directors cut a take or reel. There’s a risk of mistakes with every slice. Directors commit to a story at every cut.”

Above image: Alfred Hitchcock

Steven Spielberg

Stanley Kubrick

Woody Allen

Tim Burton

Quentin Tarantino

Martin Scorsese

Orson Welles

James Cameron

Francis Ford Coppola

Hayao Miyazaki

Spike Lee

David Lynch

Wes Anderson

Katheryn Bigalow

Mike Leavitt: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Store
via [Creative Boom]

All images via Mike Leavitt/Jonathan Levine Gallery.

Digital artist Steven Lear has an “unhealthy obsession for movies, music, and Photoshop,” and he ingeniously fused the trio of interests into one amusing project. Called Why the LongPlay Face?, the series is a mashup of popular tunes and Star Wars, imagining what iconic album covers would look like if they were replaced with the characters from the beloved films.

Lear’s expert photo manipulation seamlessly combines the likes of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Darth Vader on the instantly-recognizable album designs. Some of Lear’s work is a play on titles, which undoubtedly inspires his mashup character choices. David Bowie’s Heroes is now called Solos and features the face of a young Han Solo rather than the Starman himself; and while Lana Del Rey’s Born to Die album features her name in big, blocky letters across the top, Lear uses the similar moniker to his advantage by placing Rey squarely on the cover with the title Born to Jedi.

There are many funny moments in Why the LongPlay Face?, but Yoda posing as the naked swimming baby on Nirvana’s Nevermind album is at the top of our list. It, along with other covers, are available as prints through Lear’s online shop.

Why the Longplay Face: Website | Facebook | Instagram
via [Twisted Sifter]