More stories

  • in

    Hollie Chastain Lands a Playful Series of Collaged UFOs

    All images courtesy of Hollie Chastain, shared with permission

    Hollie Chastain Lands a Playful Series of Collaged UFOs

    November 20, 2024

    ArtCraft

    Kate Mothes

    Share

    Pin

    Email

    Bookmark

    From paper, thread, and gouache, Chattanooga-based artist Hollie Chastain (previously) combines ephemera and found materials into vibrant collages. Strips of paper are cut, woven, and stitched into playful, abstract compositions.

    The artist’s recent extraterrestrial-inspired series emerged somewhat by accident. “I was playing around with scraps and some abstract surface design, and it ended up vaguely UFO-shaped, so I ran with it,” the artist tells Colossal.

    “Green Valley”

    Chastain’s playful series uses a limited palette of five colors, in addition to vintage printed matter and a thin maple veneer for visual warmth. “Creating such a big collection with limited materials and colors is both challenging and extremely satisfying,” Chastain says. “I am not overwhelmed with options, yet have to stretch myself to make them each unique.”

    Some of the pieces of more intentionally UFO-shaped than others, and Chastain titles each one after the name of a global city where UFO activity has been reported. “I blame David Duchovny,” she says.

    Chastain is currently working toward a solo exhibition in late 2025 at Townsend Atelier in Chattanooga. And if you’re in Colorado, you can see her work—including several of the UFOs—in Moons Out, Goons Out at Ah Haa School for the Arts in Telluride through November 30. Find more on her website and Instagram.

    Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member now, and support independent arts publishing.

    Hide advertising

    Save your favorite articles

    Get 15% off in the Colossal Shop

    Receive members-only newsletter

    Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms

    Join us today!

    $7/month

    $75/year

    Explore membership options

    Previous articleNext article More

  • in

    Myriam Dion Weaves Milestones of Women’s History from Vintage Newspapers

    “Carré Fleuri, antique samples of hand-painted flower patterns for dress fabric, France, 1841” (2023), collage, hand-cut, Japanese paper, paper weaving, gold leaf, and acrylic painting, 26 x 26 inches

    Myriam Dion Weaves Milestones of Women’s History from Vintage Newspapers

    November 19, 2024

    ArtCraft

    Kate Mothes

    Share

    Pin

    Email

    Bookmark

    From found vintage newspapers and hand-painted designs, Myriam Dion composes remarkably detailed collages. Known for reimagining newspapers into sculptural, geometric works, the Montréal-based artist (previously) has recently begun experimenting with a range of found materials, like gouache-painted samples of antique textile patterns and pages from old garden books.

    The stories Dion chooses to highlight often revolve around women and their accomplishments. “It is interesting to see how women are documented in the media,” she says, “especially at a time when newspapers were written by men for men and how this evolves and sometimes regresses depending on the subjects,” the artist says.

    Detail of “Carré Fleuri, antique samples of hand-painted flower patterns for dress fabric, France, 1841”

    Through a painstaking process of cutting and weaving tiny strips of material, Dion adheres gold leaf and adds drawing and painting details. “I also include folding techniques that allow me to create relief and a textile look to the paper,” she says. “Drawing allows me to develop patterns through repetition and is conducive to larger installations.”

    The artist currently has work on view in Timelines, her solo exhibition at Arsenal Contemporary in New York City, which emphasizes her interest in milestones like women’s labor rights and suffrage throughout the 20th century, especially in the U.S.

    “These themes are expressed through headlines in a dated language as evocative as the homespun crafts that Dion elevates,” says a gallery statement. “By exploiting the metaphoric potential of ephemera, she underscores the vulnerability of these rights while offering a timely reminder of their importance.”

    “Miss Marion Cassidy, Daring Canadian Aviatrix, New Mexico, Wednesday, May 21, 1919” (2024), collage and weaving of newspaper and hand-cut Japanese paper, acrylic paint, pencil drawing, and gold leaf, 47 x 47 inches

    Dion has recently become fascinated by darning samplers, which like other embroidery samplers, were historically used to showcase one’s knowledge and skills with different stitches. In terms of darning, a method of mending, the patterns often mimicked different weaves or knitting to show that the sampler’s maker was capable of mending a variety of fabrics.

    “These are objects rich in know-how and history—they are magnificent and very inspiring for me, both formally and conceptually,” Dion says. “These objects evoke repair and care, which give a second life to damaged fabrics. They are linked to women, indeed: traditional crafts and artisanal virtuosity, elements to which I am sensitive and which greatly influence my creative process.”

    Dion is particularly drawn to the samplers’ geometric characteristics, which she incorporates into her own compositions. Patterns and floral motifs intertwine in meticulously detailed pieces, often transforming into ornate framing devices for intimately scaled photographs of women snipped from the newspaper.

    The artist recently won a commission for a large public artwork inspired by darning samplers, which will be installed in a new hospital in Vaudreuil-Soulanges, Québec, in 2027. Another public work will be installed at the Santa-Cabrini Hospital in Montréal next summer.

    Timelines continues through December 14. Find more on Dion’s website and Instagram.

    “Girl in Knicks on the Links, Miss McMillan, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, New York, Monday, May 8, 1922” (2024), collage of hand-cut newspaper and Japanese paper, drawing, painting, paper weaving, and gold leaf, 116.5 cm x 108.5 centimeters

    Detail of “Girl in Knicks on the Links, Miss McMillan, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, New York, Monday, May 8, 1922”

    “Women Workers, Daily Republican Eagle, Red Wing, Minnesota, Friday, October 2, 1942” (2024), collage and weaving of newspaper and hand-cut Japanese paper, acrylic paint, pencil drawing, and gold leaf, 40 x 40 inches

    Detail of “Women Workers, Daily Republican Eagle, Red Wing, Minnesota, Friday, October 2, 1942”

    “Marie Curie, Radium discoverer to visit America, February 10, 1921” (2024), collage and weaving of newspaper and hand-cut Japanese paper, acrylic paint, felt, and gold leaf, 42 1/2 x 43 inches

    Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member now, and support independent arts publishing.

    Hide advertising

    Save your favorite articles

    Get 15% off in the Colossal Shop

    Receive members-only newsletter

    Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms

    Join us today!

    $7/month

    $75/year

    Explore membership options

    Next article More

  • in

    From Early Computers to Ships at Sea, Lola Dupre Warps Everyday Objects

    From Early Computers to Ships at Sea, Lola Dupre Warps Everyday Objects

    October 9, 2024

    ArtPhotography

    Grace Ebert

    Share

    Pin

    Email

    Bookmark

    How would you find home row in fourth-grade typing class if there were 1,700 keys in front of you? Lola Dupre’s latest collages would be intimidating to even the most ambitious student.

    The artist (previously) continues her disorienting manipulations with a pair of early Apple desktops, ships with enough stories to rival a high-rise, and a cow so bloated she needs eight legs to stand. Each work pushes the limits of legibility as limbs and common objects undergo exaggerated distortions.

    Dupre’s work is on view through November 23 at Prescription Art in Brighton, and she has another show slated for April at Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles. Until then, find more on Instagram.

    Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member now, and support independent arts publishing.

    Hide advertising

    Save your favorite articles

    Get 15% off in the Colossal Shop

    Receive members-only newsletter

    Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms

    Join us today!

    $7/month

    $75/year

    Explore membership options

    Next article More

  • in

    Symmetric Paper Collages by Haegue Yang Commune with the Spiritual

    “Splashing Volcano Ash Gaze–
    Mesmerizing Mesh #140” (2022), Hanji on alu-dibond, framed, 62 x 62 centimeters. All photos by Studio Haegue Yang, courtesy of the artist and The Arts Club of Chicago, shared with permission

    Symmetric Paper Collages by Haegue Yang Commune with the Spiritual

    October 2, 2024

    Art

    Grace Ebert

    Share

    Pin

    Email

    Bookmark

    Known for immersive sculptures and installations that engage the senses, Seoul-born artist Haegue Yang looks toward common materials and traditional craft techniques to explore pressing issues. She often transforms domestic objects like Venetian blinds, electrical fans, and even cans of Spam into dynamic, abstract works that comment on sociopolitical topics like migration, labor, and exile.

    Although the artist has risen to international recognition for her three-dimensional pieces, an exhibition at The Arts Club of Chicago peers into another side of her practice. Flat Works surveys two decades of Yang’s paintings, prints, and collages, including her captivating series, Mesmerizing Mesh.

    “Flower Explosion Radial Folds–Mesmerizing Mesh #124” (2022), Hanji, graph paper on alu-dibond

    Geometric, floral motifs characterize the alluring compositions made from cut and folded hanji, paper derived from mulberry bark. Mesmerizing Mesh references shamanistic traditions, particularly in Korea, Japan, China, and Slavic regions, and what comes from communing with the spirit world.

    According to a statement about the series, the symmetric works allude to “sumun, a sheet hung from the ceiling in rituals…to keep away evil spirits,” while the more figurative, anthropomorphic pieces “resemble soul sheets (nukjeon), in which the shaman blows a spirit treated as the identical entity of the deceased being honored.”

    Like her sculptures, these collages similarly recontextualize a humble, everyday material. Although they’re two-dimensional, the layered works convey depth, each appearing as a kind of portal guiding viewers into an entrancing, mystical realm.

    Flat Works continues through December 20 in Chicago.

    “Fluoroscopic-Powered Fire Bird-Mesmerizing Mesh #130” (2022), Hanji on alu-dibond, framed, 62 x 62 centimeters

    “Blood Moon Finger-Pulling Bloom Formation–Mesmerizing Mesh #107” (2022), Hanji on alu-dibond

    “Rainbow Mist Germination Soul Sheet–Mesmerizing Mesh #184” (2023), Hanji, washi on alu-dibond

    “Thunder-Powered Ash Entrails Soul Streamers–Mesmerizing Mesh #148” (2022), Hanji on alu-dibond

    “Head Altar Formation–Mesmerizing Mesh #49” (2021), Hanji, graph paper on alu-dibond

    Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member now, and support independent arts publishing.

    Hide advertising

    Save your favorite articles

    Get 15% off in the Colossal Shop

    Receive members-only newsletter

    Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms

    Join us today!

    $7/month

    $75/year

    Explore membership options

    Next article More

  • in

    In YoYo Lander’s Dynamic Portraits, Layers of Stained Paper Capture Light and Shadow

    Detail of “Hold That Thought #1” (2021), stained, washed and collaged watercolor paper on watercolor paper, 20 x 16 inches. All images courtesy of YoYo Lander, shared with permission

    In YoYo Lander’s Dynamic Portraits, Layers of Stained Paper Capture Light and Shadow

    September 27, 2024

    Art

    Grace Ebert

    Share

    Pin

    Email

    Bookmark

    From individually stained snippets of watercolor paper, YoYo Lander collages elaborate portraits.

    Each work begins with a photo session during which the artist focuses on capturing the sitter’s unique gestures, poses, and expressions. She then combines the reference images into a singular composition that conveys a particular emotion or experience.

    “Kara”

    In a recent body of work, Lander dresses her sitters in the same green sweater, the kindred knit signifying personal and collective growth and transformation. Similar to earlier pieces like “Hold That Thought #1” and “The Parts of Me That Get No Applause #2,” the more recent portraits are dynamic and impeccably constructed to convey light hitting a cheekbone or the shadow of a garment fold. Viewed up close, the textured, layered paper adds immense intricacy and depth to the already lively compositions.

    Many works shown here are included in Lander’s solo show Yesterday Was Hard, which is curated by Superposition Gallery for Phillips Los Angeles and on view until October 11. The artist frequently shares glimpses into her process on Instagram, so head there for more.

    “Hold That Thought #1” (2021), stained, washed, and collaged watercolor paper on watercolor paper, 20 x 16 inches

    Detail of “Naty”

    “The Parts of Me That Get No Applause #2” (2022), stained, washed and collaged watercolor paper on watercolor paper, 24 x 15.5 inches

    Detail of “Helen”

    Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member now, and support independent arts publishing.

    Hide advertising

    Save your favorite articles

    Get 15% off in the Colossal Shop

    Receive members-only newsletter

    Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms

    Join us today!

    $7/month

    $75/year

    Explore membership options

    Previous articleNext article More

  • in

    Narsiso Martinez Exalts the Individuality of America’s Farmworkers in ‘Joyfully Grown’

    “Delano Grapes” (2024), ink, charcoal, collage, acrylic, and simple leaf on grape box, 16 x 24 x 5.5 inches. Photos by @ofphotostudio Yubo Dong. All images © Narsiso Martinez, courtesy of the artist and Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles, shared with permission

    Narsiso Martinez Exalts the Individuality of America’s Farmworkers in ‘Joyfully Grown’

    September 18, 2024

    Art Social Issues

    Kate Mothes

    Share

    Pin

    Email

    Bookmark

    “In the Works,” the centerpiece of Narsiso Martinez’s solo exhibition at Charlie James Gallery, spans three walls and is made from dozens of found produce boxes. At the center of the piece and above a doorway is a long table resplendent with apples, kiwi, oranges, and grapes, all crowned by a chandelier.

    Flanking the dinner, farmworkers climb ladders or sit on the ground, sorting the harvest into the very boxes the composition is made from. Back in the center, the faceless attendees at the table enjoy the literal fruit of the workers’ labor.

    “In the Works” (2024), acrylic, gouache, charcoal, collage, and simple leaf on produce boxes, 178 x 305 inches

    In Joyfully Grown, Martinez (previously) continues his exploration of the labor system, relationships, and power imbalances. He taps into his experience emigrating from Oaxaca when he was 20 years old, determined to find a more sustainable livelihood in the U.S.

    Martinez finished high school at 29, then went on to study fine art in college. While he pursued an MFA, he began working seasonally in eastern Washington’s sprawling apple orchards where he became acquainted with other farmworkers and learned their stories.

    The artist was struck by how individuals in America’s agricultural system, whose intense physical labor the entire framework relies on, go unseen by those who depend on freshly stocked produce in the supermarket.

    “Resist” (2024), ink, charcoal, and simple leaf on strawberry box, 20 x 11.5 x 5.5 inches

    Beginning with photographs, Martinez employs visual languages of prestige—drawing specifically on Catholic portraiture’s emphasis on luxurious fabrics and backgrounds of gold leaf—to empower and uplift workers.

    In “Resist,” for example, a young man is portrayed within the frame of a berry box, backed with gold and wearing a graduation gown. The cap encircles his head like a halo, invoking the divine and signaling the glorious potential of education.

    By elevating the humble cardboard box to the status of picture frame and depicting hardworking people in their esteemed individuality, Martinez scrutinizes who and what society values.

    Joyfully Grown continues through October 26 in Los Angeles. Explore more of Martinez’s work on his Instagram.

    “The Planning” (2024), ink, gouache, charcoal, acrylic, and simple leaf on berry box, 15.5 x 20 x 4.25 inches

    Detail of “In the Works”

    Detail of “In the Works”

    “Blue Joy” (2024), ink, charcoal, collage, acrylic, and simple leaf on blueberry box, 16 x 23.5 x 5.5 inches

    “Fresh is Our Favorite” (2024), ink, charcoal, collage, and acrylic on red seedless grape box, 24 x 16.5 x 6 inches

    “Embracing Future” (2024), ink, charcoal, and simple leaf on orange box, 23.5 x 16 x 6 inches

    Collaboration with Ashley Jose-Isip, “On the Grass” (2024), ink, gouache, charcoal, and simple leaf on grape box, 15.75 x 23.75 x 5.5 inches

    Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member now, and support independent arts publishing.

    Hide advertising

    Save your favorite articles

    Get 15% off in the Colossal Shop

    Receive members-only newsletter

    Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms

    Join us today!

    $7/month

    $75/year

    Explore membership options

    Previous articleNext article More

  • in

    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

    Share

    Pin

    Email

    Bookmark

    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”

    Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month.

    Hide ads on website and newsletters

    Save your favorite articles

    Get 10% off in the Colossal Shop

    Members-only newsletter

    1% for art supplies in classrooms

    Join us today!

    $7/Month

    $75/Year

    Explore Membership Options More

  • in

    Loss, Grief, and Renewal Spring Forth in Ebony G. Patterson’s Paper Assemblages

    Detail of “Studies for a vocabulary of loss XXV” (2024), digital print on archival watercolor paper and construction paper with feather butterflies, plastic flies, roaches, spiders, and memorial rosette reading “affliction,” 47 1/2 x 30 1/2 x 12 inches (framed). Photos by Mikhail Mishin. All images © Ebony G. Patterson, courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, shared with permission

    Loss, Grief, and Renewal Spring Forth in Ebony G. Patterson’s Paper Assemblages

    September 5, 2024

    Art

    Kate Mothes

    Share

    Pin

    Email

    Bookmark

    For more than a decade, the history, lore, science, and symbolism of the garden has been central to the work of Ebony G. Patterson (previously). In the summer of 2023, Patterson’s installation …things come to thrive…in the shedding…in the molting… at New York Botanical Garden marked an introduction to her series Studies for a vocabulary of loss.

    At this weekend’s Armory Show, the artist shares 24 new pieces from the series in a solo presentation exploring the symbolism of gardens and grief.

    “Studies for a vocabulary of loss XXV” (2024), digital print on archival watercolor paper and construction paper with feather butterflies, plastic flies, roaches, spiders, and memorial rosette reading “affliction,” 47 1/2 x 30 1/2 x 12 inches (framed)

    For Patterson, the garden is a rich metaphor for the body. She often interrogates themes of visibility and invisibility, navigating the intersections of gender, class, and race within the context of postcolonial space. In her paper assemblages, Patterson combines cutouts of foliage, butterflies, and blossoms with plastic insects and mourning rosettes.

    “Each piece evokes the imagery of memorial wreaths but with text that diverges from traditional funeral associations,” says a statement from moniquemeloche. “Patterson asks us to grapple with the impossibility of loss, reflecting on an extensive vocabulary centered on words like calamity, forgetting, perdition, misery, wound, lack, failure, blot out, debt, hurt, undoing, and havoc.”

    In the context of the garden, the loss and renewal of life are inherent in its natural cycle, and through vibrant and detailed reliefs, Patterson considers the cycle of grief and the potential for life.

    If you’re in New York, you can find Patterson’s solo booth on view from September 6 to 8 at the Javits Center. Find more on the artist’s website.

    “Studies for a vocabulary of loss XXIV” (2024), digital print on archival watercolor paper and construction paper with feather butterflies, plastic flies, spiders, and memorial rosette reading “blot out,” 47 1/2 x 30 1/2 x 12 inches (framed)

    “Studies for a vocabulary of loss XXII” (2024), digital print on archival watercolor paper and construction paper with feather butterflies, plastic flies, spiders, and memorial rosette reading “forgetting,” 47 1/2 x 30 1/2 x 12 inches (framed)

    “Studies for a vocabulary of loss XXVIII” (2024), digital print on archival watercolor paper and construction paper with feather butterflies, plastic flies, roaches, and memorial rosette reading “perdition,” 47 1/2 x 30 1/2 x 12 inches (framed)

    Detail of “Studies for a vocabulary of loss XXVIII” (2024)

    “Studies for a vocabulary of loss XXII” (2024), digital print on archival watercolor paper and construction paper with feather butterflies, plastic flies, spiders, and memorial rosette reading “forgetting,” 47 1/2 x 30 1/2 x 12 inches (framed)

    Detail of “Studies for a vocabulary of loss XXII” (2024)

    “Studies for a vocabulary of loss XXIX” (2024), digital print on archival watercolor paper and construction paper with feather butterflies, plastic flies, roaches, spiders, and memorial rosette reading “lack,” 47 1/2 x 30 1/2 x 12 inches (framed)

    Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month.

    Hide ads on website and newsletters

    Save your favorite articles

    Get 10% off in the Colossal Shop

    Members-only newsletter

    1% for art supplies in classrooms

    Join us today!

    $7/Month

    $75/Year

    Explore Membership Options More