To Write Love on Her Arms: Behind The Scenes

“Central” Tank Top now available in the TWLOHA Online Store.

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:12:00 -0400

“Central” Tank Top now available in the TWLOHA Online Store.

Google Creative Director Alexander Chen created this video...

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:12 -0400

Google Creative Director Alexander Chen created this video montage of himself playing the viola which he filmed using Google Glass. Something for the music lovers and the techies.

German photographer Jan von Hollenben unleashes the imagination...

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:00:29 -0400

German photographer Jan von Hollenben unleashes the imagination and adventure of childhood by photographing kids from above in whimsical settings. This heartwarming photo series brings a fresh twist to playing pretend.

Take a few minutes to get lost in photographer Dave...

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:09 -0400

Take a few minutes to get lost in photographer Dave Morrow’s amazing images of starry skies—or, better yet, take a few minutes to go outside and appreciate the nighttime yourself.

Our friends in Oh, Sleeper are getting ready for their next chapter and need your help. Here's how you can be a part of their story. Also, be sure to catch them this summer on Vans Warped Tour.

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:00:28 -0400

Our friends in Oh, Sleeper are getting ready for their next chapter and need your help. Here's how you can be a part of their story. Also, be sure to catch them this summer on Vans Warped Tour.

There are over seven billion unique and amazing kinds of...

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:10 -0400

There are over seven billion unique and amazing kinds of beautiful.

Our newest shirt is inspired by Ben Howards’s song...

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:31:58 -0400

Our newest shirt is inspired by Ben Howards’s song “The Fear.” What will you become? What do you deserve? Available now in the TWLOHA Online Store.

These might look like real aquatic creatures in captivity,...

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:00:20 -0400

These might look like real aquatic creatures in captivity, but Singapore-based artist Keng Lye actually used layers of paint and resin to create a life-like, 3D affect.

New Blog: "I would love to cancel Mother's Day."

Sun, 12 May 2013 16:09:00 -0400

New Blog: "I would love to cancel Mother's Day."

The Art of Humanity: Jen Stark

Fri, 10 May 2013 11:53:37 -0400

The Art of Humanity series is all about highlighting artists and the meaning they find in their work, and this week we’re profiling a contemporary artist who brings significance to one of the most basic of mediums: construction paper. Jen Stark creates multi-dimensional paper sculptures that are dizzying in both their complexity and their color. Below, she tells TWLOHA more about how she began playing with these shapes and shades and what they are meant to communicate.

What is the inspiration behind your art and use of paper?

I think there is a universal design running through everything, from fractals to the shapes of galaxies; like how the veins of a leaf are similar to a winding river, and even the veins in our bodies. It is crazy to think that huge things out in the universe can have the same shapes as tiny microorganisms under a microscope. Also, it is interesting to me how much we still don’t know about science and the way things work. I hope to maybe reveal (on a visual level) some truth or insight about these ideas. I think geometry, nature, and mathematics have everything in common!

The beginning of the paper sculptures happened during college in the south of France, Aix-en-Provence in 2004. I decided to study abroad there for a semester, so I brought two suitcases full of clothes and figured I would purchase art supplies in France. I was a college student trying to save money, and the Euro was very high. When I went into the art store, I decided to buy one of the cheapest materials, but one with potential. I purchased an assorted color stack of construction paper and began experimenting in my studio. Eventually I began turning them into three-dimensional sculptures.

How long does an average art piece of yours take to create? What tools do you use?

It can take anywhere from a week to a couple of months to finish a sculpture, depending on the complexity and size. I think about the kind of piece I want to make, what kind of paper to use, and then make a sketch of it. Once I have a general idea of what it might look like, I separate which colors I want to use and begin cutting. I cut each sheet of paper one-by-one by hand with an X-acto knife. I usually use a ruler, pencil, Xacto knife, paper, and sometimes a compass for making circles.

Beyond your paper sculptures, you also create drawings and animated works. Do you approach these varying mediums differently?

No matter what medium I’m working with, there are always geometric shapes with an organic aspect. I approach each medium pretty differently, but I think there is a similar theme flowing through all of them.

WATCH: “Believer,” a short “papermation” by Jen Stark

Much of your work includes a rainbow of colors. Why do you gravitate toward so much color?

I work with so many colors because of how eye-catching it is. I love how putting different colors together can make you feel a certain way, or even seem to vibrate. I believe every color is important and want to use them all.

What is your favorite piece you have made?

My favorite piece was probably “Piece of An Infinite Whole” because it was the moment I really broke out into the Miami art scene with my own unique voice. It was an installation of a worm-hole looking paper sculpture going four feet into the wall. Many people had never heard my name before, but loved that sculpture, and it was great to get that exposure.

What would your advice be to others who want to express themselves creatively?

Just find what you love to do and practice it until you perfect it! This goes with anything in life.

In this video from Oh Joy, Joy spreads happiness by leaving...

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:00:11 -0400

In this video from Oh Joy, Joy spreads happiness by leaving thank you notes at the places she frequents, from coffee shops to libraries. Why not give it a try yourself? A little note of thanks could really brighten someone’s day.

In the photo series “Soweto/Sowebo,” artist Martha...

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400

In the photo series “Soweto/Sowebo,” artist Martha Cooper demonstrates similarities between two cities: Soweto, a city in South Africa; and Sowebo, a nickname for Southwest Baltimore. While we all come from different places, we are all human and really not so different from one another.

“Exploded Flowers,” by artist Fong Qi Wei, depicts...

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:29 -0400

“Exploded Flowers,” by artist Fong Qi Wei, depicts flower blooms separated into their individual petals and stems and shows both the simplicity and complexity of beauty in nature.

Oklahoma-based artist Kelly Campbell Berry creates these pop-up...

Mon, 06 May 2013 12:00:20 -0400

Oklahoma-based artist Kelly Campbell Berry creates these pop-up sculptures out of books and uses the layers and images to help portray the story within its pages.

Another great video from SoulPancake! What would you say to...

Fri, 03 May 2013 12:00:13 -0400

Another great video from SoulPancake! What would you say to someone you care about if given the opportunity to offer them spontaneous compliments?

New Shirt: Central. store.twloha.com

Thu, 02 May 2013 17:57:42 -0400

New Shirt: Central. store.twloha.com

Sometimes, even what terrifies us can be beautiful and powerful,...

Thu, 02 May 2013 12:00:22 -0400

Sometimes, even what terrifies us can be beautiful and powerful, if we’re willing to look closer. German photographer Martin Rietze shows this in these vivid, close-up photos of a volcano in Japan.

Artist Tomás Saraceno created this art exhibit called...

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00:30 -0400

Artist Tomás Saraceno created this art exhibit called “Cloudy House,” where visitors can “float” among futuristic, geometric paper sculptures.

“Dear Disaster,” created by artist Jenny Ekdahl, is...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:00:24 -0400

“Dear Disaster,” created by artist Jenny Ekdahl, is an interactive display. Each tile can be flipped from plain to colored, creating one-of-a-kind “touch art” and allowing every viewer to have their own unique experience with the piece.

Tonight we celebrate and say farewell to our amazing spring...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:08:09 -0400

Tonight we celebrate and say farewell to our amazing spring interns. They clean up pretty nicely.