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    ‘Little Beasts’ Is a First-of-Its-Kind Museum Collaboration Reveling in Art and the Natural World

    Jacopo Ligozzi, “A Groundhog or Marmot with a Branch of Plums”. (1605), brush with brown and black wash, point of the brush with black and brown ink and white gouache, and watercolor, over traces of graphite on burnished paper, sheet: 13 x 16 5/8 inches. All images courtesy of The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., shared with permission

    ‘Little Beasts’ Is a First-of-Its-Kind Museum Collaboration Reveling in Art and the Natural World

    March 21, 2025

    ArtHistoryNatureScience

    Kate Mothes

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    During the 16th and 17th centuries, major developments in colonial expansion, trade, and scientific technology spurred a fervor for studying the natural world. Previously unknown or overlooked species were documented with unprecedented precision, and artists captured countless varieties of flora and fauna in paintings, prints, and encyclopedic volumes.

    Marking a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Little Beasts: Art, Wonder, and the Natural World pairs nearly 75 prints, drawings, and paintings with around 60 objects from the NMNH collection.

    Jan van Kessel the Elder, “Insects and a Sprig of Rosemary” (1653), oil on panel, 4 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches

    “In major cities like Antwerp, artists such as Joris and Jacob Hoefnagel and Jan van Kessel created highly detailed drawings, prints, and paintings of these insects, animals, and other beestjes, or ‘little beasts’ in Dutch,” says the National Gallery of Art. “Their works inspired generations of artists and naturalists, fueling the burgeoning science of natural history.”

    Natural history has been a focus for scholars since ancient times, albeit early commentary was a bit more wide-ranging than its definition today. The largest single work to have survived from the Roman Empire is Pliny the Elder’s Naturalis Historia, which consists of 37 books divided into 10 volumes and covers everything from astronomy to zoology and mineralogy to art.

    Studying the natural world in ancient and early modern times was predominantly a philosophical pursuit until a discernible change during the Renaissance. By the 16th century, attitudes had shifted. The humanist learning tradition, centered on literature and the arts, began to give way to more advanced explanations for natural objects, describing their types and transformations and grouping them into classes.

    Private collections played a fundamental role in founding many natural history archives. The popularity of Wunderkammers, or “rooms of wonder,” transformed a pastime of the wealthy into exercises in scholarly prestige. By the late 17th century, more rigorous and formalized classification systems emerged as the philosophical component waned.

    Wenceslaus Hollar, “Shell (Murex brandaris)” (c. 1645), etching on laid paper, plate: 3 3/4 x 5 3/8 inches

    Throughout this time, artists like Albrecht Dürer, Clara Peeters, and Wenceslaus Hollar created works that responded to new discoveries. From biologically accurate renderings of shells and insects to playful compositions that employ animals and plants as decorative motifs, paintings and prints were often the only means by which the public could see newly discovered species.

    “Art and science have been closely aligned throughout the 175-year history of the Smithsonian,” says Kirk Johnson, director of the NMNH. “Even today, researchers at the National Museum of Natural History depend on scientific illustrators to bring clarity and understanding to the specimens they study.”

    Little Beasts opens on May 18 and continues through November 2 at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Find more on the museum’s website.

    Clara Peeters, “Still Life with Flowers Surrounded by Insects and a Snail” (c. 1610), oil on copper,
    overall: 6 9/16 x 5 5/16 inches; framed: 10 x 9 x 1 1/2 inches

    Robert Hooke, “Micrographia: or, Some physiological descriptions of minute bodies made by magnifying glasses. / With observations and inquiries thereupon” (1665), bound volume with etched illustrations height (foldout illustrations significantly larger): 12 3/16 inches

    Jan van Kessel the Elder, “Artist’s Name in Insects and Reptiles [bottom center]” (1658), oil on copper, overall: 5 5/8 x 7 1/2 inches; framed: 9 7/8 x 12 1/8 inches

    Jan van Kessel the Elder, “Noah’s Family Assembling Animals Before the Ark” (c. 1660), oil on panel, overall: 25 3/4 x 37 3/16 inches; framed: 32 3/4 x 44 1/4 inches

    An Elephant Beetle (Megasoma e. elephas) from the Department of Entomology collections at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History

    Wenceslaus Hollar, “Two Butterflies, a Wasp, and a Moth” (1646), etching on laid paper, plate: 3 3/16 x 4 3/4 inches; sheet: 3 1/4 x 4 13/16 inches

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    David Surman’s Gestural Paintings Question How We Understand Animal Emotion

    “Bathers At K’gari” (2024), oil on canvas, 100 x 120 centimeters. All images courtesy of David Surman and Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery, shared with permission

    David Surman’s Gestural Paintings Question How We Understand Animal Emotion

    March 7, 2025

    Art

    Grace Ebert

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    Now based in London, David Surman was raised in a small coastal village in southwest England. The bucolic scenery and access to animals left an indelible impact on the artist, who plumbs his memory and draws on a vast array of art historical references in his paintings.

    Surman’s most recent body of work is on view in his solo exhibition at Rebecca Hassock Art Gallery. In comparison to previous collections, After the Flood is less abstract but similarly gestural, as sweeping brushstrokes delineate a bull’s sinewed musculature or the curled mane of a bashful horse.

    “Clarion Call” (2024), oil on canvas, 120 x 100 centimeters

    Interested in the ways we project our experiences and ideologies onto the natural world, Surman renders recognizable subjects in a manner that reflects our tendency to ascribe human emotion and feeling to other species. “I like painting animals because they short-circuit people’s interpretive routines and get them looking at paint without the self-consciousness they might bring to abstract painting,” he said in a 2023 interview, adding:

    The creatures that I paint are caught up in our human problem, which is the separation from the world caused by consciousness. The way in which my animals look at the viewer deliberately sets up a feeling of intensity, perhaps troubled engagement, a kind of accusation or affection. But in every case, the creature possesses a trace or residue of conscious agency.

    In “Old Stew Head,” for example, viewers encounter a deeply troubled fox grasping a limp fish in its jaws. The dog in “Bathers At K’gari” is similarly anxious as it carries a young pup under a bright blue sky.

    After the Flood continues in London through March 29. Find more from the artist on his website and Instagram.

    “Old Stew Head” (2025), oil on canvas, 60 x 50 centimeters

    “Icarus And Daedalus” (2024), oil on canvas, 120 x 100 centimeters

    “Kelpie Of Loch Ailort” (2024), oil on canvas, 60 x 50 centimeters

    “The Explorers” (2025), oil on canvas, 100 x 120 centimeters

    “Leo The Lion (Art For Art’s Sake)” (2025), oil on canvas, 120 x 100 centimeters

    “Ostracon” (2025), oil on canvas, 160 x 140 centimeters

    “A Frog In An Endless Pond” (2024), oil on canvas, 60 x 50 centimeters

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    Felines Evoke ‘A Floating World’ in Tùng Nâm’s Whimsical Illustrations

    All images © Tùng Nâm, shared with permission

    Felines Evoke ‘A Floating World’ in Tùng Nâm’s Whimsical Illustrations

    February 19, 2025

    ArtIllustration

    Kate Mothes

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    Accompanied by delicate insects and social betta fish, the cats in Tùng Nâm’s illustrations (previously) alternate between curiosity, serenity, friskiness, and determination. The artist portrays a diversity of feline natures, merging their likenesses with flowers, waves, foliage, and clouds.

    Nâm’s characters are playfully anthropomorphized, donning patterned kimonos and hair ornaments. The series emerged organically from practice sketches of flowers in the ukiyo-e style.

    “I felt like it was missing something, so I tried to add a cat as the protagonist,” Nâm tells Colossal. “Somehow it still doesn’t feel right, so I think of adding a companion—fishes, butterfly, dragonfly—like they were encountering each other in a specific moment.” Fittingly, he called the series An encounter.

    An accompanying collection, A Floating World, takes further inspiration from the genre, directly referencing the Japanese word ukiyo. The term describes a hedonistic lifestyle in Edo—now called Tokyo—in the 1600s, spawning a style of art that captured the mood and interests of the period. Famed artists like Hokusai or Hiroshige focused on woodblock printing and painting to represent scenes from history, folk tales, kabuki actors, flora and fauna, landscapes, and more.

    For Nâm, ukiyo-e provides the starting point for exploring a range of subject matter. He’s currently exploring ideas for further illustrations that incorporate different animals and visual cultures.

    Find more on the artist’s Behance and Instagram.

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    Suspicious Animals Take Stock of Their Surroundings in Strangford’s Vibrant Prints

    All images © Strangford, shared with permission

    Suspicious Animals Take Stock of Their Surroundings in Strangford’s Vibrant Prints

    February 3, 2025

    Art

    Jackie Andres

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    A posse of vibrant creatures slyly scope out their surroundings in prints by Jo Pearson, a.k.a. Strangford. From pigeons and rabbits to alligators and fish, the artist’s most recent creations expand upon her previous works featuring playful animals.

    In the last year, Strangford has gradually shifted her practice toward carving wood, contrasting her earlier techniques that largely focused on linoleum. “It might seem like a small change, but it makes a big difference to the character and texture of the print,” the artist explains. “The more handmade the finished print looks the happier I am.”

    As Strangford refines her woodblock carving skills, she also explores the possibilities of reduction printing, which refers to the act of gradually carving away more material from the same block after using it to print initial layers. This is one of the ways she can achieve such detailed expressions and more complex patterns.

    Strangford’s work is currently on view for the Lino Print 4 exhibition in the U.K. Follow the artist’s Instagram for peeks at her process, and check out her website for prints.

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    Turn-of-the-Century Tactile Graphics Illustrate Nature for People Who Are Blind

    Insects and crustaceans. Image licensed from the Perkins School for the Blind Archives

    Turn-of-the-Century Tactile Graphics Illustrate Nature for People Who Are Blind

    January 23, 2025

    ArtHistoryIllustrationNature

    Kate Mothes

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    In the Alsace-Lorraine region, bordering northeastern France and western Germany, the town of Illzach was once home to an institute for the blind. Martin Kunz (1847-1923) directed the school at the turn of the century and produced a remarkable series of embossed graphics that visually impaired students could use to learn about nature and geography.

    Accompanied by braille descriptions, Kunz’s educational aids depict a wide range of plants, animals, and maps. To create each page, he hand-carved two wood pieces that formed a mold, into which he sandwiched paper to produce raised illustrations.

    Crocodile chasing a man. Image licensed from Perkins School for the Blind Archives

    The material was typically thick, and Kunz soaked it in water before placing it between the blocks so that the natural fibers would soften and stretch into shape. Leaves, fish, herons, crocodiles, crustaceans, and more comprise a wide array of designs that he mass-produced and made available to blind students all over the world.

    The library of the Perkins School for the Blind holds a collection of dozens of Kunz’s late-19th and early-20th-century tactile graphics, and you can explore more examples from the collection on the Perkins Library’s Flickr.

    Below, learn more about Kunz’s process in a video from the Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind, presented by director Mike Hudson. And keep an eye on the APH’s website for news about The Dot Experience, the organization’s museum expansion set to open in 2026 in Louisville, Kentucky, that applies inclusive design standards and brings disability access to the fore.

    Various plants. Image licensed from Perkins School for the Blind Archives

    Birds. Image licensed from Perkins School for the Blind Archives

    Flying fish. Image licensed from Perkins School for the Blind Archives

    Tuna and swordfish. Image licensed from Perkins School for the Blind Archives

    Squid. Image licensed from Perkins School for the Blind Archives

    Birds. Image licensed from Perkins School for the Blind Archives

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    Dinosaurs Overrun a World Post Climate Disaster in Michael Kerbow’s Paintings

    “Late Capitalism.” All images © Michael Kerbow, shared with permission

    Dinosaurs Overrun a World Post Climate Disaster in Michael Kerbow’s Paintings

    January 17, 2025

    ArtClimateNature

    Jackie Andres

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    After ending another year of record-breaking climate statistics, we stand at the precipice of 2025, which has already revealed its own devastating challenges. As the window for meaningful change continues to narrow during the next several years, we’re left to wonder what the world might look like if we stay on this path. Through the lens of hyper-consumerism, San Francisco-based artist Michael Kerbow (previously) envisions the future in his wry and imaginative landscape paintings.

    Swarming decayed gas station roofs, perching atop abandoned vehicles in forests, and sauntering past crumbling highways and fast food joints, the dinosaurs in Kerbow’s paintings govern a world overrun by the effects of late-stage capitalism. Hints of climate devastation reveal themselves through small details in the background, such as volcano eruptions, dense, hazy skies, and pools of floodwater.

    “Bypass”

    Kerbow scatters familiar signage and advertisements from recognizable chains within his scenes to introduce humor and make his work more approachable. However, the artist emphasizes the gravity of the issue at hand:

    We like to believe everything we currently have will always be there for us, but I suspect it could just as easily fall apart and slip away.  I try to stay optimistic about the future, but the truth is I am troubled by where I see things appear to be headed, specifically with the health of our ecosystem. Each passing year seems to bring more alarming statistics, and this comfortable place we call home seems to grow more precarious.  It is sobering to consider my artwork as foreshadowing a future reality.

    As Kerbow continues to make new paintings, you can follow along on Instagram and see his website for more.

    “Adaptive Reuse”

    “Vestige (Golden Arches)”

    “Black Monday”

    “Highwater”

    “Glade”

    “Economic Decline”

    “Siren Song”

    “Shadowplay”

    “Oasis”

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    The Dog Did It! Stephen Morrison’s Trompe-l’œils Brim with Canine Character

    “Housework Won’t Kill You, But Why Take a Chance” (2024), oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches. All images courtesy of Stephen Morrison and Hashimoto Contemporary, shared with permission

    The Dog Did It! Stephen Morrison’s Trompe-l’œils Brim with Canine Character

    January 16, 2025

    Art

    Kate Mothes

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    To say that Stephen Morrison’s work is inspired by dogs would be an understatement. Through sculptural assemblages and paintings of puppy faces tucked in foliage or morphing from household items, Morrison evokes the timeless love for our pets.

    “I think I’ve always been a bit of a hedonist and kind of set up to love the life of a dog, of doing whatever you want when you want to do it,” Morrison recently told Hyperallergic in an interview. “That’s why making work with dogs feels so natural because it’s deeply a part of my character.”

    “Every Direction at Once” (2025), oil on panel, 20 x 16 inches

    Morrison also draws inspiration from his beloved pit bull mix, Tilly, who was the ring bearer at his wedding and died three years ago. Her curious visage lives on in the artist’s idiosyncratic compositions, bringing expressive life to everything from birdhouses to table lamps.

    In the artist’s forthcoming solo exhibition at Hashimoto Contemporary, Morrison continues to channel canine personalities in Dog Show #4: House Broken.

    Trompe-l’œil paintings portray the supports on the backs of canvases, teeming with botanicals, stuffed animals, magazine clippings, and fruit. Likewise, a series of sculptures made from epoxy clay, resin, paper, and oil paint appear like assemblages of seemingly disparate items.

    In “Clump Spirit #5 (Study),” for example, a puppy’s face emerges from the front of a violin hanging from a hook, and “Clump Spirit #1 (Living Room)” displays a happy dog on a TV screen, stacked high with other objects that also feature distinctive eyes and snouts. Everything appears in a state of joyful yet barely contained disarray.

    “Clump Spirit #1 (Living Room)” (2024), television, silicone, textile, resin, and epoxy clay, 12 x 21 x 12 inches

    “This show reflects on the chaotic messiness of home life, inspired by the lively and dysfunctional environment I grew up in,” Morrison says. “Our house was filled with dancing, yelling, slapdash crafting, and a constant swirl of half-finished projects. Amid all the noise, there was an odd harmony—moments where the chaos seemed to hum along just right, as if disorder itself had a rhythm.”

    Dog Show #4: House Broken runs from January 18 to February 8 in New York City. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

    “Build a Little Birdhouse in Your Soul” (2024), oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches

    “Clump Spirit #4 (Study)” (2025), epoxy clay, paper, resin, and oil paint, 26 x 10 x 5 1/2 inches

    “The Council of Plastic Limbs” (2025), oil on panel, 24 x 36 inches

    “Clump Spirit #3 (Bedroom)” (2025), epoxy clay and oil paint, 15 x 8 x 7 inches

    “Thank You for Your Business” (2025), oil on panel, 48 x 36 inches

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    Lifelike Canines Lounge in Emily O’Leary Uncanny Hooked Rugs

    “Fluffy-Tailed Ticked Dog” (2022), hand-hooked mostly-wool yarn on linen. All images courtesy of Emily O’Leary, shared with permission

    Lifelike Canines Lounge in Emily O’Leary Uncanny Hooked Rugs

    January 13, 2025

    ArtCraft

    Kate Mothes

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    Most dogs spend at least half of their day asleep—some getting z’s for upwards of 18 hours. Whether curled up on the floor or enjoying a long-legged stretch, the subjects of Emily O’Leary’s rugs evoke our beloved pets.

    Based on photographs of actual dogs, she focuses mostly on animals the artist doesn’t know. “I like to hook dogs that are pretty ‘mutty’ looking, that don’t look like yard-bound Golden Retrievers or Doodles,” she tells Colossal. “I’m attracted to the shared history of humans and dogs—how the bulk of their domestication may have happened somewhat inadvertently.”

    “Injured Elbow Dog” (2020), hand-hooked wool yarn on linen

    Employing a carpet-making technique called rug hooking, the earliest form of which can be traced to Northern England in the early 19th century, O’Leary spends several months on a single piece. Compared to tufting, “It’s a slower, more traditional process,” she says, but the process allows each individual loop to be applied at a different height, giving her the ability to create three-dimensional reliefs.

    O’Leary learned to make rugs after predominantly focusing on embroidery. When some friends organized an exhibition themed around dogs, she had the idea to make a work in the shape of a life-size canine. “I’m lucky that the rugs sort of do inspire tender feelings in the people who see them, but that they’re also a bit uncanny,” she says.

    The pieces’ weight and realistic details engender an intimate connection as they come to life, so to speak. “I really feel like I’ve built a relationship with the object,” she says, adding: “Sometimes the dogs I hook have wounds or scars. The dog rug I’m working on right now is missing a little chunk of her ear.  I want to depict them as they are, not stuffed animal versions.”

    Find more on O’Leary’s website and Instagram.

    “Brown and Black Dog” (2021), hand-hooked wool yarn on linen

    Detail of “Mottled-leg Dog” (2024), hand-hooked wool yarn on linen

    “Sandy Reddish Dog” (2023), hand-hooked mostly-wool yarn on linen

    Photo by Bucky Miller

    Photo by Bucky Miller

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