Colossal Is Taking a Summer Break!

Photo by Tom Hegen

Hi, friends! It’s been more than a few years since our last real vacation, so Colossal is taking a brief summer break from July 26 through August 9. Publication won’t cease entirely, but we’ll only be sharing a few things a week, and some newsletters will be sporadic or resume on our return. We hope you stay cool during this very hot summer, and we’ll be back in a few weeks at our regular pace.

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Matthew Mazzotta’s Monumental Pink Flamingo Wades Through Myriad Meanings of Home at Tampa International Airport

All images © Matthew Mazzotta, shared with permission

Known for stalking front lawns in plastic form as much as they wade through the shallows of Everglades National Park, Biscayne Bay, or the Keys, pink flamingos are practically synonymous with Florida. Around the turn of the 20th century, however, native populations were decimated due to overhunting. Although residents later began to foster captive colonies, of the estimated 260,000 to 330,000 mature birds worldwide, Florida is thought to accommodate only about one percent of them. For artist Matthew Mazzotta, the iconic avian and the importance of sharing space with wildlife inspired a monumental, immersive installation at Tampa International Airport.

“Home,” a floor-to-ceiling sculpture of a lifelike flamingo, taps into the multiple meanings of its title. Travelers passing through the terminal may be “leaving their homes, returning back home, going to a new home, or simply to a place that feels like home,” reads a statement. In addition to being a place that people dwell, Florida thrums with abundant wildlife, and Mazzotta brings viewers up close and personal with one of the state’s most treasured animals. A glistening film on the ceiling imitates the surface of water, from which the bird’s head and spindly legs emerge as it scans the floor for food, and hidden projectors send glimmering light over the surface, mimicking dappled sunlight filtering through the water.

Mazzotta’s piece was recently selected as one of CODAawards top 100 public artworks to be installed internationally last year, and through July 31, you can cast your vote for your favorite. You might also be interested in the artist’s popular TED Talk about community spaces designed to delight and inspire possibility. Explore much more work on his website.

 

 

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 Matthew Mazzotta’s Monumental Pink Flamingo Wades Through Myriad Meanings of Home at Tampa International Airport appeared first on Colossal.

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Dense Embroideries Map Celestial Expanses and Abstract Landscapes by Lindzeanne

All images © Lindzeanne, shared with permission

“I’m motivated to make my work as a way of mapping myself and mapping my space,” says Lindsey Gradolph, who works as Lindzeanne. An ex-pat for nearly 20 years who is currently based in Tokyo, the artist finds solace in her freehand embroidery practice that produces dense, expressive planes of texture and color. “Sometimes there can be an uncanny feeling of being completely untethered, so I’m creating my own, familiar-to-me topography,” she tells Colossal. “I like to think of each of my pieces as its own little universe, whether that be internal or external. Someplace unfamiliar but perhaps closer than we think.”

Lindzeanne began stitching in order to upcycle clothing, a practical hobby that quickly became more of a drawing practice. Embroidery floss isn’t common in Japan, so the artist instead picked up basic hand-sewing and traditional sashiko threads that she stitches into second fabrics—she references mottainai, the Japanese term that translates to “waste nothing.” “Both those types of thread aren’t particularly useful for creating figurative illustrations or images, so that led me to experiment with different ways of filling a space or creating a design,” she says.

 

The resulting works are rife with patterns. Circular forms buttress dots in varying sizes, and stripes bisect planes of simple back stitches. Many of the motifs evoke the celestial and organic, whether galactic forms, the flow of bodies of water, or small bubbles drifting upward, the latter of which she tends to render in white. “To me, colors have a personality to them, and shapes have a weight and character to them, so when I’m thinking of a piece in my mind, or sitting down to cut fabric, I’m always imagining the push and pull, or the gravity that certain shapes and colors have with one another,” she says.

As for how long each piece requires, “it takes the time it takes,” she replies, noting that she’s uninterested in quantifying the hours of stitching. “I don’t think about the time when I’m working,” she says. “I like the tactile nature of textiles, and the repetitive nature speaks to me.”

The artist has a few works available on her site, and you can keep up with her practice, which includes a new tarot-inspired series, on Instagram.

 

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 Dense Embroideries Map Celestial Expanses and Abstract Landscapes by Lindzeanne appeared first on Colossal.

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Tire Treads Twist into Braids and Knots in Kim Dacres’ Celebratory Busts of Black Women

“Hope” (2022), recycled motorcycle and bicycle tires, wood, screws, braided bicycle inner tubes, zip ties, and spray paint, 27 x 15 x 14 inches. Photo by Max Yawney. All images © Kim Dacres, shared with permission

Artist Kim Dacres prefers materials with history, those with scars from the world and where, as the saying goes, the rubber meets the road. She molds used tires from motorcycles, bikes, and cars into figurative sculptures that are celebratory and corrective, honoring the Black women who have influenced her and addressing the challenges many have faced. “Used relentlessly until they’re deemed broken or superfluous, discarded without thought or care— where others see waste, Dacres sees possibility,” says a statement about her transformation of the material. “And with that vision comes a profound resiliency, solace, and ultimately joy.”

Portraying subjects both real and imagined, many of Dacres’ most recent works consider questions of self-expression and presentation. Coated in sleek, black spray paint and weighing, at times, upwards of 90 pounds, the sculptures feature natural hairstyles like braids, dreads, and Bantu knots that, in white spaces, have historically been questioned for their respectability and professionalism.

 

“Sheryl” (2022), recycled auto tires, motorcycle tires, bicycle tires, bicycle tire tubes, zip ties, bike parts, screws, wood, and spray paint, 26.5 x 11 x 14 inches. Photos by Max Yawney

Dacres first used tires in 2008 for her undergraduate senior thesis show at Williams College. She spent the next decade in education, working as a teacher, middle school principal, and professor, and in 2017, she returned to the material and her practice.

Her most recent exhibition Measure Me in Rotations, held earlier this summer at Charles Moffett Gallery in New York, brought together a series of works that reference the students she met in the classroom and those in her communities in Harlem and the Bronx, where she lives and works, respectively. Emphasizing the power of hair to assert one’s identity, Dacres uses the unique tread, texture, pattern, and malleability of the tires to form individual characteristics. Smooth, inner tubing peeks through the knots in “Bintou,” while strips of sliced rubber cascade down the figure’s head in “Britt.”

An earlier work, titled “Hope,” is a prime example of Dacres’ desire to draw metaphoric parallels between the material and the subject. Referencing the histories of the Great Migration and Caribbean and African immigration that brought many Black people north, the figure appears to both scream and mouth the word “hope.” She explains:

Hope, in part, inspires the voluntary migration away from family, friends, and familiarity and towards the newness of place and the messiness of acculturation. The feeling instigates the momentum. We move for hope. We plan with hope in mind. Hope is the feeling of the future. The material embodies the idea of travel and ultimately, the friction needed to propel forward and away from home.

Dacres has a two-person exhibition with artist April Bey (previously) slated for June 2024 at UTA Artist Space in Atlanta. She was also recently featured in the books Black American Portraits and Black Power Kitchen. Find more of her work on her site and Instagram.

 

“Hope” (2022), recycled motorcycle and bicycle tires, wood, screws, braided bicycle inner tubes, zip ties, and spray paint, 27 x 15 x 14 inches. Photo by Max Yawney

Detail of “Sheryl” (2022), recycled auto tires, motorcycle tires, bicycle tires, bicycle tire tubes, zip ties, bike parts, screws, wood, and spray paint, 26.5 x 11 x 14 inches. Photo by Max Yawney

“Britt” (2023), recycled auto, motorcycle, electric skateboard, and bicycle tires, pressure-treated wood, construction screws, and black satin spray paint mounted on a red oak plinth, 69 × 13 × 13 inches. Photo by Max Yawney

“Natty Dread II” (2022), recycled auto and bicycle tires, wood, screws, bicycle parts, and spray paint, 37 x 9 x 17 inches. Photos by Max Yawney

“Bintou” (2023), recycled auto, motorcycle, electric skateboard, and bicycle tires, pressure-treated wood, construction screws, MDF, and black satin spray paint mounted on ambrosia maple plinth, 55 × 14 × 14 inches. Photo by Max Yawney

“Enid” (2022), recycled auto and bicycle tires, wood, screws, and spray paint, 27 x 13 x 12.5 inches. Photos by Max Yawney

Left: “Anita” (2023), recycled auto, motorcycle, electric skateboard, and bicycle tires, pressure-treated wood, construction screws, and black satin spray paint, mounted on pressure-treated wood base, 52 x 16.5 x 24.5 inches. Right: “Phyllis” (2023), recycled auto, motorcycle, electric skateboard, and bicycle tires, pressure-treated wood, construction screws, and black satin spray paint, mounted on pressure-treated wood base, 54.5 x 16.5 x 24.5 inches. Photo by Tom Barratt and Charles Moffett Gallery

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 Tire Treads Twist into Braids and Knots in Kim Dacres’ Celebratory Busts of Black Women appeared first on Colossal.

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A New Book Revisits the Grime and Pandemonium of the NYC Subway of the ’70s and ’80s

72nd Street Station West Side, New York, 1977. All images © Willy Spiller, courtesy of Bildhalle, shared with permission

“It didn’t take Willy Spiller long to understand that there is nothing more New York than its subways, each car a sweaty, rattling microcosm of the city itself—a loud, crowded, colorful melting pot where everyone is thrust into everyone else’s business,” writes Bill Shapiro in the introduction to Hell on Wheels. Published by Bildhalle to coincide with an exhibition by the same name, the book surveys a collection of Spillers’ photographs from 1977 to 1984, forming a now legendary series of images that capture life on the move in one of the world’s largest cities.

On view now at the Amsterdam gallery, Hell on Wheels peers into the graffiti-laden train cars of the late ’70s. Commuters pack into the tiny cabin during rush hour, teenage girls still in their crisp, white school uniforms sprawl across empty seats, and a man with cuffed orange trousers cradles a radio as he waits in the 72nd Street Station. Spiller, who came to New York from Zurich in 1977 and shot more than 2,000 photos of the subway during an infamous time in its history, offers a clear-eyed glimpse of a transitory space, where, for a brief ride from one part of the city to another, people across classes and cultures commingle in a mix of energy, friction, and camaraderie.

Order your copy of Hell on Wheels on the Bidhalle website, where you can also find more of the series.

 

Rush Hour on Lexington IRT, Subway, New York, 1981

Schoolgirls On the A-Train to Far Rockaway, New York, 1978

Dangerous Ride, Subway, New York, 1983

Lexington Avenue Line, IRT Division of the New York City Subway, 1979

Jerome Avenue IRT Line, New York, 1980

Downtown Express 72nd St. Station, Subway, New York, 1977

The A train to Brighton Beach Subway, New York, 1977

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 New Book Revisits the Grime and Pandemonium of the NYC Subway of the ’70s and ’80s appeared first on Colossal.

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Join Us This September in Chicago for Two Embroidery Workshops with Artist Danielle Clough

All images © Danielle Clough, shared with permission

Colossal is beyond thrilled to welcome South African artist Danielle Clough (previously) to Chicago for a pair of in-person workshops this September. Whether working on tennis rackets, clothing, or scraps of fabric, Clough is widely known for her vibrant embroideries that expertly translate the principles of color theory into bold, fiber-based works.

Held at 21c Museum Hotel on September 8 and 9, these workshops are the first Clough has taught in Chicago.

During the Friday night session, spend three hours immersed in the artist’s unique thread-blending techniques as she shares tips and tricks for creating dimension and stitching with vivid color. On Saturday, Clough offers her signature Sew Far Sew Good class, which guides students through a six-hour session in learning to embroider from photographs and develop their own styles.

Clough even designed a kit of materials specially for Colossal, which includes everything you need to start embroidering and keep your practice going at home. All skill levels are welcome, and each workshop is different, so we urge you to register for both sessions.

If you’re a Colossal Member, be sure to use the discount code in your account for $10 off. If you plan to travel and stay at 21c Museum Hotel in Chicago for the workshop, you can receive a 25 percent discount on rooms. Reach out to us at hello@colossal.art so we can help you book your accommodation.

Register here.

 

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 Join Us This September in Chicago for Two Embroidery Workshops with Artist Danielle Clough appeared first on Colossal.

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Bounce and Caper Among the Trees at UPLÅ, Canada’s Biggest Trampoline Parks

All photos © The Trekking Group and UPLÅ

At the base of Mont-Saint-Grégoire, a short drive from Montréal, the outdoor adventure designers behind The Trekking Group conceived of Canada’s largest trampolines for UPLÅ adventure park. A new location in Stouffville, Ontario, just outside of Toronto, expands the possibilities of play with a series of nets that soar amid the canopy. Suspended between trees and large posts, the vibrant, multi-level networks of spiraling ramps, tunnels, and rooms invites visitors onto a bouncy aerial plane, replete with climbing apparatuses, ball games, and giant bean bags. At night, the nets are illuminated with colorful lights and opened for nocturnal romps, which can be booked in advance.

The Trekking Group creates customizable adventure park that can be installed short or long-term, among other outdoor facilities like rope bridges and treetop platforms. See more of the company’s work on its website, and to find out more about UPLÅ or plan a visit, check out the park’s website and Instagram.

 

Photo by Bernard Brault

 

 

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 Bounce and Caper Among the Trees at UPLÅ, Canada’s Biggest Trampoline Parks appeared first on Colossal.

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