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    Formidable Bronze Crowns by Marianna Simnett Conjure Myth and the Sublime Feminine

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    “Megaera” (2023), bronze and velvet, 59 x 17 1/2 x 17 1/2 inches. All images courtesy of Marianna Simnett and SOCIÉTÉ, Berlin, shared with permission

    Formidable Bronze Crowns by Marianna Simnett Conjure Myth and the Sublime Feminine

    April 15, 2025

    Art

    Kate Mothes

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    For Marianna Simnett, sticking to one medium or theme defies her interpretation of what art can be. She fights the natural proclivity of galleries, collectors, and art enthusiasts to typecast her practice as one thing. “Trying to shed those expectations every time—trying to do something different—it’s exhausting but so worth it,” she says in an interview for Art Basel. “Now the signature is that people don’t know what to expect, and that’s the best outcome possible.”

    Among myriad strains of her practice—which include filmmaking, sculpture, installation, painting, and performance—a collection of bronze crowns created between 2022 and 2024 command our attention. Situated on top of bespoke velvet cushions, Simnett’s Crowns are cast in an alloy that would make the elaborate headpieces burdensome or even painful to wear, yet the meticulously formed arches, band, and spikes manifest as delicate mammals and birds.

    “Hydra” (2023), bronze and velvet, 55 1/2 x 17 1/2 x 17 1/2 inches

    “Simnett uses vivid and visceral means to explore the body as a site of transformation,” says a statement from SOCIÉTÉ, which represents the artist. “In psychologically charged works that challenge both herself and the viewer, Simnett imagines radical new worlds filled with untamed thoughts, strange tales, and desires.”

    Named for powerful female figures from ancient lore like Discordia, the Greek goddess of strife, or Lilith, a she-demon in Jewish and Mesopotamian mythology, Simnett’s Crowns examine the power, ferocity, and sublimity of allegorical female figures. One can imagine that only supernatural beings could wear these pieces and feel comfortable.

    Simnett’s sculptures were first shown in her exhibition OGRESS in 2022. “In fairy tales and folklore, the ogress is a voracious monster who deceives men and torments children in her quest to ravish them whole,” says an exhibition statement. Simnett wielded “the ogress’ insatiable hunger as a radical force,” illuminating the role of women in myth and legend, especially the symbolic tension between embracing and fearing those who are different.

    Simnett’s solo exhibition Charades opens at SOCIÉTÉ on May 1, coinciding with Berlin Gallery Weekend. Explore a wide range of the artist’s multimedia work on her website and Instagram.

    “Laverna” (2023), bronze and velvet, 55 1/2 x 17 1/2 x 17 1/2 inches

    Detail of “Laverna”

    “Discordia” (2023), bronze and velvet, 17 1/2 x 17 1/2 x 16 inches

    “Maniae” (2022), bronze and velvet, 17 1/2 x 17 1/2 x 16 inches

    “Lilith” (2024), bronze and velvet, 57 1/2 x 17 1/2 x 17 1/2 inches

    Detail of “Lilith”

    “Astraea” (2023), bronze and velvet, 55 1/2 x 17 1/2 x 17 1/2 inches

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      Delicate Ecosystems Converge in Sonja Peterson’s Intricate Cut Paper Compositions

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      Detail of “Empire Builder.” All images courtesy of Sonja Peterson, shared with permission

      Delicate Ecosystems Converge in Sonja Peterson’s Intricate Cut Paper Compositions

      March 25, 2025

      ArtClimate

      Kate Mothes

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      Inspired by nature’s myriad forms and relationships, Minneapolis-based artist Sonja Peterson creates sprawling scenes from intricately cut paper. Working intuitively while focusing on the environment and our place within it, she merges organic motifs and animals with humans and historical references.

      The inherent simplicity of a blank piece of paper is a compelling attribute for Peterson, who is fascinated by the possibilities of texture, pattern, and the relationship between positive and negative space. Originally, the artist made drawings on large sheets, which she began to cut into in order to rearrange compositional elements. She became increasingly interested in the art of the incision and removed other media altogether.

      “Lost and Searching”

      “My choice of paper echoes the idea of the fragility that I want to convey as I look at the precariousness of ecological systems,” Peterson tells Colossal. “The works’ structural integrity is, at times, reliant on its interconnectivity; if elements disconnect, the entire system is in threat of collapsing.”

      An overarching theme in Peterson’s work revolves around interconnection—both natural and human-made—highlighting how our global trade systems, manufacturing, and agriculture are fundamentally reliant on our environment, even as they contribute to an ever-growing climate crisis. She often combines human interactions with botanical details, like a sunken ship in “Lost and Searching” or the salient history of European colonialist expansion in “Empire Builder.”

      The artist is interested in our “global systems as something of untamed wonder, a gaze that was once reserved for the natural world,” she says. She often juxtaposes botanical details with human-made structures, such as ships or buildings. “Nature is now often seen as contained patchwork or a constructed binary to a technological world that is now the wild frontier.”

      Peterson’s work is currently on view in Nordic Echoes — Tradition in Contemporary Art at Scandinavia House, which runs from April 5 to August 2 in New York City. The show celebrates contemporary folk arts from the Upper Midwest, featuring more than 50 works by 24 artists. Find more on the Peterson’s website and Instagram.

      “The Undergound Plot of the Royal Pommes Frites,” cut paper and acrylic on wallpaper, approximately 72 x 50 inches

      Detail of “The Undergound Plot of the Royal Pommes Frites”

      Detail of “Lost and Searching,” cut paper and acrylic on wall, 114 x 50 inches

      “Empire Builder” (2022), hand-cut paper and acrylic on wall, 106 x 64 inches

      “Ghost Ship Part 1” (2022), cut paper, 112 x 50 inches. All images courtesy of Sonja Peterson, shared with permission

      “Inferno Seeks Shelter.” Photo by E. G. Schempf

      “Layered Losses,” hand-cut paper, 50 x 58 inches

      Detail of “Lost and Searching”

      Installing “Navigator,” cut paper. Photo by Jennifer Phelps

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

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      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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    • 125 Shares169 Views

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

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      “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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    • 125 Shares199 Views

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

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      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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    • 138 Shares169 Views

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

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      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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    • 125 Shares109 Views

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

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      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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    • 138 Shares109 Views

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

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      “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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    • 138 Shares159 Views

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

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      “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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