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    Join Us for a Colossal x Joy Machine Workshop with Peter Frederiksen

    “Not Taking Any Chances” (2022), freehand machine embroidery on linen, 8 x 6 inches

    Join Us for a Colossal x Joy Machine Workshop with Peter Frederiksen

    February 11, 2025

    ArtColossalWorkshops

    Grace Ebert

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    We’re excited to share that we’re hosting an embroidery workshop next month with Chicago-based artist Peter Frederiksen. Join us at Joy Machine on March 2 for Frederiksen’s signature Stitch Circle.

    The three-hour workshop will unpack his unique approach to image-making and teach the basics of embroidery. All skill levels are welcome.

    This workshop coincides with Joy Machine’s inaugural exhibition, Light Preserver, which features Frederiksen’s embroideries alongside works by eight artists who cultivate and ritualize joy.

    There are only a handful of tickets left, so get yours before they sell out. And if you’re a Colossal Member, don’t forget to use the discount code in your account for $5 off.

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    A Provocative Photography Exhibition Invites You to Experience ‘Chromotherapia’

    Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari, “Toiiletpaper.” Image courtesy of ‘Toiletpaper.’

    A Provocative Photography Exhibition Invites You to Experience ‘Chromotherapia’

    January 28, 2025

    ArtBooksPhotography

    Kate Mothes

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    In the world of photography, the color image has long held an inferior reputation to black-and-white, which connoisseurs historically deemed to be more dignified. Today, vibrant images are embraced in a wide range of fields, from fine art and fashion to advertising and journalism.

    Championing the potential of the medium, artist Maurizio Cattelan and French Academy in Rome—Villa Medici director Sam Stourdzé curated Chromotherapia: The Feel-Good Color Photography.

    Martin Parr, “Common Sense.” Image © Magnum Photos

    Color therapy, though deemed a pseudoscience, has its roots in color theory, which focuses on interactions between hues and how they affect our moods and emotions.

    Cattelan and Stourdzé emphasize ebullient hyperreality, humor, and the absurd through works like Juno Calypso’s “Chicken Dogs,” in which an anonymous figure lies face-down next to a can of hot dogs, or Walter Candoha’s expressive pets. And in “Toiletpaper,” by Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari, who co-founded a magazine of the same name in 2010, a man sits on a tan couch, wearing a matching suit, covered in spaghetti.

    In total, twenty artists explore a range of approaches in the exhibition, from portraits of people and animals to food and uncanny tableaux. “Many have freed themselves from the documentary function of the photographic medium to explore the common roots of the image and the imaginary, flirting with pop art, surrealism, bling, kitsch, and the baroque,” says a statement.

    Chromotherapia opens February 28 and continues through June 9 in Rome, and an accompanying catalogue published by Damiani is slated for release in March in the U.K. and May in the U.S. Pre-order your copy in the Colossal Shop.

    Cover of ‘Chromotherapia’ (2025). Featured image by Walter Chandoha, “New Jersey” (1962). Image ©️ Walter Chandoha Archive

    Juno Calypso, “Chicken Dogs” (2015), archival pigment print. Image © Courtesy the artist and TJ Boulting

    William Wegman, “Ski Patrol” (2017). Image courtesy of Galerie George-Philippe & Nathalie Vallois

    The back cover of Damiani’s catalogue for the exhibition ‘Chromotherapia: The Feel-Good Color Photography,’ featuring a photo by Walter Chandoha

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    Uncanny Objects by Joyce Lin Blur Distinctions Between Reality and the Fantastical

    “Fir Mignon” (2023), wood, epoxy clay, oil paint, 8.75 x 8.75 x 3 inches. All images courtesy of Joyce Lin, shared with permission

    Uncanny Objects by Joyce Lin Blur Distinctions Between Reality and the Fantastical

    January 21, 2025

    ArtDesign

    Kate Mothes

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    Whether enclosed in clear acrylic or seemingly sliced from a single tree, Joyce Lin’s sculptures examine themes of interconnectedness and the Anthropocene, which describes our planet’s most recent epoch and the way humans significantly impact its ecosystems and climate.

    “I am both disturbed and captivated by the paradoxes of industrialized society,” Lin says in a statement, “where modes of production and disposal are often obscured to the public, yet people have more technology than ever to make their imagined worlds a reality.”

    “Wood Chair in Fir” (2024), oil paint, epoxy clay, plywood, MDF, and wood, 16.5 x 16.25 x 34.75 inches

    Lin’s uncanny pieces meld form and function, taking the recognizable shapes of furniture and food and transforming them into playful meditations on mass production and consumption. She often uses organic materials like wood, augmenting the surfaces with synthetic mediums like epoxy, resin, and oil paint to preserve their appearance in perpetuity. Some works, like the Wooden Chair series, are entirely composed of engineered materials.

    “I love to dissect and understand things, and my works often feature objects—usually a chair—sliced open to expose an inner structure; to express an inner truth, so to speak,” Lin tells Colossal. She manipulates the structures extensively, blurring the reality of what she describes as the “insides” and the “outsides,” so the composition takes on a fantastical quality.

    “I don’t think they’re so convincing when you really zoom in, so it’s interesting to see people assume they’re somehow grown or AI-generated, even though they take an incredible amount of manual labor and time to create,” Linn adds. “I often think about distortions in our perception of reality, (which is) probably why people keep sending me those is-it-cake videos.”

    The artist is currently working toward a solo exhibition later this year at R & Company, and you can explore more on her website and Instagram.

    “Exploded Chair” (2019), maple and acrylic, 16 x 16 x 35 inches

    “Woodnanas” (2024) wood, steel, polyester resin, and epoxy clay

    “Wood Chair in Ash” (2024), oil paint, epoxy clay, plywood, MDF, and wood. Beetles: epoxy, wire, 16.5 x 16.25 x 34.75 inches

    Detail of “Wood Chair in Ash”

    “Root Chair” (2023), found driftwood and walnut stain, 29 x 30 x 34 inches

    “Wood Stool”

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    The Dog Did It! Stephen Morrison’s Trompe-l’œils Brim with Canine Character

    “Housework Won’t Kill You, But Why Take a Chance” (2024), oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches. All images courtesy of Stephen Morrison and Hashimoto Contemporary, shared with permission

    The Dog Did It! Stephen Morrison’s Trompe-l’œils Brim with Canine Character

    January 16, 2025

    Art

    Kate Mothes

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    To say that Stephen Morrison’s work is inspired by dogs would be an understatement. Through sculptural assemblages and paintings of puppy faces tucked in foliage or morphing from household items, Morrison evokes the timeless love for our pets.

    “I think I’ve always been a bit of a hedonist and kind of set up to love the life of a dog, of doing whatever you want when you want to do it,” Morrison recently told Hyperallergic in an interview. “That’s why making work with dogs feels so natural because it’s deeply a part of my character.”

    “Every Direction at Once” (2025), oil on panel, 20 x 16 inches

    Morrison also draws inspiration from his beloved pit bull mix, Tilly, who was the ring bearer at his wedding and died three years ago. Her curious visage lives on in the artist’s idiosyncratic compositions, bringing expressive life to everything from birdhouses to table lamps.

    In the artist’s forthcoming solo exhibition at Hashimoto Contemporary, Morrison continues to channel canine personalities in Dog Show #4: House Broken.

    Trompe-l’œil paintings portray the supports on the backs of canvases, teeming with botanicals, stuffed animals, magazine clippings, and fruit. Likewise, a series of sculptures made from epoxy clay, resin, paper, and oil paint appear like assemblages of seemingly disparate items.

    In “Clump Spirit #5 (Study),” for example, a puppy’s face emerges from the front of a violin hanging from a hook, and “Clump Spirit #1 (Living Room)” displays a happy dog on a TV screen, stacked high with other objects that also feature distinctive eyes and snouts. Everything appears in a state of joyful yet barely contained disarray.

    “Clump Spirit #1 (Living Room)” (2024), television, silicone, textile, resin, and epoxy clay, 12 x 21 x 12 inches

    “This show reflects on the chaotic messiness of home life, inspired by the lively and dysfunctional environment I grew up in,” Morrison says. “Our house was filled with dancing, yelling, slapdash crafting, and a constant swirl of half-finished projects. Amid all the noise, there was an odd harmony—moments where the chaos seemed to hum along just right, as if disorder itself had a rhythm.”

    Dog Show #4: House Broken runs from January 18 to February 8 in New York City. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

    “Build a Little Birdhouse in Your Soul” (2024), oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches

    “Clump Spirit #4 (Study)” (2025), epoxy clay, paper, resin, and oil paint, 26 x 10 x 5 1/2 inches

    “The Council of Plastic Limbs” (2025), oil on panel, 24 x 36 inches

    “Clump Spirit #3 (Bedroom)” (2025), epoxy clay and oil paint, 15 x 8 x 7 inches

    “Thank You for Your Business” (2025), oil on panel, 48 x 36 inches

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    Bruno Pontiroli’s Absurd Portraits Highlight Quirky Behavior and Zoological Buffoonery

    “Les enjambées sauvages II” (2024), 100 x 81 centimeters. All images courtesy of the artist and Corey Helford Gallery, shared with permission

    Bruno Pontiroli’s Absurd Portraits Highlight Quirky Behavior and Zoological Buffoonery

    October 28, 2024

    Art

    Kate Mothes

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    You’ve probably heard expressions like “going around in circles” or “running like a rabbit,” but chances are you haven’t pictured them quite like Bruno Pontiroli’s scenes of zoological mayhem.

    In oil paintings that nod to 19th-century wildlife illustrations, Lyon-based artist (previously) evokes common phrases like “la vie en rose,” akin to the English saying: “to see life through rose-colored glasses.” And in “Le conflit intérieur,” or “interior conflict,” a tiger and a grizzly bear duke it out despite being joined together.

    “Le conflit intérieur” (2024), 100 x 81 centimeters

    Histoires Naturelles & Grotesques, Pontiroli’s solo show opening soon at Corey Helford Gallery, highlights the artist’s continued fascination with defying natural order. His compositions fuse animals into single beings, add absurdly long legs, or extend numerous extra appendages from a single creature to illustrate the often farcical quirks of human behavior.

    Histoires Naturelles & Grotesques runs from November 2 to December 7 in Los Angeles. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

    “Copains comme cochons” (2024), 50 x 60 centimeters

    “La vie en rose” (2024), 61 x 46 centimeters

    “Portrait d’un tocard” (2024), 60 x 81 centimeters

    “Tourner en rond” (2024), 50 x 40 centimeters

    “Courir comme un lapin” (2024), 30 x 40 centimeters

    “Le pli de génie II” (2024), 97 x 78 centimeters

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    Dressed to the Canines: Helga Stentzel Styles Playful Clothesline Illusions

    All images courtesy of Helga Stentzel, shared with permission

    Dressed to the Canines: Helga Stentzel Styles Playful Clothesline Illusions

    October 25, 2024

    ArtPhotography

    Grace Ebert

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    The cat’s pajamas take on new meaning in Helga Stentzel’s fashionable menagerie. Working in what she calls “household surrealism,” the London-based artist styles cheeky illusions from socks, sweatshirts, and even onesies that, once draped over a washline, appear like a cow grazing in a pasture or a sloth hanging lazily from a branch. Her latest projects roam from the snowy mountains of Austria to the River Thames to the brightly colored buildings of the island city of Burano in the Venetian Lagoon.

    Stentzel is currently collaborating with Portmanteau, a Helsinki-based performance company on a production with her chic compositions. She has select prints available in her shop, and keep an eye on Instagram for new clothesline creatures.

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    In ‘Hidden Portraits,’ Volker Hermes Reimagines Historical Figures in Overwhelming Frippery

    “Hidden van Mierevelt IV” (2022), from “Portrait of a Man in a White Frill” (1620s) by Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt

    In ‘Hidden Portraits,’ Volker Hermes Reimagines Historical Figures in Overwhelming Frippery

    October 18, 2024

    ArtBooksHistory

    Kate Mothes

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    Engulfed in their own finery, the subjects of Volker Hermes’ portraits epitomize a bygone era. From the Italian High Renaissance to French Rococo, his digital reinterpretations playfully hide the faces of wealthy and aristocratic sitters.

    Hidden Portraits: Old Masters Reimagined, a new book forthcoming this month, gathers a quintessential selection of Hermes’ works into one volume. Highlighting the artist’s wry commentary on luxury, social status, and fame, the selection delves into the history of portraiture through a humorous lens.

    “Hidden Wright of Derby” (2023), from “Portrait of Dorothy Beridge, née Gladwin” (1777) by Joseph Wright of Derby

    Hermes expands upon the ornate silk gowns, brocade, and lace ruffs that characterized elite fashion through the centuries (previously). An enormous bow cocoons a woman in “Hidden Wright of Derby,” for example, elaborating on a portrait of a wealthy woman painted by Joseph Wright of Derby, now in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

    In striking profile, strings of pearls and a green, helmet-like hood envelop Bianca Maria Sforza, Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, in “Hidden de Predis,” the 15th-century inspiration for which can be viewed at the National Gallery of Art.

    Explore more of Hermes’ work on his website, and snag a copy of Hidden Portraits on Bookshop.

    “Hidden de Predis” (2023), from “Portrait Bianca Maria Sforza” (1493-95) by the workshop of Ambrogio de Predis

    “Hidden Titian II” (2021), from “Portrait of a Man with a Quilted Sleeve” (1511) by Titian

    “Hidden de Bray” (2022), from “Portrait of a Young Woman” (1667) by Jan de Bray

    “Hidden Cornelius Johnson” (2023), from “Portrait of Thomas, 1st Baron Coventry” (1631) by Cornelius Johnson

    “Hidden de Keyser” (2019), from “Portrait of a Gentleman” (c. 1626) by Thomas de Keyser

    “Hidden Pourbus VIII” (2023), from “Portrait of a Nobleman” (1593) by Frans Pourbus the Younger

    “Hidden Anonymous (Munich Court Painter)” (2023), from “Portrait of a Young Lady” (1623), by an unknown artist

    Cover of ‘Hidden Portraits: Old Masters Reimagined,’ featuring “Hidden Jacometto” (2019), from “Portrait of a Young Man” (1480s) by Jacometto Veneziano

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    Eight Pairs of Woven Shoes Fit for Cranes Roost in a Field of Pebbles

    All photos by Ahina, courtesy of the artist and Real DMZ Project, shared with permission

    Eight Pairs of Woven Shoes Fit for Cranes Roost in a Field of Pebbles

    October 17, 2024

    ArtCraftNature

    Grace Ebert

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    If a white crane were to choose a pair of boots, would he gravitate toward knee-high lace-ups or balance his talons in yellow tabi stilettos?

    Young In Hong fashioned a collection of shoes with these long-legged birds in mind. Titled “White Cranes and Snowfall,” the playful sculptures are made from woven sedges and nested in a shallow field of pebbles, intertwining references to avian life and endangered craft traditions.

    Based in Bristol, Hong visited Korea in the winter of 2023 and witnessed a flock of rare cranes migrating to the demilitarized zone dividing the peninsula. “The once blood-stained DMZ has now become an ecological paradise for the cranes,” she shares. “When nature is left alone it can replenish its lives, and when we as humans observe other species more carefully, we can learn something from them that alters our way of being in the world.”

    Researchers estimate that in the seven decades since the zone was established, about “1,200 plant species, 83 fish varieties, 51 different mammals, and numerous birds, insects, and microorganisms” have thrived in the area, many of which were previously endangered or threatened.

    Observing the birds inspired the latest series in Hong’s growing collection of avian footwear. Each references jipsin, flat sandals woven from straw and largely worn by farmers and the working class throughout Korea. Affordable and widely available, the shoes would wear down quickly—a long day’s walk could burn through a pair—and people across the socioeconomic order knew how to make them. Straw is biodegradable, too, making jipsin naturally sustainable.

    To learn the craft practiced for generations, Hong began working with Choong Kyung Lee, a straw-weaving master from Asan in 2021. Together, they created numerous projects, including shoes fit for a baby elephant, giraffe, kangaroo, heron, gorilla, and bear. “For me, the collaboration with Lee was a journey to open up my eyes towards natural fibre weaving, a part of the history of Korea that has not been thoroughly written about,” Hong shared.

    For “White Cranes and Snowfall,” the artist pulled out specific personalities to inspire each design rather than thinking of the birds as anonymous entities. Displayed together, the sculptures become a stand-in for community and gathering—and perhaps a cheeky and yet urgent plea to imagine oneself in another’s shoes, even if those shoes belong to another species. The artist adds:

    For me, fictionalising the collective white cranes, and visualising them through humorously designed shoes, is to remind us of the fact that birds are like us, expressing tastes and preferences, also by having individually different characters and personalities.

    “White Cranes and Snowfall” is on view through November 7 at Secession in Vienna. Two of Hong’s textile works are also on view this month as part of the 7th Changwon Sculpture Biennale, and she’s currently preparing for two solo shows, one opening at Art Sonje Center in May and another at PKM Gallery in September. Peruse an archive of her works on her website and Instagram.

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