mariogallardo

Robonaut R2A waving goodbye as Robonaut R2B launches into space aboard STS-133. R2 is the first humanoid robot in space. Kennedy Space Center, Photographer: Joe Bibby

news.yahoo.com/alive-space-stations-humanoid-robot-awake-193542481.html [news.yahoo.com/alive-space-stations-humanoid-robot-awake-193542481.html]

Cesar Fernandez, Methuselah.

Sprawling African vistas, rare and beautiful flowers and exotic animals in their natural habitat are but a few hallmarks of Fernandez's photography. The Dominican Republic-born Birmingham resident discovered photography as a way to express his love of nature and passion for adventure. Fernandez's exhibit, Wild Nature, will be on display at the Walnut Gallery from Friday through Aug 26 and will feature an opening and closing reception. The photography display also serves as a fundraiser for the gallery.

If you are in the area stop by for the opening! walnutgallery.org/event.php [walnutgallery.org/event.php]

Created in Paris by Francois Abenalet, this ingenious sidewalk installation goes beyond the usual chalk drawings by incorporating actual grass and trees. It's a classic example of anamorphosis -- a distorted image that only takes its "proper" form when viewed from exactly the right angle.

Brian Robertson, "The Rainbow Patrol Rescues Another One From the Great Sickness" Oil, Acrylic, Collage on Panel

more at brianrobertsonart.com [brianrobertsonart.com]

Margarita Georgiadis,Baptism of the Shadows -The Skeptic, oil on canvas

Narratives are evident in both her landscapes and figure paintings: stories, fragments, elusive details, hints of dreams. Emotion and drama resonate and this in part is due to Georgiadis's love of theatre, film and fiction. She coordinates and orchestrates various technical elements to make an effective story, however dislocated or displaced it may be. Death -- its imminence, its permanence, the impossibility of avoiding it -- is an unavoidable presence in her work. After the death of her father, Georgiadis spoke of finding herself somewhere between life and death, in a non-space. And this is what we see in her paintings. She has discovered that non-place and has also stumbled upon a valuable way to articulate it. -AAR

more at margaritageorgiadis.webs.com/apps/photos/album [margaritageorgiadis.webs.com/apps/photos/album]

A statue of Hotei Buddha sits in the debris in the tsunami-destroyed town of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, northern Japan

Carolyn Kerr,"Untitled",foam, sequins, pins. 2010

A new exhibit of mixed-media sculpture entitled "Dimensions Variable" opens at Walnut Gallery in Downtown Gadsden on Saturday, April 9. The exhibition will feature a wide variety of three-dimensional work from the University of Alabama.

walnutgallery.org/event.php [walnutgallery.org/event.php]