Tens of Millions of Ink Dots Fill Xavier Casalta’s Remarkably Detailed Stipple Illustrations

“Marcus Aurelius” (2021-22), stippled black ink, 140 x 100 centimeters. All images © Xavier Casalta, shared with permission

It took Xavier Casalta a phenomenal 2,300 hours over the course of 15 months to complete his largest work to date. Featuring numerous blooms surrounding a marble bust of Marcus Aurelius—one of ancient Rome’s most celebrated emperors and philosophers—the artist (previously) estimates that the illustration contains about 48 million dots of meticulously stippled black ink.

Known for his remarkably detailed depictions of flowers, architecture, and antiquities, Casalta applies China ink to paper one speck at a time. Densely clustered areas produce darker features that contrast more minimally inked highlights. He often depicts individual historical objects, like a Penny Black stamp or impressions of people and animals on early coins. He also fills entire sheets of paper with florals or geometry, like an intricate Roman mosaic or his Four Seasons series, created in collaboration with florist Swallows & Damsons.

Casalta is currently working a new, large-scale architectural piece–he’s spent 1,200 hours on it so far–which he plans to reveal in October. In 2024, that work will also become available as a limited-edition print. You can stay tuned to the artist’s Instagram for updates, and find more information on his website.

 

Left: Naxos Tetradrachm with Dionysus. Right: Penny Black stamp

“Summer,” part of ‘Four Seasons’ in collaboration with Swallows & Damsons, stippled black ink, 56 x 56 centimeters

Tetradrachm featuring a lion’s head from Cyzicus, Mysia

“Winter,” part of ‘Four Seasons’ in collaboration with Swallows & Damsons, stippled black ink, 56 x 56 centimeters

Detail of “Winter”

Detail of “Marcus Aurelius” in progress

Detail of a mosaic in progress

Detail of a work in progress

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Tell Me More: Colossal Releases a Limited-Edition Print with Liz Flores

Liz Flores, “Tell Me More”

We’re beyond excited to announce our latest limited-edition print collaboration with Chicago-based artist Liz Flores (previously). “Tell Me More” features one of Flores’ signature color-blocked figures in warm shades of pink and neutral tones. Lounging on a patterned rug with delicate tassels lining the perimeter, the woman lets her long braids drape over her body as she entreats the viewer for more.

The giclée print is signed and numbered and available in an edition of 100 from the Colossal Shop.

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 Tell Me More: Colossal Releases a Limited-Edition Print with Liz Flores appeared first on Colossal.

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NASA’s James Webb Telescope Captures the Fiery Remains of a Dying Star in Unprecedented Detail

Image courtesy of ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, M. Barlow (University College London), N. Cox (ACRI-ST), R. Wesson (Cardiff University)

More than a year after NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope brought us images of the Southern Ring Nebula, the world’s most powerful observer captured the remains of another celestial body with stunning clarity.

Nebulae are massive clouds of dust and gas that sometimes emerge from dying stars. Both the Southern Ring Nebula and the Ring Nebula, which is the subject of the newly released images, were born from a star discarding its outer layers as its fuel reserves dwindle. Located about 2,000 light-years away, the latter is bright and often discernible from Earth with the use of simple binoculars.

Documented with the telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera, the Ring Nebula is now visible in unprecedented detail. The bright red outer ring is comprised of approximately 20,000 enormous globules of molecular hydrogen gas about the size of Earth. Inside, astronomers explain, “is a narrow band of emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs–complex carbon-bearing molecules that we would not expect to form in the Ring Nebula. Outside the bright ring, we see curious ‘spikes’ pointing directly away from the central star.” These prongs were barely visible in earlier images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope and were largely only seen through infrared.

The most intriguing discovery, though, is the ten evenly spaced features nestled inside the halo surrounding the bright outer ring. Astronomers explain:

These arcs must have formed about every 280 years as the central star was shedding its outer layers. When a single star evolves into a planetary nebula, there is no process that we know of that has that kind of time period. Instead, these rings suggest that there must be a companion star in the system, orbiting about as far away from the central star as Pluto does from our Sun. As the dying star was throwing off its atmosphere, the companion star shaped the outflow and sculpted it. No previous telescope had the sensitivity and the spatial resolution to uncover this subtle effect.

According to a statement, research into the Ring Nebula is ongoing, so expect more information in the coming months. Until then, head to NASA  to see the images up close.

 

Image courtesy of ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, M. Barlow (University College London), N. Cox (ACRI-ST), R. Wesson (Cardiff University)

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Remarkably Relatable Animals Prepare Breakfast and Commute to Work in a New Series by Cat Rabbit

All images © Cat Rabbit, shared with permission

Sporting tiny sneakers and plates of eggs on toast, Cat Rabbit’s newest adorable characters (previously) get ready for the day in style. A frog dons loafers and a stylish briefcase, a self-assured bear presents a plate of breakfast, and a bespectacled Bichon Frisé tucks a bag of chips into a tiny tote. The Melbourne-based artist sends her animals out on everyday activities, like rollerskating or commuting to work, imbuing each figure with an expressive face and confident personality.

The artist currently has a solo exhibition titled Working Through It at Nucleus Portland through August 27, and her children’s book How to Make Friends: A Bear’s Guide, published by Berbay Books, was just released in the U.S. You can find a copy on Bookshop, and explore more work on Cat Rabbit’s website and Instagram.

 

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Flora and Fauna Entwine in Lauren Marx’s Mixed-Media Studies of Life and Death

“Made of Gold” (2021). All images © Lauren Marx, shared with permission

The living and the dead coexist in vivid color in the fantastic tableaus of artist Lauren Marx (previously). From her St. Louis studio, Marx entangles predators and prey with flora and fauna in dense scenes rendered in a mix of pen, watercolor, and colored pencil. Snakes burst open to reveal feathered wings, an owl snacks on the maroon entrails of a rabbit, and a three-headed creature sprouts dried grass from its midsection. Straddling the line between the beautiful and the brutally grotesque, the works intertwine myriad species and states of being.

Given the trauma of the Covid-19 pandemic and the increasingly destructive effects of the human-caused climate crisis, Marx says the theme of loss of life has become more poignant and profound. “I feel the tension is even greater now after seeing death become part of our daily lives nonstop for years. It went from a casual observation to a persistent one,” she shares. “It’s honestly very overwhelming for me.”

The artist translates this grief into the mythological, rendering creatures like unicorns and dragons in vibrant hues. Fanciful by nature, these pieces twist lush florals and technicolor serpents around the horned beasts, with their deep purple intestines peeking through white fur. “I felt this urge to create bright pieces in order to cheer myself,” she says. “Now, those subjects play a huge role in where I want to take my work in the future.”

In November, Marx’s work will be included in a group exhibition at Haven Gallery in Long Island. Peek into her process on Instagram, and shop prints and stickers on Etsy.

 

“The First” (2016)

“Starry Eyed” (2021)

“Good Luck Spells” (2022)

“Crow and Blueberries” (2020)

Left: “Unicorn II” (2021). Right: “Unicorn” (2020)

“Queen of the Night” (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 Flora and Fauna Entwine in Lauren Marx’s Mixed-Media Studies of Life and Death appeared first on Colossal.

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Subtle Hues and Papery Textures Create Intimate Atmospheres in Lea Woo’s Tender Illustrations

All images © Lea Woo, shared with permission

Lea Woo coaxes subtle polarities from her illustrated interactions. Centering on women in moments of quiet affection and admiration, the renderings contrast a vintage style with modern subjects and a largely soft color palette with spots of bolder hues. “Red, a frequently used tone in my works, represents bravery and boldness and green a close relationship with mother nature,” she shares. Grainy, paper-like textures add to the retro feel of the scenes, which convey a warm tenderness between people and the birds, fish, and cats around them.

Based between Shanghai and Hangzhou, Woo draws stark distinctions between her personal works and commissions—recent collaborators include Burberry and The New Yorker. For the latter, she tends to start with a sketch that captures the directive, while other projects are more instinctive. “I open my heart for all possibilities and unexpected ‘accidents,’” the artist tells Colossal.  “I collect and save my daily doodles and pictures I took for future use. With less set-ups, more random arrangements, I find it so much fun to freely combine different elements and they turned out to be harmoniously together at the end.” 

Woo has prints, postcards, and other goods available in her shop, and you can follow her latest projects on Instagram.

 

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For the Love of Dog: A Group Show Fetches Wide-Ranging Interpretations of Our Favorite Companions

Nicholas Bono Kennedy, “Maybe I Can Have Some?” (2023), acrylic, oil, and pastel on linen, 30 x 24 inches. All images courtesy of Hashimoto Contemporary, shared with permission

Dogs have been humans’ best friends throughout the ages, so it’s no surprise that they’ve also been prime subjects of art—the first works depicting pups date back more than 8,000 years. A group show opening at Hashimoto Contemporary this month extends this long-running tradition through paintings, ceramics, and plush sculptures that look to our canine pals and their wide range of antics for inspiration.

For the Love of Dog features works of over thirty artists who dig up adoration, fear, and other affinities for the beloved companion species: Katie Kimmel sculpts scrunched-up rolls on a chunky basset hound, Joey Wolf’s lounging gray bulldog takes on human characteristics, and Debra Broz (previously) splices a chaotic pack of pups that makes it difficult to distinguish heads from tails.

A playful and heartfelt ode, For the Love of Dog is on view from August 19 to September 9 in Los Angeles.

 

Katie Kimmel, “Daytona Peppers” (2023), ceramic, 16 3/4 x 12 x 12 inches

Joey Wolf, “Girl in Pink Armchair” (2023), oil on canvas, 36 x 36 inches

Debra Broz, “Dog Pile” (2023), secondhand ceramics and mixed media, 16 x 15 x 20 inches

Jillian Evelyn, “Olie” (2022), acrylic on wood panel, 24 x 18 inches

Stephen Morrison, “Orchids” (2023), oil on canvas, 24 x 20 inches

Jodie Niss, “Untitled” (2023), oil paint on wood panel, 8 x 10 inches

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 For the Love of Dog: A Group Show Fetches Wide-Ranging Interpretations of Our Favorite Companions appeared first on Colossal.

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