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      Delicate Paintings by Lee Me Kyeoung Detail the Small Convenience Stores Throughout South Korea

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      Art

      #painting
      #South Korea
      #stores

      July 20, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      “Peach blossom store” (2020), acrylic ink pen on paper, 122 × 122 centimeters. All images © Lee Me Kyeoung, shared with permission
      Peeking through peach blossoms or nestled into a snowy landscape, the tiny shops that Lee Me Kyeoung renders are found across South Korea, from Mokpo to Jeju and Seoul to Gapyeong. The artist already has spent decades speaking with the store owners and weaving their stories into her delicate paintings as part of her ongoing A Small Store series. Her most recent works encapsulate the experience of standing in front of the establishments by capturing every detail: the multicolored goods evenly stacked, advertisements posted in the windows, bikes parked out front, and the sloping tiled roofs.
      Me Kyeoung’s work recently culminated in a book detailing the still-open locations for those interested in visiting the shops in person. The prolific artist also shares updates on future exhibitions, in addition to photographs of the original stores she visits, on Instagram.

      “Jeongdeun store” (2020), acrylic ink pen on paper, 122 x 162 centimeters
      “Korye store” (2019), acrylic ink pen on paper, 65 x 65 centimeters
      “Woori store at Haenam” (2019), acrylic ink pen on paper, 56 x 115 centimeters
      “Shingur store” (2019), acrylic ink pen on paper, 75 x 135 centimeters
      “Store at Haman” (2019), acrylic ink pen on paper, 75 x 135 centimeters
      “Sinheoung store” (2019), acrylic ink pen on paper, 49 x 86 centimeters
      “Deayul store” (2019), acrylic ink pen on paper, 60 x 73 centimeters
      “Chestnut tree valley store” (2020), acrylic ink pen on paper, 120 x 180 centimeters

      #painting
      #South Korea
      #stores

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      Biologically Accurate Sculptures of Animals by Fanni Sandor Are Smaller Than a Fingernail

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      Art
      Craft

      #birds
      #clay
      #mice
      #miniature
      #nature
      #nests
      #sculpture

      July 20, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      All images © Fanni Sandor, shared with permission
      Fanni Sandor has been fascinated by miniatures since childhood, constructing her first sculpture from toothpicks, candle wax, paper, and glue at six years old. “In my country, there (are) no traditions of the 1:12 scale miniature making. In my twenties, I met the first professional miniaturist’s work through the internet. I was completely fascinated,” she tells Colossal.
      Today, the Hungary-based biologist and artist fashions minuscule baby bluejays clamoring for food, a mouse peeking out from a bit of bread, and a waddling family of mallards. Inspired by her background in biology, the miniatures feature incredibly accurate details, and most fit easily on the tip of a finger.
      Sandor will spend anywhere from two days to two weeks on a single piece, noting that the robin’s nest alone took three days. Her process is multifaceted and begins with collecting photographs of the species before sketching a prototype. Forgoing molds, the artist employs embossing and pin-ending tools to sculpt the animal figures from polymer clay and wire. After baking, she chisels a few more details, paints, and attaches the fur and feathers where necessary.
      In 2016, Sandor become a fellow at The International Guild of Miniature Artisans. To follow her upcoming projects, head to Instagram.

      #birds
      #clay
      #mice
      #miniature
      #nature
      #nests
      #sculpture

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      Thousands of Plastic Bottles Are Suspended in Green Tendrils in Artist Jean Shin’s Latest Installation

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      Art

      #installation
      #plastic
      #sustainability

      July 19, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      “Floating MAiZE.” All images © Jean Shin and Ryan Muir, shared with permission
      In her installation “Floating MAiZE,” artist Jean Shin employs more than 7,000 plastic bottles to create a stunning suspension above an atrium at Brookfield Place. The window-lined space allows light to refract through the translucent tendrils, which are hung in a staggered, circular shape. Layered with sustainable practices, the latest installation reuses the green, plastic bottles from the 2017 project, “MAiZE,” which utilized Mountain Dew that was consumed and collected in Iowa, the nation’s leader in corn production. Living and working in Brooklyn, Shin also sourced some pieces from Sure We Can, a nonprofit recycling center in her neighborhood.
      The recycled piece falls at the intersection of environmental consciousness and commentary on food consumption in the United States. “Following the food chain from industrial-scale agricultural practice producing corn in America that ends up being consumed as high fructose corn syrup in soda and other processed foods, served up in plastics that become harmful pollutants in our oceans,” the artist writes on Instagram.
      Shin tells Colossal that her works help to expose “the interdependency of their consumer habits to the larger ecosystem,” which she elaborates on by saying:
      I use everyday objects and detritus that are often overlooked or obsolete to transform them into large scale installations. The lifecycle and accumulation of these consumer objects have a huge environmental impact. I am interested in where these materials come from, where they end up and who engages with them.
      Along with her sweeping piece “The Last Straw,” “Floating MAiZE” will be on view through August 30 at Winter Garden at Brookfield Place. (via Hyperallergic)

      #installation
      #plastic
      #sustainability

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      Explore the Traditional Art of Ebru as Garip Ay Creates Entrancing Water Paintings

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      Art

      #painting
      #video
      #water

      July 18, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      
      Based in Istanbul, artist Garip Ay (previously) utilizes traditional ebru techniques—a method of paper marbling that involves dripping oil paint into water—to create rich artworks with incredibly complex motifs. Ay’s process recently was captured by Great Big Story in a short video that walks through his studio and documents how the artist seamlessly morphs one work into another with just a few hand motions.
      After completing a piece on the water’s surface, Ay transfers the image to paper, wood, or textiles by dipping it in and slowly pulling back. Despite the meditative quality of his movements, though, the artist shares the pressures of the medium. “When people watch ebru, they think it is relaxing and soothing, but it my personal experience, it is really stressful. While doing ebru, you have control problems because you’re doing something on water,” he says. As shown, a drop too many could alter the entire piece.
      Ay shares many videos and photographs of his vibrant paintings on his site, and more of Great Big Story’s projects can be found on YouTube.

      #painting
      #video
      #water

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      Lush Florals and Ripe Fruit Sprout from Lustrous Glass Trees by Artist Debora Moore

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      Art

      #flowers
      #glass
      #sculpture
      #trees

      July 17, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      All images © Debora Moore, shared with permission
      Combining traditional glassblowing techniques and sculpting methods, Debora Moore forms lustrous glass sculptures that resemble mossy branches, fleshy petals, and entire trees. The St. Louis-born artist began by creating orchids with bulbous centers before expanding her practice to larger, organic forms. In her recent collection, Arboria, Moore sculpted delicate magnolias, plump plums, and the lavender tendrils of the wisteria.
      The fragile artworks create a tension between the delicate material, the fleeting lives of flowers, and the strength and durability of nature. Moore likens her process to that of painting, where glass is used similarly to produce depth. “The material’s inherent ability to transmit and reflect light, as well as its variations from transparency to opacity, lends itself perfectly to achieve desired textures and surfaces,” she says in a statement.
      To dive further into Moore’s process and see her studio, check out this interview and her site.

      Left: “Purple Lady Slipper,” blown and sculpted glass, 35 x 21 x 8 inches. Right: “Paphiopedilum Epiphyte,” blown and sculpted glass, 35 x 9 x 9 inches
      “Magnolia” from Arboria (2018), blown and sculpted glass, 104 x 112 x 30 inches
      “Winter Plum” from Arboria (2018), blown and sculpted glass, 72 x 101 x 23 inches
      “Winter Plum” from Arboria (2018), blown and sculpted glass, 72 x 101 x 23 inches
      “Blue Lady Slippers” from Gigantica, blown and sculpted glass, 19 x 20 x 11 inches
      “Wisteria” from Arboria (2018), blown and sculpted glass, 93 x 86 x 36 inches
      “Wisteria” from Arboria (2018), blown and sculpted glass, 93 x 86 x 36 inches
      Left: “Blue Orchid Tree,” blown and sculpted glass, 42 x 35 x 10 inches. Right: “Pink Lady Slipper,” blown and sculpted glass, 62 x 43 x 8 inches
      “Blue Epiphyte,” blown and sculpted glass, 22 x 9.5 x 7.5 inches
      “Magnolia” from Arboria (2018), blown and sculpted glass, 104 x 112 x 30 inches
      “Blush Epidendrum,” blown and sculpted glass, 23 x 17 x 9 inches

      #flowers
      #glass
      #sculpture
      #trees

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      Powerful and Emotive, Artist Patrick Onyekwere’s Hyperrealistic Portraits Are Rendered Meticulously in Ballpoint Pen

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      Art

      #drawing
      #hyperrealism
      #pen
      #photorealism
      #portraits

      July 16, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      All images © Patrick Onyekwere, shared with permission
      Patrick Onyekwere imbues his photorealistic portraits with layers of emotion. Before sketching with blue, ballpoint pen, the Nigerian artist invites his subjects into a conversation about their lives, contemporary culture, and nature to establish the mood or story he’s hoping to convey. Their responses produce a collaborative endeavor that organically merges their perspectives and histories, which the artist translates to his artworks.
      Onyekwere collects a few snapshots of his subject for reference as he meticulously shades and crosshatches every inch of his hyperrealistic pieces. The artist sees his powerful renderings as “speaking for those who can’t speak for themselves” and finds the subjects’ eyes most interesting. “They mirror some of our deepest desires, fears, inhibitions, perceptions, thoughts, most of which we ourselves are consciously unaware of,” he says. “(The eyes have) the power to convey emotions and feelings and also communicate and connect to the viewer, inviting them to live in an untold story, in such a way they don’t see an already existing piece but take part in the creation of it.”
      To see Onyekwere’s portraits-in-progress and follow more of his expressive works, follow him on Instagram and YouTube.

      #drawing
      #hyperrealism
      #pen
      #photorealism
      #portraits

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      Jolly Characters by Artist Jean Jullien Overrun the Jardin des Plantes in Nantes, France

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      Art
      Illustration

      #installation
      #public art

      July 15, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      Photo by Jean Jullien. All images © Jean Jullien, shared with permission
      Take a stroll through Nantes’s Jardin des Plantes, and you’ll find a playful cast of characters floating in a fountain, raking the grass, and joining hands to hug a tree. Part of a new exhibition titled Filili Viridi in the French city, the colorful ensemble was created by Paris-based artist Jean Jullien (previously) for the botanic garden in his hometown. Each of the characters is massive—the blush-colored creature spans more than eight meters—and appears to utilize the lush grounds just like their human counterparts.
      If you’re in Nantes before November 2021, head to the park to hang out with the jolly group, to which Jullien plans to add a dozen (!) more of the spirited characters next fall. To dive further into his light-hearted projects, check out the artist’s Instagram and the range of books he’s illustrated, many of which are available from Bookshop. (via Juxtapoz)

      Photo by Jean Jullien
      Photo by Jean Jullien
      Photos by Jean Jullien
      Photo by Jean Jullien
      Photo by Jean-Felix Fayolle
      Photo by Jean-Felix Fayolle

      #installation
      #public art

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      Swaths of Colorful Fringe Disguise Animalistic Sculptures by Artist Troy Emery

      by

      
      Art
      Craft

      #animals
      #sculpture
      #thread

      July 13, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      “small sweet pink lump” (2020), polyester, polyurethane, pins, and adhesive, 40 x 44 x 39 centimeters. All images © Troy Emery, shared with permission
      Many pet owners are quick to name their dog or cat’s breed, but those bringing home one of Troy Emery’s colorful sculptures might need to figure out what species they’ve adopted first. The Melbourne-based artist creates amorphous artworks that resemble a range of four-legged friends, although their figures are enveloped with swaths of long, flowing fringe rather than distinct characteristics.
      In a note to Colossal, Emery shares that his tassel-covered sculptures consider how both fine arts and craft are portrayed broadly, in addition to the unique position non-human creatures hold as “tokens of ecological ruination… Along with the theme of animals within decorative arts, my practice plays with both scientific and cultural categorization of the ‘natural’ world, creating ‘fake taxidermy’ that falls between reality and fantasy as exotic hybrid creatures,” he says.
      Emery’s indeterminate sculptures are currently on view through an online exhibition with Martin Browne Contemporary, and more of his textile-based projects can be found on Instagram. (via The Jealous Curator)

      “Bird Catcher” (2017), rayon fringing, polyurethane, glue, and pins
      “ingot eater” (2019), polyester, polyurethane, pins, and adhesive, 78 x 98 x 54 centimeters
      “pink peony” (2020), polyester, polyurethane, pins, and adhesive, 39 x 68 x 22 centimeters
      “shadow” (2019), polyester, polyurethane, pins, and adhesive, 51 x 50 x 45 centimeters
      “savage” (2020), polyester, polyurethane, wire, fiberglass, pins, and adhesive, 32 x 90 x 40 centimeters

      #animals
      #sculpture
      #thread

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