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    A Fleet of Aging Cars Takes a Chromatic Turn in Fred Battle’s Caravan-Sized Color Chart

    All photos by Agency.WTF, courtesy of Fred Battle, shared with permission

    A Fleet of Aging Cars Takes a Chromatic Turn in Fred Battle’s Caravan-Sized Color Chart

    October 15, 2024

    Art

    Grace Ebert

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    In an old French scrapyard, Fred Battle hits the brakes on a fleet of aging cars. For his 2019 installation “Solara,” the artist painted the exteriors of 144 dilapidated vehicles from the 60s to 90s with vibrant colors. Hoods, roofs, and trunks shine once again with bold hues corresponding to an RGB color value, their codes written on the bonnet.

    “I decided to create this color chart by observing the action of the sun on the horizontal surfaces of these cars,” Battle wrote. “As each of these cars has had its proper life as an object, then applying one specific color on each reveals its singularity, its personal and particular use.”

    Enveloped by lush foliage, the automobiles are parked in chromatic rows, creating an enormous, outdoor swatch book best viewed from above.

    Battle frequently works on walls, vehicles, and canvases, painting bright, dynamic works that grapple with movement, public space, and gathering. Find much more on his Instagram.

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    In London, a 15-Foot Flower by Shepard Fairey Advocates for Environmental Justice

    All photos by Jonathan Furlong, courtesy of the artist ObeyGiant, shared with permission

    In London, a 15-Foot Flower by Shepard Fairey Advocates for Environmental Justice

    October 11, 2024

    ArtClimateSocial Issues

    Grace Ebert

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    At 36 Boundary Street in London, a bold new mural rises 15 feet above the street. Anchored by scales atop a small seedling, the public artwork by Shepard Fairey addresses environmental justice and our responsibility to care for the planet.

    “I believe that our individual and collective actions will dramatically impact current and future generations, be it for the better or for the worse. It is our responsibility as the citizens of Earth to protect it,” the artist said.

    A series of workshops with young Londoners inspired the bright, graphic motif. The group was interested in expanding access to green space and reducing air pollution, and given the recent convening of the United Nations General Assembly focusing on international cooperation, connection between countries and cultures was top of mind.

    The project was produced by Charlotte Pyatt, Simon Butler, and Migrate Art, which has raised more than £2.1 million in the last decade through creative projects in refugee camps in France and Northern Iraq, with the Indigenous Xingu people in the Amazon, and in collaboration with U.K.-based charities feeding London’s unhoused population.

    Find more from the artist on his website.

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    A Vibrant Ndebele Mural by Esther Mahlangu Illuminates Unity at Serpentine North

    “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” (2024), Serpentine North Garden. Photo by George Darrell. Image courtesy of Serpentine and The Melrose Gallery, shared with permission

    A Vibrant Ndebele Mural by Esther Mahlangu Illuminates Unity at Serpentine North

    October 10, 2024

    Art

    Kate Mothes

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    For more than eight decades, Dr. Esther Mahlangu has been creating large-scale, site-specific works that draw on the artistic traditions of Ndebele culture.

    Known for her vibrant, patterned compositions, Mahlangu learned techniques for decorating houses from her mother and grandmother while growing up in South Africa. She mixes natural pigments with clay, soil, and cow dung to paint directly on the exteriors of structures in her village.

    Photo by George Darrell

    Ndebele house painting emerged in the mid-18th century when the matrilineal tribe began to build huts out of mud rather than grass. Women applied colorful patterns to the walls to not only brighten the village but also communicate with others.

    The geometric shapes, characterized by bold, black outlines, serve as a visual language to express personal values, prayers, or major life events.

    Mahlangu paints by hand without using stencils or masking tape, employing chicken feathers and various brushes to create painstaking geometries that preserve a handmade quality. Over time, she has also created numerous works on canvas, using acrylic to broaden the range of hues in her work.

    Esther Mahlangu photographed by Clint Strydom, courtesy of The Melrose Gallery

    At Serpentine North in Hyde Park, London, Mahlangu’s first installation the U.K. was unveiled this week on a wall in the gallery’s garden.

    Comprising six wooden panels, the monumental mural celebrates unity and community and taps into an Ndebele philosophy: “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu,” which translates to: “I am because you are.”

    The mural remains on view through September 28, 2025. Plan your visit on the Serpentine website, and learn more about Mahlangu’s remarkable work and career on her website and Instagram.

    Photo by Clint Strydom, courtesy of The Melrose Gallery

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    Nature and Geometry Merge in Yulia Brodskaya’s Meticulously Quilled Paper Birds

    “Nature of Things.” All images courtesy of Yulia Brodskaya, shared with permission

    Nature and Geometry Merge in Yulia Brodskaya’s Meticulously Quilled Paper Birds

    October 10, 2024

    ArtCraftNature

    Kate Mothes

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    From individual strips of colorful, methodically folded paper, Yulia Brodskaya’s vibrant compositions take wing. In a new series of quilled artworks, the artist (previously) taps into her love of drawing to emphasize the power of a line.

    “In my paper art practice, a drawn two-dimensional line is represented by a three-dimensional strip of paper glued on its edge,” Brodskaya says. For her mini-series of birds, the dimensionality of each line symbolizes ethereality and energy made visible.

    “Eagle of Light”

    In “Nature of Things,” for example, a kingfisher sits on the edge of a leaf, which appears to overflow with a geometric grid evocative of quantum illustrations of black holes.

    Foliage initially inspired the composition. “I was just sitting, observing its shape, following the curving lines with my eyes, and it didn’t take long to receive a vision of a superimposed toroidal shape…” she says, “like an organising principle that has always been there.”

    Find more of Brodskaya’s work on her website, and peek into her practice on Instagram.

    Detail of “Eagle of Light”

    “Things of Nature”

    Detail of “Nature of Things”

    “Take Off”

    Detail of “Take Off”

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    Spider Lilies and Cherry Blossoms by Sakae Unfurl in Wire and Resin Hair Pieces

    All images courtesy of Sakae, shared with permission

    Spider Lilies and Cherry Blossoms by Sakae Unfurl in Wire and Resin Hair Pieces

    October 9, 2024

    ArtCraft

    Kate Mothes

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    Originating during the ancient Jōmon period in Japan, the kanzashi is a rod or stick worn in the hair. This accessory evolved over time to encompass other ornaments like barrettes and fabric flowers. Today, they’re worn by geishas and brides.

    Tokyo-based artist Sakae (previously) continues this centuries-old tradition through an ongoing series of contemporary hairpins. Using liquid resin and wire, she meticulously styles cherry blossoms, hydrangeas, and spider lilies into ornate, wearable pieces.

    Explore these delicate works in-depth on her website.

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    From Early Computers to Ships at Sea, Lola Dupre Warps Everyday Objects

    From Early Computers to Ships at Sea, Lola Dupre Warps Everyday Objects

    October 9, 2024

    ArtPhotography

    Grace Ebert

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    How would you find home row in fourth-grade typing class if there were 1,700 keys in front of you? Lola Dupre’s latest collages would be intimidating to even the most ambitious student.

    The artist (previously) continues her disorienting manipulations with a pair of early Apple desktops, ships with enough stories to rival a high-rise, and a cow so bloated she needs eight legs to stand. Each work pushes the limits of legibility as limbs and common objects undergo exaggerated distortions.

    Dupre’s work is on view through November 23 at Prescription Art in Brighton, and she has another show slated for April at Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles. Until then, find more on Instagram.

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    Temporary Interventions by Kobra Convey the Critical Impacts of Increasing Wildfires

    All images courtesy of Kobra, shared with permission

    Temporary Interventions by Kobra Convey the Critical Impacts of Increasing Wildfires

    October 8, 2024

    ArtClimate

    Kate Mothes

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    Around the world, rising temperatures and ecosystem imbalances due the climate crisis have spurred an increasing number of wildfires annually. Brazil, for example, has seen more than 180,000 hot spots this year as of mid-September, the most since 2010. As deforestation reduces rainfall, a catastrophic cycle of drought and wildfires has only strengthened.

    For Eduardo Kobra, the unprecedented number of uncontrolled blazes spurred a new series of artworks drawing attention to this troubling reality. As fires impacted rural and urban areas alike, including the city of Araçariguama—a little more than 30 miles from São Paulo—the artist chose a local area scorched by flames to document a collection of temporary interventions.

    Drawing attention to the wildlife and habitats being destroyed, Kobra portrays birds, monkeys, anteaters, and other creatures surrounded by burned forest. In one piece, a firefighter assists a baby jaguar, and in another—a sign of hope—a child waters a sprouting plant.

    Kobra is known for his large-scale murals on buildings around the world, which emphasize vibrant portraits and nods to pop culture through characteristically bright, geometric patterns. Using biodegradable materials, his new series of cutout panels uses a relatively smaller scale to address an enormously critical issue.

    See more on his website and Instagram.

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    Collaged Portraits by Emma Odumade Draw on the Past to Face the Future

    “Call of Duty (A New Anthem)” (2024), charcoal, acrylic, ink, vintage photos, and black tea on canvas, 101.6 x 101.6 centimeters. All images courtesy of the artist and Unit London, shared with permission

    Collaged Portraits by Emma Odumade Draw on the Past to Face the Future

    October 8, 2024

    ArtPhotography

    Kate Mothes

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    Growing up in Lagos, Emma Odumade always drew cartoons and created collages on paper. As he continued to make work, his interest grew in highlighting the world around him, especially young people in his community.

    Odumade’s vibrant portraits and self-portraits, the latter of which he makes toward the end of every year, reflect a sense of unity, a search for self, love, and anticipation of the future. These particular works arose as “an attempt to have a diary—I never had one,” he says. “I needed to rediscover myself; see myself from an angle—from a third eye. My art became a mirror, through which I was a reflection.”

    “Mister Fly” (2024), charcoal, acrylic, vintage photos, ink, graphite, colored pencil, and black tea on canvas, 147.32 x 119.38 centimeters

    Portraits serve as records of activities and experiences, documenting the artist’s observations and referencing history and culture to tell personal stories. He combines images with other mediums like charcoal, acrylic, ink, and repurposed earlier sketches, invoking what he calls “stamps of moments”—a collection of memories viewed through the spectrum of past, present, and future.

    “I love that I can reference historical events, stolen African artifacts, and my humble beginnings through a photo,” Odumade tells Colossal. He collages the backgrounds of many compositions with numerous black-and-white images dyed with tea to give an antique appearance. “The vintage brown look of the old photos is to remind viewers about [the] past and to give a ‘test of time’ feeling.”

    Five new works will be presented by Unit London at 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London, which runs from October 10 to 13. Explore more of Odumade’s practice on Instagram.

    “My Favorite Albert’s Theory” (2020-2021), charcoal, acrylic, ink, black tea, and sketch paper on canvas, 163 x 148 centimeters. Additional credit to Lekan Abatan

    “Seth; Why Run Away From Light Equals Infin9s” (2021-2022), charcoal, graphite, acrylic, ink, sketches, old photos, and black tea on paper. Additional credit to Ken Nwadiogbu

    “A Wave to Remember” (2024), charcoal, acrylic, black tea, and vintage photos on canvas, 146.05 x 119.38 centimeters

    “Three Sequences” (2021), charcoal, acrylic, black tea, ink, and old photos on canvas, 124 x 97 centimeters. Additional credit to Eshinlokun Wasiu

    “First Motion to Fly (Mr. Professor)” (2024), charcoal, acrylic, ink, vintage photos, feather, and black tea on canvas, 147.32 x 119.38 centimeters

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