Thursday, September 14, 2023

Fragile Moths, Butterflies, and Botanicals Commingle in Żaneta Antosik’s Moody Digital Illustrations

Two moths are surrounded by flowers on a beige backdrop

All images © Żaneta Antosik, shared with permission

From her studio in Rawa Mazowiecka, Poland, Żaneta Antosik turns her eye toward the delicacies of the natural world as she renders the soft, frail forms of plants and insects. The artist primarily works digitally, sometimes beginning with a simple sketch on paper but often drawing directly in Procreate. Rendered on black or beige backdrops to reference a night sky or daytime light, each piece pays particular attention to the minuscule details, whether the tufted body of a moth or the speckled sepals of a poppy flower.

Evoking entomological displays found in attics or buried in archival collections, the renderings are tinged with nostalgia and an antique feel, as if they’d just been relieved of a thick layer. “I like objects with soul, old cinema, the world of Van Gogh and Pieter Bruegel,” she tells Colossal. ” I feel best in contact with nature. I was inspired to create a series with moths and butterflies by the beauty of these mysterious, small, and fragile creatures, which are extremely graceful models.”

Antosik sells prints and cards on Etsy, and you can follow her latest botanical and entomological renderings on Behance and Instagram.

 

Two moths are surrounded by flowers on a black backdrop

Three moths are surrounded by red lowers on a black backdrop

Green leaves sprout from a moth on a black backdrop

nine vibrant moths and butterflies displayed on a beige backdrop

red and white flowers surround a butterfly silhouette with complementary florals on its body

yellow flowers surround three moths on a brown and black backdrop

ten moths with muted, jewel tones are arranged for display on a black backdrop

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 Fragile Moths, Butterflies, and Botanicals Commingle in Żaneta Antosik’s Moody Digital Illustrations appeared first on Colossal.



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Cosmic Delights and Distant Discoveries Unfold in ‘Astronomy Photographer of the Year 15’

A photograph of the sun.

Mehmet Ergün (Germany), “The Great Solar Flare,” highly commended in the “Our Sun” category. All images © the photographers, courtesy of Astronomy Photographer of the Year, shared with permission

In its 15th year, the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition (previously) welcomed more than 4,000 entries from photographers in 64 countries, who set their sights on the night skies. From solar flares to dancing auroras to distant galaxies, the winners of this year’s contest highlight the endless wonders of the cosmos and the astonishing technological advances that allow us to see lightyears away in unprecedented detail.

The overall winning image, “Andromeda, Unexpected,” was the result of a collaboration between astrophotographers Marcel Drechsler, Xavier Strottner, and Yann Sainty. The trio discovered an enormous plasma arc next to the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), spurring a transnational scientific collaboration to further investigate the phenomena.

We’ve shared a few favorites here, and you can see all shortlisted images in the contest’s online gallery. If you’re in London, you can visit the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich starting on September 16 to see more than 100 prints on display.

 

A landscape with reflecting aurora borealis on water.

Andreas Ettl (Germany), “Circle of Light,” runner-up in the aurorae category

A photograph of Andromeda with a plasma arc next to it.

Marcel Drechsler (Germany), Xavier Strottner (France), and Yann Sainty (France), “Andromeda, Unexpected,” galaxies category winner and overall winner

A photograph of the "Running Chicken" nebula.

Runwei Xu (China) and Binyu Wang (China), “The Running Chicken Nebula,” winner of the Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year award

A photograph of numerous galaxies and stars.

Paul Montague (Australia), “Neighbours,” highly commended in the galaxies category

A photograph of a person standing below a satellite or receptor, beneath the night sky with stars captured in a time-lapse

Katie McGuinness (U.K.), “Close Encounters of the Haslingden Kind,” highly commended in the “People and Space” category

Magenta light branching down out of the sky.

Angel An (China), “Grand Cosmic Fireworks,” winner in the skyscapes category

Mars peeking out from behind the moon.

Ethan Chappel (U.S.), “Mars-Set,” winner in the “Our Moon” category

Phases of the moon rising, shot over a bridge.

Haohan Sun (China), “Moon at Nightfall,” highly commended in the Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year category

A dark spot on the sun.

Peter Ward (Australia), “Dark Star,” runner-up in the “Our Sun” category

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 Cosmic Delights and Distant Discoveries Unfold in ‘Astronomy Photographer of the Year 15’ appeared first on Colossal.



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At Elmhurst Art Museum, Contemporary Figurative Artists Reconsider Picasso’s Artistic Legacy Fifty Years After His Death

A painting by Laura Berger of female figures.

Laura Berger, “Reflecting, Refracting.” All images © the artists, courtesy of Elmhurst Museum, shared with permission

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Pablo Picasso’s death, Elmhurst Art Museum joins a global movement of shows looking back at the artist’s work to present Picasso: 50 Years Later, a celebration of his unmistakable influence on modern art.

Organized in three parts, the exhibition introduces Picasso in the context of his contemporaries, like Alexander Archipenko, Fernand Léger, and Joan Miró. The museum also debuts a series of linocut prints from a private collection, which will later embark on a tour titled Picasso and the Progressive Proof. And Chicago-based contemporary artists Laura Berger, Liz Flores, Richard Hull, Leasho Johnson, and José Lerma highlight how the artist’s legacy is reappraised and reimagined in figurative work being made today.

Picasso: 50 Years Later continues through January 27, 2024, in Elmhurst, Illinois. Visit the museum’s website for more information and to plan your visit.

 

A linocut print by Pablo Picasso.

Pablo Picasso, “Bacchanal with Kid Goat and Onlooker” (1959), linocut proof. Image © 2023 Estate of Pablo Picasso and Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Two images. On the left, an abstract portrait by José Lerma. On the right, an abstract figurative drawing by Liz Flores.

Left: José Lerma, “Potato Gave (Left Profile)” (2016), acrylic on canvas, 40 x 30 inches. Right: Liz Flores, “Mujeres 5” (2023), oil on pastel paper, 9 x 12 inches

An abstract figurative painting by Liz Flores.

Liz Flores, “A Day to Rest” (2023), acrylic on canvas, 48 x 60 inches

An abstract figurative painting by Richard Hull.

Richard Hull, “The Night” (2022), oil and wax ground on linen, 72 x 48 inches

An abstract figurative painting by Leasho Johnson.

Leasho Johnson, “Man Standing in Cane Field” (2020), charcoal, watercolor, distemper, acrylic, spray paint, oil stick, and oil paint on canvas, 30 x 24 inches

A painting by Laura Berger of transparent, overlaid figures.

Larger Berger, “A Lightness, a Flight”

An installation view of paintings.

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 At Elmhurst Art Museum, Contemporary Figurative Artists Reconsider Picasso’s Artistic Legacy Fifty Years After His Death appeared first on Colossal.



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RISD Launches New Program to Boost Corporate Creativity

a blue graphic with arrows

It’s no secret that businesses want more creativity. In one recent study, 77 percent of CEOs said they struggle to find the innovation and creativity skills they need. At the same time, creativity has never been in more demand. The basis of competition is shifting as technology continues to reshape industries. In a post-pandemic world, people are questioning long-held assumptions about the workplace. Attention is increasingly turning to the impacts of business on communities and the environment. Unfortunately, corporate cultures tend to limit the very creativity they need and organizations get stuck reproducing the “best practices” of the past. RISD is launching a new program that aims to help.

RISD has always embraced the power of art and design to shape the world and the value of creative thinkers to take on its big challenges. The college is committed to educating students and the public and contributing to society through critical thinking and innovation across disciplines. Of course, educating future artists and designers is central to that mission, but RISD doesn’t believe creativity should be restricted to a chosen few.

RISD ExED is a new initiative to create educational opportunities for business people regardless of their level of formal design training. Its goal is to enable people from any industry to transform their work with new insights and inspiration while exploring the intersections of art, design, and business.

 

RISD’s riverside campus in Providence, Rhode Island

ExED’s first pilot program, the Art of Creativity, is designed for people from any field who want to reinvigorate their own work as an opportunity for creative practice. RISD’s tradition of studio education means participants won’t just be sitting in lectures. A mix of on-campus, online, and on-the-job activities will help participants reconnect with their own creative aspirations, build habits that foster creative practice, tap into the creative power of groups, and lead creative work in their own organizations.

The Art of Creativity is an open-enrollment program that individual learners can sign up for themselves. The on-campus launch of the inaugural cohort will take place on December 5 and 6. ExED is offering early registration discounts for participants who sign up by September 30.

To register, visit risd.edu/exed/art-of-creativity.

Over the coming years, RISD ExED will be developing a portfolio of programs for executive and corporate audiences that draw on faculty from across the institution and the expertise of the extended RISD community. The next program in their pipeline, The Design Lab, will allow a single company to convene collaborators around a tough business challenge and approach it in a new way through the lens of design. Additional program titles have yet to be announced, but if RISD’s track record as a place for experimentation and exploration is any indicator, they promise to be interesting.

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 RISD Launches New Program to Boost Corporate Creativity appeared first on Colossal.



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Wednesday, September 13, 2023

An Enormous New Book Celebrates 308 Latin American Artists Across Three Centuries

A colorful ceiling surrounds an installation with chairs and easels and plants

Sol Calero, “La Escuela del Sur (The School of the South)” (2015), mixed media, installation view. Photo by Andy Keate. All images courtesy of the artists and Phaidon, shared with permission

Dubbed the essential survey of artists living and working across Latin America, a monumental new book catalogs three centuries of output across 20 Spanish and Portuguese-speaking regions. Latin American Artists: From 1785 to Now, forthcoming from Phaidon, spans 352 pages of contemporary and historic paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, performances, and more. Large imagery accompanies brief texts introducing 308 artists who’ve made significant contributions to the canon, including Frida Kahlo, Tomás Saraceno, Leonora Carrington, and Ernesto Neto. Arranged alphabetically, the tome brings together myriad styles, techniques, and methodologies to highlight the vast range of work coming from the region.

Latin American Artists: From 1785 to Now will be released on October 4, and you can pre-order your copy on Bookshop.

 

A wreck like object rests on a beach

Simón Vega, “Tropical Space Hostel” (2019), wood, metal sheets, plastic, found objects, and light, 98 2/5 × 137 4/5 × 98 2/5 inches, installation view, Summit Tulum, Tulum, Mexico. Image courtesy of MAIA Contemporary

A woman in a maid's uniform sits on a throne-like chair with a feather duster

Sandra Eleta, “Edita (la del plumero) Panamá (Edita (The One with the Feather Duster) Panama)” (1978–80), from the series ‘La servidumbre (Servitude),’ 19 × 19 inches

an open book spread

an abstract sculpture of wood and colorful fabrics rests on the floor

Sonia Gomes, “Sol” (2018), stitching, bindings, different fabrics, and laces on wood and wire, 36 1/4 × 47 1/4 × 39 3/8 inches. Photo by Bruno Leão. Image courtesy of Sonia Gomes and Mendes Wood DM, São Paulo / Brussels / New York

Two geometric paneled orbs suspend with strings connecting various sides

Tomás Saraceno, “NGTS-2 b/M+MB” (2017), stainless steel, rope, fishing line, metal wire, and mirror panels, 25 5/8 × 41 3/8 × 41 3/8 inches. Image courtesy of Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York / Los Angeles

an open book spread

a llama holds a pack with strings attached to everyday objects that appear to float in the air

Claudia Martínez Garay, “Chunka Tawayuq Pacha (PACHA #14)” (2022), tufting, 98 3/8 × 61 3/8 inches. Image courtesy of GRIMM Amsterdam / New York / London

Three performers hold their arms out to the sides while they wear mirrored hats and rings around their bodies

Eduardo Navarro, “Instructions from the Sky” (2016). Photo by Timothy Schenck, commissioned and produced by Frieze Art Inc. for Frieze New York

a book cover that says Latin american artists from 1785 to now

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 An Enormous New Book Celebrates 308 Latin American Artists Across Three Centuries appeared first on Colossal.



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Stephanie Shih Wedges Mass Culture Against Loss in ‘American Gothic’

A vintage box of a 10-count package of Twinkies.

All photos by Robert Bredvad, courtesy of Harkawik, shared with permission

In a world saturated with logos, branding, and advertisements, is it possible to find comfort in commercial objects? By reconnecting with fragments of her childhood, ceramicist Stephanie Shih replicates domestic items from the ’80s and ’90s, portraying mundane goods with potent emotion. 

Molding each sculpture by hand, the Brooklyn-based artist uses stoneware clay to create hollow forms. She paints each with underglaze and adds a clear layer to some, achieving a finish similar to plastic or glass packaging. Extensive lettering appears in the form of logos, ingredients, nutrition facts, and even newspaper articles, all done freehand. 

The artist’s forthcoming solo exhibition, American Gothic, borrows its name from Grant Wood’s prominent Great Depression painting. Referencing an artwork identifiable with American culture, Shih directs viewers toward the dissonance between Asian immigrants and their children when generational identities become intertwined with consumer goods. Viewing her sculptures as “stuck in time,” she focuses on uplifting the evocative qualities of obsolete objects, in contrast to their fleeting existence in the real world.

Shih explains that while personal reflections are welcome, “the work isn’t exactly about nostalgia. Whereas nostalgia implies sentimentality and longing, for me, these objects gesture toward a sense of loss: lost time, lost usefulness, meanings lost in translation, lost selves.”

American Gothic opens at Harkawik Los Angeles on September 16. See more on Shih’s Instagram and website.

 

A VHS of "Snoopy Come Home."

A carton of Superior milk, with a missing dog ad on the back featuring Snoopy.

A newspaper from 1983.

Left: A Mcdonald's fish filet clamshell. Right: a filer-o-fish that's been bitten.

A pack of Prozac pills.

A lucky cat.

A bar of Dial soap.

Wonderbread loaf.

A jar of marshmallow fluff

A stack of books. The one of top reads, "Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care."

A fruit basket.

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 Stephanie Shih Wedges Mass Culture Against Loss in ‘American Gothic’ appeared first on Colossal.



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In an Open-Source Stamp Kit, ‘BlockFace’ Gets Tactile With Type

For hundreds of years, typography was an innately physical medium, beginning with ornate metal designs followed by mass-produced wood varieties that were cheaper and could be scaled up or down. In the 21st century, we think of typefaces and fonts as things that come in digital packages, but artist and designer Will Mower aims to bring interaction and tactility back to the art form. His BlockFace Kit, a modular stamp set, plays with elemental shapes that invite creativity and imagination without requiring the space for large sort drawers or expensive presses.

Produced in collaboration with Open Press Project (previously), BlockFace relies on a combination of 3D-printed and laser-cut pieces that attach to the stamp pieces, which you can choose to make yourself with provided instructions or purchase fully constructed. The complete kit comes with a magnetic case, black and red ink pads, and a printed manual that teaches six styles: Bauhaus, lowercase, slab serif, Grotesque, Standard, and curved. The real joy, of course, is in creating your own!

BlockFace is in its final couple of days on Kickstarter, where you can view a demonstration video and pre-order your own. Find more updates on Instagram. (via Creative Boom)

 

All images © Will Mower

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 In an Open-Source Stamp Kit, ‘BlockFace’ Gets Tactile With Type appeared first on Colossal.



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A Knotted Octopus Carved Directly into Two Pianos Entwines Maskull Lasserre’s New Musical Sculpture

“The Third Octave” (2023). All images © Maskull Lasserre, shared with permission Behind the hammers and pins of most upright pianos is a ...