Amanda Cobbett Embroiders Realistic Likenesses of Fungi and Flora in Stunning Detail

All images © Amanda Cobbett, shared with permission

With a keen eye for detail and a passion for nature, Amanda Cobbett embroiders hyperrealistic fungi, mosses, and lichen with painstaking precision (previously). Taking between one to two weeks to complete, each piece is inspired by flora found around the U.K., which she collects, studies, and recreates with fiber in her Surrey Hills studio. Most recently, the artist has focused on samples found in the Scottish Borders for an upcoming exhibition, which she says is “the result of a year’s worth of work, and includes even more intricacy than previously made embroideries…It is a snapshot in time but includes a huge amount of variety in colour, texture, and new forms.”

Cobbett complements an array of mushrooms with soil-coated roots and carpets lifelike pieces of bark and twigs in diverse lichens. Over time, she has developed techniques that allow her to work on a minuscule scale, often putting specimens under magnification to detect the tiniest characteristics. “I mix the weights of the sewing threads from the bobbin and the spool, often using a 75 to 100-weight thread to enable me to get the finest detail,” she says.

You can see more of Cobbett’s work on her website, or follow updates on Instagram, where she often shares images of her process.

 

  

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Pi Cheng Hsiu Traverses Taiwan to Document a Disappearing Population of Elephant Slides

All images © Pi Cheng Hsiu

Through the parks and schoolyards of Taiwan, a dwindling herd of vintage elephant slides trudge alongside ball courts and buildings. Popular in the mid-20th century, the slides no longer adhere to local safety regulations, and as parks are redeveloped, they have been gradually disappearing. In an ongoing series, Pi Cheng Hsiu (previously) captures the herd’s diverse expressions and ornamentation, some retaining their original gray appearance, and others the recipients of vibrant makeovers.

Pi has also generated an interactive map featuring all of the locations documented so far, and you can explore more on Instagram.

 

 

 

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Against the Ream: An Expansive Exhibition Invites Thirteen Artists to Explore the Vast ‘Possibilities of Paper’

Charles Clary, “Memento Morididdle” (2023), hand-cut paper and found frames, 96 x 240 inches. All images courtesy of the artists and the Torggler Fine Arts Center, © the artists, shared with permission

From intricate, laser-cut tendrils to vibrantly patterned collages, a new exhibition at The Torggler in Newport News, Virginia, explores the vast potential of a conventionally utilitarian material. Possibilities of Paper brings together thirteen artists from around the U.S. and Canada who have developed practices centered around experimentation and precision, employing a diverse range of techniques and styles that transform an everyday medium into elaborate works of art.

Wall works, freestanding sculptures, and large-scale installations comprise the comprehensive look at paper-based art being made today, including a monumental piece by Michael Velliquette suspended from the ceiling, Samuelle Green’s immersive sphere made of thousands of petals, and Roberto Benavidez’s piñatas inspired by the frenzied characters of Hieronymus Bosch. Many of the artists begin their compositions using pristine, new sheets of paper, while others reinterpret objects like books, maps, and paper plates into woven or carved forms. You might also recognize work from Myriam Dion, Matthew Shlian, and Eric Standley, among others.

Possibilities of Paper continues at The Torggler through October 15, and you can learn more on the gallery’s website.

 

Jaq Belcher, “All in Good Time” (2023), hand-cut paper, dimensions variable. Courtesy of Jayne H. Baum/JHB Gallery

Left: Detail of Charles Clary’s “Memento Morididdle” (2023). Right: Roberto Benavidez, “Bosch Beast No. 4” (2017), paper, paperboard, glue, crepe paper, and wire, 36 x 22 x 12 inches

Michael Velliquette, “Deva Realms” (2023), 90 hanging forms of Bristol paper and string, approx. 1,500 components, dimensions variable

Samuelle Green, “Marshmallow Polypore II” (2023), paper, wire, glue, and wood, dimensions variable

Detail of Samuelle Green’s “Marshmallow Polypore II” (2023)

Detail of Charles Clary’s “Memento Morididdle” (2023)

Eric Standley, “Drift” (2022), 48 compositions of laser-cut paper and 23k gold leaf, 12 x 9 x 1.5 inches each

Left: Detail of Eric Standley’s “Drift” (2022). Right: Detail of Eric Standley’s “Llull” (2020), laser-cut paper, wood, and 23k gold leaf, 48 x 16 x 5 inches

Foreground: Elizabeth Alexander, “Welder’s Daughter: The Waiting Room” (2020), iron filings from parents’ steel work, rust made with filings, graphite, face shield, paper, cast paper, and wood, 144 x 120 x 40 inches. Background: Charles Clary, “Memento Morididdle” (2023)

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Luciano Polverigiani’s Ceramic Toys Explore Material, Function, and Movement

All images © Luciano Polverigiani, shared with permission

From his workshop in Villa Elisa, Argentina, Luciano Polverigiani (previously) creates small and medium format ceramics that teeter between traditional sculpture and toys. Currently fascinated by the relationship between form and function, the artist often reflects on how his materials are inextricably linked to each piece’s use. “We generally associate ceramic material with fragility; ceramic objects break if they fall on the ground or are handled roughly,” he tells Colossal. “I am interested in reflecting on the ‘use’ that we will give to ceramics. In this sense, I begin to work with the idea of a ceramic toy.”

The artist brings the contradictory idea of the ceramic toy to life through a curious menagerie of creatures, each radiating with personality. And while many toys feature some kind of moveable aspect or configurable parts, Polverigiani embraces the incongruity between clay’s rigidity and the inherent action of play. By incorporating wheels and creating small figures that are meant to fit inside others, the artist pushes the boundaries between ceramic sculpture and movement.

In the past few years, Polverigiani has cultivated relationships with other ceramicists during his travels, and he is currently working on organizing a collective exhibition. You can follow him on Instagram for updates, and find more work on Behance.

 

 

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Exuberant Patterns Bring Ceramic Creatures to Life in George Rodriguez’s ‘Mexican Zodiac’

“El Chapulin.” All images © George Rodriguez, shared with permission

Antennae spring from the crown of a grasshopper, and an alert expression characterizes a cacomixtle’s beady eyes in George Rodriguez’s vibrant portraits of Mexican fauna. In his ongoing Mexican Zodiac series, the artist takes inspiration from the Great Race myth and the birth of the Chinese zodiac. “I wanted to continue to explore themes of protection, inclusion, and sanctity using the Chinese zodiac as a framework,” he tells Colossal. “I was also inspired by Ai Weiwei’s ‘Circle of Animals’ sculpture recreating the 12 animal heads of the Old Summer Palace in Beijing.”

Rodriguez initially made all of the Chinese zodiac animals in homage to the original stories, then landed on the idea of bringing the narrative closer to his own home and creating a parallel Mexican version. “Instead of the Year of the Rat, it would be el Año del Chapulín (grasshopper),” he says. “Instead of Year of the Tiger, it would be el Año del Jaguar. I have fun translating the different animal characteristics into animals that would be found in and around Mexico.”

 

“El Cacomixtle”

Mexican Zodiac has taken numerous forms, including a sprigging style—a kind of low relief decoration—that Rodriguez employs in much of his work, followed by a version brightly colored like Alebrijes, a style of small, vibrant wooden animals traditionally made in Oaxaca. The artist finished a third version in a metallic glaze that mirrored Ai’s originals, a fourth utilized a style of illustrated pottery known as Talavera, and the most recent involved collaborating with 13 other artists for a project titled El Zodiaco Familiar. Rodriguez has also translated animals of the lunar calendar into a series called Lunar Vessels, some of which are also shown below.

An exhibition of the artist’s work opens at West Virginia University’s Paul Mesaros Gallery on August 24, and another solo show opens in Denver at Visions West Contemporary on November 9. El Zodiaco Familiar is currently on view at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens through September 10, and you can find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

 

“Toro.” Collaboration with Marilyn Montufar

“El Venado”

“Venado Azul.” Collaboration with Carolina Jimenez

“La Cabra”

‘Lunar Vessels’

“La Iguana”

“Ox”

“Ram”

Left to right: “Snake,” “Dragon,” and “Rooster”

“El Quetzalcoatl”

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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.

 

 

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