Symmetric Flora and Fauna Converge in Kelly Louise Judd’s Dreamlike Paintings

All images © Kelly Louise Judd, shared with permission

Symmetry and mirroring inform many of Kelly Louise Judd’s paintings, which intertwine flora and fauna in delicate compositions. Ferns overlay the long tails of two cats, a lanky heron gracefully perches among bluebells and sunflowers, and human hands reach upward to reveal sprawling botanicals. Rendered on neutral-toned backdrops, the works evoke the patterns and organic recurrences found throughout the natural world.

Judd, who lives and works in the Midwest, generously shares glimpses into her process on Instagram, and you can shop prints of her pieces on Etsy.

 

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Dramatic Landscapes and Dazzling Portraits Highlight Global Perspectives in the 2023 Sony World Photography Awards

Gyu Seob Shim, Republic of Korea, 1st Place, National Awards. All images © the photographers, shared with permission courtesy of the Sony World Photography Awards

From the sinuous lines of a leaping cat, to a giant tortoise gliding alongside a snorkeler, to a lone cyclist illuminated on a road juxtaposed against a looming city, the winning images from this year’s Sony World Photography Awards (previously) showcase a remarkable slice of life captured by photographers hailing from 55 countries around the globe. Now in its 16th year, the competition garnered more than 415,000 entries from more than 200 nations and territories, about half of which were entered into the running for the National Awards, an initiative set up by the World Photography Organization and Sony to support local photographic communities around the world.

Check out some of our favorite images below, and if you’re in London, stop by Somerset House between April 14 and May 1 to see all of the winning images on display, including top picks from the student, youth, open, and professional categories.

 

Filip Hrebenda, Slovakia, Shortlist, Regional Awards

Thiện Nguyễn Ngọc, Vietnam, Winner, National Awards

Huazheng Hong, Singapore, Winner, National Awards

Kazutoshi Ono, Japan, 2nd Place, National Awards

Protap Shekhor Mohanto, Bangladesh, Winner, National Awards

Nukabari Opuama, Nigeria, Winner, National Awards

Manuel Rodríguez, Costa Rica, Shortlist, Latin America National Awards

Samia Berbiche, France, Winner, National Awards

Niks Freimanis, Latvia, Shortlist, Regional Awards

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Meticulous Folds Form Maze-Like Hallways and Ornate Spaces in Simon Schubert’s Paper Reliefs

“Untitled (Grand Stairway)” (2013), folded paper, 70 x 50 centimeters. All images © Simon Schubert, shared with permission

In Simon Schubert’s intricate folded compositions, bars of sunlight dash across door frames, ornate cornicing, and parquet floors in a complex interplay of geometric forms. Relying exclusively on the way light rakes across the surface of paper, the Cologne-based artist meticulously folds single sheets to precisely render the angles and perspectives of architectural interiors.

The artist begins each piece with a sketch, often focusing on mirrored or symmetrical scenes in historic buildings and emphasizing the continuity of long hallways, connecting doors, and reflections. Although Schubert currently centers on the built environment, his first foray into folding the material was an experiment in making a portrait of the Irish novelist Samuel Beckett while the artist was assisting with research into the author’s text and video works at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. Beckett’s wrinkles were interpreted into creases in the paper, and the artist was fascinated by the idea of drawing without using any traditional materials beyond the paper itself. “The idea was to bring the drawing to a point to where it was almost no longer a drawing,” Schubert says.

Part of a broader artistic practice that explores themes of place, experience, architecture, and imagination, Schubert’s folded paper works translate three-dimensional surroundings into monochromatic reliefs. Subtlety is essential, and there are some surprises lurking, like the ghostly form of a figure who walks up the stairs or an enigmatic shadow that plays against a wall.

Schubert’s work will be part of an exhibition with Foley Gallery in New York later this year, and you can find more of his work on his website and Instagram.

 

“Untitled (Perspective)” (2021), folded paper, 100 x 70 centimeters

“Untitled (Grand Hall)” (2013), folded paper, 70 x 100 centimeters

“Untitled (Intricated Light)” (2022), folded paper, 50 x 35 centimeters

“Untitled (Intricated 23)” (2018), folded paper, 100 x 70 centimeters

“Untitled (Light in Corridor)” (2020), folded paper, 70 x 50 centimeters

“Untitled (Salon Hanging)” (2010), folded paper, 150 x 150 centimeters

“Untitled (Two Perspectives)” (2022), folded paper, 70 x 50 centimeters

“Untitled (Shadow in Room)” (2021), folded paper, 70 x 50 centimeters

“Untitled (Shadow on Stairs)” (2021), folded paper, 70 x 50 centimeters

“Untitled (Licht in Spiegel und Räumen)” (2023), folded paper, 100 x 70 centimeters

“Portrait of Samuel Beckett,” folded paper, 100 x 70 centimeters

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 Meticulous Folds Form Maze-Like Hallways and Ornate Spaces in Simon Schubert’s Paper Reliefs appeared first on Colossal.

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Vibrant Hybrid Figures Emerge in Lou Benesch’s Spiritual Watercolor Illustrations

“Liminal Waltz.” All images © Lou Benesch, shared with permission

Fantastic creatures with keen attitudes and fragments of human anatomy occupy the vivid watercolor illustrations of Lou Benesch. From her studio in Paris, the French-American artist visualizes the characters that populate folklore, Greek myths, and classic fairytales through distinctive renderings of animal hybrids. Muscular spotted horses, shaggy wolf costumes, and a seemingly omnipresent third eye populate the surreal compositions, which are often framed by small archways and minimal backdrops.

Because Benesch gravitates toward narrative, much of her practice is an act of translation. When starting an illustration, she forgoes sketches and instead writes ideas down before picking up a pencil or brush. She might reflect on memories from her childhood, dreams, or larger, more philosophical questions about what it means to be a woman or the role spirituality plays in her life and that of others, and these narratives shape her scenes. “Whether they are mine, yours, or an entire population’s, mythologies and stories of all kinds are so important as a means of communication, connection, and appeasement,” she said in an interview.

If you’re in Los Angeles, you can see Benesch’s work as part of a group exhibition at Hashimoto Contemporary this February, and she has a few pieces on view at Antler Gallery in Portland, as well. Find originals and prints in her shop, and follow her practice on Instagram.

 

“The Angel”

“The Stars”

“The Palace”

“The Dress”

“The Snow”

“Rising Waters”

“The Fire”

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 Vibrant Hybrid Figures Emerge in Lou Benesch’s Spiritual Watercolor Illustrations appeared first on Colossal.

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Shift Happens: A Forthcoming Book Catalogs the 150-Year History of the Keyboard

A spread from ‘Shift Happens’ showing the early QWERTY keyboard on a Sholes & Glidden typewriter (photograph by Eremeev). The layout established on that typewriter led directly to the layout of every keyboard today. All images courtesy of Marcin Wichary, shared with permission

What if QWERTY wasn’t the standard keyboard layout? A forthcoming book by Chicago-based designer and writer Marcin Wichary examines the now-ubiquitous format and how it came to dominate modern technology.

Fully funded a few hours after launching on Kickstarter, Shift Happens documents 150 years of keyboard history from early analog typewriters to the pixelated versions on our phones. The 1,200-page book is split into two volumes that encompass a broad array of innovations and feuds from “the Shift Wars of the 1880s (and) Nobel-prize winner Arthur Schawlow using a laser to build the best typo eraser (to) August Dvorak—and many others—trying to dethrone QWERTY (and) Margaret Longley and Lenore Fenton perfecting touch typing.”

Seven years in the making, the book features 1,300 photos of devices and typists at work, some of which document collections and archives that have never been seen before. Wichary emphasizes the cultural implications of the commonplace objects, saying he focused on the people behind the technology. “I wanted a book that told all the personal stories about keyboards tied in with a historical, social, and political context,” he shares.

To grab a copy of Shift Happens, head to Kickstarter, and follow Wichary on Mastodon for updates on the project.

 

A spread from ‘Shift Happens’ showing the author’s photos of the Olivetti Praxis 48 electric typewriter. Praxis 48 is regarded as one of the best-designed typewriters in history

A spread from ‘Shift Happens’ showing various Olivetti typewriters, universally regarded as some of the best-designed typewriters in history. Photos courtesy of typewriter.company, Mr. & Mrs. Vintage Typewriters, and Georg Sommeregger

A spread from ‘Shift Happens’ showing examples of modern mechanical minimalistic keyboard layouts. Image courtesy of Nathanalphaman

A spread from ‘Shift Happens’ showing various IBM beam spring keyboards from the 1960s. The beam spring keyboards were a predecessor to modern mechanical keyboards and are highly regarded by today’s collectors. One photo courtesy of Tekniska Museet

A spread from ‘Shift Happens’ showing the author’s photograph of the popular Underwood No. 5 typewriter from 1901, the typewriter industry’s first bona fide hit

A spread from ‘Shift Happens’ showing variants of the IBM Model M keyboard. The Model M keyboard from the mid-1980s set the tone of most computer keyboards that followed. Photos courtesy of Eric Keppel and Dmitry Nosachev

Volume 1 shows a juxtaposition of typing classes in the 20th century. Volume 2 cover shows Rolf Hagedorn at the Culler-Fried On-Line System computer at CERN

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 Shift Happens: A Forthcoming Book Catalogs the 150-Year History of the Keyboard appeared first on Colossal.

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Fairytale Scenes Nestle Between the Covers of Isobelle Ouzman’s Altered Books

All images © Isobelle Ouzman, shared with permission

Open one of Isobelle Ouzman’s books, and you’ll be transported to a whimsical world of flora and fauna. The Bratislava-based artist (previously) carves pages of found novels and other tomes into intricate paper labyrinths of forests and meadows. Often occupied by a lone hare or fox, the fairytale scenes are imbued with a quiet, calm sense of mystery about the machinations of the imagined environments and their inhabitants.

Ouzman shares that she gravitates toward mass-produced volumes in poor condition. “Book size, depth, and paper texture play a big role in my decision as well, and I often need to hold a book in my hands before I can visualise a new artwork,” she says. The carving and drawing process depends on both the physical object and the intended narrative, taking between three weeks and three months to complete.

Find an archive of Ouzman’s works and glimpses into her process on her site and Instagram, and shop prints on Etsy.

 

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 Fairytale Scenes Nestle Between the Covers of Isobelle Ouzman’s Altered Books appeared first on Colossal.

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