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    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

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    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

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    Gradients and Everyday Objects Reinterpret the Day’s Events by Concealing the Cover of The New York Times

    
    Art

    #COVID-19
    #newspapers
    #painting
    #sun

    June 2, 2021
    Grace Ebert

    “DAFT PUNK,” Monday, February 22, 2021. All images © Sho Shibuya, shared with permission
    Last summer, Sho Shibuya began a visual archive of the day’s sunrise by painting vibrant gradients in their likeness over the cover of The New York Times. The smooth, colorful transitions literally masked the daily headlines, offering a reprieve from the news and establishing a morning ritual that the Brooklyn-based artist, who’s also behind the design studio Placeholder, continues today.
    Alongside those subtle sunrises, though, Shibuya also has started interpreting some of the day’s events through mixed-media works that similarly block out the articles. Two bandaids adhere to a peach cover, for example, marking widespread COVID-19 vaccinations. Bands of silver and gold splice another piece, which is also overlaid with a shattered mirror that reflects on Daft Punk breaking up after 28 years. No matter how heavy the topic, each of the pieces, Shibuya says, is intended as a visual aid that inspires hope and optimism. “I want to create peace through my work sharing my sympathy and emotion,” he tells Colossal, explaining:
    I believed simple color and shape have power to influence emotions, and emotions influence actions. It is important to get the facts and understand the news, but I think my work is meant to make people feel the impact of the world beyond just facts and figures. It is similar to the way The New York Times printed all 100,000 names of the people who died from COVID; art can be a more impactful way of communicating the significance of the news.
    Shibuya’s newspapers are on view through January 23, 2022, as part of E/MOTION, a group show at MoMu in Antwerp, and you can keep up with his daily practice on Instagram.

    “CALIFORNIA,” Wednesday, September 9, 2020
    Left: “EVERGREEN,” Monday, March 29, 2021. Right: “SUPER BLOOD MOON,” Wednesday, May 26, 2021
    Friday, May 7, 2021
    “MARIJUANA,” Wednesday, March 31, 2021
    “MARS,” Thursday, February 18, 2021
    Friday, February 12, 2021
    “BIDEN BEATS TRUMP,” Sunday, November 8, 2020

    #COVID-19
    #newspapers
    #painting
    #sun

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    Painted on Front Pages, Lisa Törner’s Evocative Animals Astutely Comment on Major News Stories

    Lisa Törner repurposes the front pages of The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the French weekly Le Canard Enchainé into inky canvases for her expressive creatures. For each edition, the Stockholm-based artist offers insightful commentary on the day’s events: a pensive monkey masks an article about bankers on Wall Street, a turquoise peacock adorns the coverage of Karl Lagerfield’s death, and a slinking leopard is rendered alongside a heartwrenching story about a mother and child, who were separated more than 50 years ago. More More

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    Organic, Sunrise Gradients Mask Front Pages of The New York Times by Artist Sho Shibuya

     All images © Sho Shibuya, shared with permission For many people, blocking out the news has meant logging off of Twitter and resisting the urge to check every breaking update. But Sho Shibuya has taken a more literal approach to the stress-reducing action. The Brooklyn-based artist and founder of the design studio Placeholder has taken […] More

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    Nevermore Park Manifests the Fictional Universe of Hebru Brantley’s Flyboy and Lil Mama

     All images © Amy Lombard, shared with permission Packed within a 6,000-square-foot space on Chicago’s south side is a fictional universe teeming with pinned up newspaper clippings, towers of retro electronics, and tons of vintage advertising from McDonald’s to Vienna Hot Dogs. It’s the world of Hebru Brantley’s iconic characters, Lil Mama and Flyboy, […] More