Dan Lams Radiant Otherworldly Sculptures Evoke Interstellar Phenomena in Cosmic Shake

“Waxing.” All images © Dan Lam, courtesy of Chefas Projects, shared with permission

Oozing over the edges of shelves and dolloping tendrils across flat surfaces, Dan Lam’s vibrant sculptures (previously) play with form and space. Using polyurethane foam, epoxy resin, and acrylic, the Dallas-based artist makes otherworldly sculptures that appear like alien substances from outer space, apropos to the pieces in her upcoming solo exhibition, Cosmic Shake. 

The artist created 52 new works for the show at Chefas Projects with galactic titles like “Dark Side,” “Waxing,” and “Stellar Wind” that glob and bubble in saturated color gradients and textures. She continues to play with new shapes, sizes, and patterns. “I have discovered that experimenting with scale has altered my approach to materials,” Lam tells Colossal. “This shift has presented new challenges to overcome, but it also leads to new opportunities. Recently, I have been exploring different textures and methods of paint application.”

Cosmic Shake is on view from July 7 through August 5 in Portland, Oregon. Lam has also installed her largest piece to date in the newest Meow Wolf location in Grapevine, Texas, which opens July 14. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

 

“Dark Side”

“Stellar Wind”

“Limb”

Left: “Zero.” Right: “Nova”

“Nebula”

“Synchronous Rotation”

“Absolute”

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 Dan Lam’s Radiant Otherworldly Sculptures Evoke Interstellar Phenomena in ‘Cosmic Shake’ appeared first on Colossal.

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

Archaeologists Uncover a Fresco in Pompeii with a Cheesy Pizza-Like Dish Served on a Silver Platter

All images courtesy of Archeological Park of Pompeii

Pompeiians—they’re just like us! Hungry for pizza.

Earlier this year, archaeologists excavating a block of houses in Regio IX of the Vesuvian city uncovered a fresco that shows a round, doughy dish resembling the modern favorite. Researchers were quick to point out that pizza, as we know it today, hadn’t been invented when the 2,000-year-old painting was created, although the ancient civilization did enjoy foccacia, a cousin of the tomato and cheese-covered pie.

This dish appears topped with pomegranate, spices, and a cheesy pesto known as moretum. Served on a silver platter accompanied by dried fruit, yellow strawberries, and a chalice filled with wine, the focaccia likely represents a “gift of hospitality,” according to the Archeological Park of Pompeii. These offerings to guests emerged from the Hellenistic period and the Greek practice of Xenia, which also describes the genre of paintings depicting this tradition.

Approximately 300 frescoes of ancient food have been found around Pompeii, although this still life is particularly well executed. While the work offers insight into what the buried civilization ate, director Gabriel Zuchtriegel says it also has implications for how we understand the evolution of food and wealth, sharing:

I think about the contrast between a modest and simple meal that reminds us of a sphere that stands between the pastoral and the sacred on one side, and the luxury of the silver trays and the refinement of the artistic and literary representations on the opposite side. When considering this matter, how can we not think about pizza, also born as a ‘poor’ dish in southern Italy that has now conquered the world and is served in Michelin star restaurants.

This discovery comes three years after archaeologists in Pompeii uncovered an impeccably preserved snack shop that served up fish, fowl, and of course, plenty of wine.

 

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 Archaeologists Uncover a Fresco in Pompeii with a Cheesy Pizza-Like Dish Served on a Silver Platter appeared first on Colossal.

from Colossal https://ift.tt/KPeto4w
via IFTTT

Luminous Creatures Haunt Darkened Landscapes in Hannu Huhtamos Dreamlike Light Paintings

“Serenity” (2021). All images © Hannu Huhtamo, shared with permission

Glowing swans float atop a lake, a jellyfish-like creature hovers in the air, and supernatural alien blooms spring from the ground in Hannu Huhtamo’s ethereal light paintings, which position radiant creatures among darkened landscapes. Long-exposure photography has been the Helsinki-based artist’s medium of choice since 2008, having spawned a robust repertoire of plants and animals both real and imagined.

As shown in the making-of video below, each completed work contains minutes or even hours of heavily choreographed painting, all captured in camera with no post-production editing. “If I start from scratch, it takes about a week to learn how to draw the new shape with light,” Huhtamo (previously) shares. “First, I want to do some simple sketches on paper. After that, I try to figure out how to do all the elements by using my light tools. I usually divide the form or a shape into sections and then practice each part separately.” Finding the proper location for the life form is the most difficult step in the process because the environment needs to feel natural for the intended creature and be dark enough for the composition to glow.

To create the works, Huhtamo primarily uses various sizes of optical fibers, which give “smooth transparent light trails that have a nice organic texture.” These fibers require sufficient power to be effective, so he attaches them to 1,200 to 2,500-lumen flashlights with custom adaptors. Colored filters in turquoise, yellow, pink, and green slot between the two elements to produce vibrant hues.

Huhtamo is currently working on a few collaborations and commercial projects, and you can find more of his paintings and information about prints on his site and Instagram.

 

“Imaginary Sea Creature 1” (2022)

Top left: “Âmes Libres” (2019). Top right: “Wild Ones” (2021). Bottom left: “The Bond” (2019). Bottom right: “Risen” (2021)

“New Terrain” (2022)

From the ‘Imaginary Sea Creature’ series (2022)

“Photon” (2021)

“Starmade” (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 Luminous Creatures Haunt Darkened Landscapes in Hannu Huhtamo’s Dreamlike Light Paintings appeared first on Colossal.

from Colossal https://ift.tt/03J1t5d
via IFTTT

A New Monograph Traces a Decade of Travel for Seth Globepainters Imaginative Characters

2022, Le Mans, France. All images © Julien Malland, shared with permission

Known for filtering incisive social commentary through the lens of childhood innocence, French artist Julien Malland, a.k.a. Seth Globepainter, has spent the better part of his career capturing the hope and wonder of adolescence. His imaginative characters (previously) appear on walls from Miami to Shanghai and often emerge in places marred by difficulties, including Syrian refugee camps and the bombed streets of the Donbas region in Ukraine.

Titled Seth, On Walls, the artist’s first monograph was published in November and chronicles a decade of resilient, youthful subjects. Enveloped by color and playful optical illusions, the largely faceless figures are introspective and often turn away from the viewer to rest, play with a friend, or look toward a distant, unknown future. Many of the murals contain small, vibrant portals nestled among the gray, urban landscapes, and like the works themselves, the book takes this optimistic approach to offer “a delicate reading of the world in which imagination becomes the cure for all ills.”

Seth, On Walls will be released to U.S. readers in September. Pre-order your copy now, and follow the artist’s latest projects on Instagram.

 

“Maurice” (2016), Port Luis

2019, Little Haiti, Miami

“In the sky” (2015), Le Port Reunion Island

A 2013 collaboration with Ku2, Kharkiv

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 Traces a Decade of Travel for Seth Globepainter’s Imaginative Characters appeared first on Colossal.

from Colossal https://ift.tt/l0VGX8v
via IFTTT

Nearly Two Dozen Exuberant Works by Ukrainian Folk Artist Maria Prymachenko Go On View in the U.K. For the First Time

“Flowers with birds” (1987). All images © Maria Prymachenko, courtesy of Saatchi Gallery, shared with permission

“Maria was very wise, kind, determined, and open to the world,” says the granddaughter of Ukrainian self-taught artist Maria Prymachenko (1908-1997). “She incorporated her worldview and philosophy into the paintings she created.” Prymachenko’s vibrant and fantastical artworks (previously) combined her inner thoughts with observations of the world around her, depicting symmetrical floral arrangements, wildlife, and everyday scenes. Her focus on the beauty of daily existence takes center stage at Saatchi Gallery in London next month, marking the first time these pieces, which have been carefully preserved by the artist’s family for half a century, have been exhibited in the U.K.

Saatchi partnered with the Prymachenko Family Foundation and the Ukrainian Embassy to organize this special selection of 23 works, many of which were originally intended for a children’s book and often focus on portrayals of the artist or women spinning fiber on a wheel, herding horses, or sitting outside with baby in a buggy. Many are double-sided, like “Beast of Polissia,” which includes a handwritten narrative on the reverse.

Dozens of Prymachenko’s paintings were once held in the Ivankiv Historical and Local History Museum just outside of Kyiv. When Russian forces attacked the village last year, totally destroying the museum, local residents were able to rescue her works from the ensuing fire. The Prymachenko Family Foundation is currently creating a new museum complex on the site of the artist’s house in Bolotnya, the village where she spent her entire life, which will include a residency for contemporary artists. Foundation partner and co-curator Natalia Gnatiuk says, “It will be a place of strength, capable of welcoming guests from around the world after Ukraine’s victory.”

Maria Prymachenko at Saatchi Gallery opens July 13 and runs through August 31.

 

“Beast of Polissia”

Reverse of above: “On October 15, 1935, I started painting near the Lavra. In January, I had a surgery. I learned from the newspaper that I received a First Degree Diploma and a thousand karbovanets. The doctors congratulated me and made three more surgeries. In seven months I had a device made for 703 karbovanets. I learned how to use it, and now I wear it. A new device will be made for 1908 karbovanets. I continue to paint. M.P. Beast of Polissia”

“I herded horses instead of my father. M.P.” (1982)

“Roses to grain growers” (1987)

“I was spinning on the spinning wheel. M.P.” (1982)

Untitled

Untitled

“Flowers in pots” (1982)

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 Nearly Two Dozen Exuberant Works by Ukrainian Folk Artist Maria Prymachenko Go On View in the U.K. For the First Time appeared first on Colossal.

from Colossal https://ift.tt/1HdDyLO
via IFTTT

A New Book Celebrates the Exquisite Patterns and Glowing Colors of Glass Maestro Lino Tagliapietra

All images © Lino Tagliapietra, courtesy of Phaidon, shared with permission

Recognized for his elegant, detailed sculptures that coax light and color from the interior of glass, Lino Tagliapietra is one of the most sought-after artists in the medium. Renowned for his technical skill and experimental approach, vibrant patterns float in abstract vessels, suggestive of graceful, viscous motion. Lino Tagliapietra: Sculptor in Glass, a new book published by Phaidon, chronicles the story of the artist, from apprentice to maestro to one of the foremost glassblowers in the world, surveying his extensive career with hundreds of photographs of his captivating, luminous compositions.

Hailing originally from Murano, an island in Venice famous for glassblowing traditions that can be traced back to the 13th century, Tagliapietra was distinguished as a Muranese maestro when he was only 21 years old. A highly sought-after accolade assigned to those who lead the piazza, or the workshop, maestros bear the secrets of the precise chemical compositions and are responsible for the final shaping of pieces.

During his seven-decade career, Tagliapietra developed a signature style, incorporating long, elegant necks and vibrant murrine, or glass canes that are cut into cross-sections to reveal patterns. In 1979, a young Dale Chihuly invited him to visit the Pilchuck School in Seattle to introduce Venetian techniques, which profoundly impacted international practices. While he retired in 2021, Tagliapietra continues to split his time between Venice and Seattle, and you can find his work in numerous galleries and museum collections around the world.

Find your copy of the artist’s monograph on Bookshop, and explore more of his 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 A New Book Celebrates the Exquisite Patterns and Glowing Colors of Glass Maestro Lino Tagliapietra appeared first on Colossal.

from Colossal https://ift.tt/76xW8O2
via IFTTT