The Canary Wharf financial district stands in London, Britain on August 11, 2019. (Photo by Simon Dawson/Reuters)

An employee sorts waste at the Wecycler recycling centre in Ebutte Meta district in Lagos, Nigeria July 28, 2016. (Photo by Akintunde Akinleye/Reuters)

Women dressed as nuns pose for pictures during Halloween celebrations in the Shibuya district in Tokyo, Japan October 31, 2015. (Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters)

To produce the images that convey his fatalistic and ironic approach to life, tinged with hope, he needed the environment and knowledge of Mother Russia, oiled with a bit of bribery to certain circus trainers. Enter the Great Russian Bear, the personification of Russia for the last several centuries, onto center stage and into his studio. The bear is recognized as both brutish and cute – Misha was the mascot for the 1980 Olympic Games – and has remained a symbol of Russia since Tsarist times. In 2009 it is the symbol of the United Russia Party.

Miles Van Rensselaer using everything from glass and crystal to bronze and iron, from gold and silver to tooth and bone, from steel, copper and lead to wood, clay, feather and hair. He has been fortunate enough to work – and humbled by working – with and among talented artists from all over the world. His work is his homage to these people and their vanishing ways of life, his translation of their technique, imagery, idea of “primitive” art into modern Western materials.

Every week, crowds bypass Orlando’s enticing theme parks and megamalls, opting instead to follow a blood-soaked Jesus impersonator as he heads for crucifixion on an immaculate Florida lawn. This ironic choice of amusement is what prompted photographer Daniel Cronin to pay a hefty entrance fee and document the Holy Land Theme Park Experience, a 1,200-square-foot replica of biblical Jerusalem a few miles from Disney World and other well-known theme parks. (Photo by Daniel Cronin)

“Snailpimp” is a project by artist Stefan Siverud, who is having fun decorating living snails with the most varied designs, from the McDonald’s logo to the miniature lighthouse through Pac-Man, Ikea and Adidas. A funny and interesting project, achieved with non-toxic paints, which of course raises the question of the impact on these living animals. If some people ironize that these highly visible snails are less likely to be inadvertently stepped on by people, others point out that they are more easily spotted by predators… A project in line with the Inner City Snail artist Slinkachu.

Student, Shoukria positions a stone for cutting at the Turquoise Mountain Gem cutting class on May 18, 2011, in Kabul, Afghanistan. The mineral resources of Afghanistan are relatively unexplored even with Afghanistan's mineral wealth of coal, copper, gold and iron ore, with precious and semiprecious stones, including high-quality emerald, lapis lazuli, red garnet and ruby. Given the country's remote and rugged terrain, on-going instability plus an inadequate infrastructure and transportation means that mining is still difficult. While many are trying to bring positive changes, Afghanistan's mining industry uses unregulated, primitive methods and outdated equipment. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)