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Metaphysical Landscapes by Eliot Greenwald Illuminate the Mutuality of All Life
by Aurelia Butler 8 November 2024, 14:11
“Letter to the Center of the Lake” (2024), oil stick and acrylic on canvas over panel, diptych, 72 x 94 x 2 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and HARPER’S, shared with permission
Metaphysical Landscapes by Eliot Greenwald Illuminate the Mutuality of All Life
November 8, 2024
Art
Kate Mothes
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For Eliot Greenwald, humankind and the landscapes we occupy are essentially one in the same. Cycles of life, death, and rebirth may diverge from being to being, but the artist considers all existence to be fundamentally interconnected and substantially the same.
At HARPER’S in Chelsea, Greenwald’s solo exhibition Library continues to explore the artist’s fascination with landscape and the metaphysical, inviting us to explore a surreal realm of otherworldly botanicals, double moons, and enigmatic pathways.
“Ask the Arrow” (2024), oil stick and acrylic on canvas over panel, diptych, 72 x 94 x 2 inches
In oil stick and acrylic, Greenwald often repeats motifs of trees and mountains through variations in light and hue, nodding to the cyclical nature of the seasons and how the time of day or year influences how we perceive the world around us.
The artist also incorporates vehicles that wind their way through the scenes and illuminate their surroundings. “These miniature automobiles stand in for the human vessel itself—a subtle reminder that even the most engineered facets of the Anthropocene are just one piece in the grander puzzle of existence,” says a gallery statement.
In addition to Greenwald’s organically-shaped canvas pieces, Library also includes sculptural elements, like “Library of Paper Towels,” a tiny, freestanding room filled with books covered in colorful paper.
Made of reclaimed wood salvaged from an 18th-century barn in western Massachusetts, where the artist lives, the repository contains hundreds of hand-bound books made from paper towel. Employing a material made expressly to be used and thrown away, the artist reckons with the way knowledge is gained, shared, preserved, and valued.
Library continues through December 7 in New York City. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.
Installation view of ‘Library’
“Detail of Library of Paper Towels” (2024), wood, hardware, hat light, extension cord, and artist books, 110 x 50 x 50 inches
“Blanket Drapes with its Fringe” (2024), oil stick and acrylic on canvas over panel, 78 x 47 x 2 inches
Detail of “Blanket Drapes with its Fringe”
“Not A Franz West” (2024), oil stick and acrylic on canvas over panel, 95 x 47 x 2 inches
“Wind Doesn’t Suck, It Blows” (2024), oil stick and acrylic on canvas over panel, diptych, 72 x 94 x 2 inches
Detail of “Wind Doesn’t Suck, It Blows”
Installation view of ‘Library’
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Quentin Garel’s Lifelike Sculptures Transport Us to the ‘Faraway Forest’
by Aurelia Butler 7 November 2024, 14:22
All images courtesy of the artist and Galerie LJ, shared with permission
Quentin Garel’s Lifelike Sculptures Transport Us to the ‘Faraway Forest’
November 7, 2024
ArtNature
Kate Mothes
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Lifelike mammals with sage expressions characterize the sculptures of Quentin Garel (previously). A deer with enormous antlers, an ibex—a type of wild goat—with curving horns, and a beady-eyed donkey are just a few of the creatures in the artist’s current solo exhibition with Galerie LJ, Dans la Forêt Lontaine—or, “in the faraway forest.”
Oscillating between reality and fantasy, Garel’s sculptures portray creatures threatened by overhunting, displaying them on the wall or atop metal rods like trophies. He works with the wood’s natural grain, allowing the whorls and knots to emphasize musculature.
Part of a commissioned series for a public installation in Thonon-les-Bains, France, Garel explores the theme of mountain animals, drawing attention to the needless impulse to hunt for sport. In Thonon-les-Bains, bronze casts of the pieces shown currently at Galerie LJ will be installed in a large wall fountain.
Dans la Forêt Lontaine continues through November 23 in Paris. Find more of Garel’s work on Instagram.
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Michael McGrath Summons Symbolism and a Folk Art Style in Expressive Paintings
by Aurelia Butler 6 November 2024, 18:07
“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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Color and Repetition Form Optical Rhythms in Daniel Mullen’s Geometric Paintings
by Aurelia Butler 6 November 2024, 14:44
“Helix No. 2.” All images courtesy of Daniel Mullen, shared with permission
Color and Repetition Form Optical Rhythms in Daniel Mullen’s Geometric Paintings
November 6, 2024
Art
Kate Mothes
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Transparent, glass-like planes sweep across Daniel Mullen’s canvases, dancing across the color spectrum and layering or rotating with mathematical precision. The Amsterdam-based artist (previously) has long been fascinated by the way pigments relate to one another and invite depth or contrast through opacity and tonal shifts.
“At the moment, my work is taking shape in three forms: paintings on linen, wooden cut-outs that directly interact with their surrounding space, and sculptural pieces that play with illusion, light, and form,” Mullen tells Colossal. “Across these three mediums, the rectangle serves as a primal anchor, creating a framework for color and abstract illusion.”
“Untitled Interaction No. 15”
The artist is currently working on a series called Helix, in which he’s focused on capturing movement and rhythm through a pared-down palette. Quinacridone magenta, primary yellow, and turquoise phthalo—a family of blue and green pigments—form the basis of these explorations, allowing him to delve into their interactions and nuances.
As if layering individual, tinted panes over one another in a twisting arrangement, the three hues interact to produce vibrant oranges, violets, and blues that appear to glow from within.
Earlier this year, Mullen released his first book, Transfigurations, which showcases more than 40 works resulting from his investigations into form, color, and optical vibrations. “I consider it more an art object than a traditional book, reflecting my ongoing investigation into geometry and perception.
Mullen is currently preparing for two solo exhibitions in Lima and São Paulo next spring. Find more on his website, where you can purchase Transfigurations, and follow updates on Instagram.
Photo courtesy of Enlace Gallery
“Vortex No. 9”
“Spatial Drift No. 7”
“Light Works”
From the ‘Helix’ series
Photo courtesy of Enlace Gallery
‘Transfigurations.’ Photo by The Book Photographer
“Arising.” Photo courtesy of Enlace Gallery
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A Sprawling Garden Opening Next Spring Embodies Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’
by Aurelia Butler 4 November 2024, 14:31
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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In ‘Keep the Kid Alive,’ Arielle Bobb-Willis Reaches for Exuberance
by Aurelia Butler 1 November 2024, 17:52
New Jersey (2017). All images © Arielle Bobb-Willis, shared with permission
In ‘Keep the Kid Alive,’ Arielle Bobb-Willis Reaches for Exuberance
November 1, 2024
ArtBooksPhotography
Grace Ebert
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Color, movement, and sweeping, expertly choreographed gestures permeate the works of Arielle Bobb-Willis. The Los Angeles-based photographer blurs the boundaries between art and fashion imagery, rejecting “the notion that Black expression is limited—or limiting.”
A slim monograph collects 90 of Bobb-Willis’s photos, highlighting her distinctive eye and bold, conceptual compositions. Published by Aperture, Keep the Kid Alive positions observation and imagination as useful tools to inspire awe for the overlooked. Models dressed in bright, color-blocked garments pose in parks or alleyways, their joyful dances and chromatic clothing enriching the nondescript spaces.
New Jersey (2017)
Bobb-Willis first picked up a camera at 14 and through moves from New York to Aiken, South Carolina, to New Orleans, found the medium was both cathartic through chronic depression and loss and also an essential tool for developing her taste and confidence.
“Photography is how I keep my inner child alive. Photography has taught me to fall in love with life,” she shares with Nicole Acheampong in an interview in the book, adding:
I love finding unexpected rainbows, and sunshine and a beautiful green park and kids’ chalk drawings on the sidewalk and melted ice cream and butterflies and flowers and Black girls with bright-blue braids and sweet graffiti poetry! I keep my inner child alive by taking pictures of my every day. I’m always finding things that I’m so in love with. …Photography is, and will always be, a daily practice of falling in love with as many things as I can.
Whether captured in a Los Angeles parking lot or against a purple wall in New Jersey, Bobb-Willis’s images are dynamic and vivid, drawing beauty and exuberance from unassuming spaces.
Keep the Kid Alive is available on Bookshop, and you can find more from Bobb-Willis on her website and Instagram.
New Orleans (2021)
Los Angeles (2020)
Williamsburg (2016)
New Jersey (2018)
New Orleans (2017)
New Jersey (2019)
New Jersey (2022)
New Orleans (2016)
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Dreamlike Creatures and Spiritual Symbols Merge in Lou Benesch’s Watercolors
by Aurelia Butler 31 October 2024, 19:00
All images courtesy of the artist and Hashimoto Contemporary, shared with permission
Dreamlike Creatures and Spiritual Symbols Merge in Lou Benesch’s Watercolors
October 31, 2024
ArtIllustration
Kate Mothes
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Cosmic phenomena, spiritual symbolism, and the stuff of dreams embellish Lou Benesch’s mystical watercolor paintings. From a trio of blackbirds hovering over a giant bed on a ragged coastline or a many-faced ram bearing bells and birds, the Paris-based artist (previously) draws on the iconography of folklore, fairytales, Greek myths, and symbols of spirituality.
A Comforting Invisible, opening soon at Hashimoto Contemporary, marks the artist’s first solo show with the gallery and brings together a collection of otherworldly illustrations that begin with reality but morph into unearthly, imaginary beings.
In often semi-symmetric compositions, hybrid animals and unique interactions nod to metamorphosis and metaphysical experiences in surreal landscapes. The edges of each piece of paper have also darkened or faded with age, emphasizing the element of time or—as in dreams—timelessness.
Benesch explores what the gallery describes as the “existence of a second, invisible realm accessed only through the portal of dreams.” Stage-like settings, archways, and niches reveal emblems like eyes, a miniature labyrinth, the sun and moon, eggs, and a range of geometric shapes.
Eggs, for example, represent hope, fertility, and rebirth. People have revered the sun and moon since time immemorial, symbolizing duality, balance, and transition. Benesch adds that the addition of a maze provides a way to “access this universe of contemplation… with an invisible hand guiding us along the paths that we forget to see.”
A Comforting Invisible runs from November 9 to 30 in Los Angeles. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.
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In the Mood for Food, Soeun Lee Solders Vibrant Stained Glass Visions of Comfort
by Aurelia Butler 31 October 2024, 13:46
All images courtesy of Soeun Lee, shared with permission
In the Mood for Food, Soeun Lee Solders Vibrant Stained Glass Visions of Comfort
October 31, 2024
ArtCraft
Kate Mothes
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Drawing on her background in illustration, Soeun Lee captures atmospheric tableaux of sunny breakfasts and relaxing reading spots in stained glass. A fried egg in a pan, an open book left on a table, or a full cup of coffee next to a plate of toast suggest someone is nearby, just out of the frame.
“I play around with things that hint at a personal presence, like an empty chair, a book, or a mug,” Lee tells Colossal. “I want the viewer to be able to sense the lingering traces of a conversation or thought that occurred just moments before.”
Nodding to the deep shadows of Edward Hopper’s “Chop Suey” or Wayne Thiebaud’s baked confections, Lee’s compositions draw on similar themes and emphasize contrast to create each interior’s mood. “Many of my pieces draw inspiration from classic American diners, which evoke a sense of familiarity and warmth for everyone,” she says, “whether they are newcomers or lifelong residents.”
The notion of comfort runs through much of Lee’s work, especially through the subtopic of food. Stacks of pancakes or toast are lit by the morning sun through nearby windows or an open refrigerator illuminates its contents. This play on light continues by way of the medium itself, activated by the sun shining through the panes to brighten vibrant colors.
“Many of my designs cast long shadows, evoking the time of day, whether it’s the very early morning light or the warm glow of sunset,” she says. “I choose the colors to reflect that mood. Early mornings evoke a sense of hope and the promise of a new day, while shadows from a sunset remind me to find down, reflect, and find rest.”
Lee is currently working on new pieces, which she will make available on her website. Follow Instagram for updates.
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Art

More stories

Metaphysical Landscapes by Eliot Greenwald Illuminate the Mutuality of All Life

Quentin Garel’s Lifelike Sculptures Transport Us to the ‘Faraway Forest’

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

Color and Repetition Form Optical Rhythms in Daniel Mullen’s Geometric Paintings

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

In ‘Keep the Kid Alive,’ Arielle Bobb-Willis Reaches for Exuberance

Dreamlike Creatures and Spiritual Symbols Merge in Lou Benesch’s Watercolors

In the Mood for Food, Soeun Lee Solders Vibrant Stained Glass Visions of Comfort

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