Anthropomorphic Oil Paintings by Richard Ahnert Envision Satirical and Nostalgic Narratives for Bears

“Guider” (2022), oil on canvas. All images © Richard Ahnert, courtesy of Modern Eden Gallery, shared with permission

Infused with wit and metaphor, the oil paintings of Toronto-based artist Richard Ahnert imagine the glum, peaceful, and rambunctious lives of animals. His new collection, on view through May 6 as part of Bear With Me at San Francisco’s Modern Eden Gallery, centers on the eponymous mammals, which are shown in the midst of relatable, deeply human activities. Rendered with soft, hazy edges in subtle colors, the anthropomorphized characters are caught in the rain, slouched over a bar, and enjoying a mid-day reprieve on the water. The narratives also tend to be veiled in nostalgia, shown through garments, the ubiquity of tobacco, and in the case of “Swear Bears,” a satirical twist on a 1980’s animation.

Ahnert’s body of work spans the animal kingdom, and he has a few limited-edition prints available. Explore more of his contemplative pieces on his site and Instagram. (via Supersonic Art)

 

“Shore Leave,” (2022), oil on canvas, 20 x 16 inches

“Swear Bears” (2022), oil on canvas, 30 x 24 inches

“Waiting Game” (2022), oil on canvas, 24 x 18 inches

“Patchwork” (2022), oil on canvas, 18 x 24 inches

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A Collection of Paper Sculptures Studies the Wild Diversity of 88 Different Bat Species

All images © Guardabosques, shared with permission

Evoking the biological illustrations of Ernst Haeckel (previously) and photographic portraits of Merlin Tuttle, an ongoing project explores the incredible diversity of bats through geometric paper sculptures. Juan Nicolás Elizalde, who is half of the creative team behind the Buenos Aires-based studio Guardabosques (previously), began the series in 2019 after discovering variances in the animals’ ear shapes, fur patterns, and other distinctive characteristics. He’s since crafted 88 different species with scored and folded paper and is currently in the process of photographing each piece, from the wide-eyed flying fox to the speckled Cuban flower bat.

Titled Amiguitos de la Oscuridad, the collection has a dedicated Instagram account, where Elizalde is in the process of sharing every portrait and additional information about the species. “The project is called Little Friends of Darkness because they are nocturnal animals that I want to be friends with,” he writes, “but also because they helped me to spend the nights of the last few strange and dark years, with a little anxiety about what was happening.”

 

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Eerie Shelters in Miniature Tower Over a Post-Apocalyptic Universe by Simon Laveuve

“The Ultimate Journey” (2021), mixed media, 25 x 25 x 62 centimeters, 1/35th scale. All images © Simon Laveuve, shared with permission

Tagged with graffiti and pockmarked with decay, the ramshackle structures by Simon Laveuve envision a disquieting safe haven in a post-apocalyptic world. The Paris-based artist (previously) creates miniature shelters on wooden support beams or atop grassy hills that soar high into the air, appearing to offer refuge from below. Constructed as assemblages of worn materials, vintage signs with peeling paint, and a stockpile of everyday objects, the mixed-media sculptures imagine a landscape where only the remnants of life remain. Laveuve writes about his 2021 work “The Island”:

There is the world of yesterday, but today destroyed it to build the world of tomorrow… This is where tomorrow lives, on Resurrection Island. In the heart of the abyss, we find refuges hoisted, like the banner of hope. Perched ever higher, with the secret ambition to reach the dreamy sky, the wandering clouds, and discover freedom.

A few of Laveuve’s vertical environments are included in the upcoming Small Is Beautiful exhibition in London—if you’re able to visit, you’ll also see artists previously featured on Colossal like Vincent Bal and Juho Könkkölä—and he also has a show slated for September in France. Until then, follow Laveuve’s practice on Instagram.

 

Detail of “The Ultimate Journey” (2021), mixed media, 25 x 25 x 62 centimeters, 1/35th scale

“Tomorrow is far away” (2022), mixed media, 34 x 40 x 50 centimeters, 1/35th scale

“The Island” (2021), mixed media, 35 x 35 x 70 centimeters, 1/35th scale

Detail of “Tomorrow is far away” (2022), mixed media, 34 x 40 x 50 centimeters, 1/35th scale

Detail of “The Island” (2021), mixed media, 35 x 35 x 70 centimeters, 1/35th scale

“Barrier gesture” (2022), mixed media, 25 x 20 x 25 centimeters, 1/35th scale

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Sculptural Candles by Greentree Shape Dyed Beeswax into Organic Designs

All images © Greentree

From its Catskills studio, Greentree creates sculptural candles in hues from sage and celadon to terra cotta and lilac. The company, helmed by artist Jennifer Green, hand-pours and finishes collections of feathery partridges, pinecones, clean-cut gemstones, and sets of vintage bottles that are equally design objects as they are functional goods. Each unscented candle is made of pure beeswax, meaning it burns cleanly and emits a naturally sweet smell as melts. In addition to the whimsical creations shown here, Greentree also sells angular pillars, tapers with spiraling edges, and other elegant designs in its shop. (via INHABITAT)

 

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Daily Activities Are Interwoven into Rural Landscapes in Ágnes Herczeg’s Lace Sculptures

All images © Ágnes Herczeg, shared with permission

Strands of silk thread are delicately intertwined to create inviting pastoral scenes in miniature needlework sculptures by Ágnes Herczeg (previously). The Hungarian artist has recently begun to incorporate found driftwood into her pieces, foraged from the shores of the nearby Danube River where floodplain trees dot the riverside. Drawing inspiration from her surroundings, Herczeg’s subjects include animals, trees, landscapes, and women performing tasks like pouring tea, weaving, or taking a walk.

Fascinated by natural materials and the process of embroidery, Herczeg carefully shapes the outline of each scene with metal wire, then builds up tiny webs of fiber using a needle lace technique. Once she has carved the wood and the mesh is complete, each is colored in earthy blues, greens, and browns and bound together with thread.

You can find more of Herczeg’s work on her website, and follow updates on Instagram. Pieces available for purchase can also be found in her online shop.

 

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In ‘King Pleasure,’ Family Stories and Personal Artifacts Illuminate Basquiat’s Life and Work

All images by Ivane Katamashvili, shared with permission

An expansive exhibition sprawling through the Starrett-Lehigh Building in Chelsea offers an intimate and holistic glimpse at the life that inspired Jean-Michel Basquiat’s body of work. Opened Saturday, King Pleasure is curated by the artist’s two younger sisters, Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux, who unearthed more than 200 artworks and artifacts as part of the broad, deeply personal look at their brother’s world. Many of the objects, which range from stacks of books and home movies on VHS tapes to early pieces and paintings, are on view for the first time.

Presented chronologically, the show charts the artist’s rapid success rooted in New York City’s graffiti scene of the 1970s. It leads viewers through a space filled with wood-paneled walls and architectural replicas designed by David Adjaye. The immersive reproductions provide insight into the places where Basquiat spent much of his time and developed his distinct aesthetic, including his childhood dining room in Boerum Hill, his 57 Great Jones Street studio, and the Michael Todd VIP Room of the Palladium, a beloved night club that commissioned two monumental works.

 

Comprised almost entirely of Basquiat works except for Andy Warhol’s silkscreen family portraits, King Pleasure showcases a variety of paintings, early drawings, cartoon sketches, and newsletters the artist made during high school in Brooklyn. “Untitled (100 Yen)” (1982) leans against the wall of his recreated studio, for example, while “Untitled (Quick Cash Shoe Business)” spreads across the floor. The exhibition draws its name from the 1987 painting in acrylic, which shows the artist’s recurring crown on a yellow backdrop.

As Robin Pogrebin writes for The New York Times, King Pleasure augments Basquiat’s legacy with objects, videos, and ephemera that create a fuller picture of his short life, which ended with a 1988 overdose at the age of 27. “We wanted people to come in and get the experience of Jean-Michel—the human being, the son, the brother, the cousin,” Heriveaux said in an interview. “To walk people through that in a way that felt right and good to us.” The exhibition also coincides with other U.S.-based shows of his works, including two at The Broad in Los Angeles and the Orlando Museum of Art.

Tickets for King Pleasure are on sale now, and an accompanying monograph featuring interviews with family members and an in-depth consideration of his life is also available this week from Rizzoli Electa.

 

Photo by Lee Jaffe

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A Miniature Arcade, Art Museum, and Dock by AnonyMouse Squeeze into Malmö’s Streets

All images © AnonyMouse, shared with permission

The traveling collective known as AnonyMouse squeaked through Malmö’s bustling streets the last few weeks installing the latest additions to its tiniest cultural scene. After working in cities across Europe, the unidentified group visited the Swedish coast to wedge a miniature art museum, arcade, and shipping dock just big enough for a few mice into the long-established architecture. Built at street level, each minuscule creation is an elaborate and witty rendition of its human-sized counterpart: games like “Feline Fighter 2″ and “Cheese Invaders” are packed into the glowing arcade, while small boats, a cafe, and an ominous flag printed with a mouse and crossbones appear at the inland port.

AnonyMouse is currently headed to its next unannounced destination, and you can follow its latest adventures on Instagram.

 

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