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

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      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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      Digital Sculptures Visualize Chirps of Amazonian Birds in a Responsive Artwork by Andy Thomas

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      Animation
      Art

      #Amazon
      #birds
      #digital
      #sound
      #video

      July 22, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      
      Based on an audio recording from a 2016 trip to the Amazon, Australian artist Andy Thomas interprets birds’ trills, squawks, and coos through an animated series of digital sculptures. An extension of a previous project, “Visual Sounds of the Amazon 2” is an abstract rendering composed of bursting dots, billowing fog, and flashes of amorphous forms that correspond to the avian sounds. With each chirp, the fleeting masses contort, grow, and disassemble into a new, vibrant form.
      Many of Thomas’s projects explore the intersection of technology and nature, and he tells Colossal that he sees “computers as a hyper extension of evolution.” He expands on the idea by saying:
      Humans are changing the biodiversity of the natural world and gradually replacing it with digitized versions, like echoes of the past. I am fascinated with the idea of generating digital art that references the beauty and complexity of nature. I hope this piece will encourage people to research the many amazing varieties of birds that call the Amazon home, and remind us of how fragile and important this place is to us all.
      The artist ascribes “Visual Sounds of the Amazon 2” a more urgent context, as well. “This series is dedicated to the people of Brazil and the ecosystem of one of the world’s most amazing forests. The Amazon is known as the lungs of the world and is under constant and ongoing threats of deforestation,” he writes in a statement about the animated project.
      Find more of Thomas’s visual explorations on Instagram and Vimeo, and check out the sprawling digital creations he has available as prints in his shop.

      #Amazon
      #birds
      #digital
      #sound
      #video

      Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member and support independent arts publishing. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, apply for our annual grant, and get exclusive access to interviews, partner discounts, and event tickets.

       
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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

      Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member and support independent arts publishing. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, apply for our annual grant, and get exclusive access to interviews, partner discounts, and event tickets.

       
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      Domestic Ceramics by Mechelle Bounpraseuth Infused with Culinary Life and Family Memories

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       All images © Mechelle Bounpraseuth, shared with permission Sydney-based artist Mechelle Bounpraseuth crafts miniature ceramics that explore her identity as a first-generation daughter of Laotian refugees. Her small and glossy ceramic artwork, which ranges from drink cans to widely known sauces, explores her connection with her past and how branded ingredients are rooted in […] More

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      Meticulously Crafted Steampunk Creatures by Igor Verny Feature Articulated Wings and Limbs

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       All images © Igor Verny If Igor Verny’s dragonflies and birds have difficulty taking flight, they may need a few squirts of WD-40 to get their metallic wings flapping. The Russian artist (previously) assembles steampunk-inspired sculptures that are fully articulated and can be shaped into realistic poses of daily activities. Merging the organic and […] More

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      A Dense Cluster of Birdhouses by Artist Bob Verschueren Rests in a Treetop

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       All images © Annecy Paysages Hopefully, the birds flocking to Bob Verschueren’s wooden housing complex won’t mind if their neighbors stay up late chirping or make too much noise as they head out in the morning to look for worms. Resembling a dense apartment building with shared walls and common perches, Vershueren’s “Implantations” features rows […] More

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      Wildlife, Fruit, and Vines Merge in Surreal Paintings by Nunzio Paci

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       “Ivy that dreams of running far” (2019), oil on board, 90 x 60 centimeters. All images © Nunzio Paci, shared with permission Combining a dense mix of natural elements, Bologna, Italy-based artist  Nunzio Paci (previously) reckons with the fragile line between life and death. Many of his 2019 oil paintings visualize both alert and […] More