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    Michael McGrath Summons Symbolism and a Folk Art Style in Expressive Paintings

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    “Unearthing Buried Gods.” All images courtesy of Michael McGrath, shared with permission

    Michael McGrath Summons Symbolism and a Folk Art Style in Expressive Paintings

    November 6, 2024

    Art

    Kate Mothes

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    From fanged cats and all-seeing ravens to anthropomorphized botanicals and disembodied faces, Michael McGrath’s uncanny works nod to the symbol-rich, flat compositions of folk art or “naïve” painting. His mixed-media works combine materials like graphite, oil paint and oil stick, ink, and acrylic on a variety of surfaces, including wood, canvas, and burlap.

    Inspired by the expansive scenes of contemporary artists Peter Doig and Mamma Andersson, and self-taught artists Henry Darger (1892-1973) and William Hawkins (1895-1990), McGrath harnessed a narrative approach in his own practice. “I decided to experiment with figures and storytelling in my painting,” he tells Colossal. He also counts Jim Henson among his influences.

    “Threats and competition for tiny vampires” (2023), graphite, colored pencil, and India ink on wood panel, 14 x 11 inches

    Populated with an array of characters, from trees with alarmed expressions to tiny, fairy-like black critters with bulbous wings and long legs, McGrath delves into mysterious, emotional tales with plots as enigmatic as they are supernatural.

    The artist’s interest in painting evolved from an early fascination with design, especially album covers and advertising in magazines like Spin and Thrasher. “I never had the patience to develop classical skills, so I focused on dimensional and collage work for a while, until I eventually decided to invest more time in painting,” he says.

    McGrath’s work will be part of an online group show with MePaintsMe, Slight of Hand, which opens on November 12. In February, he will also have pieces on view in a group show at Court Tree Collective in Brooklyn. Find more on his website and Instagram.

    “Monster control, future systems No. 3,” (2024), acrylic, oil stick, and oil on canvas, 78 x 120 inches

    “Night float, threat window” (2024), oil and oil stick on canvas, 60 x 48 inches

    “Hunting songs” (2024), oil, oil stick, and grease pencil on linen, 30 x 24 inches

    “Muppet moon nightmare choir” (2024), acrylic, acrylic yarn, embroidery thread, painted canvas, and burlap on burlap, 40 x 30 inches

    “Moon float” (2024), acrylic, watercolor crayon, enamel, and oil pastel on canvas, 60 x 48 inches

    “Stories to frighten your children with and dangerous literature” (2023), oil, oil pastel, and acrylic on linen, 30 x 40 inches

    “Cat song, moon riot, No. 2” (2024), oil on canvas, 48 x 36 inches

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      A Sprawling Garden Opening Next Spring Embodies Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’

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      Photos by Almin Tabak. All images courtesy of Starry Night Retreat, shared with permission

      A Sprawling Garden Opening Next Spring Embodies Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’

      November 4, 2024

      ArtDesignNature

      Kate Mothes

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      Two decades ago, Halim Zukic purchased a 173-acre plot of land in a verdant valley near his hometown of Visoko, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He conceived of a retreat, where his love of nature and landscape design could open to the public. But it wasn’t until 2018 that the businessman and art enthusiast began replicating details of one of the world’s most recognizable paintings on an enormous scale.

      While working on the property one day, Zukic observed some tractor tracks that reminded him the swirls and waves of Vincent van Gogh’s seminal work from 1889, “The Starry Night.” With plenty of motivation but less of a clear plan, he and an amateur team intuitively followed the contours of the land and made numerous adjustments over time to achieve visual and spatial harmony.

      The elaborate design for Starry Night Retreat, which employs lavender and a variety of other herbs as its medium, is characterized primarily by the absence of straight lines. The estate encompasses a 25-acre park within its overall footprint, which includes meeting places like a natural amphitheater.

      The project “honors Vincent van Gogh and those who bravely pursue their passions despite the sacrifices required,” says hospitality manager Merjem Zukić. “Mr. Zukic views the retreat as a unique space where nature and art blend, enabling visitors to reconnect with essential elements of their being and engage their senses.”

      Starry Night Retreat is slated to open to the public next May. Find more on its website.

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      Mingle with Maurice Sendak’s ‘Wild Things’ at the Denver Art Museum

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      Installation view of ‘Wild Things.’ All images courtesy of the Denver Art Museum and the Maurice Sendak Foundation, shared with permission

      Mingle with Maurice Sendak’s ‘Wild Things’ at the Denver Art Museum

      October 29, 2024

      ArtIllustration

      Kate Mothes

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      This holiday season, immerse yourself in the dynamic, theatrical world of Maurice Sendak at the Denver Art Museum in Wild Things. Organized in cooperation with the Columbus Art Museum, where a sibling exhibition was presented two years ago, Wild Things celebrates the characters that have accompanied millions during story time since the mid-20th century.

      The author and illustrator of perennial classics like In the Night Kitchen (1970), Outside Over There (1981), and, of course, Where the Wild Things Are (1963), Sendak was born in Brooklyn in 1928 and began illustrating children’s titles in 1947. He was largely self-taught and illustrated hundreds of books throughout his six-decade career.

      ‘The Magic Flute’ (1980), poster, 24 x 17 1/2 inches. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation

      Sendak produced an astounding array of drawings, paintings, mockups, and set designs and costumes for his books, along with their adaptations to stage and screen. He was also an avid collector of other renowned illustrators’ works, and viewers can see pieces from Sendak’s personal collection by the likes of William Blake, Beatrix Potter, Walt Disney, and more.

      Wild Things continues through February 17. Plan your visit on the Denver Art Museum’s website.

      ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ (1963), watercolor, ink, and graphite on paper, 9 3/4 x 11 inches. © TheMaurice Sendak Foundation

      Sketch for ‘The Griffin and the Minor Canon (1963), graphite on tracing paper, 11 13/16 x 8 15/16 inches. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation

      ‘Outside Over There’ (1981), watercolor and graphite on paper, page: 15 x 26 inches; image: 6 1/8 x 93/16 inches. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation

      ‘Pierre’ (1961-2), ink on paper, 4 1/4 x 3 1/2 inches. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation

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      ‘The Artist’s Palette’ Is Your Guide to the Process Behind Great Paintings

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      Edvard Munch’s palette (undated), paint on wood, 17 x 11 1/2 inches. Courtesy of the Munch Museum, Oslo. Photo courtesy of Munchmuseet. All images courtesy of Thames & Hudson, shared with permission

      ‘The Artist’s Palette’ Is Your Guide to the Process Behind Great Paintings

      October 23, 2024

      ArtBooksHistory

      Kate Mothes

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      One could argue that every great painting produces two works of art: the canvas and the surface where the pigments are mixed. The Artist’s Palette, forthcoming from Princeton University Press on November 5, dives deep into a timeless studio tool, exploring the beauty of the process.

      Compiled by art historian and writer Alexandra Loske, the volume features fifty palettes used by art historical greats, from Edvard Munch to Paula Modersohn-Becker to Kerry James Marshall.

      Paula Modersohn-Becker’s last palette (1907), paint on wood and metal. Courtesy of the Freunde Worpswedes, Käseglocke Collection, and Worpswede Tourist Information Center. Photo by Rüdiger Lubricht

      Loske presents the physical palettes—dried paint, worn edges, well-exercised hinges, stained wood, and all—alongside one or more of each artist’s paintings. She also analyzes the mixture of pigments, highlighting color relationships that illuminate both the methods used and the choices that led to a finished work.

      Modersohn-Becker’s palette, for example, tells a poignant story of an artist at a turning point in her career, which was cut short when she died giving birth to her daughter. She left a studio full of new and unfinished work, perpetually locked in a moment of transition—a reminder of the ongoing evolution of an artist’s oeuvre and career.

      Marshall incorporates the motif into the paintings themselves, depicting Black artists holding symbolically oversized palettes and provoking questions about the role of color in Black history and Western art.

      From Impressionist virtuosos to modernist greats, The Artist’s Palette traces the stories behind many of art history’s most significant paintings. Pre-order your copy in the Colossal Shop.

      Gabriele Münter’s palette (undated), paint on wood, 17 x 13 inches. Courtesy of the Gabriele Münter and Johannes Eichner Foundation, Munich

      Winifred Nicholson’s palette (undated), oil on wood. Courtesy of a private collection. Photo © Trustees of Winifred Nicholson

      Reproduction of photo of Edvard Munch holding his palette, printed in “Der Querschnitt, Jahrg. 11” (1931)

      Edward Hopper’s palette (undated), oil on wood, 14 x 10 inches. Courtesy of Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center, Nyack, and The Sanborn-Hopper Family Archive. Photo by Dan Swindel

      John Singer Sargent’s palette (undated), oil on wood, 22 1/4 × 15 inches. Courtesy of Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Photo courtesy of President and Fellows of Harvard College

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      In ‘Hidden Portraits,’ Volker Hermes Reimagines Historical Figures in Overwhelming Frippery

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      “Hidden van Mierevelt IV” (2022), from “Portrait of a Man in a White Frill” (1620s) by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt

      In ‘Hidden Portraits,’ Volker Hermes Reimagines Historical Figures in Overwhelming Frippery

      October 18, 2024

      ArtBooksHistory

      Kate Mothes

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      Engulfed in their own finery, the subjects of Volker Hermes’ portraits epitomize a bygone era. From the Italian High Renaissance to French Rococo, his digital reinterpretations playfully hide the faces of wealthy and aristocratic sitters.

      Hidden Portraits: Old Masters Reimagined, a new book forthcoming this month, gathers a quintessential selection of Hermes’ works into one volume. Highlighting the artist’s wry commentary on luxury, social status, and fame, the selection delves into the history of portraiture through a humorous lens.

      “Hidden Wright of Derby” (2023), from “Portrait of Dorothy Beridge, née Gladwin” (1777) by Joseph Wright of Derby

      Hermes expands upon the ornate silk gowns, brocade, and lace ruffs that characterized elite fashion through the centuries (previously). An enormous bow cocoons a woman in “Hidden Wright of Derby,” for example, elaborating on a portrait of a wealthy woman painted by Joseph Wright of Derby, now in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

      In striking profile, strings of pearls and a green, helmet-like hood envelop Bianca Maria Sforza, Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, in “Hidden de Predis,” the 15th-century inspiration for which can be viewed at the National Gallery of Art.

      Explore more of Hermes’ work on his website, and snag a copy of Hidden Portraits on Bookshop.

      “Hidden de Predis” (2023), from “Portrait Bianca Maria Sforza” (1493-95) by the workshop of Ambrogio de Predis

      “Hidden Titian II” (2021), from “Portrait of a Man with a Quilted Sleeve” (1511) by Titian

      “Hidden de Bray” (2022), from “Portrait of a Young Woman” (1667) by Jan de Bray

      “Hidden Cornelius Johnson” (2023), from “Portrait of Thomas, 1st Baron Coventry” (1631) by Cornelius Johnson

      “Hidden de Keyser” (2019), from “Portrait of a Gentleman” (c. 1626) by Thomas de Keyser

      “Hidden Pourbus VIII” (2023), from “Portrait of a Nobleman” (1593) by Frans Pourbus the Younger

      “Hidden Anonymous (Munich Court Painter)” (2023), from “Portrait of a Young Lady” (1623), by an unknown artist

      Cover of ‘Hidden Portraits: Old Masters Reimagined,’ featuring “Hidden Jacometto” (2019), from “Portrait of a Young Man” (1480s) by Jacometto Veneziano

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      In ‘Seeking an Exit,’ Gretchen Scherer Escapes to Grand Homes and Galleries of the Past

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      “Lanhydrock, Morning Room” (2024), oil and acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches. All images courtesy of Gretchen Scherer and Monya Rowe Gallery, shared with permission

      In ‘Seeking an Exit,’ Gretchen Scherer Escapes to Grand Homes and Galleries of the Past

      October 17, 2024

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      Many of what are now public museums were once the private homes and collections of the wealthy and titled. From the Palace of Aranjuez—still a royal residence in Spain—to the baroque art and gardens of Isola Bella in Italy, Gretchen Scherer captures stunning salon-style galleries and historical interiors in vibrant, intricately detailed paintings (previously).

      In her solo exhibition, Seeking an Exit at Monya Rowe Gallery, Scherer continues to explore art historical destinations around the world. Calling on memory, escapism, and the romance of grand buildings, she transforms ornate halls, drawing rooms, and wunderkammers into inviting, enlivened spaces.

      “Trubetskoy Palace, Dining Room, 1914” (2024), oil and acrylic on panel, 24 x 30 inches

      Scherer references photographs of museums, sometimes re-imagining historical, black-and-white imagery into colorful compositions, such as the 1914 dining room at Trubetskoy Palace, Moscow.

      The works lining the hall comprise the holdings of Sergei Skchukin, a Russian businessman, whose art collection was nationalized after the 1917 Bolshevik uprising. Today, these pieces are distributed among state museums.

      Scherer’s paintings welcome us to remarkable places around the globe, many of which we may no longer be able to visit. Through intimate details, like a napkin draped over the edge of a table or a chair pulled out as if someone has just left, the artist draws foremost upon each location’s identity as a lived-in place.

      Seeking an Exit opens today and continues through November 23. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

      “Palace of Aranjuez, Porcelain Room” (2024), oil and acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches

      “Palazzo Borromeo, Isola Bella, Berthier Gallery” (2024), oil and acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches

      “Sir John Soane’s Museum, Drawing Office” (2024), oil and acrylic on panel, 24 x 30 inches

      “Sanssouci Palace, Library and Picture Gallery” (2024), oil and acrylic on panel, 18 x 24 inches

      “Dom Quartier Cathedral Museum, Art and Wonder Chamber” (2024), oil and acrylic on panel, 14 x 18 inches

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      ‘The Women Who Changed Photography’ Chronicles 50 Trailblazing Artists

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      Shirin Neshat, “Land of Dreams” (2019), film still. © Shirin Neshat, courtesy of the artist, Gladstone Gallery, and Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and London. All images courtesy of Laurence King Publishing, shared with permission

      ‘The Women Who Changed Photography’ Chronicles 50 Trailblazing Artists

      October 16, 2024

      ArtBooksHistoryPhotography

      Kate Mothes

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      In 1929, sought-after New York fashion model Lee Miller moved to Paris to apprentice with surrealist photographer Man Ray, joining an influential circle of artists. She and Ray worked so closely together, in fact, that many of her photos have been erroneously attributed to him.

      Like many women, Miller’s work was often overshadowed by her male counterparts. A new book, The Women Who Changed Photography: And How to Master Their Techniques, marks Miller’s contribution to photography among 49 more groundbreaking artists who incorporated unique techniques blazed a trail for future generations.

      Cindy Sherman, “Untitled #577” (2016)

      From Zanele Muholi’s bold black-and-white visages to masters of disguise, like French surrealist Claude Cahun (1894-1954) and contemporary artist Cindy Sherman, identity plays a vital role in many of the practices featured.

      Iranian artist Shirin Neshat, for example, often delves into the complexities of womanhood within Islamic cultural and religious value systems. Pushpamala N. employs narrative and figuration in images that critique stereotypes of women in India.

      Released by Laurence King Publishing last month, The Women Who Changed Photography chronicles the individuals, aesthetics, and approaches that have shaped the field. Grab your copy on Bookshop.

      Pushpamala N., “Yogini F-24” (2000–2004) from Native Women of South India: Manners and Customs

      Claude Cahun, “Self Portrait (Holding Mask)” (undated)

      Julie Cockburn, “Feed the Birds (Women)” (2019)

      Shirin Neshat, “Rebellious Silence” (1994)

      Julia Margaret Cameron, portrait of Julia Jackson Duckworth (1846-1895)

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      Frosted Works by Yvette Mayorga Divulge Issues That Are Anything but Saccharine

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      Installation view of ‘La Jaula de Oro’ at Museo de Arte de Zapopan. Photo by Lazarillo. All images courtesy of the artist and Museo de Arte de Zapopan, shared with permission

      Frosted Works by Yvette Mayorga Divulge Issues That Are Anything but Saccharine

      October 1, 2024

      Art Social Issues

      Kate Mothes

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      In a pink, glowing Rococo setting, Yvette Mayorga’s first solo exhibition in Mexico dives into nostalgia, teenage dreams, and how sometimes a sugary coating can conceal crucial truths.

      For La Jaula de Oro—The Golden Cage—at Museo de Arte de Zapopan, the Chicago-based artist (previously) has created four acrylic-piped paintings on canvas and a series of mixed-media sculptures. These include a 1974 Datsun coated in crochet, plush and plastic toys, acrylic nails, faux fur, rosaries, and other ephemera. Pop singer Selena’s song “Dreaming of You” wafts from the car stereo.

      “Bien chiqueada” (2024), acrylic nails, nail charms, toy snake, toy scorpion, clock, scorpion belt, collage, and acrylic piping on canvas, 91.44 x 121.92 centimeters

      At first glance, Mayorga’s compositions appear like delicate, frosted confections, glittering with nail charms and predominantly made in various shades of pink. But upon closer inspection, reminders of a slightly more unsettling reality begin to emerge, such as scorpions, clocks, or mirrors—nods to our relationship with time, others, and our mortality.

      The artist draws on the tradition of vanitas painting, a style popularized during the Dutch Golden Age, often in the form of still lifes brimming with visual cues that power and glory mean nothing when confronted with the inevitability of death.

      For Mayorga, the supple forms of piped bows, rosettes, and borders belie important messages centered around border control, immigrant labor, rampant capitalism, and pop culture.

      Akin to the way cookies or cakes are created to be literally consumed, the artist toys with the notion of fleetingness. “La princesa (Ride or Die),” for example, captures a sense of ephemerality and impermanence: “here today and gone tomorrow,” says curator Maya Renée Escárcega.

      Detail of “Bien chiqueada”

      The artist invites viewers into a seemingly carefree, saccharine space evocative of the opulence of the late 18th century—the era of Marie Antoinette and her famous—if mythical—quote: “Let them eat cake.” Considered the “Rococo Queen,” she is associated with luxury and frivolity, and she came to symbolize the excesses of the wealthy during a period when many people couldn’t afford bread, let alone the delicacies of cake.

      Mayorga’s primary medium is acrylic applied using a pastry bag. She references women workers—especially women of color—from whom colonial discourse stripped notions of femininity assigned to white women. She expands upon the framework of Rococo to analyze 21st-century issues, simultaneously serving us a reminder of the sacrifices and toil required to produce what capitalist society consumes.

      La Jaula de Oro and continues in Zapopan through January 5. Find more on Mayorga’s website and Instagram.

      Detail of “Banquete (Banquet)” (2024), hi-temperature ceramics, resin candle holders, bronze figures, and candles, dimensions variable. Photo by Lazarillo

      Installation view of La Jaula de Oro

      “Capitalist Clown” (2024), collage, acrylic marker, pastel, toy scorpion, and acrylic piping on canvas, 91. 44 x 121.92 centimeters

      Detail of “La princesa (Ride or Die)” (2024), crochet, plush toys, plastic toys, acrylic nails, rosaries, faux fur, belt buckles, vinyl stickers, ceramic tchotchkes, clock, toy cell phone, found license plate, trophy, wood, 161 acrylic roses, and acrylic piping on a 1974 Nissan Datsun, 4 x 1.6 meters. Photo by Lazarillo

      Detail of “La princesa (Ride or Die).” Photo by Lazarillo

      “Made in Mexico (Fecit Mexici)” (2024), mirror, hand mirror, acrylic nails, nail charms, clock, toy scorpion, collage, and acrylic piping on canvas, 91.44 x 121.92 centimeters

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      An Ancient Peruvian Site Reveals a Remarkable Painted Throne Room

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      All images courtesy of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, shared with permission

      An Ancient Peruvian Site Reveals a Remarkable Painted Throne Room

      September 25, 2024

      Art History Science

      Kate Mothes

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      Between about 350 and 850 C.E., a society known as the Moche thrived in the coastal valleys of northern Peru. Pañamarca, in the Nepeña Valley, is the southernmost center of the Moche culture and the site of a remarkable series of recent archaeological discoveries, including the latest: a monumental pillared hall with vibrantly painted walls.

      The Archaeological Landscapes of Pañamarca, founded in 2018, is a collaboration between Peruvian and U.S. archaeologists, art historians, and conservators. Its research and digs are supported by the National Geographic Society, the Institute of Latin American Studies at Columbia University, and the Avenir Conservation Center at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

      This year, archaeologists uncovered a pillared room containing evidence of its use by a high-status female leader. Scenes depict the powerful woman receiving visitors in procession or seated upon a throne.

      “Scholars will debate whether the woman painted on the walls of the throne room is human or mythical (a priestess, goddess, or queen),” researchers say. “But the physical evidence of the throne, including the erosion to its back support and the recovery of greenstone beads, fine threads, and even human hair, make clear that it was occupied by a real living person—and the evidence all points to a seventh-century woman leader of Pañamarca.”

      The figure portrayed on the walls is associated with the crescent moon, the sea and its creatures, and the fiber arts. Additional murals uncovered this past July reveal a scene of an entire workshop of women spinning and weaving, along with a retinue of men carrying textiles and the leader’s crown—which includes her braids.

      Lisa Trever, professor of art history at Columbia University, says, “Pañamarca continues to surprise us, not only for the ceaseless creativity of its painters but also because their works are overturning our expectations of gender roles in the ancient Moche world.”

      The colorful wall paintings of Pañamarca were first recorded in the 1950s, depicting battles between supernatural beings, priests, warriors in procession, a unique two-faced man, and ceremonial activities.

      “Moche archaeology is well known for its rich, elite tombs, impressive architecture and artworks, and elaborate religious artifacts and imagery,” says a project statement. Atop a granite hill, the site consists of a stepped adobe platform, two lower platforms, a walled plaza, and a number of other structures.

      Dig deeper on the Pañamarca project’s website and Instagram.

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