A New Monograph Follows the Evolution of Wangechi Mutu’s Mythologizing Practice

“Water Woman” (2017), bronze, 91 x 165 x 178 centimeters. All images © Wangechi Mutu, courtesy of Phaidon, shared with permission

A new monograph published by Phaidon delves into the multi-faceted work of Kenyan-American artist Wangechi Mutu (previously). The first of its kind, the volume packs hundreds of artworks, glimpses into Mutu’s Nairobi studio, and her own writings within its 160 pages. Known for mythologizing, the artist often incorporates found, organic materials like soil, feathers, bone, and ephemera into her collages and sculptures. The works broadly explore gender, sexuality, politics, and the natural world through expressive, hybrid figures imbued with otherworldly lore.

To coincide with the book’s release, Phaidon has a limited-edition print available featuring Mutu’s dreamlike “WaterSpirit washed Pelican.” Explore an archive of her works on Instagram.

 

“Water Woman” (2017), bronze, 91 x 165 x 178 centimeters. Installation view at The Contemporary Austin – Laguna Gloria, 2017

“You Are My Sunshine” (2015), collage painting on paper, 61 x 91 centimeters

“Mamaray” (2020), bronze, 165 x 366 x 488 centimeters

From left: “Mirror Faced I” (2020), soil, charcoal, paper pulp, wood glue, emulsion paint, gourd, brass beads, mirror, teak base, hair, wrought iron stand, 174 x 37 x 34 centimeters, bust 58 x 28 x 31 centimeters; “Mirror Faced II” (2020), soil, charcoal, paper pulp, wood glue, emulsion paint, desiccated baobab fruit, brass beads, mirror, teak base, hair, wrought iron stand, 168 x 31 x 36 centimeters, bust 50 x 25 x 28 centimeters; “Mirror Faced III” (2020), Soil, charcoal, paper pulp, wood glue, emulsion paint, brass beads, rose quartz, mirror, teak base, hair, wrought iron stand, 176 x 43 x 37 centimeters, bust 60 x 27 x 33 centimeters

Wangechi Mutu, Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, 2021

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 Monograph Follows the Evolution of Wangechi Mutu’s Mythologizing Practice appeared first on Colossal.

from Colossal https://ift.tt/vEDPgr7
via IFTTT

Danielle Clough Reimagines Sportswear and Athletic Gear in Vibrantly Expressive Embroideries

All images © Danielle Clough, shared with permission

Utilizing vintage tennis rackets, T-shirts, and tie-dyed fabrics as canvases, Danielle Clough’s expressive embroideries (previously) sport summery motifs like flamingo pool floats, bright citrus, and bucket hats. The artist continues to expand upon the traditional hoop as the framing device and considers how the medium translates to unexpected surfaces like surfboards or apparel. And she isn’t afraid to experiment: her design for a surfboard—a bird perched on a large flower with a stem that trails into loose threads—didn’t go as planned when the time came to apply the piece to the physical board. However, the learning experience shaped the way she approaches future projects.

A recent series of vibrant human eyes stitched onto Adidas shirts comprise a collaboration with the brand to produce limited-edition wearable artworks. “The brief was broad: to create a sense of individual expression through the community,” Clough explains. “This collection of ‘expressions’ looks out from the wearer’s chest. Standing alone, but all together; a part of a group, like a bouquet.” She has also been experimenting with different threads and watercolor, focusing on the fabric background as an important part of the overall composition.

Clough says, “I’m currently working with a South African clothing brand called Poetry on creating a collection for spring using a variety of techniques to translate my work onto apparel,” and shares that she is also collaborating with Florida-based boxing glove maker 1V1 to create embellished mitts. Toward the end of this year, Clough will also present a series of workshops at Paradigm Gallery in Philadelphia. Find more of her work on her website, and follow the latest updates 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 Danielle Clough Reimagines Sportswear and Athletic Gear in Vibrantly Expressive Embroideries appeared first on Colossal.

from Colossal https://ift.tt/ChOyn5Y
via IFTTT

Travel the World Through the Bizarre and Unexpected Sights of ‘Wonders of Street View’

All images via ‘Wonders of Street View’

A man with three legs, a vintage car scaling a building, and an unsettling formation of people donning bird masks are a few of the scenarios highlighted in the terrifically bizarre Wonders of Street View. One of the many sites of coder Neal Agarwal, the project showcases photographs of offbeat landmarks, digital glitches, chance encounters, and people who prepare to pose for the famous camera-laden Google Street View cars as they drive by. The playful platform is similarly interactive to allow viewers to explore the surroundings and generates scenes at random, taking visitors from San Francisco to Hesse, Germany, to Samburu, Kenya. Head to Wonders of Street View to traverse the globe one strange sight at a time. (via Waxy)

 

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 Travel the World Through the Bizarre and Unexpected Sights of ‘Wonders of Street View’ appeared first on Colossal.

from Colossal https://ift.tt/zmi6t5l
via IFTTT

‘Glass Microbiology’ Magnifies Viruses, Bacteria, and Other Organisms to 1 Million Times Their Actual Size

“AstraZeneca vaccine.” All images © Luke Jerram, shared with permission

Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram (previously) continues to add delicate specimens to his Glass Microbiology collection. The ongoing project is a collaboration with scientists at the University of Bristol, who aid Jerram in scaling three-dimensional renderings of avian flu, papillomavirus, the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, and other tiny organisms into sculptures approximately one million times their actual size. Transparent and impeccably detailed, the models are designed to showcase the structures of each microbe without distorting the viewer’s perception with non-existent colors, which are often used to distinguish various parts in illustrated renderings.

Jerram documents the process behind his swine flu sculpture in the video below, which begins with two artists hand-blowing the larger structure. The team then shapes hundreds of individual proteins that will later be fused to the virus’s exterior. Find more of the scientifically minded project on the Glass Microbiology site, and follow Jerram’s latest works on Instagram.

 

“Papillomavirus”

“Avian Flu 2012”

“EV1 (Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease)”

Detail of “AstraZeneca vaccine”

“Giardia”

“Ameoba”

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 ‘Glass Microbiology’ Magnifies Viruses, Bacteria, and Other Organisms to 1 Million Times Their Actual Size appeared first on Colossal.

from Colossal https://ift.tt/7CaQutT
via IFTTT

Shantell Martin’s Signature Lines Grace a Meditative Limited-Edition Candle Collection

Photo by Eli Schmidt. All images courtesy of Shantell Martin, shared with permission

The ever-optimistic artist Shantell Martin (previously) brings her meditative, joyful line drawings to a collection of limited-editions candles. Minimal faces, birds, flowers, fish, and pithy affirmations like “You Time” and “Relax” grace the glass and ceramic vessels made in collaboration with Joya Studio. With burn times of 3,000 and 8,7000 minutes respectively, the candles release uplifting, stimulating scents with notes of shaded green tea, ocean air, heliotrope petals, and vanilla flowers.

Both designs are hand-poured in Joya’s Brooklyn studio, and the porcelain edition contains layers that emit different fragrances after 10, 30, or 60 minutes, making each piece both a timekeeper and a source of warm light. “My wish is that these candles can burn in the background during your creative process, much like a playlist, invigorating your senses and bringing you back to self,” the artist says.

Shop the collection on Joya’s site, and follow Martin’s latest collaborations on Instagram.

 

Photo by Joya Studio

Photo by Joya Studio

Photo by Joya Studio

Photo by Joya Studio

Photo by Joya Studio

Photo by Joya Studio

Photo by Eli Schmidt

Photo by Joya Studio

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 Shantell Martin’s Signature Lines Grace a Meditative Limited-Edition Candle Collection appeared first on Colossal.

from Colossal https://ift.tt/Fr3dptu
via IFTTT

Dramatic Flora and Fauna Emerge from Maude White’s Exquisitely Detailed Cut Paper Sculptures

All images © Maude White, shared with permission

Created from single pieces of paper, Maude White’s sculptures (previously) reveal the veins of petals and leaves, braided locks, and vivid animal portraits. Making countless tiny incisions on archival sheets with a size 11 blade, the artist begins by referencing a photograph and creating a loose sketch to maintain general dimensions. She then carefully selects the location of the first cut, telling Colossal that “every cut expands outward from there, and I have to make sure that the piece can maintain its integrity when complete and not fall apart.”

White continues to pursue nature as a subject, focusing on expressive animals and diverse flora. “I will always come back to my love of elephants and flowers,” she says, sharing that she has been experimenting with new forms that are less visually literal. The net-like, “sketchy” composition pictured below appears at first glance like a bird’s nest, but upon closer inspection, an elephant’s eye and trunk emerge. “I really enjoyed this piece, and it was quite a challenge to design and execute!” she says.

In December 2022, White published Resilience Alchemy, a deck and guidebook featuring her artwork that focuses on creative self-discovery and empowerment. “I’m really proud of this project, and even though it’s a departure from the more intricate cut-paper work, it explores resilience in a way that I think can be helpful and hopeful for a lot of people,” she says. Find a copy on Bookshop, and keep an eye out for a new deck slated for release this December. Follow White’s updates on Instagram, and explore more work on her website.

 

Photograph by Melissa Hope

 

 

 

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 Dramatic Flora and Fauna Emerge from Maude White’s Exquisitely Detailed Cut Paper Sculptures appeared first on Colossal.

from Colossal https://ift.tt/yo8enIa
via IFTTT

Nighttime Reveals the Inner Vitality of Reskate’s Dynamic Glow-in-the-Dark Murals

Nighttime view of “Eulalia” (2022-23), Mérida, Extremadura, Spain. All images © Reskate Studio, shared with permission

By day, Reskate Studio’s bold, deceptively simple murals outline the forms of rope, a mountain, or a dog in a neutral palette. When the sun sets, though, an entirely new image emerges from within the unassuming motif. María López and Javier de Riba, who work collaboratively as Reskate, continue to paint bold, light-sensitive works as part of their ongoing Harreman Project (previously). The artists say their intention is “to try to light up dark corners of cities, both installing new lights and encouraging citizens to interact with the wall—painting with light on it.”

“Harreman” is a Basque word meaning “relationship,” a combination of two verbs: hartu, which means “receive” and eman, which means “give.” The duo is interested in etymology, duality, and the way language can present multiple interpretations or how some information can only be revealed in a certain light. During the day, Reskate’s compositions appear uncomplicated in cream white and dark gray, but this discloses only half the story. At night, lights illuminate scenes created with photo-sensitive paint, like a koi fish appearing in a net or dogs brawling within the silhouette of a larger, much calmer canine.

Reskate installs vibrant, monumental murals with a focus in locations around Europe. Find more work on Behance and on the artists’ website, where you can also shop limited-edition screenprints. 

 

“Rivalité,” (2022), Maison de Jeunes et de la Culture Nelson Mandela, Fontaine, France

Nighttime view of “Eulalia” (2022-23), Mérida, Extremadura, Spain

Daytime view of “Eulalia”

“Domestication,” Wien Museum, Vienna, Austria

“Domestication”

Nighttime view of “Connectivity,” Shenzhen, China

Daytime view of “Connectivity”

“Connectivity” in progress

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 Nighttime Reveals the Inner Vitality of Reskate’s Dynamic Glow-in-the-Dark Murals appeared first on Colossal.

from Colossal https://ift.tt/z1ysvm8
via IFTTT