painting Archivi ~ Page 2 of 50 ~ art-news.space - All about the world of art and culture!

More stories

150 Shares167 Views
in Art
In a Resounding ‘Renaissance,’ Conrad Jon Godly’s Acrylic Paintings Scale Alpine Peaks
by Aurelia Butler 27 November 2024, 10:00
“RENAISSANCE # 21” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 39 3/8 x 47 1/4 inches. All images courtesy of JD Malat Gallery, shared with permission
In a Resounding ‘Renaissance,’ Conrad Jon Godly’s Acrylic Paintings Scale Alpine Peaks
November 27, 2024
Art
Kate Mothes
Share
Pin
Email
Bookmark
Through the deft manipulation of thick acrylic paint on canvas, Conrad Jon Godly summons snow-capped peaks, tumbling mountain springs, and shifting weather.
At JD Malat Gallery, the Swiss artist (previously) presents his largest body of work to date, RENAISSANCE, which follows a four-year hiatus. Godly is open about the mental health struggles that prevented him from painting, and in addition to his return to the gallery setting, the title refers to his experience of a “rebirth” as he overcame personal strife.
“RENAISSANCE # 03” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 23 5/8 x 19 3/4 inches
Godly is known for his dramatic impasto depictions of mountain landscapes, which were historically created using oil paint. In this new series, he has transitioned to acrylic, which dries much faster and lends itself to opacity. He conveys the striking beauty of the Swiss Alps through fundamental compositional elements like texture, form, and tonal shifts.
Viewed up close, Godly’s paintings melt into near-abstraction as our attention is drawn to the qualities of the paint and the interaction of light and shadow. Farther away, the meticulously formed edges and gestural brush strokes reveal the crisp outlines of snow, rock, waterfalls, and storms.
RENAISSANCE will inhabit both floors of the gallery in London and run from December 12 to January 18. In the meantime, see more on the artist’s website and Instagram.
“RENAISSANCE # 06” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 23 5/8 x 19 3/4 inches
“RENAISSANCE # 34” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 59 x 51 1/8 inches
“RENAISSANCE # 25” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 47 1/4 x 39 3/8 inches
“RENAISSANCE # 43” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 70 7/8 x 90 1/2 inches
“RENAISSANCE # 29” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 59 x 51 1/8 inches
“RENAISSANCE # 07” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 23 5/8 x 19 3/4 inches
“RENAISSANCE # 28” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 47 1/4 x 39 3/8 inches
“RENAISSANCE # 05” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 23 5/8 x 19 3/4 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
150 Shares178 Views
in Art
Masks and Make-Believe: Children Traverse ‘Paper Stories’ in José Luis Ceña’s Paintings
by Aurelia Butler 26 November 2024, 10:00
“Little Red Riding Hood” (2024), oil on linen, 71 x 71 inches. All images courtesy of José Luis Ceña, shared with permission
Masks and Make-Believe: Children Traverse ‘Paper Stories’ in José Luis Ceña’s Paintings
November 26, 2024
Art
Kate Mothes
Share
Pin
Email
Bookmark
Elaborate, imaginary worlds open up around the youthful characters in José Luis Ceña’s oil paintings. Brushy, splattered, and sometimes fuzzy around the edges, his protagonists don homemade costumes and traipse through forts made from sheets and boxes.
“I believe that addressing the topic of children more deeply in my paintings came about as a result of having my two children,” the artist tells Colossal. “Living with children makes you realize issues you thought were forgotten.”
“Pig Mask” (2024), oil on canvas, 40 x 40 inches
Ceña focuses on play to illuminate the contrast between the innocence of youth and what he describes as “the decay of the world we are leaving behind.”
In his most recent series, Paper Stories, kids wear masks and traverse a make-believe, cardboard world. Made of quotidian materials, the scenes transform into fantastical realms filled with animals, dinosaurs, and exciting mysteries.
The psychology of costumes and concealment take on a metaphorical role in Ceña’s paintings, reflecting how people conform to the actualities of adulthood and society. “We wear (these masks) every day, trying to project an image of ourselves that, in most cases, doesn’t align with the reality we live,” the artist says. “This is especially evident in our use of social media.”
Vibrant landscapes are often devoid of depth, as if cut from paper and layered to form a stage-like set. These flattened scenes “suggest that these worlds are destined to dissolve, to fold in on themselves,” Ceña says, adding that “solitude is a silent protagonist.”
The work shown here was recently on view with Galerie LeRoyer, and you can explore more of Ceña’s work on Instagram.
“Cardboardzoic” (2024), oil on canvas, 31 1/2 x 31 1/2 inches
“Oasis” (2024), Oil on canvas, 31 1/2 x 31 1/2 inches
“The Bird” (2024), oil on canvas, 31 1/2 x 31 1/2 inches
“Treasure Box” (2024), oil on canvas, 24 x 24 inches
“The Bird II” (2024), oil on canvas, 31 1/2 x 31 1/2 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
125 Shares129 Views
in Art
Empowering and Protective Bodies Merge in Laura Berger’s Metaphysical Paintings
by Aurelia Butler 12 November 2024, 19:30
“Ghost Garden.” All images courtesy of Laura Berger, shared with permission
Empowering and Protective Bodies Merge in Laura Berger’s Metaphysical Paintings
November 12, 2024
Art
Kate Mothes
Share
Pin
Email
Bookmark
In complementary shades of blue and orange or pink and green, Laura Berger’s oil paintings (previously) meld embracing figures with botanicals, landscapes, and celestial phenomena. Women lounge comfortably in a steam bath or walk across an expanse of dunes, often rendered lightly transparent as if floating over or absorbing their surroundings.
Berger situates the figures’ interactions in the center of the composition, bending and arranging limbs, foliage, fabric, or strings of stars into intimate, metaphysical geometries.
“Resurfacing”
Her imagery adopts a subtle rhythm, sometimes even near-symmetry, in a nod to spirituality and transformation. Emanating empowerment and a sense of safety, the women wrap around one another in endearing, protective collectivity.
Berger will have work in a booth presented by Mama Projects at Untitled Art Fair, which runs December 4 to 8 in Miami Beach, and will be part of the exhibition Ultraviolet Catastrophe at The Pit’s Palm Springs location, which is scheduled to open on December 17.
Find more on the artist’s website, and follow updates on Instagram.
“Desert Walking”
“The Steam Bath”
“Night Thoughts”
“Behind the Garden”
“The Garland”
“Tracing Your Outline”
“Transience”
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
163 Shares139 Views
in Art
‘Crafted Kinship’ Unravels the Creative Practices of 60 Carribbean Artists, Designers, and Makers
by Aurelia Butler 8 November 2024, 20:23
Morel Doucet. Photo by Alaric S. Campbell. All images excerpted from ‘Crafted Kinship’ by Malene Barnett and published by Artisan Books, © 2024, shared with permission
‘Crafted Kinship’ Unravels the Creative Practices of 60 Carribbean Artists, Designers, and Makers
November 8, 2024
ArtBooksSocial Issues
Grace Ebert
Share
Pin
Email
Bookmark
A new book by Malene Barnett celebrates more than 60 artists, designers, and craftspeople whose work has been shaped by their Caribbean roots.Published by Artisan, Crafted Kinship: Inside the Creative Practices of Contemporary Black Caribbean Makers peers into a range of multi-faceted practices influenced by the diaspora. Whether drawing on connections to the land and memory or speaking to colonial histories and African origins, each creative shares insight into their practices, histories, and communities through insightful interviews.
April Bey
Several artists featured previously on Colossal have contributed their stories to the nearly 400-page tome. Firelei Báez, for example, discusses how her work strives to center the Caribbean within a global context by capturing traditions like Carnival or perfectly translating the way sunlight would filter through her grandmother’s backyard in the Dominican Republic.
Similarly, Morel Doucet explains how foregrounding his Haitian identity has allowed him to tell his own story, rather than have others decide who or what his delicate, ceramic sculptures are about.
Also included in the book are April Bey, who illuminates the relationship between opulence and thriving futures, and Sonya Clark, who unravels the Eurocentric distinction between art and craft. Barnett, too, is an artist and maker who shares glimpses into her studio and meticulous ceramic practices.
Firelei Báez
As a whole, Crafted Kinship focuses on the processes, considerations, and histories that go into a vast range of works, drawing connections between each element, maker, and their ancestral ties.
Find your copy on Bookshop.
Lavar Munroe
Basil Watson
Sonya Clark. Photo by Alaric S. Campbell
Charmaine Watkiss
April Bey. Photo by Alaric S. Campbell
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
138 Shares109 Views
in Art
Metaphysical Landscapes by Eliot Greenwald Illuminate the Mutuality of All Life
by Aurelia Butler 8 November 2024, 14:11
“Letter to the Center of the Lake” (2024), oil stick and acrylic on canvas over panel, diptych, 72 x 94 x 2 inches. All images courtesy of the artist and HARPER’S, shared with permission
Metaphysical Landscapes by Eliot Greenwald Illuminate the Mutuality of All Life
November 8, 2024
Art
Kate Mothes
Share
Pin
Email
Bookmark
For Eliot Greenwald, humankind and the landscapes we occupy are essentially one in the same. Cycles of life, death, and rebirth may diverge from being to being, but the artist considers all existence to be fundamentally interconnected and substantially the same.
At HARPER’S in Chelsea, Greenwald’s solo exhibition Library continues to explore the artist’s fascination with landscape and the metaphysical, inviting us to explore a surreal realm of otherworldly botanicals, double moons, and enigmatic pathways.
“Ask the Arrow” (2024), oil stick and acrylic on canvas over panel, diptych, 72 x 94 x 2 inches
In oil stick and acrylic, Greenwald often repeats motifs of trees and mountains through variations in light and hue, nodding to the cyclical nature of the seasons and how the time of day or year influences how we perceive the world around us.
The artist also incorporates vehicles that wind their way through the scenes and illuminate their surroundings. “These miniature automobiles stand in for the human vessel itself—a subtle reminder that even the most engineered facets of the Anthropocene are just one piece in the grander puzzle of existence,” says a gallery statement.
In addition to Greenwald’s organically-shaped canvas pieces, Library also includes sculptural elements, like “Library of Paper Towels,” a tiny, freestanding room filled with books covered in colorful paper.
Made of reclaimed wood salvaged from an 18th-century barn in western Massachusetts, where the artist lives, the repository contains hundreds of hand-bound books made from paper towel. Employing a material made expressly to be used and thrown away, the artist reckons with the way knowledge is gained, shared, preserved, and valued.
Library continues through December 7 in New York City. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.
Installation view of ‘Library’
“Detail of Library of Paper Towels” (2024), wood, hardware, hat light, extension cord, and artist books, 110 x 50 x 50 inches
“Blanket Drapes with its Fringe” (2024), oil stick and acrylic on canvas over panel, 78 x 47 x 2 inches
Detail of “Blanket Drapes with its Fringe”
“Not A Franz West” (2024), oil stick and acrylic on canvas over panel, 95 x 47 x 2 inches
“Wind Doesn’t Suck, It Blows” (2024), oil stick and acrylic on canvas over panel, diptych, 72 x 94 x 2 inches
Detail of “Wind Doesn’t Suck, It Blows”
Installation view of ‘Library’
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
150 Shares199 Views
in Art
Michael McGrath Summons Symbolism and a Folk Art Style in Expressive Paintings
by Aurelia Butler 6 November 2024, 18:07
“Unearthing Buried Gods.” All images courtesy of Michael McGrath, shared with permission
Michael McGrath Summons Symbolism and a Folk Art Style in Expressive Paintings
November 6, 2024
Art
Kate Mothes
Share
Pin
Email
Bookmark
From fanged cats and all-seeing ravens to anthropomorphized botanicals and disembodied faces, Michael McGrath’s uncanny works nod to the symbol-rich, flat compositions of folk art or “naïve” painting. His mixed-media works combine materials like graphite, oil paint and oil stick, ink, and acrylic on a variety of surfaces, including wood, canvas, and burlap.
Inspired by the expansive scenes of contemporary artists Peter Doig and Mamma Andersson, and self-taught artists Henry Darger (1892-1973) and William Hawkins (1895-1990), McGrath harnessed a narrative approach in his own practice. “I decided to experiment with figures and storytelling in my painting,” he tells Colossal. He also counts Jim Henson among his influences.
“Threats and competition for tiny vampires” (2023), graphite, colored pencil, and India ink on wood panel, 14 x 11 inches
Populated with an array of characters, from trees with alarmed expressions to tiny, fairy-like black critters with bulbous wings and long legs, McGrath delves into mysterious, emotional tales with plots as enigmatic as they are supernatural.
The artist’s interest in painting evolved from an early fascination with design, especially album covers and advertising in magazines like Spin and Thrasher. “I never had the patience to develop classical skills, so I focused on dimensional and collage work for a while, until I eventually decided to invest more time in painting,” he says.
McGrath’s work will be part of an online group show with MePaintsMe, Slight of Hand, which opens on November 12. In February, he will also have pieces on view in a group show at Court Tree Collective in Brooklyn. Find more on his website and Instagram.
“Monster control, future systems No. 3,” (2024), acrylic, oil stick, and oil on canvas, 78 x 120 inches
“Night float, threat window” (2024), oil and oil stick on canvas, 60 x 48 inches
“Hunting songs” (2024), oil, oil stick, and grease pencil on linen, 30 x 24 inches
“Muppet moon nightmare choir” (2024), acrylic, acrylic yarn, embroidery thread, painted canvas, and burlap on burlap, 40 x 30 inches
“Moon float” (2024), acrylic, watercolor crayon, enamel, and oil pastel on canvas, 60 x 48 inches
“Stories to frighten your children with and dangerous literature” (2023), oil, oil pastel, and acrylic on linen, 30 x 40 inches
“Cat song, moon riot, No. 2” (2024), oil on canvas, 48 x 36 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
138 Shares159 Views
in Art
Color and Repetition Form Optical Rhythms in Daniel Mullen’s Geometric Paintings
by Aurelia Butler 6 November 2024, 14:44
“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
125 Shares189 Views
in Art
Bruno Pontiroli’s Absurd Portraits Highlight Quirky Behavior and Zoological Buffoonery
by Aurelia Butler 28 October 2024, 13:31
“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
Share
Pin
Email
Bookmark
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
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

painting

More stories

In a Resounding ‘Renaissance,’ Conrad Jon Godly’s Acrylic Paintings Scale Alpine Peaks

Masks and Make-Believe: Children Traverse ‘Paper Stories’ in José Luis Ceña’s Paintings

Empowering and Protective Bodies Merge in Laura Berger’s Metaphysical Paintings

Metaphysical Landscapes by Eliot Greenwald Illuminate the Mutuality of All Life

Michael McGrath Summons Symbolism and a Folk Art Style in Expressive Paintings

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

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

ITALIAN LANGUAGE

ENGLISH LANGUAGE