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      Dozens of Mushroom Characters Populate a Family Tree in Whimsically Painted Photographs by Jana Paleckova

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      Art
      Photography

      #found photographs
      #mushrooms
      #oil painting
      #painting

      March 3, 2021
      Grace Ebert

      All images © Jana Paleckova, shared with permission
      An affinity for fleshy spores runs in the long line of ancestors laid out in a family tree by Jana Paleckova. The Prague-based artist layers antique photographs with playful oil paintings of spindly enoki or ribbed chanterelle, creating hybrid characters brimming with fungi-fueled personalities. “There are many types of mushrooms, all of which have different characteristics. Just like people,” she says.
      In a note to Colossal, Paleckova says she was prompted to start the whimsical project when she was flipping through her family’s atlas of fungi. “Czech people are known mushroom hunters. It’s quite common for families to go out looking for mushrooms together,” she says. This atlas later served as a reference point for the 90 small portraits, which consist of the dozens of vintage photographs that the artist sourced from flea markets, that comprise the sprouted kin.
      Paleckova’s body of work features a variety of surreal combinations, like eggheads, human-spider hybrids, and balloons shaped like children, all of which you can find on her site and Instagram.

      #found photographs
      #mushrooms
      #oil painting
      #painting

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      Dozens of Contemporary Artists Collaborate with Puzzles with Purpose to Create Limited-Edition Jigsaws

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      Art
      Photography

      #games
      #puzzles

      February 5, 2021
      Grace Ebert

      “My soul ain’t for sale” by Nicole Rafiki
      The team at Puzzles with Purpose launched a multi-pronged initiative last fall that directly supports artists and charities around the globe while giving the rest of us a much-needed distraction. Art X Puzzles tasked more than 80 creatives—the list includes Louise Lawler, Nicole Rafiki, Spencer Tunick (previously), and Pixy Liao—with producing a unique work for a limited-edition jigsaw and choosing a social-justice or COVID-relief organization to share proceeds with. The paper, wood, or magnetic puzzles vary in size and difficulty and are accompanied by an engraved USB drive with a certificate of authentication, the original image, and information about the artist. We’ve gathered some of our favorite works below, but you can shop the entire collection on Puzzles with Purpose’s site.

      “WHATS COOLER THAN BEING COOL?” by Mario Moore
      “Big Color” by Spencer Tunick
      “Rendetore #16” by Alessandro Belgiojoso
      “Things We Talk About” by Pixy Liao
      “Woman with Goat and Surgical Mask” by Kharis Kennedy

      #games
      #puzzles

      Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member and support independent arts publishing. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, help support our interview series, gain access to partner discounts, and much more. Join now!

       
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      Lorna Simpson Photographs Rihanna in an Elegantly Collaged Collaboration for ESSENCE Magazine

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      Art
      Photography

      #celebrities
      #collage
      #found photographs
      #magazines

      January 25, 2021
      Grace Ebert

      “Of Earth & Sky (Blue Cumulus)” (2020), collage and ink on paper. All images © Lorna Simpson, courtesy of the artist and Hauser & Wirth
      An extraordinarily glamorous collaboration graces the pages of ESSENCE’s January/February 2021 issue. The print publication paired acclaimed artist Lorna Simpson and pop icon and businesswoman Rihanna for a striking interpretation of modern beauty.
      Within the Of Earth & Sky series are 12 collages and the cover image, which features Rihanna, eyelids coated in bright blue, staring directly at the camera. A diamond collar drapes around her neck, and she’s adorned with a roughly textured crown of crystal derived from 19th-century lithographs.
      Many of the superimposed collages feature the Barbados-born singer framed in archival imagery, from star-studded galactic coiffes to bright bursts of watercolor. Others in the collection stray from hairstyle transformations and instead position her against vintage backdrops, including one shot of Rihanna donning an elaborately feathered headdress and lingerie in front of the city skyline.
      Brooklyn-based Simpson is known for her kaleidoscopic collages centered on Black women that pull imagery from back issues of Ebony and Jet, a treatment she applies to ESSENCE‘s first-ever commission. The layered works are paired with an essay by the artist’s daughter, actress and model Zora Simpson Casebere, about Rihanna’s lasting influence on her own career. For more of Simpson’s collages that intersect contemporary culture and retro imagery, head to her site. (via Artnet)

      “Of Earth & Sky (Nebula)” (2020), collage on paper
      “Of Earth & Sky (Cover)” (2020), collage on paper
      “Earth & Sky #24” (2016), collage on paper
      “Of Earth & Sky (Bivalve)” (2020), collage on paper
      “Of Earth & Sky (Moving Planets) “(2020), collage on paper
      “Of Earth & Sky (Bridge)” (2020), collage on paper

      #celebrities
      #collage
      #found photographs
      #magazines

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    • 200 Shares169 Views

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      Explore Vermeer’s ‘Girl With a Pearl Earring’ in Incredible Detail with an Interactive 10-Billion Pixel Panorama

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      Last year, researchers released records from nearly two years of analysis of Johannes Vermeer’s most-recognized artwork, “Girl With a Pearl Earring.” While their findings didn’t include the subject’s highly sought-after identity, they did reveal that the gray backdrop is actually a dark green curtain and that the figure has eyelashes only visible with magnification. Thanks to Emilien Leonhardt and Vincent Sabatier, of Hirox Europe, we all can study the intricacies of Vermeer’s elusive work and peer directly into the paint cracks with an interactive 10-billion pixel panorama. More More

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      Set Against Lavishly Patterned Backdrops, Photographer Cecilia Paredes Disguises Herself in Stunning Self-Portraits

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      Art
      Photography

      #camouflage
      #fabric
      #paint
      #patterns
      #self-portrait

      October 28, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      “Zanzibar” (2019). All images © Cecilia Paredes, shared with permission
      Whether immersing herself in swathes of ornamental textiles or against paisley-style backdrops, Cecilia Paredes is adept at camouflaging herself in the most elaborate settings. The Peruvian artist disguises her figure by painting her exposed skin and draping her torso in lavishly patterned clothing, leaving just her hair and eyes untouched as she snaps a photograph. The meticulously composed self-portraits, which are part of an ongoing body of work, blur the boundaries between subject and surrounding environment as they consider themes of nature, origin, and transformation.
      Paredes is represented by Ruiz-Healy Art, where some of her smaller works are on view as part of two group exhibitions. See more of her multi-media pieces that explore elements of disguise on Artsy.

      “Asian Dreams” (2018)
      “Shield” (2018)
      “The Voyage” (2019)
      “Of Wings And Thorns” (2020)

      #camouflage
      #fabric
      #paint
      #patterns
      #self-portrait

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      Colorful, Geometric Stitches Embolden Black-and-White Photographs of Historical Figures and Cultural Icons

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      Art
      Craft
      Photography

      #celebrities
      #embroidery
      #found photographs
      #portraits

      September 24, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      Yayoi Kusama. All images © Victoria Villasana, shared with permission
      When Victoria Villasana (previously) lays a long stitch on a vintage photograph, she’s connecting the pattern or geometric shape to a piece of history, culture, or philosophy. The Mexican artist transforms found black-and-white images of cultural icons and historical figures through vibrant embroideries. Turquoise fibers radiate from Nelson Mandela’s fist, a gold, chevron collar lines Chadwick Boseman’s shirt, and Yayoi Kusma sports a multicolor garment with varying dots and stripes. Emboldened by stitches that often breach the photograph’s edges, the multi-media artworks exude power, strength, and beauty.
      Villasana sources many of the images from the public domain, although she sometimes collaborates with photographers, as well. “I think color helps us to connect emotionally and I like to look at the past and merge tradition and vanguard. I’m also interested in symbolism and geometry in art as a way to communicate deeper meanings with each other,” she shares with Colossal.
      To explore more of Villasana’s geometric additions, head to Instagram, and see the originals and prints available in her shop.

      Chadwick Boseman
      Federica Violi
      Kara Walker
      Nelson Mandela
      Left: Miles Davis. Right: Harriet Tubman
      Ryu Gwansun
      Yayoi Kusama

      #celebrities
      #embroidery
      #found photographs
      #portraits

      Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member and support independent arts publishing. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, help support our interview series, gain access to partner discounts, and much more. Join now!

       
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