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#posters and printsJune 28, 2021
Grace EbertAll images © Thomas Yang, shared with permission
In his new print “Journey to Zen,” artist Thomas Yang (previously) focuses on the mental benefits of his favorite pastime. The Singapore-based artist is behind 100 Copies, an ongoing print project in which he releases limited-edition works centered around his love of cycling—previous iterations include architectural renderings inked with bike tires and a competitive peloton of riders.
“Journey to Zen” renders a lone cyclist in a manner similar to a Japanese sand garden, using long, uninterrupted strokes of black ink. “To simulate that particular style with continuous lines or samon (砂紋) in the gravel, I had decided to use a rake paintbrush as part of the tool. To familiarise (myself) with the brush, it took me quite a while to practice on the strokes and shades, especially for those curvy ones,” the artist shares. Once complete, Yang digitally enhanced the brushtrokes and printed the piece on textured paper to deepen the stone-like effect.
Born out of a period of uncertainty, the fluid and composed lines represent the meditative qualities of the sport and its ability to serve as an outlet for stress and anxiety. “Sometimes, taking our bike out for a ride brings us on an inward journey,” Yang says. “Almost like a form of Zen meditation, the noise fades, our mind clears, and all we are focused on is the path before us. The longer and farther we go, the more we learn about ourselves and the nature of our mind.”
There are still a few “Journey to Zen” prints available on 100 Copies, where you can find more of Yang’s available works.#bicycles
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Kate Mothes More
Detail of “Construcción en cabeza—Cabeza en construcción.” All images courtesy of the artist, shared with permission
David Moreno’s Anthropomorphic Foundations Support Cascading Villages
September 19, 2024
Art
Kate Mothes
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From thin rods of steel, Barcelona-based artist David Moreno (previously) constructs towering houses and cascading villages that reflect the architecture of our lives. He often incorporates anthropomorphic, anatomical elements, suggesting skeletons or beating hearts.
For example, “Construcción en cabeza—Cabeza en construcción,” which translates to “head construction—head under construction,” a hillside-like foundation takes the form of a face. And “Resumen 2020,” meaning “Summary 2020,” is a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, assuming the silhouette of a human skull.
“Resumen 2020”
Moreno’s sculptures alternate between rigidity and fluidity as he manipulates the thick wire into solid walls or curving arcs, such as in “La vie en rose.” Balanced carefully on columns of scaffolding, gabled structures cling somewhat precariously to their supports, referencing the sprawling, stacked hillside favelas like those in Rio de Janeiro.
The artist is currently conceptualizing a new three-meter-wide installation for an architecture firm in Miami, and he has been scaling down his larger sculptures into gold and silver pendant designs. Check out more of Moreno’s work on Behance, and follow updates on Instagram.
“Los Del Extrarradio”
“Construcción en cabeza—Cabeza en construcción”
“El dorado en expansion II”
“Vanitas”
“La vie en rose”
“Conexion de catedral II”
“Melodía Circular”
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Detail of “Brighid” (2024), oil on canvas, 100 x 130 centimeters. All images courtesy of Andrew McIntosh, shared with permission
Mysterious Orbs Illuminate Deserted Landscapes in Andrew McIntosh’s New Paintings
September 25, 2024
Art
Grace Ebert
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Nested in rusted caravans or hovering above vast landscapes, small glowing orbs reminiscent of the sun, stars, and otherworldly technologies populate Andrew McIntosh’s latest body of work.
On view with James Freeman Gallery for the British Art Fair, The Calling conjures McIntosh’s interest in mystery and magic. The London-based Scottish artist often evokes the lush, dramatic landscapes of Romantic paintings, which he recasts with a supernatural bent.
“Étaín” (2024), oil on canvas, 170 x 130 centimeters
Pieces like “Étaín” and “Brighid” recall McIntosh’s earlier works that tuck entrancing portals into travel trailers, a symbol of the adventurous spirit. These newer paintings similarly position wide ocean views inside the mobile homes, contrasting the immense scale of the sea with the tiny confines of the caravan.
The Calling also steps back to take a broad look at natural wonders. Expansive landforms like the St. Kilda archipelago in Scotland and Mount Everest are veiled in a hazy wash of oranges and pinks, and the illuminated orbs float along their edges.
These works explore “how the wilderness worldwide, such as the mountain faces of Everest and K2, has the power to act as host for the inexplicable and the mysterious,” McIntosh shares, adding that they “speak to (a) need to engage with something greater, something beyond our physical substance.”
The Calling is on view from September 26 to 29. Find more from McIntosh on his website and Instagram.
“Plate II: Suilven” (2024), oil on canvas, 110 x 130 centimeters
“St Kilda Lights” (2024), oil on board, 42 x 23 centimeters
“Brighid” (2024), oil on canvas, 100 x 130 centimeters
“Everest Lights” (2024), oil on linen, 35 x 40 centimeters
“St Kilda Caves” (2024), oil on linen,53 x 33 centimeters
“Meant to climb” (2024), oil on linen, 50 x 30 centimeters
“Odyssey” (2024), oil on canvas, 100 x 130 centimeters
“K2 Lights” (2024), oil on linen, 35 x 40 centimeters
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