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      A Massive Flower Splays Across Six Surfaces in a New Mural by Artist Mona Caron

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      Art

      #flowers
      #murals
      #public art
      #street art

      August 3, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      “⁣Limonium.” All images © Mona Caron, shared with permission
      An enormous flower overtakes the San José’s cultural affairs building in a multi-plane mural by artist Mona Caron (previously). Titled “Limonium,” the delicate, pink-and-green leaves spread out across the structure’s facade, transcending a single side. Wrapped around six walls and across four planes, the flower appears to be growing continuously from multiple angles.
      The San Francisco-based artist says determining the spatial logistics was straightforward. She added reference points to the wall and superimposed her botanical piece to a photo, which guided her through the process. In a video posted to Instagram, Caron walks around the pastel mural to capture its illusory qualities. “The main plant faces the entrance to the Convention Center on Market Street, but to its left, there is a semi-enclosed cove, which is the entrance to the garage, and there’s another plant in there, with a flower stem that calculatedly appears to be a part of whichever plant you’re looking at,” she shares with Colossal. “Similarly, I carefully drafted the rightmost flower stem (and) leaves to appear continuous when seen both from the street and from the upper terrace.”

      #flowers
      #murals
      #public art
      #street art

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      Perception-Twisting Miniatures by Artist Frank Kunert Transform the Mundane into the Surreal

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      Art
      Photography

      #miniature
      #models
      #surreal

      July 31, 2020
      Anna Marks

      All images © Frank Kunert, shared with permission
      Frank Kunert (previously) is a Germany-based photographer and modelmaker who creates mind-stretching scenes that, from afar, appear like everyday urban environments with the same beige color palette and concrete walls that are common across the world. On closer inspection, though, Kunert’s work reveals itself to be a series of surreal scenarios—he takes viewers on a fantastical journey in which mundane objects are transformed and merged into unusual architectural scenes that explore the “absurdity of life.”
      In one work, a cot is sandwiched in the middle of a desk and bookcases, while in another, two old stools sitting on a small carpet face a large window that resides high in the sky, with two minuscule glasses of rosy wine positioned beside them. Each piece of Kunert’s tiny, perception-twisting models takes him weeks to months to create, and afterward, he photographs them with a large-format, analog camera.
      Kunert turns common objects into pieces of admiration, giving viewers the chance to reflect on redesigning old collectibles or waste items for new uses. Throughout this period, social distancing has influenced Kunert’s work and many of his designs reflect a new normal. For example, he redesigned an old wooden table, which he divided into individual booths for diners. 
      You can view more of the artist’s projects on Instagram and in his book, Frank Kunert: Lifestyle, which is available on Bookshop.

      #miniature
      #models
      #surreal

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      Myriad Layers of Intricately Cut Paper Construct Architectural Sculptures by Artist Michael Velliquette

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      Art
      Craft

      #architecture
      #paper
      #sculpture

      July 30, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      “My looking ripens things and they come toward me, to meet and be met” (2020), paper sculpture, 12 x 12 x 6 inches. All images © Michael Velliquette by Jim Escalante, shared with permission
      Despite being built with a pliable, degradable material, Michael Velliquette’s paper sculptures exude strength and durability. Densley layered walls fortify the borders of his architectural works, and three-dimensional elements evoke mechanical gadgets like gears and other hardware. The incredibly intricate structures also have more delicate features, like the tiny dots and curved flourishes decorating the small pieces.
      Based in Madison, Wisconsin, the artist hand-cuts each shape with straight-edge scissors or an Exacto knife, utilizing templates, mechanical punches, rulers, and compasses. Requiring between 300 and 500 hours to complete, each monochromatic sculpture begins at the center, and Velliquette expands outward. He shares with Colossal that he “aspire(s) for balance and symmetry in the overall design, but they are not perfectly symmetrical.” Acid-free PVA glue and hot adhesives hold the layers together.
      Velliquette first started utilizing the accessible material as a way to model larger installations before it quickly became central to his practice. “Paper comes in endless forms. It can be used in multiple dimensions. It is easy to handle and manipulate, and it is available anywhere. It is inherently ephemeral, but given the right conditions, it can last for centuries,” he says.
      The work I am now creating is non-pictorial, non-objective, and non-representational in nature. The perspective of these pieces is left intentionally ambiguous: they can be read hung on the wall like bas-relief sculptures or mounted horizontally like architectural studies. There are new issues around engineering and construction that I have had to tackle as my work has evolved in this direction. The broad aim of this investigation is to use three-dimensional structure and intricate detailing to push the boundaries of paper art literally into a new dimension.
      The artist’s work will be on view at David Shelton Gallery in Houston this fall, and he is a 2021 resident at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. Until then, follow Velliquette on Instagram for glimpses into his process and studio and to follow his upcoming projects. (via Dovetail)

      “The love that would soak down into the center of being” (2020), paper sculpture, 20 x 20 x 8 inches
      “Let your hand rest on the rim of heaven” (2019), paper sculpture, 20 x 20 x 6 inches
      Left: “Our newly awakened powers cry out for unlimited fulfillment” (2020), paper sculpture, 30 x 8 x 8 inches. Right: “All seeming things shine with the light of pure knowledge” (2019), paper sculpture, 18 x 8 x 8 inches
      “Let your hand rest on the rim of heaven” (2019), paper sculpture, 20 x 20 x 6 inches
      Left: “Then the knowing comes: I can open to another life that’s wide and timeless” (2017), paper sculpture25 x 25 x 5 inches. Right: “Then in one vast thousandfold thought I could think you up to where thinking ends” (2017), paper sculpture, 20 x 20 x 6 inches
      “My looking ripens things and they come toward me, to meet and be met” (2020), paper sculpture, 12 x 12 x 6 inches
      “When awareness encounters eternity it creates time” (2018), paper sculpture, 12 x 12 x 6 inches

      #architecture
      #paper
      #sculpture

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      Science-Inspired Ink by Michele Volpi Blurs the Line Between Tattoo and Textbook

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      Art
      Science

      #anatomy
      #black and white
      #insects
      #nature
      #surreal
      #tattoos

      July 29, 2020
      Vanessa Ruiz

      All images © Michele Volpi, shared with permission
      One might learn something from staring at the tattoos of Italian artist Michele Volpi (previously). The composition, detailed dot work, and precise lines of his tattoos transcend both ink-infused skin and science textbooks. The Bologna-based tattoo artist relishes in scientific books—from Frank Netter’s painterly medical illustrations to the exquisitely rendered biological specimens and marine life of Ernst Haeckel. He often visits bookshops during his travels to discover and acquire these new sources of inspiration.
      Volpi’s customers seek him out to tattoo an array of botany, astronomy, physiology, and chemistry-based compositions. Sometimes customers let him choose the branch of science, in which case he renders his favorite subject—anatomy. Even then, Volpi combines subject matter like in his tattoo comparing the shape of a human pelvis to that of a butterfly or another that features a human skull being stretched absurdly through a wormhole.
      The artist tells Colossal that his “dream is to make a scientific book with all of my conceptual scientific illustrations that I love.” View Volpi’s body of work and booking information on Instagram. For those not ready for the permanence of a tattoo, there are prints of his pen-and-ink, anatomical illustrations available in his shop.

      #anatomy
      #black and white
      #insects
      #nature
      #surreal
      #tattoos

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      Paper Wildlife Sculptures by Artist Diana Beltrán Herrera Document Nature’s Most Striking Details

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      Art
      Design
      Illustration

      #birds
      #butterflies
      #paper
      #sculpture

      July 28, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      All images © Diana Beltrán Herrera, shared with permission
      In 2012, Bristol-based artist Diana Beltrán Herrera (previously) began sculpting impeccably layered paper birds and other wildlife as a way to record her surroundings. Her lifelike pieces continuously have captured nature’s finely detailed and minuscule elements, like the fibrous texture of feathers and the veins running through leaves.
      Today, the artist has expanded the practice to include exotic species and environments she’s never seen up close, developing her paper techniques to express the more nuanced details of the shapes and textures she studies in biology books. Now focusing on the structural elements of fungi, fruit, and florals, Beltrán Herrera shares with Colossal:
      Paper as a medium for documentation allows me to register and create notions and ideas of subjects that I have not experienced in real life but that I can experience when a sculpture is completed. I like this approach because it is not harmful, and through my work, I can show and tell my viewers about the things I have been learning, of the importance of nature just by researching and making it myself.
      Much of her work centers on conservation efforts and environmental justice. For example, a recent commission by Greenpeace UK bolstered the organization’s Plastic Free Rivers campaign. ” I am constantly looking for more subjects that are relevant to the times we are living in, so that through my work I can communicate important information that can educate or just make things more visible. The approach is very (graphic) and visual, which helps to deliver a message,” she says.
      Beltrán Herrera’s upcoming projects include a commission for a coral sculpture, in addition to plans to launch a studio with her brother by the end of 2020. Her hope is to merge graphic and digital design with her paper pieces, potentially adding in animation, as well. Ultimately, her goal is to dive into larger projects. “I don’t see my work as something I want to know how to make and stay safe, but as a challenge, that will always allow me to wonder how to execute and create things that were never made with paper,” she says.
      To see more of Beltrán Herrera’s creative process and follow her future pieces, head to Behance and Instagram.

      #birds
      #butterflies
      #paper
      #sculpture

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      Grab a Pair of Socks Emblazoned with Masterpieces from Art History

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      Art
      Design

      #art history
      #socks

      July 25, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      Katsushika Hokusai’s “The Great Wave”
      Most people probably would prefer that their acquaintances’ socks stay firmly tucked in their shoes, but a glimpse at one of Curator’s pairs might be an exception. The Portugal-based company designs cotton garments printed with variations of iconic artworks or designs constructed from their familiar color palettes—think Pieter Bruegel’s “Tower of Babel,” Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss,” and Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” Check out the full collection and pick up a pair on Curator’s site, and follow the latest designs on Instagram.

      Pieter Bruegel’s “Tower of Babel”
      Left: Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” Right: Caravaggio’s “Medusa”
      Wassily Kandinsky’s “Jaune-Rouge-Bleu”
      Left: C.M. Coolidge’s “A Friend in Need”.” Right: Paul Klee’s “Insula Dulcamara”
      Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss”

      #art history
      #socks

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      A 70-Meter-Wide Installation by Artist Yang Yongliang Immerses Viewers in a Galactic Cityscape

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      Art

      #black and white
      #installation
      #landscapes
      #light
      #stars
      #video

      July 24, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      
      Artist Yang Yongliang (previously) harmonizes human-generated light and naturally glowing stars in a celestial, 4K video installation. Set to an eerie, technological soundtrack, “Journey to the Dark II” winds through a mountainous city that spans 70 meters across. Movement in the immersive piece is confined mostly to the cars traveling across bridges and down streets, and the lights emit a constant glow among the modern architecture and landforms.
      Residing in Shanghai and New York, Yang often juxtaposes modern, industrial life and organic elements to produce dystopian environments that question human progress. “Ancient Chinese people painted landscapes to praise the greatness of nature; Yang’s works, on the other hand, lead towards a critical re-thinking of contemporary reality,” said a statement about a similarly foreboding project.
      To explore more of the artist’s digital work and follow his upcoming projects, check out his Instagram and Vimeo.

      “Journey to the Dark II” (2019), video installation, 12 × 70 meters, 12,600 × 2,160 pixels. All images © Yongliang Yang, shared with permission

      #black and white
      #installation
      #landscapes
      #light
      #stars
      #video

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      Embroidered Patches Redefine Vintage Postcards and Photographs by Fiber Artist Han Cao

      by

      
      Art
      Craft
      Photography

      #birds
      #embroidery
      #found photographs
      #landscapes
      #trains

      July 24, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      “Nice hair.” All images © Han Cao, shared with permission
      Through densely laid cross-stitches and whorls of thread, Han Cao revitalizes discarded photographs and postcards. Similar to the artist’s previous projects, her latest series New Nostalgia strikes a balance between the original subjects and the fiber-based additions. Sometimes covering faces with sparse dandelion puffs or confetti-like burst, Cao redefines the vintage pieces and explores how narratives linger as she stitches plumes of train steam that trail beyond the initial photograph’s edges.
      Based in Palm Springs, the artist shares glimpses into her process on Instagram, and if you’re in Philadelphia, check out her embroidered pieces that are on view through August 22 at Paradigm Gallery. Cao also sells some of her mixed-media works in her shop.

      Left: “Golden Conjurer.” Right: “Wallflower-Yellow Pansy”
      “Mt Rainier”
      “Runaway train”
      “Runaway train”
      “Generations”
      Left: “A steady dissolution.” Right: “Sisters”
      “Plume”
      “Sister, sister”

      #birds
      #embroidery
      #found photographs
      #landscapes
      #trains

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