Colossal

Art and visual culture since 2010.

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2024-06-25 19:30:13

Creating Hundreds of Colors, La Maison du Pastel Continues a 300-Year-Old Tradition
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With roots dating back to early 18th-century Paris, La Maison du Pastel has the distinction of being the world’s oldest manufacturer of pastels. Producing more than 1,800 unique colors from high-quality pigments still mixed and rolled by hand, the material has been used by artists for hundreds of years, including art history heavyweights like Edgar Degas and Claude Monet.
Business Insider recently shared a video as part of the publication’s Still Standing series, taking us behind the scenes of the artisanal company’s studio in rural France, where a small team works tirelessly to keep the 300-year-old tradition alive and thriving. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Creating Hundreds of Colors, La Maison du Pastel Continues a 300-Year-Old Tradition appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/06/la-maison-du-pastel/

2024-06-13 20:15:10

Aspen Golann’s Elegant Brooms and Brushes Take a Playful Approach to Woodworking
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For Aspen Golann, determining the function of an object is the perfect creative constraint for beginning a project. Working almost entirely by hand in her New Hampshire studio, she carves and sands wooden furniture, spoons, candlesticks, and other goods with a playful twist.
More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Aspen Golann’s Elegant Brooms and Brushes Take a Playful Approach to Woodworking appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/06/aspen-golann-wood-works/

2024-06-04 14:30:14

Striking New Prints from Tugboat Printshop Reflect on the Mysteries of Nature and Mythology
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For Valerie Lueth of Tugboat Printshop, the final piece is only one stage of the painstaking yet satisfying process of making woodblock prints. The works emerge from meticulous planning and carving of numerous blocks, which the Pittsburgh-based artist layers on top of one another to achieve a variety of colors, patterns, and striking contrasts.
Narcissus, whose beauty and youth were admired by everyone who looked upon him, even though he didn’t love anyone. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Striking New Prints from Tugboat Printshop Reflect on the Mysteries of Nature and Mythology appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/06/tugboat-printshop-reflecting-narcissus/

2024-06-03 14:15:10

Architectural Installations by John K. Raustein Harbor Bulging Sacks and Woven Textiles as Sites for Contemplation
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What’s the smell of terracotta? Of mauve? Artist John K. Raustein invites these questions about his architectural sculptures and installations covered in monochromatic textiles. Using a singular color emphasizes the diverse textures and physical qualities of his works and asks viewers to consider how such hues would unconventionally engage the senses. “I often draw on memories from my own childhood, seeking to evoke sensations, colors, sounds, smells, and places to visualize a bodily sense of existential uneasiness,” he shares. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Architectural Installations by John K. Raustein Harbor Bulging Sacks and Woven Textiles as Sites for Contemplation appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/06/john-k-raustein-installations/

2024-05-21 18:45:11

The Milky Way Photographer of the Year Contest Celebrates the Dazzling Band of Light in Our Skies
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Whether seen from the craggy mountain landscapes of New Zealand or the vast, arid expanses of the Atacama Desert, the Milky Way is a brilliant band of light that glitters in the night sky above every spot on Earth. A photo contest devoted to our galaxy celebrates the diverse, dazzling appearances of the star-studded system from around the globe.
Capture the Atlas showcases 25 spectacular images chosen from more than 5,000 entries. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article The Milky Way Photographer of the Year Contest Celebrates the Dazzling Band of Light in Our Skies appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/milky-way-photographer-of-the-year/

2024-05-20 18:45:11

Fare Meets Function in Eléonore Joulin’s Gourmet Ceramic Lamps and Vases
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Eléonore Joulin casts humble foods in a fresh light with her gastronomic collection of ceramic goods. From her studio in Brussels, the artist layers crinkled cabbage leaves into a vegetal dwelling and twists a long sausage into a sculptural, worm-like shape. She outfits many forms with a bulb and cord, turning a wedge of blue cheese or a big pickle into a functional design.
More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Fare Meets Function in Eléonore Joulin’s Gourmet Ceramic Lamps and Vases appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/eleonore-joulin-food-lamps/

2024-05-17 16:15:11

A Taipei City Design Studio Is Recreating Historic Mosaic Tiles Found Throughout Taiwan
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The Taipei City-based studio Pan Pan Hua is preserving local heritage by recreating the historic details unique to the region’s built environment. “Through years of research, we have found that the mosaic tile, once thriving in Taiwan, ceased production nearly half a century ago. Neither tile factories nor construction material suppliers offer similar products anymore, resulting in a gradual loss of Taiwan’s architectural identity,” a statement says.
Flickr—designers created digital patterns and began to reproduce the colorful motifs. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article A Taipei City Design Studio Is Recreating Historic Mosaic Tiles Found Throughout Taiwan appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/pan-pan-hua-tiles/

2024-05-17 01:00:16

Merging Past and Present, Tavares Strachan Wrests Light from Darkness in His Expansive Installations
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In 1887, an African-American man named Matthew Henson was hired by U.S. Navy engineer Robert Peary to accompany a team of explorers to be the first to navigate to the Geographic North Pole. On April 6, 1909, after several failed attempts, Henson was the first to arrive with the help of Inuit guides, but Peary—whose records were later interrogated and found to contain discrepancies—was credited with the achievement for a century.
Andrea Motley Crabtree, the U.S. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Merging Past and Present, Tavares Strachan Wrests Light from Darkness in His Expansive Installations appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/tavares-strachan-magnificent-darkness/

2024-05-16 21:15:11

Weathered Wood and Marble Visualize Time Passing in Stefaan De Croock’s Poetic Portraits
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Lush with material textures, Stefaan De Croock’s portraits have no identifying attributes. The Belgian artist (previously) puzzles together fragments of wood or marble into figures with distinctive postures and presences but no facial features. Anonymity can lend itself to universality, De Croock believes, and he strives to pinpoint the experiences and stories that touch many lives.
More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Weathered Wood and Marble Visualize Time Passing in Stefaan De Croock’s Poetic Portraits appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/stefaan-de-croock-portraits/

2024-05-16 18:00:17

Tang Shuo Casts Himself as Members of His Small Chinese Village in a New Series of Paintings
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In The Narrators, artist Tang Shuo inserts himself into the stories of his native Boulder Hill by painting himself as the protagonist. He envisions life as a sweaty worker hunched over a field of weeds or a child angling to capture a butterfly. Like previous bodies of work, the pensive series takes the divide between memory and fact as a starting point and how that tension arises within his small village on the edge of Guilin, China. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Tang Shuo Casts Himself as Members of His Small Chinese Village in a New Series of Paintings appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/tang-shuo-paintings/

2024-05-16 12:15:11

The Floating Bosch Parade Makes a Spectacle of Online Life on a River in The Netherlands
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The Bosch Parade, a theatrical and musical art spectacle on the Netherlands’ Dommel River, kicks off on Thursday, June 20. For four days, spectators on the riverbanks can experience a procession of 19 floating, paddling, and swimming works of art in the middle of the historic center of ’s-Hertogenbosch, the birthplace and home of Hieronymous Bosch (1450–1516). The tenth edition of the parade is dedicated to our contemporary demons.
More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article The Floating Bosch Parade Makes a Spectacle of Online Life on a River in The Netherlands appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/bosch-parade-2024/

2024-05-15 16:15:11

Landscapes Radiate Light and Drama in Erin Hanson’s Vibrant Oil Paintings
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In vivid pinks, blues, and greens, radiant landscapes emerge in Erin Hanson’s impressionistic oil paintings. The artist is based in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where the rolling hills and surrounding mountain ranges cradle miles of vineyards. She draws on the textures and shapes of grapevines, trees, paths, and rugged horizons to create glowing scenes.
en plein air—in the open air—landscapes and portraits. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Landscapes Radiate Light and Drama in Erin Hanson’s Vibrant Oil Paintings appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/erin-hanson-oil-paintings/

2024-05-14 22:00:17

Inspired by Impermanence, Juliette Minchin Burns Down Her Elegant Wax-Dipped Installations
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French artist Juliette Minchin appreciates wax for its ambivalence. Activated by heat, the modest material can be smooth or crinkled, firm or pliable, and molded into a distinct shape or pooled into a puddle of liquid. No matter its current form, though, wax can quickly morph from one state to another, and this impermanence is partially what inspired Minchin to incorporate the sticky compound into her practice about five years ago.
More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Inspired by Impermanence, Juliette Minchin Burns Down Her Elegant Wax-Dipped Installations appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/juliette-minchin-wax-installations/

2024-05-14 18:15:11

Immerse Yourself in ‘DIMENSIONS,’ a Site-Specific Interstellar Village by HYBYCOZO
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Collaborative artists Yelena Filipchuk and Serge Beaulieu, who work as HYBYCOZO, explore light, geometry, and pattern in a new large-scale, immersive installation at Sensorio. The culmination of three years of research and development, DIMENSIONS invites visitors to wander around an “interstellar village” of striking metallic structures. During the day, sunlight glints off the gem-like facets, and at night, colorful lights illuminate each piece from within, casting elaborate shadows. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Immerse Yourself in ‘DIMENSIONS,’ a Site-Specific Interstellar Village by HYBYCOZO appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/hybycozo-dimensions/

2024-05-14 02:15:11

Susanna Bauer’s Intricately Crocheted Leaves Celebrate the Elegance and Ephemerality of Nature
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Merging organic forms with timeless craft, Susanna Bauer emphasizes incredible details in her intimate leaf sculptures. Working with a range of foraged species, from ginkgo to magnolia to oak, the artist (previously) meticulously stitches around the edges or fills in tiny incisions, creating intricate lacework compositions.
Susanna Bauer: IN LEAF, published by 5 Continents Editions, celebrates her use of natural ephemera to create elegant pieces exploring the relationship between strength and fragility. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Susanna Bauer’s Intricately Crocheted Leaves Celebrate the Elegance and Ephemerality of Nature appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/susanna-bauer-in-leaf/

2024-05-13 15:45:09

Photos from 41 Countries Juxtapose Blocky Architecture and Verdant Gardens in ‘Brutalist Plants’
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In the mid-20th century, during reconstruction following World War II, an architectural style emerged in the U.K. and Europe that favored bare, industrial building materials, a monochrome palette, and angular geometry. Both iconic and divisive, the hulking, concrete facades can be seen in the likes of London’s Barbican Centre or the National Theatre. In the U.S., think of Boston City Hall or Met Breuer. These stalwart structures represented modernity, resilience, and strength, serving as civic hubs and governmental centers—the opposite of “soft around the edges.”
Brutalist Plants comes in, a repository of photographs featuring gardens and greenery around these iconic buildings, which she has collected on her Instagram since 2018. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Photos from 41 Countries Juxtapose Blocky Architecture and Verdant Gardens in ‘Brutalist Plants’ appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/brutalist-plants/

2024-05-09 15:00:16

Using the Building Blocks of Myers-Briggs, Jason Boyd Kinsella Puzzles Together an Expressive Cast
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“For me, the studio is a place of discovery,” says Jason Boyd Kinsella (previously). “It maybe sounds silly, but it’s a little bit like a Christmas morning when you get a gift, and you’re excited to open it because you don’t know what’s inside… Something is going to be revealed, and I am excited to see what it is.”
More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Using the Building Blocks of Myers-Briggs, Jason Boyd Kinsella Puzzles Together an Expressive Cast appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/portraits-jason-boyd-kinsella/

2024-05-08 19:45:11

Verdant Landscapes and Burgeoning Plants Crawl Across Walls in ONIRO’s Vibrant Anatomical Murals
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Greenery abounds in the large-scale murals of Italian artist ONIRO, who often focuses on themes of interconnectedness and balance, especially between humans and the natural world. In “Coltivazione del Sé,” or “self-cultivation,” a human form emerges from the leaves and shadows of a burgeoning plant, while an opening of sky between branches reveals a facial silhouette in an untitled mural on an olive oil processing workshop.
More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Verdant Landscapes and Burgeoning Plants Crawl Across Walls in ONIRO’s Vibrant Anatomical Murals appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/oniro-murals/

2024-05-08 14:45:11

In ‘Zoophites,’ Les Lalanne Hybridize Beasts and Botany into Functional Sculptures
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Now obsolete, the term zoophytes once referred to organisms that exhibited both animal and plant characteristics. It’s also an apt title for a poetic exhibition of sculptures blending beastly and botanical forms by the late Claude (1925-2019) and François-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008).
Kasmin in New York, Zoophites brings together dozens of surrealist works from the French artists, known together as Les Lalanne, that bridge the divide between kingdoms. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article In ‘Zoophites,’ Les Lalanne Hybridize Beasts and Botany into Functional Sculptures appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/les-lalanne-zoophites/

2024-05-07 22:45:10

Through the Work of More than 60 Artists, ‘The Golden Thread’ Traces the Rise of Textiles in Contemporary Art
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In the historic South Street Seaport area of Manhattan, a former 18th-century mercantile warehouse sets the scene for a monumental exhibition of contemporary textile art. The Golden Thread: A Fiber Art Show, presented by BravinLee, gathers more than 100 artworks by 61 artists into the cavernous space, including ten site-specific installations that riff on the building’s history, character, and original machinery.
More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Through the Work of More than 60 Artists, ‘The Golden Thread’ Traces the Rise of Textiles in Contemporary Art appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/the-golden-thread-fiber-art/

2024-05-06 19:45:10

Daniel Dewar and Grégory Gicquel Cultivate Connections Between Sculpture, Nature, and Craft
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The term “spoke” has traditionally referred to a piece of split log, like those used as supports in a wagon wheel. Traditional basket-making techniques draw on that same concept by weaving flexible material through a stronger framework. For French artistic duo Daniel Dewar and Grégory Gicquel, notions of interlaced strands, patterns, ecosystems, and vessels shape their solo exhibition, The Weaver and the Spoke, at Antenna Space in Shanghai. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Daniel Dewar and Grégory Gicquel Cultivate Connections Between Sculpture, Nature, and Craft appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/daniel-dewar-and-gregory-gicquel/

2024-05-02 21:00:17

In an Emoji History of Art, ND Stevenson Playfully Recreates Iconic Paintings
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More than 100 years after it was first exhibited, art historians still debate whether Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain,” submitted to the 1917 Armory Show in New York, was a wry joke or sly commentary on modern art—or both. That’s because the sculpture, a urinal the artist signed “R. Mutt,” was just a standard piece of plumbing. But Duchamp is also known to have coined the term “readymade,” in which he displayed objects like bicycle wheels or snow shovels as artworks unto themselves, posing the fundamental question that still thrills theorists: “But is it art?”
ND Stevenson’s take on “Fountain,” composed of a slew of what we might consider 21st-century digital readymades. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article In an Emoji History of Art, ND Stevenson Playfully Recreates Iconic Paintings appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/emoji-art-history/

2024-05-01 16:00:25

The James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Details of the Horsehead Nebula in Unprecedented Resolution
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Focused on the part of the sky where you can spot the constellation Orion (“The Hunter”) on clear nights, the James Webb Space Telescope’s latest dispatch blinks in astonishing images from an area known as the Orion B molecular cloud.
quadrillion miles from Earth—the cloud is the closest star-forming region to our solar system. And rising from the turbulent field of gas and dust is Barnard 33, commonly known as the Horsehead Nebula. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article The James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Details of the Horsehead Nebula in Unprecedented Resolution appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/webb-horsehead-nebula/

2024-04-29 21:00:14

Lauren Fensterstock’s Cosmic Mosaics Map Out the Unknown in Crystal and Gems
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When a massive star dies, it collapses with an enormous explosion that produces a supernova. In some cases, the remains become a black hole, the enigmatic phenomenon that traps everything it comes into contact with—even light itself.
Lauren Fensterstock, who applies the principles of such stellar transformations to human interaction and connection. From her studio in Portland, Maine, she creates dense mosaics of fragmented crystals and stones including quartz, obsidian, and tourmaline that glimmer when hit by light and form shadowy areas of intrigue when not. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Lauren Fensterstock’s Cosmic Mosaics Map Out the Unknown in Crystal and Gems appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/lauren-fensterstock-mosaic-sculptures/

2024-04-26 19:30:13

Two Decades After Its Release, ‘The Art Book for Children’ Gets a Vibrant Makeover
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First published in 1997, Phaidon’s The Art Book has long been a go-to source for introductions to some of the most influential artists. Spanning medieval to modern times, the volume contains more than 600 works and is available in 20 languages. About two decades ago, the iconic title received another type of translation geared specifically toward younger art lovers when editors released The Art Book for Children.
The Art Book and was recently updated and revised. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Two Decades After Its Release, ‘The Art Book for Children’ Gets a Vibrant Makeover appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/the-art-book-for-children/

2024-04-26 15:15:10

Stéphane Thidet Challenges Physics and Social Norms in His Site-Specific Installations
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Paris-based artist Stéphane Thidet invites viewers into wondrous worlds that skew perceptions and distort the laws of physics: a small wooden boat appears to arise from hard planks, flat stones nest inside a bookcase where paper tomes once stood, and water cascades from a Nantes theater making it impossible to enter without being drenched. Crafted with familiar materials and subject matter, Thidet’s site-specific installations and sculptures twist common scenes into unexpected territories.
his website. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Stéphane Thidet Challenges Physics and Social Norms in His Site-Specific Installations appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/stephane-thidet-installations/

2024-04-25 19:30:13

In His World-Building Series ‘New Prophets,’ Jorge Mañes Rubio Cloaks Basketballs in Beads
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Beginning with an iconic yet common spherical form, Jorge Mañes Rubio reimagines basketballs as powerful entities in his series New Prophets. Ornamented with stylized creatures, botanicals, and figures, each sculpture tells its own enigmatic story, drawing on the inextricable link between past and present. “These works, although familiar in visual language, seem to come from a dream-like dimension,” the artist tells Colossal, “as if offering a chance at re-enchanting the world we live in.”
New Prophets began with a fascination with an 8th-century Spanish illuminated manuscript called the Commentary on the Apocalypse that’s decorated in a Mozarabic style, which originated in Spain and represents a blend of Romanesque, Islamic, and Byzantine traditions. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article In His World-Building Series ‘New Prophets,’ Jorge Mañes Rubio Cloaks Basketballs in Beads appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/jorge-manes-rubio-new-prophets/

2024-04-25 17:45:10

Informed by Research Aboard Ships, Elsa Guillaume Translates the Wonder of Marine Adventures
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Whether capturing the sights of a dive in the remote Mexican village of Xcalak or the internal mechanisms of a sailing ship, Elsa Guillaume’s stylized sketchbooks record her adventures. Glimpses of masts, a kitchen quaking from shaky seas, and a hand gutting a fish create a rich tapestry of life on the move. “Daily drawings (are) a ritual while traveling,” she tells Colossal. “It is a way to practice the gaze, to be attentive to any type of surroundings. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Informed by Research Aboard Ships, Elsa Guillaume Translates the Wonder of Marine Adventures appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/elsa-guillaume-travel-sketchbooks/

2024-04-25 16:00:15

Ronald Jackson’s Masked Portraits of Imaginary Characters Stoke Curiosity About Their Stories
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Six years ago, Ronald Jackson had only four months to prepare for a solo exhibition. The short time frame led to a series of large-scale portraits that focused on an imagined central figure, often peering directly back at the viewer, in front of vibrant backgrounds. But he quickly grew uninspired by painting the straightforward head-and-shoulder compositions. “Portraits, which are usually based in concepts of identity, can present a challenge for artists desiring to suggest narratives,” he tells Colossal. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Ronald Jackson’s Masked Portraits of Imaginary Characters Stoke Curiosity About Their Stories appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/ronald-jackson-masked-portraits/

2024-04-24 17:00:17

Tune into Your Own Brain Waves with Steve Parker’s Suspended Constellations of Salvaged Brass
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Many therapists advise patients to reconnect with their inner voice, a part of treatment that, as anyone who’s tried it can attest, is easier said than done. But what if you could tune into to your internal ups and downs in the same way you listen to a song?
Sonic Meditation for Solo Performer series, Austin-based artist and musician Steve Parker fashions immersive installations of salvaged brass. Suspended in clusters with their bells pointing every direction, the instruments envelop a single viewer, who wears an EEG brain monitor and silently reads a series of meditations. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/steve-parker-sonic-meditation/

2024-04-23 19:00:17

In Ernesto Neto’s Largest Installation to Date, the World Is a Crocheted Ship Moving to a Single Rhythm
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An enormous, cascading installation of crocheted fabric strips stretches across a cavernous gallery in Ernesto Neto’s newest exhibition. At MAAT in Lisbon, the Brazilian artist (previously) presents Nosso Barco Tambor Terra, which translates to “our boat drum Earth,” a solo exhibition encompassing one of the largest suspended sculptures he has ever made.
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/ernesto-neto-maat/

2024-04-22 16:15:09

Ewa Juszkiewicz’s Reimagined Historical Portraits of Women Scrutinize the Nature of Concealment
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From elaborate hairstyles to hypertrophied mushrooms, an array of unexpected face coverings feature in Ewa Juszkiewicz’s portraits. Drawing on genteel likenesses of women primarily from the 18th and 19th centuries, the artist superimposes fabric, bouquets of fruit, foliage, and more, over the women’s faces.
Fundación Almine y Bernard Ruiz-Picasso and Almine Rech, Juszkiewicz presents a suite of works made between 2019 and 2024 that encapsulate her precise reconception of a popular Western genre. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/ewa-juszkiewicz-venice/

2024-04-19 19:00:16

Tali Weinberg Entwines Human and Ecological Health with Climate Data Sculptures
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Anyone who’s tried to untangle a ball of yarn understands that fibers have a habit of knotting in ways that can seem impossible to unwind. These twisting, interlaced qualities ground much of Tali Weinberg’s fiber-based work as she pulls at the individual threads of our changing climate, using abstract weavings and textile sculptures to explore the inextricable nature of the crisis and the necessity for human intervention.
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/tali-weinberg-climate-sculpture/

2024-04-19 01:15:11

13 Bronze Figures Reinterpreted from Velázquez’s ‘Las Meninas’ Line Up in a Central Venice Plaza
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Thirteen bronze women in wide pannier skirts stand single file in St. Mark’s Square in central Venice. The large-scale installation is the work of Spanish artist Manolo Valdés and on view for the 60th Venice Biennale that opened earlier this month.
Las Meninas a San Marco as he reinterprets the subjects of Diego Velázquez’s 1656 painting “Las Meninas,” or “The Ladies-in-waiting.” Led by the monumental “Infanta Margarita” who stands at the center of the original painting, the trailing figures are “Reina Mariana,” a nod to the infanta’s mother framed in a portrait in the background of Velzázquez’s work. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article 13 Bronze Figures Reinterpreted from Velázquez’s ‘Las Meninas’ Line Up in a Central Venice Plaza appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/las-meninas-a-san-marco-venice/

2024-04-18 16:15:09

Hadi Rahnaward’s Fraying Rug of Charred and Pristine Matchsticks Crumbles Under Violence
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Stamped with a footprint and burned patches, Hadi Rahnaward’s matchstick rug at Palais de Tokyo frays at the edges. Titled “Fragile Balance,” the meticulously laid installation is part of the exhibition Dislocations curated in partnership Portes ouvertes sur l’art, a nonprofit supporting artists in exile.
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/hadi-rahnaward-fragile-balance/

2024-04-16 14:30:11

In Sicily, Mount Etna Blows an Unprecedented Frequency of Rare Volcanic Smoke Rings
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Known to locals as the “Lady of the Rings,” Sicily’s Mount Etna is both the highest island mountain in the Mediterranean and the most active stratovolcano in the world. The magnificent landform has even more impressive qualities considering it emits elegant smoke rings, known as volcanic vortex rings, high into the sky. A video from The Straits Times documents the fascinating formations as they drift through the atmosphere.
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/mount-etna-vortex-rings/

2024-04-15 14:30:11

Thandiwe Muriu’s New Book Celebrates the Multi-Faceted Beauty of Kenyan Culture
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In 2015, Thandiwe Muriu (previously) began CAMO, a series that takes a kaleidoscopic view of the lives of contemporary African women. Nearly a decade later, hundreds of self-portraits and photos are gathered in a new book from Chronicle Chroma that celebrates the project’s striking visual impact and the nuanced, multi-faceted stories hidden in each image.
Vogue. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/thandiwe-muriu-camo-book/

2024-04-12 16:30:11

Kaleidoscopic Paintings by Edie Fake Invoke the Spiritual Wisdom of Plants
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In Persuasions, artist Edie Fake turns their attention to the wise, enduring insights of plants. The new series of acrylic and gouache paintings expands Fake’s bold visual language to incorporate flowers, which they render amidst the kaleidoscopic geometries they’re known for. Evocative of architecture and mechanics, the colorful graphic works veer into the spiritual, melding the myriad systems that order our lives.
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/kaleidoscopic-paintings-edie-fake/

2024-04-11 19:15:08

In Billowing Sculptures, Joris Kuipers Suspends Cloud-Like ‘Gardens’ from the Ceiling
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Although trained in traditional painting techniques, Dutch artist Joris Kuipers isn’t satisfied with the constraints of a rectangular frame or pieces that sit stationary on the wall. His undulating, cloud-like installations appear to float and flutter as if a clump of giant, colorful autumn leaves have been tossed upwards and frozen in mid-air.
Jardin Suspendus and In Bloom, Kuipers invokes the atmosphere of gardens. Floral-like shapes overlap, swell, and skitter in site-specific installations, whether hanging from the ceiling or flaring up from pedestals. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/joris-kuipers-jardin-suspendus/

2024-04-11 15:30:14

In ‘Epinal,’ Kristof Santy’s Vibrant Tableaux Nod to a 19th-Century French Print Traditions
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In 19th-century France, a style of bright, illustrative prints known as Images d’Épinal emerged as a way to portray subjects in sharp colors. The name was derived from the works’ first publisher, who hailed from the municipality of Épinal. And while the designs proved popular in children’s items like card games and books, their use as propaganda glorifying Napoleon I solidified the prints’ rise to fame. Today, “image d’Épinal” has become a proverbial expression in French to refer to a naïve depiction of something, showing only its good characteristics. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/kristof-santy-epinal/

2024-04-08 18:30:11

Stunning Portraits and Landscapes Emerge from ‘Scarred’ Canvases in Awodiya Toluwani’s Paintings
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Whether portraying a quiet domestic scene or a sweeping landscape, Awodiya Toluwani’s striking paintings are connected through a unique surface. As much a subject of the work as his portraits, each canvas is covered in relief marks that imitate scars, or tribal marks, historically common to several indigenous cultures in Africa. When European colonial governments began to condemn and criminalize the practice, it declined or disappeared altogether. But for some, continuing the tradition meant performing an act of resistance. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/awodiya-toluwani-textured-paintings/

2024-04-05 17:15:11

Here’s What We’re Excited to See at EXPO CHICAGO 2024
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Next week marks the biggest and busiest art week of the year in Colossal’s back yard, EXPO CHICAGO returns to the Navy Pier from April 11 to 14 with hundreds of galleries, site-specific projects, talks, and satellite programming across the city. Numerous galleries, museums, artists, and curators are also partnering for EXPO ART WEEK, which launches April 8.
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/expo-chicago-2024/

2024-04-04 19:30:13

Guadalupe Maravilla Appeals to the Children of War in a New Series of Retablos
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Dating back to the late 18th century, retablos are small devotional paintings created to thank God or a saint for their protection during a particularly trying or dangerous event. In his show, Si no sanas hoy, sanarás mañana, Guadalupe Maravilla (previously) conjures this tradition as he nests narrative works inside spiny mixed-media sculptures that address the indelible impact of childhood trauma.
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/04/guadalupe-maravilla-retablos/

2024-03-05 17:45:08

Communal Art-Making Is at the Core of Sanaa Gateja’s Monumental Paper Bead Tapestries
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For Sanaa Gateja, the pan-African philosophy of ubuntu—translating to “I am because we are,” the idea that society is what gives people humanity—is one of the most profound manifestations of art. Living and working in Kampala, Uganda, Gateja heads the Kwetu Africa Art and Development Centre, an organization he founded in the early 1990s. The center trains and employs about 15 people, who create small beads from post-consumer paper that the artist then stitches into large-scale tapestries. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/03/sanaa-gateja-paper-tapestries/

2024-03-04 18:30:11

Working from Memory, Peter Uka Paints Vibrant Portraits of 1970s Nigeria
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“I see painting as a process, the finished work merely resembling the initial sketch and ideas stretching over multiple canvases. I like my figures to influence each other in some form of dialogue,” says Peter Uka.
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/03/peter-uka-portraits/

2024-03-04 12:15:08

In a New Milky Chance Music Video, GMUNK Pushes the Envelope of CG Artistry and Digital Creative Tools
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Over the past year, AI-powered creative tools have radically transformed art. Designed for content creators, visual effects artists, designers, and animators, these resources have the potential to generate stunning visuals, and many professional artists embrace AI for everything from automating mundane tasks to concept inspiration and quickly iterating visual references. These tools take repetitive tasks off of artists’ plates, enabling them to focus on elevating their creative outputs and achieving projects on a grander scale.
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/03/gmunk-hp/

2024-03-03 12:15:08

‘Eight Seconds’ Is Photographer Ivan McClellan’s Love Letter to Black Rodeo Culture
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In 1982, Charles Sampson became the first Black man to win the world championship bull-riding competition. Becoming a cowboy was his childhood dream, and despite breaking nearly every bone in his body during his relatively long career, Sampson continued to climb atop the ornery animals and bolt into the arena. Even after an incredibly tough ride, he was known to vault himself off of the bull and land on his feet. He feels, to be cliché, that he was born to ride. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/03/ivan-mcclellan-eight-seconds/

2024-02-26 16:15:09

Anastassia Zamaraeva’s Surreal Ceramics Revel in the Relationships Between Making and Meaning
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For London-based artist and art therapist Anastassia Zamaraeva, ideating and working with her hands is as important as the finished pieces. “I have learned that trusting my process and intuition is the best way to make work that feels honest and reflective of who I am,” she tells Colossal. “I trust the images and ideas that pop into my mind and go along with them, even if I don’t initially understand them. The making process helps me to unravel the meaning behind the work.”
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/02/anastassia-zamaraeva-ceramics/

2024-02-23 19:45:08

Yoonmi Nam Venerates the Insignificant with Her Ceramic Sculptures of Disposable Containers
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Most of us quickly dispose of late-night takeout evidence or the abruptly empty box from the cookies we polished off in a single sitting, but Yoonmi Nam preserves the remnants of her consumption in unforgiving ceramic.
previously) has spent the last few years collecting single-use containers like aluminum pans, egg cartons, and styrofoam cups that she slip casts, creating archeological sculptures of their interiors. “I am a collector of trash,” Nam says about her works, which put our relationship to consumerism and disposability front and center. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/02/yoonmi-nam-disposable-ceramics/

2024-02-22 20:15:08

Marvel at Hundreds of Mathematician Max Brückner’s Remarkably Precise Models of Polyhedra
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If you’re a mathematician who specializes in geometry, you might be called a geometer. No other term could so neatly describe the meticulous focus of German scholar Max Brückner (1860-1934), who was lauded during his lifetime for his remarkable collection of polyhedra models.
Vielecke und Vielflache, Theorie und Geschichte, or “Polygons and Polyhedra, Theory and History,” which dives into great detail about the mathematically exact, three-dimensional shapes. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/02/max-bruckner-polyhedra/

2024-02-22 18:15:08

A Forthcoming Documentary Examines How Civic Life in America Is a Matter of ‘Join or Die’
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“This is Bob. Bob is a big fan of clubs,” the narrator opens in the trailer for the forthcoming documentary Join or Die. “And this is a film about why you should join one and how Bob discovered that the fate of America depends on it.”
Robert D. Putnam, is an acclaimed political scientist who has deeply influenced our understanding of how society and government work. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/02/join-or-die-documentary/

2024-02-21 17:30:11

Osborne Macharia Spans Geologic Phenomenon and Beauty in ‘Daughters of the Rift’
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Kenyan photographer Osborne Macharia traverses the realms of Afrofuturism and Eastern African geography through his newest series, Daughters of the Rift.
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/02/osborne-macharia-photos/

2024-02-08 20:15:08

Grace Gillespie’s Vibrant Linocut Prints of Flowers and Foliage Tap Into Her Artistic Roots
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Grace Gillespie grew up in an artistic household, but she resisted pursuing visual art at first, especially printmaking, because it was something both of her parents excelled at. “I guess I wanted my own ‘thing,’” she tells Colossal, which for most of her twenties was music. Then, during the pandemic, she found herself furloughed, disillusioned with the music industry, and back at her parents’ home in Devon, England.
Sarah Gillespie. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/02/grace-gillespie-prints/

2024-02-01 18:30:11

February 2024 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists
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Every month, Colossal shares a selection of opportunities for artists and designers, including open calls, grants, fellowships, and residencies. If you’d like to list an opportunity here, please get in touch at [email protected]. You can also join our monthly Opportunities Newsletter.
Black Women Photographers Grant FundFeatured
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/02/february-2024-opportunities/

2024-01-29 21:30:14

Framed by Frozen Lakes, Richard Johnson’s ‘Ice Huts’ Capture Wintertime Communities in Canada
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Starting in late December and January when the temperatures stay consistently below freezing, bodies of water in the northern United States and Canada begin to freeze. As the ice reaches thicknesses over four inches, it becomes safe to walk on, and at more than five inches, it is usually safe for snowmobiles. Then, in droves, residents take to the lakes. Ontario’s 279-square-mile Lake Simcoe, for example, draws more people for its ice fishing than any other lake in North America, attracting upwards of 4,000 huts each year. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Framed by Frozen Lakes, Richard Johnson’s ‘Ice Huts’ Capture Wintertime Communities in Canada appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/01/richard-johnson-ice-huts/

2024-01-26 18:00:15

Two Oversized Nests Perch Atop a Restaurant Made of Invasive Shrubs in the North Goa Jungle
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Roosted in the lush tropics of North Goa, India, a new restaurant offers patrons a view across the Vagator cliffs and into the sea from an elevated perch. Titled “Como Agua,” the open-air design is from the architects of Otherworlds, who built two large nests atop the bar that offer a bird’s-eye view of the surrounding landscape.
Lantana camera, an invasive flowering shrub that has wreaked havoc on local flora and fauna. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/01/otherworlds-como-agua/

2024-01-26 15:45:12

Primary Colors and Dappled Textures Give Muhammad Fatchurofi’s Illustrations a Trippy, Nostalgic Feel
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Semarang, Indonesia-based artist Muhammad Fatchurofi translates the dappled, grainy textures of the printing press into his vivid illustrations. Whether sketching on paper or digitally, Fatchurofi gravitates toward surreal, mind-bending scenes tinged with nostalgia that he renders in bright, bold shades of primary colors. In one work, a cairn sandwiches a seated green figure between the stones, while another features a red koi fish leaping from a rippling blue page. “For me, these basic colors give a sense of boldness, vibrant, full of energy,” he says. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Primary Colors and Dappled Textures Give Muhammad Fatchurofi’s Illustrations a Trippy, Nostalgic Feel appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/01/muhammad-fatchurofi-illustrations/

2024-01-25 17:15:12

Through Vibrant Ruptures, Firelei Báez Untangles Colonialism’s Narrative Knot
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Abstraction, for Firelei Báez, is like a map legend, a system designed to help the viewer navigate the worlds she envisions. Her works, heavy with drips, splatters, and lively explosions of color, emerge from what she refers to as “the mirage,” the place where the colonial narratives that tangle fact and fiction begin to unravel.
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Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Through Vibrant Ruptures, Firelei Báez Untangles Colonialism’s Narrative Knot appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/01/firelei-baez-abstraction/

2024-01-19 18:45:11

A Silk Dress from 1888 Contained a Hidden Pocket with Coded Messages. After a Decade, Someone Finally Solved the Mystery
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If the phrases “Bismark Omit leafage buck bank” or “Paul Ramify loamy event false new event” mean anything to you, your help has been needed since 2014. For the rest of us, the truth behind these nonsensical lines was only recently solved after a plea from curator and archaeologist Sara Rivers Cofield.
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Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article A Silk Dress from 1888 Contained a Hidden Pocket with Coded Messages. After a Decade, Someone Finally Solved the Mystery appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/01/secret-message-dress/

2024-01-17 18:15:12

After Dark, Dave Jordano Photographs the Idiosyncratic Personalities of American Towns
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“Night photography is one of the most challenging aspects of photography, which is one of the reasons why I enjoy it so much,” says Dave Jordano, whose atmospheric images cast landscapes in a unique light. The Chicago-based photographer gets to work after the sun goes down, traversing the streets of cities and towns, most often across the U.S., where he seeks illuminated corners, architectural curiosities, and urban idiosyncrasies.
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/01/dave-jordano-night-scenes/

2024-01-17 14:30:13

Through Delicate Glass Sprouts, Nataliya Vladychko Emphasizes the Wild Resiliency of Seeds
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“After the fire brigades rescued the London Natural History Museum from German incendiaries, Albizia silk-tree seeds bloomed on their herbarium sheets, liberated from two hundred years of dormancy by the precise combination of flame and water,” writes Daniel Mason in an essay about thriving urban flora. The post-Blitz surprise, which became a beacon of hope amid WWII’s destruction, confirmed that nature is fiercely resilient and loyal to starting anew.
Nataliya Vladychko returns to as she sculpts spindly specimens in glass, capturing both their delicacy and strength in a single form. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/01/nataliya-vladychko-glass-seeds/

2024-01-12 00:30:14

5,000 Years of Feminine Power and Prestige Are On Display in ‘Revered and Feared’
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From goddesses and deities to demons and witches, women’s spirituality has always been fraught and the instigator of both awe-inspiring respect and immense anxieties. An exhibition on view now at Caixa Forum in Madrid brings 5,000 years of these complicated feelings together through 166 historical and contemporary artworks.
La Caixa Foundation and the British Museum, Revered and Feared: Feminine Power in Art and Belief considers how spirituality has informed notions of gender since time immemorial. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/01/revered-and-feared/

2023-12-28 18:45:08

In the Game ‘Nego,’ Fit as Many Cats as You Can into a Tight Space
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From cardboard boxes to climbing up inside Christmas trees to lounging around entire islands, cats the world over have a penchant for taking up space. Japanese sculptor and author Yuka Morii has created a table game inspired by felines’ need to stretch, loaf, and nap in any available spot. Titled “Nego,” a play on the Japanese word for cat, neko, and the popular game of “Go,” the object is simply to fit the most cats on the board by taking turns placing them onto a small grid. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2023/12/nego-game/

2023-12-11 17:45:09

Take an Immersive Journey Through an Ancient Rainforest’s Mycelial Network in ‘Fungi: Web of Life’
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Merlin Sheldrake (previously) in the trailer for the visually stunning, immersive new film Fungi: Web of Life.
K2 Studios, the movie follows Sheldrake—who has devoted his career to the remarkable and mysterious world of mycelium and mushrooms—as he embarks on a journey through the ancient Tarkine rainforest of Tasmania. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Take an Immersive Journey Through an Ancient Rainforest’s Mycelial Network in ‘Fungi: Web of Life’ appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2023/12/fungi-web-of-life/

2023-11-17 21:15:08

Botanical Patterns Spill from Shinji Ohmaki’s Existential Vessel
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In “Gravity and Grace,” Japanese artist Shinji Ohmaki poses a broad, if not daunting, question: what does it mean to exist? The installation, which features an imposing vessel carved with flora and fauna, radiates from the center and casts shadows in varied sizes and opacities around the gallery. Bulbous near the base with a slimmer neck that reaches toward the ceiling, the work’s shape evokes the tower of a nuclear power plant and spills light in every direction. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2023/11/shinji-ohmaki-gravity-grace/

2023-11-16 17:45:08

Søren Solkær’s Enigmatic Photographs Capture Flocks of Starlings in Evening Skies
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Since 2017, Danish photographer Søren Solkær has traveled Europe in search of the mesmerizing phenomenon of starling murmurations. Occurring before dusk during spring and autumn, cool weather and an instinct for safety gathers thousands of the black songbirds into enormous, undulating clouds. Solkær captures these enigmatic evening shows in his ongoing series Black Sun (previously), and a survey of these works opens at the National Nordic Museum in Seattle, Washington, next month. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2023/11/soren-solkaer-sort-sol/

2023-11-14 17:45:08

Comically Candid Snapshots Culminate in the 2023 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards
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A young greenfinch gets scolded, human legs propel a batfish forward, and a kangaroo shreds on an air guitar in this year’s Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. Created in 2015, the annual contest (previously) is an effort to empathize with the wildlife around us while calling to attention the threats they face. With thousands of entries from around the world every year, the deluge of delightful images serves as a reminder that animals and humans have plenty in common, from idiosyncratic personas and comical clumsiness to the Earth we share. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2023/11/comedy-wildlife-photography-awards-2023/

2023-11-13 15:30:09

Contemplative Women Emerge Through Subtle Grids in Stelios Pupet’s Paintings
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Whether working on a wall or canvas, artist Stelios Pupet begins with a grid. What starts as uniform blocks slowly morph into varied, angular shapes as he works, adding depth and structure to his largely figurative compositions. Viewed through the subtle distortion of the grid, his subjects are often crouching amid cacti and potted plants or curled into themselves in moments of contemplation. He describes his process:
I am focusing on creating a nice image, different or contemporary and easy on the eye.
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Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Contemplative Women Emerge Through Subtle Grids in Stelios Pupet’s Paintings appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2023/11/stelios-pupet-paintings-murals/