color

Subterms

    Latest story

    138 Shares117 Views

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

    by

    “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

    Share

    Pin

    Email

    Bookmark

    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

    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

    More stories

    • 150 Shares159 Views

      in Art

      ‘The Artist’s Palette’ Is Your Guide to the Process Behind Great Paintings

      by

      Edvard Munch’s palette (undated), paint on wood, 17 x 11 1/2 inches. Courtesy of the Munch Museum, Oslo. Photo courtesy of Munchmuseet. All images courtesy of Thames & Hudson, shared with permission

      ‘The Artist’s Palette’ Is Your Guide to the Process Behind Great Paintings

      October 23, 2024

      ArtBooksHistory

      Kate Mothes

      Share

      Pin

      Email

      Bookmark

      One could argue that every great painting produces two works of art: the canvas and the surface where the pigments are mixed. The Artist’s Palette, forthcoming from Princeton University Press on November 5, dives deep into a timeless studio tool, exploring the beauty of the process.

      Compiled by art historian and writer Alexandra Loske, the volume features fifty palettes used by art historical greats, from Edvard Munch to Paula Modersohn-Becker to Kerry James Marshall.

      Paula Modersohn-Becker’s last palette (1907), paint on wood and metal. Courtesy of the Freunde Worpswedes, Käseglocke Collection, and Worpswede Tourist Information Center. Photo by Rüdiger Lubricht

      Loske presents the physical palettes—dried paint, worn edges, well-exercised hinges, stained wood, and all—alongside one or more of each artist’s paintings. She also analyzes the mixture of pigments, highlighting color relationships that illuminate both the methods used and the choices that led to a finished work.

      Modersohn-Becker’s palette, for example, tells a poignant story of an artist at a turning point in her career, which was cut short when she died giving birth to her daughter. She left a studio full of new and unfinished work, perpetually locked in a moment of transition—a reminder of the ongoing evolution of an artist’s oeuvre and career.

      Marshall incorporates the motif into the paintings themselves, depicting Black artists holding symbolically oversized palettes and provoking questions about the role of color in Black history and Western art.

      From Impressionist virtuosos to modernist greats, The Artist’s Palette traces the stories behind many of art history’s most significant paintings. Pre-order your copy in the Colossal Shop.

      Gabriele Münter’s palette (undated), paint on wood, 17 x 13 inches. Courtesy of the Gabriele Münter and Johannes Eichner Foundation, Munich

      Winifred Nicholson’s palette (undated), oil on wood. Courtesy of a private collection. Photo © Trustees of Winifred Nicholson

      Reproduction of photo of Edvard Munch holding his palette, printed in “Der Querschnitt, Jahrg. 11” (1931)

      Edward Hopper’s palette (undated), oil on wood, 14 x 10 inches. Courtesy of Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center, Nyack, and The Sanborn-Hopper Family Archive. Photo by Dan Swindel

      John Singer Sargent’s palette (undated), oil on wood, 22 1/4 × 15 inches. Courtesy of Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Photo courtesy of President and Fellows of Harvard College

      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

    • 188 Shares179 Views

      in Art

      A Fleet of Aging Cars Takes a Chromatic Turn in Fred Battle’s Caravan-Sized Color Chart

      by

      All photos by Agency.WTF, courtesy of Fred Battle, shared with permission

      A Fleet of Aging Cars Takes a Chromatic Turn in Fred Battle’s Caravan-Sized Color Chart

      October 15, 2024

      Art

      Grace Ebert

      Share

      Pin

      Email

      Bookmark

      In an old French scrapyard, Fred Battle hits the brakes on a fleet of aging cars. For his 2019 installation “Solara,” the artist painted the exteriors of 144 dilapidated vehicles from the 60s to 90s with vibrant colors. Hoods, roofs, and trunks shine once again with bold hues corresponding to an RGB color value, their codes written on the bonnet.

      “I decided to create this color chart by observing the action of the sun on the horizontal surfaces of these cars,” Battle wrote. “As each of these cars has had its proper life as an object, then applying one specific color on each reveals its singularity, its personal and particular use.”

      Enveloped by lush foliage, the automobiles are parked in chromatic rows, creating an enormous, outdoor swatch book best viewed from above.

      Battle frequently works on walls, vehicles, and canvases, painting bright, dynamic works that grapple with movement, public space, and gathering. Find much more on his 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

    • 100 Shares189 Views

      in Art

      Thomas Trum’s Paint Machines Radiate Monumental Geometric Gradients

      by

      “Looping Line” in progress. All images © Thomas Trum, shared with permission

      Thomas Trum’s Paint Machines Radiate Monumental Geometric Gradients

      September 10, 2024

      Art

      Kate Mothes

      Share

      Pin

      Email

      Bookmark

      For Thomas Trum, the methods artists use to apply a medium to a substrate is as much a source of fascination as the finished work. Around 2008, when he was painting graffiti, he began experimenting with different techniques and tools—a readymade paintbrush or spray can only accomplish so much.

      “The thing I like most about humans is how they constantly strive to improve efficiency in everything they do,” Trum tells Colossal. “Just as farmers invent tools to make their work more efficient, I observed the same drive in the painting world, where various innovations have made life easier or work faster.”

      “Duotone Shaped Line 18” (2024) in progress

      Trum began devising his own machines that could achieve a new level of precision at a large scale. “By 2014, I shifted my focus to monochrome paintings, concentrating on creating shapes and working exclusively with lines,” he says.

      On canvases, along walls, and across floors, Trum uses a variety of handmade machines that assist in applying fields or lines of color to sprawling surfaces. Paint is laid down with the assistance of modified hand-held sprayers and elaborate motorized mechanisms that rotate to apply perfect arcs and gradients.

      The transparency of the paint reveals numerous layers and points to the meticulous preparations required for Trum to complete a piece in one attempt.

      The artist’s often monumental works require a small team that brings different strengths to each project, pushing the boundaries of what they can make. His latest project was a collaboration with Porsche titled The Art of Dreams, which transferred his vibrant geometric motifs to boat sails, a pool, and a large-scale series of canvases.

      The artist is currently working on a project incorporating video and photography to capture the element of motion in his work, which will be presented in the spring at Gerhard Hofland Gallery in Amsterdam. Find more on Trum’s website, and follow updates on Instagram.

      “Two Fan Shaped Lines in Yellow and Pink” (2023) in progress

      Installation view of ‘Porsche — The Art of Dreams’ (2024). Photo by Thomas Lohr

      Test in the studio for “Multiple Lines” (2023)

      “Loops” (2022). Photo Arturo Sanchez

      Trum painting copies of his book

      “Two Fan Shaped Lines in Yellow and Pink” (2023), HNBM

      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