finding cain

I first stumbled upon the work of Derek Gores through Juxtapoz some five years ago and was completely blown away by his intricate collages. Derek, who is based in Florida, rips, cuts, and pastes snippets from old magazines, maps, documents, Internet photos and assorted found objects into canvas to create extraordinary images. I'm amazed by the level of detail in his work and wonder just how long it takes to compose such magnificent artworks from ripped up bits of paper.  "I like my pictures to barely come together with teasing little details," he says. "In the collages, some of the little bits I use are deliberate, but in most I’m trusting randomness to help build an end result more interesting than I could have planned." Be sure to check out Derek's website for more stunning collages. It's a visual feast, bon appétit.

Glenn Brown 's paintings are all derived from reproductions of other artists work, but that doesn't mean his reimagined versions are less impressive. From a distance, his figures appear to be painted with thick impasto, but the surfaces are actually as flat and smooth as a glossy magazine page. The 49-year-old London-based artist has occasionally been accused of plagiarism, because he takes his subjects directly from art history books or the Internet. After selecting his desired image, he digitally alters it using Photoshop — changing its color, position and size — to give it a fresh look. Thin, swirling brushstrokes are then applied to the altered picture. When asked, Glenn defines his work as "to be not quite of this world." I really his like creations, and my thoughts are still haunted by his grotesque yet fascinating pieces ever since I first came across them. Glenn was born in 1966 in Hexham, but now lives and works in London. His work is ...

Haunted Air by British musician and artist Ossian Brown showcases anonymous Halloween photos taken between 1875 and 1955. The images in the book come from Brown's personal collection. David Lynch wrote the introduction, which is not surprising since he's known for creating weird and creepy movies. "The photographs in Haunted Air provide an extraordinary glimpse into the traditions of this macabre festival from ages past, and form an important document of photographic history. These are the pictures of the dead: family portraits, mementos of the treasured, now unrecognizable, and others. The roots of Halloween lie in the ancient pre–Christian Celtic festival of Samhain, a feast to mark the death of the old year and the birth of the new. It was believed that on this night the veil separating the worlds of the living and the dead grew thin and ruptured, allowing spirits to pass through and walk unseen but not unheard amongst men. The advent of Christianity saw the pa...

Jaime Molina's got a broad portfolio of work, but I'm especially drawn to his magnificent sculptures. When I look at his creations, I feel the need to grab some old wood and nails, put on some music and start making things along with his characters. If you like folk art with a modern twist, you'll definitely enjoy a visit to his website and Instagram .

Riding a motorcycle can be challenging enough for humans, so seeing Yamaha's new robot motorcyclist on a 1000cc road bike is quite a thrill. Named Motobot, the autonomous humanoid machine can steer and operate the throttle, clutch and gearbox on an open field run. Little information has been released about Motobot, but Yamaha says that it hopes to use the machine to develop "advanced rider safety and rider-support systems," similar to the technologies that car companies are starting to implement. Watch as it accelerates and breaks. [h/t: Lanesplitter ]

I heard it's National Chocolate Day, so I thought I'd share this video about Orlando's newest and sweetest attraction.

Marine pollution is a massive global dilemma, and some coastal communities fight a never-ending battle to stop the tide of trash washing ashore. In Oregon, there's a non-profit organization that collects discarded materials from beaches and turns them into giant sculptures of aquatic animals. According to Washed Ashore , ninety percent of the waste they collect is petroleum-based, mostly plastic debris, and they are able to convert ninety-eight percent of this junk into art. A walk-through replica of an ocean gyre; a styrofoam coral reef; a giant fish; a plastic bottle sea jelly; and an oil-spill replica are just some of the pieces they have exhibited in various zoos and aquariums around the U.S. Check out the video below to learn more about their creative process.

Katy Ann Gilmore is a Los Angeles-based visual artist who specializes in making extraordinary illustrations on paper and large scale murals using micron and gel pens. Her elaborate line work is painstakingly methodical, layering strokes of the pen in varying directions to create amazing shapes and topography that look like they are covered with intricate mesh netting. I was wondering how many pen strokes does it take to complete just one of these drawings, so I did some research and found out that her small 5 in. by 7 in. illustrations typically take a few hours, while an 11 in. by 14 in. picture can take anywhere from 10-25 hours. "My hand does hurt a bit after marathon sessions, but never anything too crazy," she told Lisa Congdon. "I try to rest my eyes/hands/brain every once in awhile by looking away from the drawing, dropping the pen, and taking a breather." Katy received a BA in Mathematics, Art, and Spanish from Greenville College in Il...

These wooden megaphones were installed by architecture students in Estonia to allow forest trekkers to better listen to the sounds of nature – the rustling of the leaves, the flowing creeks, the chirping birds and rainfall. They're electricity-free, sturdy and gigantic. In fact, they're so large that they can function as tiny stages for musicians or accommodate hikers who need temporary shelter.  Located at Pähni Nature Centre in southern Estonia, the structures are placed at a predetermined distance and at specific angle to create a sound feed in the center of the installation. They're free for all visitors to enjoy and will remain in the forest until the wood is reclaimed by nature. [Image credits: Tõnu Tunnel ; h/t: Smithsonian Magazine ]

There's a cliff on the island of Heimaey in Iceland's Vestmannaeyjar archipelago that looks just like a giant elephant. Heimaey is the largest and most populated island off the Icelandic coast, and it attracts thousands of visitors each year because of this amazing rock formation. You can see few more shots over at  1 Million Pictures .

New York-based writer and cartoonist John Leavitt provides light-hearted commentary and fun facts about pasta, from the all-time Filipino favorite spaghetti to the "seemingly fancy, but actually not" fusilli.  John's cartoons and illustrations have appeared in The New Yorker , The Chronicle Review , The New York Press , and Narrative Magazine , among others. He has written two books with Molly Crabbaple and has written for The Toast , The Awl , Marvel, DC comics, and more. For more from this talented artist, be sure to visit his website . [h/t: The Rumpus ]

This year's Sculpture by the Sea boasts some remarkable creations along the Sydney coastline, from Bondi to Tamarama, and here are some of my favorites. The artworks are on display until November 8, 2015.

This glass dildo is powered by clockwork and delivers sleek and uncomplicated pleasure that takes you to climax in style. Called the Grandfather Clock, the sex toy is "super expensive" and is only available for the "rich and famous" at the moment – although designer Bastiaan Buijs is currently working on a cheaper version. While you may not be able to afford it, you can't deny that this is some serious addition to your collection. [h/t: Dezeen ]

A massive cave-like museum will soon rise in the heart of Manila, which, once completed, is expected to offer its visitors an experience of the Philippines' cultural heritage. The 9,000-square-meter Museum of Indigenous Knowledge will be surrounded with trees, plants, ponds and waterfalls, creating a lush oasis amidst the city's concrete jungle. The arc-shaped structure will also include cafes, restaurants, exhibition areas and galleries inside. According to Tokyo-based architecture firm Kengo Kuma : "The theme of this museum is to offer its visitors an experience of the Philippines' cultural heritage, starting from the Neolithic age. Based on its concept, we aim to build a natural and organic museum by combining water and green in the cave-shaped space, contrary to the image of museums as closed boxes. The organic design continues to the highest floor, with village-like architecture appearing on a water pool. It is also an attempt to revive cohabitation of natu...

Now, maybe I'm as tired of steampunk as you guys, but that doesn't mean I'm going to pretend something like this isn't cool. Located in the Romanian city of Cluj, Enigma  claims to be "the world's first kinetic steampunk bar." I don't know if that's true, but the place looks pretty dope with all the dynamic art installations. [h/t: Colossal ]

Last month, Japanese officials have included skateboarding on a list of recommended additions to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. While a number of celebrity skaters – such as Tony Hawk and Shaun White – have campaigned diligently for the inclusion of the sport in the quadrennial competition, it seems that the core of the grassroots have a different view on the matter. There's an online petition asking the IOC not to include skateboarding to the Olympics, and the signature campaign has already completed more than half of its goal. The petition says: "With due respect for Olympic Athletes, we the undersigned skateboarders and advocates strongly request that the IOC NOT RECOGNIZE SKATEBOARDING AS AN OLYMPIC SPORT, or use skateboarding to market the Olympics. Further, we ask that the IOC NOT recognize any individuals or groups claiming to be the IOC recognized governing body of skateboarding or provide funding to them. Skateboarding is not a "sport" and we do not wa...