Arty art!

Hey, remember when this was blog about visual art? No? Fair enough. 2006 was a long time ago. But this is a post about art! But wait for it, there are my usual themes in there too...
Here's the cover of the new Katy Perry album:

Cute, right? Well, in fact that is the work of the painter Will Cotton. Will is probably best known for these erotic nudes in cotton candy clouds, although his lush vision has also been translated to installations that combine working pastry shops with sculpture and performance. He's also a very charming guy. Katy's visual aesthetic, what I might call pneumatic vintage, is both very burlesque-y and much more interesting than her charming but forgettable pop music--it's also a great fit for Cotton's painting style and it's fun to see a pop star work with an artist. And it all comes full circle for burlesque fans, who should all recognize the model in this piece of Will's from 2006, Candy Sky (Mona):

Yup, it's Ruby Valentine. Told you I'd get burlesque in there!