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    Turn-of-the-Century Tactile Graphics Illustrate Nature for People Who Are Blind

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    Insects and crustaceans. Image licensed from the Perkins School for the Blind Archives

    Turn-of-the-Century Tactile Graphics Illustrate Nature for People Who Are Blind

    January 23, 2025

    ArtHistoryIllustrationNature

    Kate Mothes

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    In the Alsace-Lorraine region, bordering northeastern France and western Germany, the town of Illzach was once home to an institute for the blind. Martin Kunz (1847-1923) directed the school at the turn of the century and produced a remarkable series of embossed graphics that visually impaired students could use to learn about nature and geography.

    Accompanied by braille descriptions, Kunz’s educational aids depict a wide range of plants, animals, and maps. To create each page, he hand-carved two wood pieces that formed a mold, into which he sandwiched paper to produce raised illustrations.

    Crocodile chasing a man. Image licensed from Perkins School for the Blind Archives

    The material was typically thick, and Kunz soaked it in water before placing it between the blocks so that the natural fibers would soften and stretch into shape. Leaves, fish, herons, crocodiles, crustaceans, and more comprise a wide array of designs that he mass-produced and made available to blind students all over the world.

    The library of the Perkins School for the Blind holds a collection of dozens of Kunz’s late-19th and early-20th-century tactile graphics, and you can explore more examples from the collection on the Perkins Library’s Flickr.

    Below, learn more about Kunz’s process in a video from the Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind, presented by director Mike Hudson. And keep an eye on the APH’s website for news about The Dot Experience, the organization’s museum expansion set to open in 2026 in Louisville, Kentucky, that applies inclusive design standards and brings disability access to the fore.

    Various plants. Image licensed from Perkins School for the Blind Archives

    Birds. Image licensed from Perkins School for the Blind Archives

    Flying fish. Image licensed from Perkins School for the Blind Archives

    Tuna and swordfish. Image licensed from Perkins School for the Blind Archives

    Squid. Image licensed from Perkins School for the Blind Archives

    Birds. Image licensed from Perkins School for the Blind Archives

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

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      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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    • 138 Shares129 Views

      in Art

      Mingle with Maurice Sendak’s ‘Wild Things’ at the Denver Art Museum

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      Installation view of ‘Wild Things.’ All images courtesy of the Denver Art Museum and the Maurice Sendak Foundation, shared with permission

      Mingle with Maurice Sendak’s ‘Wild Things’ at the Denver Art Museum

      October 29, 2024

      ArtIllustration

      Kate Mothes

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      This holiday season, immerse yourself in the dynamic, theatrical world of Maurice Sendak at the Denver Art Museum in Wild Things. Organized in cooperation with the Columbus Art Museum, where a sibling exhibition was presented two years ago, Wild Things celebrates the characters that have accompanied millions during story time since the mid-20th century.

      The author and illustrator of perennial classics like In the Night Kitchen (1970), Outside Over There (1981), and, of course, Where the Wild Things Are (1963), Sendak was born in Brooklyn in 1928 and began illustrating children’s titles in 1947. He was largely self-taught and illustrated hundreds of books throughout his six-decade career.

      ‘The Magic Flute’ (1980), poster, 24 x 17 1/2 inches. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation

      Sendak produced an astounding array of drawings, paintings, mockups, and set designs and costumes for his books, along with their adaptations to stage and screen. He was also an avid collector of other renowned illustrators’ works, and viewers can see pieces from Sendak’s personal collection by the likes of William Blake, Beatrix Potter, Walt Disney, and more.

      Wild Things continues through February 17. Plan your visit on the Denver Art Museum’s website.

      ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ (1963), watercolor, ink, and graphite on paper, 9 3/4 x 11 inches. © TheMaurice Sendak Foundation

      Sketch for ‘The Griffin and the Minor Canon (1963), graphite on tracing paper, 11 13/16 x 8 15/16 inches. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation

      ‘Outside Over There’ (1981), watercolor and graphite on paper, page: 15 x 26 inches; image: 6 1/8 x 93/16 inches. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation

      ‘Pierre’ (1961-2), ink on paper, 4 1/4 x 3 1/2 inches. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation

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    • 88 Shares99 Views

      in Art

      Tran Nguyen’s Ethereal Portraits Portray Melancholy Moments

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      All images © Tran Nguyen, shared with permission

      Tran Nguyen’s Ethereal Portraits Portray Melancholy Moments

      September 12, 2024

      Art Illustration

      Jackie Andres

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      In Tran Nguyen’s portraits, spirited subjects coexist with ethereal environments. “I’ve always enjoyed themes revolving around melancholy, the female figure, and species found in nature,” she says.

      Whimsically walking alongside praying mantises, embracing a tiger in a suit, or encircled by swans, each character is presented with delicate detail, down to their flowing tendrils of hair and gossamer garments. This daintiness lends itself to the compelling air of fantasy that characterizes Nguyen’s style.

      After working on large-scale murals for some time, the Georgia-based artist mainly uses acrylic paint and colored pencils. On heavyweight watercolor paper, light washes of acrylic block in initial fields of color and precede layers of paint to create value. Colored pencils execute final details, like refining darker values.

      Though she loves working with traditional materials, Nguyen is also creating a new apparel line. Check out her website and Instagram for updates.

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