Leonardo da Vinci

"Flying Machine Design", Leonardo da Vinci, drawing, 1400s

Fun Facts: While many people regard him as the painter of the iconic "Mona Lisa".  He is a versatile artist and inventor having made thousands of scientific drawings and inventions ranging from how the digestive system works to even freakier early designs for tanks and helicopters. 

Claes Oldenburg

"Shuttlecock", Claes Oldenburg, 19 x 15 x 11 ft, fiberglass plastic aluminum paint, 1995

Fun Facts: Oldenburg is a notable sulptor known for his work of making enormous object that are considered small in everyday convention like thumbtacks and spoons.  This shuttlecock happens to weigh over 5500 lbs.

Frantisek Rint

"Skull Chandelier of Sedlec Ossuary", Frantisek Rint, Human Bones, 1511

Fun Facts: This chandelier is just one of many bone composed structures such as bells, altars, and beams holding the architecture of this Czech Republic Church.  It is said to have over 40000 bones of the dead who have died from the Hussite wars and plague, making the enitre composition.  Rint was a wood carver and artist employed by the Schwarzenburg famly to cleverly make a composition, simultaneously adding a feeling of respect and awe for the dead.

Tim Rogerson

"Cubist Quack", Tim Rogerson, Hand Enhanced Giclee, 24"x 19", 1986?

Fun Facts: Tim Rogerson works as a traditionalist illustrator and holds many awards including the Ringling Award given by the prestigious art school Ringling College of Art and Design. His inspirations range from Degas to Disney.

Jake von Slatt

"von Slatt original Computer", Jake Von Slatt, 24"x 17", mahogany brass copper and wire, 2010?

Fun Facts: An accomplished steam-punk sculptor, this artwork is fully functional as well.  His inventions range from the realistic telephones and lamps, to the fantasy with time traveling devices.    

Lee Bontecou

"Untitled", Lee Bontecou, welded steel canvas black fabric soot and wire, 58x 58 1/2 x 17 3/8 in, 1959

"Untitled", welded steel, porcelan, wire mesh, canvas, grommets, and wire, 7 x 8 x 6 ft., 1980-1998

Fun Facts: She challenged artistic conventions of both materials and presentation by creating sculpture that hung on the wall like a painting.  Her mobiles aren't half bad either.

Robert Lazzarini

"Chair", Robert Lazzarini, Maple, 54 x 26 x 12 in, 2000

Fun Facts: His approach to sculpture is to create a state of distortion in his works, where the material and generic shape of the object is recognizable yet the stretch and bend creates the fascinating illusion. 

Louise Comfort Tiffany

"Peacock Lamp", Louise Comfort Tiffany, Glass, 1910-1930?

Fun Fact: Aside from making hundreds of intricate art nouveau lamps, he is an excellent crafter in stained glass from windows, mosaics, jewelry, enamels, and vases, and metalwork. 

Heide Trepanier

"Nova", Heide Trepanier, Enamel on Canvas Board, 60 x 60 in., 2006

Fun Facts: her use of enamel explores how paint can slip and slide creating its own narrative

Sol Lewitt

"Splotch #22", Sol Lewitt, Acryllic on Fiberglass, 148 x 96 x 86 in., 2007

Fun Fact: When Creating his splotches he would lay them flat as drawings and map out the location of colors and then determine the height through the values and then render and change the angle creating the raised shape.

Tom Friedman

"Hot Balls", Tom Friedman, Balls and Marbles,1992

Fun Facts: He made this artwork by stealing balls for a series of six months.

Jon Beinart

"Toddlerpede", Jon Beinart, Plastic Dolls

Fun Facts: Jon Beinart has made entire armies of toddlerpede sculptures in a gallery in Australia as well as formed an international surreal art shared blog called "beinArt Surreal Art Collective".  It also hasn't helped that i watched "Human Centipede" yesterday.  I am still not hungry after watching that. 

Jeff Soto

"Wolf in Sheep's Clothing", Jeff Soto, Acryllic on Canvas, 30"x 24", 2008

Fun Facts: Jeff Soto, is a notable artist feature in Juxtapoz Magazine, for his exemplary work with man vs nature conflicts and themes.

Sarina Brewer

"Classic Griffin", Sarina Brewer, 18" x 22", Wildcat/Rooster/Turkey Taxidermy, 2006?

Fun Fact: Sarina Brewer does taxidermy for a living and has explored folklore by hybridizing creature together to make jackalopes, capricorns, unicorns, and whatever fantasy creature one could think of.   She is also a skilled jewelry maker. 

Tara Donovan

"Untitled", Tara Donovan, Styrofoam Cups Hot Glue, 6' (H) x 20' (W) x 19' 2" (D), 2003

Fun Facts: Tara Donovan's artwork involves utilizing a single material, and meditating on its properties when creating installations.  By doing so she can warp the texture of the environment throught these material, such as making a wavy cellular room out of cups or a cube out of stacked toothpicks.

Que Houxo

"Mural", Que Houxo, Wall Painting, 3600 x 2200 mm, 2009

Fun Facts: He creates a florescent chemical agent and applies it to surfaces he paints on and uses black light to enhance the glow.

Alphonse Mucha

"F. Champenois Imprimeur- Editeur", Alphonse Mucha, lithograph, 1897

Fun Facts: He would promote thorugh his work in magazine advertisement- he is recognized for his advertisements of absinthe.  He also has artwork featured in cathedrals.

Aaron Ristau

"American Optical", Aaron Risteau, glass frames tin and metal,  2009

Fun Facts: Aaron specializes in making and reinventing inventions with recycled material.  This Piece has original 1880 glasses frames incorporated into it.

Catherinette Rings

"Steampunk Spider", Catherinette Rings, Coiled Brass, 9 x 8 x 3 cm, 2008?

Fun Facts: This sculpture is a fully functional watch, and she has her own design of steampunk rings.

Art Donovan

"Siddhartha Pod Lantern", Art Donovan, 52"x 30", Mahogany Brass and Copper, 2008

Fun Fact: He is inspired by Steampunk genre as well as Jules Verne and H.G. Wells science fiction.