Graham Franciose’s Otherworldly Watercolors Revel in Misty Forests and the Symbiosis of Nature

“For All Your Years.” All images © Graham Franciose, courtesy of Gallery Ergo, shared with permission

In watercolor and gouache, a world of wonder unfolds in surreal paintings by Graham Franciose (previously). In his current exhibition What Is Inside the Tree Is Inside of You, It’s Inside of Me at Gallery Ergo in Seattle, the artist considers the climate of the Pacific Northwest, where he’s lived since 2017 and regularly hikes through the region’s temperate rainforests. “The life-to-death-to-life cycle has never been more apparent and obvious to me as it is illustrated by the numerous ‘nurse logs’ you will encounter on most trails up here,” Franciose says in a statement. He continues:

A (nurse log is a) fallen tree, or stump of a giant logged tree that has, in its decomposition, nurtured new life into existence. A new sapling sprouts from the remains, and eventually its roots will reach the ground, and it will continue to grow up and around the deteriorating lump of organic matter that helped bring it into existence.

Franciose’s fascination with the circle of growth, decay, and regrowth led to a series of works that focus on the inherent symbiosis between humans and the rest of the natural world. Figures sit on enormous logs, sprout botanicals from their bodies, and reach out to commune with glowing annual growth rings in enigmatic, metaphysical narratives. He says, “The pieces in the collection of work are not really essays about this subject but more visual poems, with the underlying thread rooted in the connection we have with plants and animals and the natural world as a whole.”

More pieces from What Is Inside the Tree Is Inside of You, It’s Inside of Me can be viewed on the gallery’s website, and you can discover more work by Franciose on Instagram.

 

“A Dream of a New”

“Humble Seed to Last Leaf”

Left: “Bloom Together.” Right: “I Will Hold Space for Your Tender Heart to Bloom”

“The Arrival of the Sun”

“What Could Be”

“What Was and What Will Be”

“Something Unexpected Emerged”

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Bird Photographer of the Year 2023 Highlights Avian Attitudes and Winged Wonders Around the World

Nicolas Reusens, “Glistening Green,” Glistening-green Tanager (Chlorochrysa phoenicotis), Mashpi Amagusa Reserve, Ecuador. Gold Award Winner: Best Portrait. All images © the photographers and Bird Photographer of the Year 2023

The judges of the 2023 Bird Photographer of the Year competition (previously) sifted through more than 20,000 images submitted from photographers around the globe. With lenses trained on a variety of avians and their habitats, the makers of this year’s winning images highlight diverse behavior, sizes, colors, and environments, from enigmatic and elusive species to familiar backyard friends.

Jack Zhi’s grand prize-winning image catches the dramatic moment that a Peregrine Falcon attacks a Brown Pelican in mid-flight. “I love the eyes of the pelican in this image: surprised and scared,” Zhi says. “The action was fast and over in the blink of an eye.” Other category winners include striking portraits and rare observations, like Nicolas Reusens’ Glistening-green Tanager framed in a tropical leaf, Rafael Armada’s capture of a tiny Sword-billed Hummingbird, or Henley Spiers’ underwater sighting of a Blue-footed Booby with a freshly-caught meal.

The 2024 contest is now open for entries on the organization’s website, where you can also browse a gallery of this year’s winning photos. Follow BPOTY on Instagram for more updates.

 

Qiuqing Mu, “A Mother’s Love,” Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa), Zhejiang, China. Bronze Award Winner: Bird Behavior

Rafael Armada, “Flying Sword,” Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera), Bogotá, Colombia. Gold Award Winner: Birds in Flight

Cheng Kang, “Morning Serenity,” Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae), Northern Country, Victoria, Australia. Bronze Award Winner: Black-and-white

Mateusz Piesiak, “Sunflower Paradise,” Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla), Lower Silesia, Poland. Gold Award Winner: Birds in the Environment

Paul Mckenzie, “Green Planet Flamingos,” Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor), Lake Bogoria, Kenya. Silver Award Winner: Birds in Flight

Antonio Aguti, “No Way Out,” Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea), Lake Chiusi, Italy. Gold Award Winner: Comedy Bird Photo

Arto Leppänen, “A Moment of Prayer,” Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa), Helsinki, Finland. Gold Award Winner: Urban Birds

Jack Zhi, “Grab the Bull by the Horns.” Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) and Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), Southern California, United States. Gold Award Winner: Bird Behavior

Henley Spiers, “Blue-Footed Fishing Dive,” Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii), Los Islotes, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Silver Award Winner: Bird Behavior

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 Bird Photographer of the Year 2023 Highlights Avian Attitudes and Winged Wonders Around the World appeared first on Colossal.

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We’re Giving Away an Art-Filled Weekend in Chicago

Image for Colossal by Dave Whyte

Dear Colossal readers,

We’re interrupting your regularly scheduled stream of art and visual culture to say thank you. Colossal turned 13 last month, and as we pass this milestone, we’re reflecting on how independent arts publishing has changed over the years. What began as a personal blog in 2010 has grown into a healthy arts publication covering creativity and natural beauty from every reach of the planet with several contributing writers and millions of monthly readers.

In the first half of 2023, we published more than 400 articles, held six conversations with world-renowned artists like Amy Sherald and Christoph Niemann, hosted five workshops with creatives from around the globe, and curated an exhibition at the Design Museum of Chicago. We’re so grateful to do the work we do, and none of it would be possible without your support, particularly that of Colossal Members who are the lifeblood of this publication. So thank you. Thank you for reading, for learning with us, and for reminding us each day that art is essential.

To celebrate, we’re giving away a fun, art-filled weekend in Chicago! Become a Colossal Member before Friday, September 15, and you’ll automatically be entered to win the following:

• A two-night stay at 21c Museum Hotel
• A $500 travel voucher
• Tickets for two to the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Art Institute of Chicago
• A tour of Colossal’s exhibition At the Precipice at the Design Museum of Chicago
• A signed limited-edition print from Chicago-based artist Liz Flores

All new Colossal Members will also receive a one-time discount for BLICK Art Materials and all of the popular perks like an ad-free reading experience, access to our Workshop Library, and an exclusive monthly newsletter with news, early registration, and plenty of giveaways.

No matter your level of support, we’re so glad you’re out there reading.

—Christopher, Grace, Kate, and Jackie

Become a Colossal Member.

 

NO PURCHASE OR CONTRIBUTION NECESSARY. Open to residents of the U.S. who are 18 years of age or older. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes expires 9/15/2023. See Official Rules.

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 We’re Giving Away an Art-Filled Weekend in Chicago appeared first on Colossal.

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Hyperrealistic Portraits Burst Into Botanical Shards in Vibrant Murals by Ratur

“Symbiose” (2021), Cransac, France. All images © Arthur Maslard, shared with permission

As if made of porcelain or glass, the monumental, serene faces of Arthur Maslard’s subjects fragment into sharply contrasted leaves. The French artist, also known as Ratur, draws on a background in graphic design and intimacy with nature to blend realistic features with fantastical, botanical explosions and abstract fields of color. “Every wall is challenging and different!” he says. “There is always a part of improvisation and adaptation. I would say that the most constraining factor is time.”

Maslard counts Hungarian painter István Sándorfi among his influences, honing the detailed interaction of light with flesh and folds of fabric. He often works alongside his brother Oscar, known as SCKARO, to realize hyperrealistic imagery portraying what Ratur describes as “humans faced with a nature in ruin, mythical figures, and symbols of perpetual rebirth.”

Ratur’s next project takes him to Sand City, California, for the West End Mural Festival in October. Explore more work on his website, and follow updates on Instagram.

 

Untitled (2023), Annemasse, France

“Renaissance” (2020), Rouen Impressionnée Festival, Rouen, France

“Summer Vibe” (2023), North West Walls Festival, Belgium

“Innate Connection” (2021), Vancouver, B.C., Canada

“Sweet Life” (2023), Great Falls, Montana, U.S.A.

“Daphné” (2020), Dijon, France

“Above It All” (2022), Vancouver, B.C., Canada

“Together” (2021), Paris, France

“L’Oranger” (2021), Saint Brieuc, France

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 Hyperrealistic Portraits Burst Into Botanical Shards in Vibrant Murals by Ratur appeared first on Colossal.

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The Other Art Fair Returns to Los Angeles for Its 10th Edition

The Other Art Fair, presented by Saatchi Art, has been nurturing its artist-led event for 70 global editions, serving visitors with surreal experiences and accessible art. The upcoming Los Angeles fair at the Barker Hangar from September 21 to 24 marks ten editions in the city, so celebrations are mandatory. Tickets are available now.

The Other Art Fair’s adoration of L.A. is rooted in the people. The passion locals have to discover art in new ways is unmatched, and this edition hopes to prove no exception. Here are ten reasons why you need a ticket…

10. You can have your photograph taken by a Grey’s Anatomy actor-turned-artist. It’s time to unleash your inner animal as the fair welcomes photographer Charles Michael Davis as its Guest Artist. Each solo photo session will result in one unmasked and one animal-masked action shot—directed and shot by Charles himself.

9. Get a personalized haiku written just for you based on any word or phrase you offer the in-house poet. It’s written art, curated by you!

8. Discover the wonder of light and color in a cosmic light bath installation—a truly “you had to be there” experience.

7. Let fate decide in a mystical fortune-telling experience doused in neon for good measure (and for posting, of course).

6. Peruse art after your drinks are poured. The bar inside the fair offers a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to enjoy while you browse. 

5. Become the artist by making your very own risograph print at the Print Shop LA workshop space.

4. Kick off the weekend with the feel-good vibes of dublab’s vinyl-only DJs.

3. Become the artist again. Delight in the joys of analog with a Polaroid embroidery workshop. 

2. Embrace the rebel spirit with a new exhibition, Acts of Liberation, guest curated by Taylor Bythwood-Porter.

1. Now to the core of what makes The Other Art Fair, well, other. Unlike the usual gallery-led fairs, this event allows you to meet 140 up-and-coming artists. Artists who work with paint, clay, and even pillows (yes, that’s right) will be selling original work from $100. Your home is about to get a lot more interesting.

To learn more and get tickets, visit theotherartfair.com.

 

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 The Other Art Fair Returns to Los Angeles for Its 10th Edition appeared first on Colossal.

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A Forthcoming Book Flies Through Hundreds of Elizabeth Gould’s Groundbreaking Avian Illustrations

Vulturine Guineafowl, Acryllium vulturinum, Plate 8, Icones Avium (1837–38). All images courtesy of the Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, shared with permission

As often happens with creative couples throughout history, Elizabeth Gould’s legacy tends to be overshadowed by her husband’s. Gould (1804-1840) was an ambitious and knowledgeable artist, who, throughout her short lifetime, illustrated more than 600 avian species that ushered in significant advances in natural history. Many of the birds had previously gone undocumented, and paired with her husband John’s studies, the lithographs conveyed the true diversity within ornithology.

Now partially compiled in a celebratory tome of her life and work, 220 of Gould’s illustrations have migrated from the collections of London’s Natural History Museum to the page. Birds of the World: The Art of Elizabeth Gould spans 248 pages with full-color reproductions depicting myriad species, from a speckled vulturine guineafowl and chromatic crimson rosella to a slender-beaked glossy ibis. Written by the museum’s special collections manager Andrea Hart and zoology librarian Ann Datta, the volume contains several previously unpublished works and is organized across five continents.

Birds of the World, which is published by Prestel, is scheduled for release this fall. Pre-order your copy on Bookshop.

 

Glossy Ibis, Plegadis falcinellus, Plate 301, The Birds of Europe (1832–37)

Left: Crimson Rosella, Platycercus elegans, Vol. 5, Plate 22, The Birds of Australia (1840–48). Right: Narina Trogon, Apaloderma narina, Plate 26, A Monograph of the Trogonidæ, or Family of Trogons (1835–38)

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Cacatua galerita, A Synopsis of the Birds of Australia, and the Adjacent Islands (1837–38)

Northern Lapwing, Vanellus vanellus, Plate 291, The Birds of Europe (1832–37)

Top left: Black-throated Magpie-Jay, Calocitta colliei, 1829, [No. 52], J & E Gould Drawings album, Natural
History Museum, London.  Bottom left: Eastern Shrike-tit, Falcunculus frontatus, Vol. 2, Plate 79, The Birds of Australia (1840–48). Top right: Blackbird, Turdus merula, Plate 72, The Birds of Europe (1832–37). Bottom right: Long-eared Owl, Asio otus, Plate 39, The Birds of Europe, (1832–37)

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 Forthcoming Book Flies Through Hundreds of Elizabeth Gould’s Groundbreaking Avian Illustrations appeared first on Colossal.

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September 2023 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists

“Reservoir” by John Grade

Every month, Colossal shares a selection of opportunities for artists and designers, including open calls, grants, fellowships, and residencies. If you’d like to list an opportunity here, please get in touch at hello@colossal.art. You can also join our monthly Opportunities Newsletter.

$1,800 Innovate Grants for Art + Photo—Summer 2023 Open CallFeatured
For its Summer 2023 cycle, Innovate Grant will offer two awards of $1,800 each to one visual artist and one photographer. Six honorable mentions are also featured on the Innovate Grant site. Applications are open to anyone 18 and older from anywhere in the world.
Deadline: 11:59 p.m. PST on September 14, 2023.

 

Open Calls

SaveArtSpace and Art at a Time Like This (ATLT) Open Call (Houston)
8X5, a public art campaign named for the size of an average prison cell, will commission ten artists to display their works on billboards, kiosks, and digital trucks at important sites throughout Houston. Artists at all stages of their careers are encouraged to apply.
Deadline: September 1, 2023.

L+A+N+D: An Experience of Discovery—Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest (International)
Located just outside of Louisville, Kentucky, Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest’s new initiative L+A+N+D (Landscape + Art + Nature + Design) invites proposals for immersive outdoor installations. The organization will provide creative outdoor experiences with topics addressing humans’ connection to nature, beauty in the landscape, biodiversity, conservation, sustainability, and climate change, along with a stipend and a construction budget for fabrication and installation expenses.
Deadline: September 4, 2023.

All About Photo Call for Entries: Shapes (International)
Photographers working under the theme of “shapes” are eligible for this open call. Winners will receive $1,000, and their winning image(s) or full portfolio will be published in AAP Magazine Vol.34.
Deadline: September 5, 2023.

Print Center New York Open Call: New Voices 2024 (U.S.)
Six to eight artists will present their work and develop their practices through a group exhibition, artist-led public programming, focused conversation, and community-building. Each receives $2,500, a shipping and framing stipend, travel, and lodging.
Deadline: September 8, 2023.

Call For Pitches: Midwest Makers Video Series (Midwest)
Nine videographers will receive $3,000 each to create a short documentary video showcasing a Midwest Maker, a.k.a. visual artists, chefs, community organizers, folk and traditional arts practitioners, musicians, oral historians, farmers, and next-door neighbors.
Deadline: September 24, 2023.

Prospect Art Open Call (Los Angeles)
Selected artists will participate in Prospect Art’s NEW WORK series and receive a $1,500 project grant.
Deadline: September 24, 2023.

The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts Open Calls (International)
EFA has two open calls around the theme of “folklore”: The exhibition open call offers a $12,000 curatorial budget for a six-week exhibition at the space. The projects open call is based on bi-weekly group gatherings for three months. Projects can include thematic conversations, poetry readings, music, movement and dance exercises, activism, and various workshops.
Deadline: September 29, 2023.

BigCi Environmental Awards 2023 (International)
Two winners will receive $4,000 and a four-week BigCi residency. Artists working in visual art, installation, multimedia, performance, literature, music, photography, filmmaking, curating, are welcome to apply. There is a $35 entry fee.
Deadline: October 2, 2023.

The Bennett Prize (U.S.)
Women working in figurative realism are eligible for this prize, which provides $50,000 over two years to one artist. Ten finalists will be selected to participate in a traveling exhibition organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art (MMA) and the winner will be showcased in a solo exhibition at the close of her grant. $10,000 will be given to one finalist. There is a $40 entry fee.
Deadline: 11:59 p.m. MT on October 7, 2023.

Passepartout Photo Prize (International)
Open to photographers at any stage of their careers, the Passepartout Photo Prize is accepting submissions for its seventh edition. Winners receive exhibition and publication opportunities, with one 500 Euro award. There is a 25 Euro entry fee.
Deadline: October 10, 2023.

Loewe Foundation Craft Prize (International)
The prestigious Loewe prize is accepting entries from artists and craftspeople. One 50,000 Euro award will be given to the top artist, with other winning works exhibited in Paris in spring 2024.
Deadline: October 25, 2023.

Sony Future Filmmaker Awards (International)
The Sony Future Filmmaker Awards elevates voices that bring a fresh perspective to storytelling. The shortlisted filmmakers are flown to Los Angeles for an exclusive four-day event to gain unparalleled insight into all aspects of the filmmaking process to advance their careers.
Deadline: February 15, 2024.

 

Grants

2024 Joyce Awards (Great Lakes region)
The final 2024 funding cycle for the Joyce Awards is now open to cultural workers and organizations working toward racial equity and economic mobility.
Deadline: September 11, 2023.

LMCC Manhattan Arts Grants (Manhattan)
LMCC currently has applications open for three programs that award up to $16,000 for arts projects in all disciplines, serving communities in Manhattan.
Deadline: September 12, 2023.

Foundwork Artist Prize (International)
The Foundwork Artist Prize is an annual juried grant that recognizes outstanding practices by emerging and mid-career artists working in any media. The 2023 honoree will receive an unrestricted $10,000 grant.
Deadline: September 26, 2023.

Monument Lab Re:Generation Initiative (U.S.)
Monument Lab’s Re:Generation supports teams of two or more individuals working together to create a new or expand an existing public-facing project. Each selected Re:Generation team will receive a total of $100,000 in unrestricted funding toward their commemorative campaign or project.
Deadline: October 2, 2023.

The Adolf and Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant  (International)
The Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant program provides one-time interim financial assistance to qualified painters, printmakers, and sculptors whose needs are the result of an unforeseen catastrophic incident and who lack the resources to meet that situation. Awardees typically receive $5,000, up to $15,000.
Deadline: Rolling.

Adobe Creative Residency Community Fund (Ukraine or refugee)
Adobe’s Creative Residency Community Fund commissions visual artists to create company projects on a rolling basis. Awardees will receive between $500 and $5,000.
Deadline: Rolling.

Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant (International)
The foundation welcomes applications from actively exhibiting visual artists who are painters, sculptors, and artists who work on paper, including printmakers. Grants are intended for a one-year period. The foundation will review expenditures relating to an artist’s professional work and personal expenses, and amounts range up to $50,000. The size of the grant is determined by the individual circumstances of the artist, and professional exhibition history is taken into consideration.
Deadline: Rolling.

 

Residencies, Fellowships, & More

Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts Artist Residency (International)
Open to visual artists, composers, and writers, this program offers two to eight-week residencies with private studio space, housing, and a $175 per week stipend.
Deadline: September 1, 2023.

Breck Creek Artist-in-Residence Program (International)
Artists across disciplines are eligible to spend two to four months in a live/work studio. Residents receive a biweekly stipend of $600 and access to all classes.
Deadline: September 1, 2023.

Bloedel Reserve Creative Residency (International)
Open across disciplines, this residency offers access to a 140-acre nature reserve and lodging. Projects must be related to nature. One fellow will be supported by a $2,000 stipend, while others receive $1,000.
Deadline: September 1, 2023.

Lower East Side Printshop Keyhold Residency (U.S.)
This residency offers emerging artists 24-hour access to printmaking facilities for one year, a $1,000 stipend, storage space, basic supplies, and more.
Deadline: September 1, 2023.

MacDowell Residency (International)
About 300 artists in seven disciplines are awarded this residency each year, which offers a studio, accommodations, and three meals a day for up to six weeks.
Deadline: September 10, 2023.

Princeton Arts Fellowship (International)
Applicants should be early-career visual artists, poets, novelists, playwrights, directors, and performance artists who would find it beneficial to spend two years teaching. A $90,000 stipend is provided per year.
Deadline: September 12, 2023.

Monson Arts Winter Residencies 2024 (International)
Emerging and established artists and writers are eligible for this year’s residency cohort, which invites five artists and five writers to Maine’s North Woods each year. Residents receive a private studio, private bedroom in shared housing, all meals, and a $1,000 stipend for four-week programs or $500 for 2-week programs.
Deadline: September 15, 2023.

Dry Tortuga National Park Artist in Residence Program (International)
This one-month residency is open across disciplines and offers a $4,000 stipend and housing.
Deadline: September 29, 2023.

Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture Residency (International)
Open to disciplines that include metal, glass, wood, leather, ceramics, fibers, textiles, writing, painting, drawing, photography, film, and music, this residency is geared toward artists interested in land conservation and agriculture. Three residents will spend two to four weeks at the Sisters, Oregan-ranch, and studio space, private room, and shared bathroom, kitchen, dining, and laundry area are provided. This year’s theme is “transitions and migration.”
Deadline: September 30, 2023.

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park May 2024 Artist in Residence Program (International)
Artists working across mediums are eligible for this program at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, which offers a $4,000 stipend, housing, and artist events.
Deadline: September 30, 2023.

True/ False Film Fest Artist Residency Program (International)
Aimed at emerging and mid-career artists, this five-week virtual residency will culminate in an in-person exhibition of large-scale installations, projections, and performance works at the 2024 True/False Film Festival. Projects should fall within the theme “The Human Paradox.”
Deadline: September 30, 2023.

Eyebeam Fellowship Open Call (International)
Artists interested in technology and decolonization, reframing history, language, and care are invited to apply for this six-month fellowship. Selected artists receive a $20,000 stipend.
Deadline: 11:59 p.m. ET on October 1, 2023.

Art Omi Residencies (International)
Architects, artists, and writers are eligible for this round of Art Omi’s residencies, which provide food, lodging, and studio space.
Deadline: October 15, 2023.

2024 RAIR Open Call (International)
Applications are open for two Recycled Artist in Residency (RAIR) programs: The Standard is a four- to six-week traditional residency, while The Biggie Shortie is project-based. Both grant access to Revolution Recovery’s waste stream and RAIR’s staff. There is a $25 application fee.
Deadline: 11:59 p.m. ET on October 22, 2023.

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 September 2023 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists appeared first on Colossal.

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