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      Thick Clusters of Wooden Birdhouses by London Fieldworks Sprawl Across Tree Trunks

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      Art

      #architecture
      #birdhouses
      #birds
      #installation
      #public art
      #trees
      #wood

      August 20, 2020
      Anna Marks

      “Spontaneous City in the Tree of Heaven.” All images © London Fieldworks
      In London Fieldworks’ delicate creations, architecture meets nature. Its installations feature pine-colored clusters of minuscule wooden forms that appear to grow upon vast tree trunks. Founded by artists Bruce Gilchrist and Jo Joelson, London Fieldworks is a collaborative and multidisciplinary arts practice with projects at the intersection of architecture, sculpture, installation, and film. 
      Each of the homes has rounded windows and doors, while those on large evergreen trees resemble natural objects, such as wasp and hornet nests or even fungi and mushrooms. From reflecting Clerkenwell’s urban renewal to offering new habitats for animals, the sprawling birdhouses fuse architectural ideas with nature and art, resulting in sculptures that integrate effortlessly in both natural and urban spaces. Through its installations, the practice explores its concern with the climate crisis through the lens of history, the environment, and culture.
      One work, “Spontaneous City in the Tree of Heaven,” references opposite sides of London: Duncan Terrace Gardens in the east and Cremorne Gardens in the west. The installation is constructed from hundreds of bespoke bird boxes reflecting the forms of the local architecture—a combination of Modernist 60’s social housing and Georgian townhouses. 
      Explore more of London Fieldworks’ projects on its site. You also might enjoy this similarly dense complex for avian neighbors.

      “Spontaneous City: Clerkenwell”
      Right: “Spontaneous City in the Tree of Heaven”
      “Spontaneous City in the Tree of Heaven”
      “Spontaneous City in the Tree of Heaven”
      “Spontaneous City in the Tree of Lebanon”

      #architecture
      #birdhouses
      #birds
      #installation
      #public art
      #trees
      #wood

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      A Vibrant, Geometric Rug Cascades Down a Staircase in a New Mural by Jessie and Katey

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      Art

      #geometric
      #murals
      #public art
      #rugs
      #stairs
      #textiles

      August 20, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      All images © Jessie and Katey, shared with permission. By Shauna Caldwell
      To create the brightly colored textile that cloaks a three-level staircase on the Appalachian State University campus, artists Jessie Unterhalter and Katey Truhn (previously) imagined the concrete steps as a massive loom. They drew grids on the outdoor structure to map out where each individual strip would start, end, and intersect with the larger geometric forms. “There was a lot of math involved, getting the angles and perspective right was a challenge but eventually everything locked into place,” the Baltimore-based duo, who are known as Jessie and Katey, shares with Colossal.
      Evoking the quilts and other textiles that are traditional to Appalachia, the large-scale artwork is composed of vivid gradients layered into a complex web of stripes and woven patches. Neutral-toned tassels line the angled edge at the bottom of the staircase, giving the flat mural the appearance of a rug.
      This public artwork is just one Jessie and Katey have undertaken in recent months. Many of their projects that were postponed due to COVID-19 are reconvening, bringing the pair to Las Vegas, Washington D.C., and a few spots in North Carolina. Although the actual painting process is solitary, Jessie and Katey say they’ve enjoyed seeing how people are experiencing outdoor art since the onset of the pandemic. “It’s really rewarding watching the work get embraced by the public. People get really creative with it, and murals end up becoming a part of the community,” they say.
      To see where the duo is headed next, follow them on Instagram, and check out the prints available in their shop.

      By Michael Olson
      By Shauna Caldwell
      By Shauna Caldwell
      By Shauna Caldwell

      #geometric
      #murals
      #public art
      #rugs
      #stairs
      #textiles

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    • 163 Shares199 Views

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      AnonyMouse Wedges Miniature Shops and Restaurants Built For Mice into Busy City Streets

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      Art

      #humor
      #installation
      #mice
      #miniature
      #public art
      #stores
      #street art

      August 14, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      All images © AnonyMouse, shared with permission
      In cities across Sweden, France, and the Isle of Man lies a parallel universe fit only for a mouse. Miniature restaurants, record shops, and apothecaries squeeze into ground-level windows on the street next to their human-sized equivalents. The adorable universe is a project from a collective aptly named AnonyMouse, which started crafting the charming scenes in the spring of 2016.
      Suggesting that the mice have a symbiotic relationship with the pedestrians on the street, the team repurposes items people throw away, turning a champagne topper into a stool or a matchbox into a table. Twenty-five installments currently exist across Europe, which largely are inspired by Astrid Lindgren’s and Beatrix Potter’s whimsical tales and movies from Don Bluth and Disney. “We thought it would bring a bit of joy to pedestrians passing by, but it grew into something slightly bigger, and as such we’ve probably dedicated more time on each project than we originally envisioned. But that’s just part of the fun,” they say. The team crafts each scene with incredible detail, from recreating iconic record covers to plastering up posters advertising mouse- and rat-based happenings.
      As its name suggests, the group’s individual identities are unknown. “We like to think that part of the allure of our installations is that they could be done by anyone,” they say. “And since we do not have a specific agenda with them our identities are unimportant.” AnonyMouse won’t divulge plans for upcoming installations, but you can follow all of its adventures on Instagram.

      #humor
      #installation
      #mice
      #miniature
      #public art
      #stores
      #street art

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      Sprawling Floral Installations Spill Over Garbage Cans and Phone Booths on New York City Streets

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      Art

      #flowers
      #installation
      #New York
      #public art
      #street art

      August 7, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      All images © Lewis Miller Design, shared with permisison
      Thanks to Lewis Miller Design, those passing through New York City have gotten some respite from the rank smells and soggy refuse of streetside garbage cans. For years, the florist (previously) has been planting guerilla installations of sunflowers, hydrangeas, and peonies in public areas, transforming trash receptacles, construction zones, and lampposts with sprawling assemblages. Check out some of the recent “Flower Flashes” below, and follow the designer on Instagram to see where the temporary bouquets pop up next.

      #flowers
      #installation
      #New York
      #public art
      #street art

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    • 175 Shares149 Views

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      Opulent Kintsugi Installation by Artist Victor Solomon Gilds Dilapidated Basketball Court in Los Angeles

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      Art

      #basketball
      #gold
      #installation
      #kintsugi
      #public art
      #sports

      August 4, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      All images by Shafik Kadi and © Victor Solomon, shared with permission
      Celebrating the restorative qualities of sports and basketball’s return this past week, Victor Solomon has repaired a deteriorated court in South Los Angeles through the ancient art of Kintsugi—the Japanese method of repairing broken pottery by using metallic substances to mend the fractures. The artist filled cracks in the cement with gold-dust resin, highlighting the years of use “to accentuate the healing as a formative part of its journey,” he says. “Sport can entertain, inspire, and distract, but more apropos than all, the platform of sport can help us heal.” Titled “Kintsugi Court,” the gilded installation has similarly lavish backboards and hoops.
      The restored court is just one of Solomon’s explorations into the sport and the ways it intersects with luxury. For more of his embellished projects, head to Instagram. (via The Kids Should See This)

      

      #basketball
      #gold
      #installation
      #kintsugi
      #public art
      #sports

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      A Massive Flower Splays Across Six Surfaces in a New Mural by Artist Mona Caron

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      Art

      #flowers
      #murals
      #public art
      #street art

      August 3, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      “⁣Limonium.” All images © Mona Caron, shared with permission
      An enormous flower overtakes the San José’s cultural affairs building in a multi-plane mural by artist Mona Caron (previously). Titled “Limonium,” the delicate, pink-and-green leaves spread out across the structure’s facade, transcending a single side. Wrapped around six walls and across four planes, the flower appears to be growing continuously from multiple angles.
      The San Francisco-based artist says determining the spatial logistics was straightforward. She added reference points to the wall and superimposed her botanical piece to a photo, which guided her through the process. In a video posted to Instagram, Caron walks around the pastel mural to capture its illusory qualities. “The main plant faces the entrance to the Convention Center on Market Street, but to its left, there is a semi-enclosed cove, which is the entrance to the garage, and there’s another plant in there, with a flower stem that calculatedly appears to be a part of whichever plant you’re looking at,” she shares with Colossal. “Similarly, I carefully drafted the rightmost flower stem (and) leaves to appear continuous when seen both from the street and from the upper terrace.”

      #flowers
      #murals
      #public art
      #street art

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      Bright Elephants Squeeze Into Their Surroundings in Site-Specific Murals by Artist Falko One

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      Art

      #elephants
      #murals
      #public art
      #street art

      July 22, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      “Everybody wants to be down with the dude on top the stairs” (2019), Cape Town, South Africa. All images © Falko One, shared with permission
      For decades, Falko One (previously) has been transforming blank staircases and piles of refuse around South Africa into homes for his technicolor elephants. Despite their striking hues, each mural is site-specific, allowing it to blend in with the facades and surrounding environments. The artist might position the trunk along a ventilation duct or the torso atop cinder blocks and crates, creating an optical illusion within his vivid murals. “My approach is just to add a bit of color to the space without breaking the scenery,” he tells Colossal. “I try not to make them too intrusive. I always respect that for that moment I am just a tourist to that specific community.”
      Generally, the artist finds viewers are drawn in by the colors before considering the ways the elephant bends and conforms to the structured space. “The value for me is listening to the debate about it. At that moment, there are no wrong or right answers. What better way to get people to discuss something without telling them to discuss it. It’s not a formal discussion on the street but playful, honest banter. I like that the most,” he notes.
      Often sharing his latest murals on Instagram, the artist’s motivation for painting the massive pachyderms is simple and about accessibility. “Everyone loves an elephant,” he says.

      “Evergreen” (2018), Cape Town, South Africa
      “Brick Ross” (2020), Cape Town, South Africa
      “Broke back boat” (2019), Praia, Cape Verde Islands
      “Heavy metal” (2019), Johannesburg, South Africa
      “Homestead” (2016), Nkandla, South Africa
      “Perioscope” (2019), Johannesburg, South Africa
      “Welcome home” (2016), Coffee Bay, South Africa
      “What have you done for me lately” (2019), Cape Town, South Africa
      “Wheel of fortune” (2019), Praia, Cape Verde Islands

      #elephants
      #murals
      #public art
      #street art

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      Jolly Characters by Artist Jean Jullien Overrun the Jardin des Plantes in Nantes, France

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      Art
      Illustration

      #installation
      #public art

      July 15, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      Photo by Jean Jullien. All images © Jean Jullien, shared with permission
      Take a stroll through Nantes’s Jardin des Plantes, and you’ll find a playful cast of characters floating in a fountain, raking the grass, and joining hands to hug a tree. Part of a new exhibition titled Filili Viridi in the French city, the colorful ensemble was created by Paris-based artist Jean Jullien (previously) for the botanic garden in his hometown. Each of the characters is massive—the blush-colored creature spans more than eight meters—and appears to utilize the lush grounds just like their human counterparts.
      If you’re in Nantes before November 2021, head to the park to hang out with the jolly group, to which Jullien plans to add a dozen (!) more of the spirited characters next fall. To dive further into his light-hearted projects, check out the artist’s Instagram and the range of books he’s illustrated, many of which are available from Bookshop. (via Juxtapoz)

      Photo by Jean Jullien
      Photo by Jean Jullien
      Photos by Jean Jullien
      Photo by Jean Jullien
      Photo by Jean-Felix Fayolle
      Photo by Jean-Felix Fayolle

      #installation
      #public art

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