Electric Shadow

Zevs
2000

I wanted to do this five years ago, but lacked the nerve. Luckily, French street artist Zevs did it five years prior and a hundred times better. By tracing the shadows of street objects (posts, benches, garbage cans, etc.), the artist created streetscapes based on the fleeting je nais sais quoi of light hitting at just the right moment. Doing this, oft-ignored street objects are commemorated and their temporary accompaniments are made subtle constants.

Other beauties:

Buildings Made of Sky

Peter Wegner
2009

I like these as tall as those buildings are.

L'Hospice

Gilles Barbier
2002

Nothing makes superheroes more real than the throes of aging.

Slammer

James Hopkins
2008

Hopkins corrects the imbalance that the medium creates.

Benten Kozō Kikunosuke

Utagawa Kunisada I (Toyokuni III)
1860

This is a theatrical scene from the artist's imagination. The male actor plays a thief who dresses as a woman; the reveal is made by his tattooed arm peeking out, as only men bore tattoos back then. Despite that, I like to think of this as a self-portrait. I mean, I sit on furniture and drink tea with my arm out like that all the time.

A) Everything's gonna be alright

Julien Berthier
2004

or

B) Work No. 790

Martin Creed
2007

A.

Skulls

Julie Moon
circa 2007

Skulls are too dark to keep on display in plain sight in your home, no matter what the attraction is. Canadian artist Julie Moon smooths over the grim discrepancy with her ceramic skulls pictured here. At first glance, the skull is made a lovely object. On second thought, Moon resets the skull. The object, which is usually and expectedly so infused with male bravado, softens. In place of intimidation and death, the innate quality of the skull is brought back to mind: its home within and the sensitivity of it.