Hockey masks as art? You bet.

This blog has featured a number of examples in the past showcasing how two seemingly separate career fields – art and sports – can collide in beautiful  and sometimes unexpected ways.

Sitting at home the other night watching the Pittsburgh Penguins (I am a Pittsburgh-based artist after all) take it to the New York Islanders, I took notice of the goaltenders’ helmets. I had forgotten just how interesting they can be.

Probably just about every goalie in the NHL wears a mask with a customized design that fits them as an individual. Maybe it showcases his personality, is a play on a nickname or has some other significance or even none at all, these masks are painted to be 100% unique.

Below are a few of the really cool examples from images taken by Sports Illustrated. A few are dated but still pretty awesome.

Some really interesting masks:

Worn by Vesa Toskala of the Toronto Maple Leafs

Worn by Cam Ward of the Carolina Hurricanes

Worn by Peter Budaj of the Colorado Avalanche 

Worn by Marc Dennis of the Tampa Bay Lighting

Last but not least…

Worn by Marc-Andre Fleury of the Pittsburgh Penguins

The chain reaction caused by some popular music

Most of us have heard the stories…

Websites like Youtube have at least launched, if not completely built, the careers of some of today’s most popular pop music artists. Two such examples that come to mind right away are the band Karmin and teen sensation Justin Bieber. No matter you think of them and their music (I could live without JB), there is no doubt they are big-time today.

This being the case, perhaps it is no surprise that in our digital age, massive chain reactions can occur inspired by a single song or artist. Last year perhaps the most widespread example would have been LMFAO’s “I’m Sexy and I Know It.” This year, without any doubt whatsoever, Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” takes the drown.

The catchy tune has been covered if you will, in Youtibe videos uploaded by everyone from U.S. military servicemen to members of the American swim teams from the 2012 London Olympics to the cheerleaders for the Miami Dolphins and the players for the Pittsburgh Steelers. And at this point, it doesn’t seem like there are any signs of a slowdown.

The aforementioned chain reaction is fascinating.

Check out a few of the covers mentioned below:

Artistic photos form the 2012 London Olympics

As stated in an earlier post, I do indeed believe that the arts and athletics can and do go together in some situations. That being the case, here are some wonderfully artistic photographs capturing the athletic feats that have occurred thus far in the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Enjoy.

Gabby Douglas of the U.S., women’s all-round gymnastics champion.

Michael Phelps, perhaps the greatest Olympian of all-time, dominates in a 200m event.

Gold Medal winner and vault specialist Mckayla Maroney.

Oscar Pistorius, the first Olympian without legs, makes history in Track and Field.

Jessica Ennis of Great Britian fulfills overwhelming expectations to win the Heptathlon.  

The artistry of athletics

Perhaps it’s because of my Pittsburgh roots (it’s a huge sports town), or maybe it’s the “guys’ guy” side of my personality, or then again maybe it’s something completely different. Whatever the case may be, I am a definite sports fan.

So, being one who enjoys such things as well as my obvious love for the arts, I asked myself, “can sports be artistic?”  And the answer I came up with is YES.

Let’s take for example the upcoming Olympic Games in London, England. Surely the opening and closing ceremonies are always filled with artistry. However, one can easily (and rightfully) argue that these specific events are not sports, even if they are related to the concept.

But once the games get underway, we merely have to point to the competitions that rely on judging to prove that athletics can indeed be artsy.

Some such examples include:

Gymnastics (Especially rhythmic)

Diving

Synchronized swimming

All of these, and many more events, rely heavily on technique, style and originality, all very common elements in the arts.

In fact, even the games that are probably rarely associated with artistry such as basketball and boxing for example, always praise participants for technique and grace.

It’s interesting it you think about it, huh.