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    John Pai Transforms Steel Into Delicate, Airy Sculptures

    “Shared Destinies” (2014), welded steel, 85.5 x 108 x 85 centimeters. Photos by Geoffrey Quelle. All images © John Pai, courtesy of
    the artist and Gallery Hyundai, shared with permission

    John Pai Transforms Steel Into Delicate, Airy Sculptures

    September 12, 2024

    Art

    Kate Mothes

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    For more than seventy years, John Pai’s artistic practice has delved into themes ranging from memory and the subconscious to international art forms, East Asian philosophy, and science. Starting in the early 1960s, he began working with steel, investigating both its technical and aesthetic potential through abstract shapes influenced by Constructivism.

    Pai is known for his meticulous and detailed metal sculptures, which weld thin strips in lattices and sheets to create delicate woven textures. A material we typically associate with heavy-duty construction is transformed into intimate works that appear as if they could float on air. Soft curves and gauzy surfaces suggest organic forms or textiles in contrast to industrial applications.

    “Risen, Fallen, Walken” (1987), welded steel, 120 x 109 x 54 centimeters

    Shared Destinies, the artist’s solo exhibition at Gallery Hyundai, presents nearly 40 pieces Pai has made throughout the past seven decades. Comprising welded steel sculptures, drawings, and paintings, the show illuminates the artist’s multidisciplinary approach to material, process, and form.

    In the work “Shared Destinies,” for example—which lends the show its name—layers of delicately welded steel suggest a woven basket. Ethereal pieces like “Invocation” bring to mind the undulating, woven wire sculptures of Ruth Asawa. The visible inner structures mirror the universal layers of the human psyche, time, and the artist’s journey of self-exploration.

    Shared Destinies continues through October 20 in Seoul. See more on the gallery’s website.

    “Involution” (1974), welded steel, 98 x 98 x 97 centimeters

    “Forgotten Rule” (1990), welded steel, 92 x 102.5 x 41.8 centimeters

    “Untitled” (1982), welded steel, 86 x 52 x 58 centimeters

    ‘Heaven and Earth’
    series, 1 to 7 (2024), welded steel, variable dimensions

    “Untitled 1970, Entitled 2021” (1970), welded steel, 92 x 92 x 38.9 centimeters

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    John Peralta Explodes Historic Technology into Three-Dimensional Diagrams

    “HOMMAGE” (2023), L.M. Ericsson “Eiffel Tower” telephone (c. 1890), steel, walnut, mono-filament, and LED lighting, 40 x 40 x 13 inches. All images © John Peralta, shared with permission

    John Peralta Explodes Historic Technology into Three-Dimensional Diagrams

    September 12, 2024

    Art History

    Kate Mothes

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    On individual strings of monofilament, John Peralta (previously) suspends every single component of historic gadgets, from Rollieflex cameras to Singer sewing machines. The Austin-based artist reinterprets iconic technology to create complex, three-dimensional exploded diagrams using real objects.

    Peralta recalls childhood memories of pulling a red wagon around the neighborhood with his brother. They would knock on doors and collect broken radios and tape decks so they could open the items up and explore what made each tick. Also inspired by the mind-boggling, mathematic renderings of Dutch artist M.C. Escher, Peralta spent a lot of time drawing with pencil and charcoal, and art eventually morphed from a hobby to a full-time pursuit.

    Detail of “The Three-eyed Raven” (202), Polliard – Bolex 16 mm film camera (c. 1950), wood, steel, mono-filament, and LED lights, 40 x 40 x 13 inches

    Fascinated by the history, function, and components of 19th- and 20th-century innovations, Peralta dismantles each item piece by piece, then meticulously strings up every part inside illuminated boxes. Elaborate film reels inside a Bolex 16mm camera or the gears and keys of a Hammond Multiplex typewriter are expanded to reveal the mechanisms’ inner workings.

    While he continues to focus primarily on antiques, Peralta is always interested in refining and experimenting with different methods and materials. “New Abnormal,” for instance, incorporates a 1980s boombox, with tiny figures that interact with its wiring or traverse its surfaces.

    In 2020, a Nashville hotel commissioned a large-scale installation of floating musical instruments for its lobby, and the artist is currently in progress on a sculpture using the original guitar that Robby Krieger played on The Doors’ first album. He’s also working on a commissioned antique binnacle, a stand on the deck of a ship where navigational instruments like the compass are placed.

    If you’re in Los Angeles, you can see the artist’s sculptures in a forthcoming exhibition about Pacific Standard Time, opening September 28 at The Loft at Liz’s. Find more on his website, and follow updates on Instagram.

    “New Abnormal” (2021), Sony “boombox” cassette player (c. 1980), aluminum, acrylic, fluorocarbon mono-filament, and steel cable, 48 x 26 x 69 inches

    “Professor Fox’s Fantastic Writing Machine” (2023), Hammond Multiplex typewriter (c. 1913), steel, walnut, mono-filament, and LED lighting, 40 x 40 x 13 inches

    Detail of “Professor Fox’s Fantastic Writing Machine”

    “Rolleiflex” (2023), Rolleiflex medium format camera, walnut, acrylic, aluminum, and fluorocarbon mono-filament, 26.5 x 17.5 x 25 inches

    Detail of “Rolleiflex” (2023)

    “A Stitch in Time” (2023), Singer Portable Sewing Machine (c. 1924), wood, steel, gold leaf, acrylic resin, mono-filament, and LED lighting, 26 x 35 x 15 inches

    “Black Powder” (2020), 1858 New Army Black Powder Revolver (replica), walnut, steel, fluorocarbon mono-filament, and LED lighting, 36 x 38.5 x 13 inches

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    Tran Nguyen’s Ethereal Portraits Portray Melancholy Moments

    All images © Tran Nguyen, shared with permission

    Tran Nguyen’s Ethereal Portraits Portray Melancholy Moments

    September 12, 2024

    Art Illustration

    Jackie Andres

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    In Tran Nguyen’s portraits, spirited subjects coexist with ethereal environments. “I’ve always enjoyed themes revolving around melancholy, the female figure, and species found in nature,” she says.

    Whimsically walking alongside praying mantises, embracing a tiger in a suit, or encircled by swans, each character is presented with delicate detail, down to their flowing tendrils of hair and gossamer garments. This daintiness lends itself to the compelling air of fantasy that characterizes Nguyen’s style.

    After working on large-scale murals for some time, the Georgia-based artist mainly uses acrylic paint and colored pencils. On heavyweight watercolor paper, light washes of acrylic block in initial fields of color and precede layers of paint to create value. Colored pencils execute final details, like refining darker values.

    Though she loves working with traditional materials, Nguyen is also creating a new apparel line. Check out her website and Instagram for updates.

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    A Swarm of Blocks Flocks to Human Presence in DRIFT’s Interactive Installation

    All images courtesy of LUMA Arles, shared with permission

    A Swarm of Blocks Flocks to Human Presence in DRIFT’s Interactive Installation

    September 11, 2024

    Art Nature

    Grace Ebert

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    Working as DRIFT, Dutch artists Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta (previously) have built their practice around excavating the intersection between nature and technology. In “Murmuring Minds,” a new installation on view at LUMA Arles, the pair utilizes the swarming patterns of birds, bees, and other social organisms to create an interactive work that responds to movement.

    Representing the human desire for cohesion, clarity, and organization, sixty compact rectangular blocks scuttle across the gallery floor. Each component is autonomous and algorithmically programmed to follow the viewer or scatter in their presence. The mechanical installation highlights an ever-changing interplay between the viewer and the collective, exploring how one informs the other.

    “Murmuring Minds” is part of DRIFT’s Living Landscape exhibition, which features a large-scale digital work that similarly responds to human motion. As viewers walk in front of the screen, a flock responds to them as predators, first coming together and then rapidly flying toward the audience The artists said in a statement:

    We developed the interactive dynamics into four types that we have observed in both nature and human society: The Leader, The Hunter, The Vortex, The Machine. The installation is an experiment and a question on how we generate choices, what our decisions are, and how these affect larger structures. How do we define leadership and control in a contemporary context?

    If you’re in Arles, you can experience the works through September 29. Otherwise, find more from DRIFT on Instagram. (via designboom)

    “Murmuring Minds” (2024). Photo © Finn Bech

    “Coded Nature” (2022). Photo © Finn Bech

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    Volcanic Ash and Lush Tropics Inspire Brian Rochefort’s Unearthly Ceramics

    “Beni River” (2024), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 x 22 x 21 inches. All images © Brian Rochefort, courtesy of the artist and Sean Kelly, New York/Los Angeles, shared with permission

    Volcanic Ash and Lush Tropics Inspire Brian Rochefort’s Unearthly Ceramics

    September 10, 2024

    Art Craft

    Grace Ebert

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    When Brian Rochefort travels, he’s inclined to visit remote parts of the planet. The depths of the Amazon, the volcanic island cluster of the Galápagos, and the immensely diverse ecosystem of Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater have all drawn him in and once back in his Los Angeles studio, inspired the artist’s lushly textured sculptures.

    Rochefort (previously) is known for his gloopy, chunky vessels that appear to ooze and gurgle with vivid color. A new body of work debuting at Sean Kelly, Los Angeles this month continues the artist’s interest in how abstract forms can translate the myriad textures and compositions of the natural world.

    Detail of “Wet Season” (2024), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 x 22 x 21 inches

    Staring at the Moon presents Rochefort’s visions of barrier reefs, tropical forests, and volcanic matter into fantastic works. Cloaked in crackled, drippy, and rough chunks of color, each piece emerges through multiple applications of texture followed by as many firings, and sometimes, the glazes remain thicker than the ceramic base.

    “One of the things I try to do is remove the hand. There are no brushstrokes. There are no fingerprints,” he said in a short film about the series. “It’s as if the piece came from outer space… or the depths of the ocean.”

    Staring at the Moon runs from September 14 to November 2. Explore an archive of Rochefort’s work on Instagram.

    “Wet Season” (2024), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 x 22 x 21 inches

    “The Whale” (2024), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 x 22 x 21 inches

    “Goddess” (2024), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 x 22 x 21 inches

    “Summer” (2024), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 x 22 x 21 inches

    Detail of “Goddess” (2024), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 x 22 x 21 inches

    “Belizian Swim” (2024), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 x 22 x 21 inches

    “Spray Ash” (2024), ceramic, glaze, glass fragments, 24 x 22 x 21 inches

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    Debra Broz Merges Humor and Kitsch in a Nod to Our ‘Strange World’

    Left: “Collie Pheasant” (2023). Right: “St. Bernard Pheasant” (2023). Both mixed media on secondhand ceramics, 10.5 x 8 x 3.5 inches. All images © Debra Broz, courtesy of Track 16 Gallery, shared with permission

    Debra Broz Merges Humor and Kitsch in a Nod to Our ‘Strange World’

    September 10, 2024

    Art Craft

    Kate Mothes

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    Vintage, mass-produced porcelain knick-knacks take on new life in Debra Broz’s intricate and uncanny hybrids (previously). Collies and St. Bernards with the bodies of pheasants meet rabbits with curiously long appendages and woodland creatures with human arms.

    In her solo exhibition Strange World at Track 16, Broz continues to explore the subversive and absurd through the leitmotif of midcentury kitsch. Whether merging two small sculptures or creating elaborate amalgamations, the artist finds the humor—and just a tinge of unease—in busyness, cuteness, and perplexity.

    “Weight of the World” (2024), mixed media on secondhand ceramics, 34 x 18 x 18 inches

    Strange World, which incorporates dozens of sculptures and glazed platters, revolves around three maximalist assemblages made of hundreds of individual figurines Broz collected during the past decade. Clusters of adorable animals like big-eyed bunnies, ducks, and cows emerge from bases as if blossoming with energy.

    In a statement for the show, Track 16 describes the pieces as “darkly optimistic, synthesizing the confusion of limitless information.” Chaotic and idiosyncratically beautiful, Broz’s pieces tap into our contemporary social reality, balancing tension and overwhelm with moments of levity and clarity.

    Strange World continues through October 12 in Los Angeles. Find more on Broz’s website and Instagram.

    Detail of “Weight of the World”

    “Slightly Human: Cat & Skunk” (2024), mixed media on secondhand ceramics, 4 x 5 x 3 inches

    “Slightly Human: Squirrels” (2024), mixed media on secondhand ceramics, 5.25 x 7.5 x 4 inches

    “Galaxy Brain” (2024), mixed media on secondhand ceramics, 25 x 22 x 18 inches

    Detail of “Galaxy Brain”

    “Slightly Human: Horse (The Champion)” (2024), mixed media on secondhand ceramics, 8.5 x 7 x 4 inches

    “White Rabbit No. 33” (2024), mixed media on secondhand ceramics, 6 x 4 x 2 inches

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    Thomas Trum’s Paint Machines Radiate Monumental Geometric Gradients

    “Looping Line” in progress. All images © Thomas Trum, shared with permission

    Thomas Trum’s Paint Machines Radiate Monumental Geometric Gradients

    September 10, 2024

    Art

    Kate Mothes

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    For Thomas Trum, the methods artists use to apply a medium to a substrate is as much a source of fascination as the finished work. Around 2008, when he was painting graffiti, he began experimenting with different techniques and tools—a readymade paintbrush or spray can only accomplish so much.

    “The thing I like most about humans is how they constantly strive to improve efficiency in everything they do,” Trum tells Colossal. “Just as farmers invent tools to make their work more efficient, I observed the same drive in the painting world, where various innovations have made life easier or work faster.”

    “Duotone Shaped Line 18” (2024) in progress

    Trum began devising his own machines that could achieve a new level of precision at a large scale. “By 2014, I shifted my focus to monochrome paintings, concentrating on creating shapes and working exclusively with lines,” he says.

    On canvases, along walls, and across floors, Trum uses a variety of handmade machines that assist in applying fields or lines of color to sprawling surfaces. Paint is laid down with the assistance of modified hand-held sprayers and elaborate motorized mechanisms that rotate to apply perfect arcs and gradients.

    The transparency of the paint reveals numerous layers and points to the meticulous preparations required for Trum to complete a piece in one attempt.

    The artist’s often monumental works require a small team that brings different strengths to each project, pushing the boundaries of what they can make. His latest project was a collaboration with Porsche titled The Art of Dreams, which transferred his vibrant geometric motifs to boat sails, a pool, and a large-scale series of canvases.

    The artist is currently working on a project incorporating video and photography to capture the element of motion in his work, which will be presented in the spring at Gerhard Hofland Gallery in Amsterdam. Find more on Trum’s website, and follow updates on Instagram.

    “Two Fan Shaped Lines in Yellow and Pink” (2023) in progress

    Installation view of ‘Porsche — The Art of Dreams’ (2024). Photo by Thomas Lohr

    Test in the studio for “Multiple Lines” (2023)

    “Loops” (2022). Photo Arturo Sanchez

    Trum painting copies of his book

    “Two Fan Shaped Lines in Yellow and Pink” (2023), HNBM

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    Vibrant Life Emanantes from Meggan Joy’s Magical Collaged Silhouettes

    “Try One’s Luck.” All images courtesy of J. Rinehart Gallery, shared with permission

    Vibrant Life Emanantes from Meggan Joy’s Magical Collaged Silhouettes

    September 9, 2024

    Art Nature Photography

    Grace Ebert

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    Thousands of individual flowers and plants grown in Meggan Joy’s Seattle garden form the contours of her ethereal figures. The artist (previously) collages perfectly trimmed photographs of each specimen into silhouettes lush with color and texture.

    In her most recent body of work titled Fever Dream, Joy draws on fear, loss, and the immense potential for pain. “Wide and Wild,” for example, depicts a woman cradling a Eurasian Eagle Owl near her heart. “She’s a piece for when you find your person (whether that be a lover, friend, kids, whatever), and once you have them, you know that if they disappear in any way, you also will be gone,” the artist shares in a statement.

    “Wide and Wild”

    Others relate to bad decisions yielding positive experiences and how etermal bonds require patience and understanding. Each work, Joy shares, “whisper(s) the components of the stories that tested us and, instead of condemning our faults, reveal that those moments left us the most exciting scars.

    Fever Dream is on view through September 25 at J. Rinehart Gallery. Follow Joy’s work on Instagram.

    “Thick As Thieves”

    “Thick As Thieves”

    “Try One’s Luck”

    “Icarus”

    “Tyche”

    Detail of “Wide and Wild”

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