science fiction

Subterms

    Latest story

    100 Shares159 Views

    Masakatsu Sashie’s Mysterious Spheres Hover Over Post-Apocalyptic Landscapes

    by

    “TOKI.” All images courtesy of Masakatsu Sashie, shared with permission

    Masakatsu Sashie’s Mysterious Spheres Hover Over Post-Apocalyptic Landscapes

    December 2, 2024

    Art

    Kate Mothes

    Share

    Pin

    Email

    Bookmark

    Encircling eerie orbs, architectural elements and neon signs hover above urban landscapes and fields of detritus in Masakatsu Sashie’s oil paintings. His fantastical, post-apocalyptic scenes envision Earth “as a representation of the universe,” the artist tells Colossal.

    Sashie adds, “This led me to the idea of symbolically expressing the sphere. My inspiration came from designs that feature circles symbolically composed within rectangles, such as the Japanese national flag, Hanafuda cards, and mandalas.”

    “Phantasm (night)”

    Sashie begins by gathering images related to a theme, such as signage, aging buildings, or retro motifs. He works from his own photographs, in addition to images he finds online. Likening the composition to a two-dimensional assemblage, he then merges all of the shapes into floating globes, rendered in oil on canvas.

    Devoid of people, Sashie’s landscapes interrogate the nature of mass consumerism, waste, and aging infrastructure. Like some of sci-fi’s most iconic spaceships—think the Death Star from Star Wars—the illuminated spheres appear to run on inexplicable sources of energy, leaving their internal workings or possible inhabitants a total mystery.

    If you plan to be in Melbourne in May, Sashie’s work is slated for an exhibition at Outré Gallery, followed by another show in July at i GALLERY in Osaka. In the meantime, dive deeper into the artist’s imaginary worlds on Instagram.

    “Phantasm (day)”

    “Echo”

    “Concrete”

    “Shield”

    “Hall”

    “Boiler”

    “SYMBOL パ”

    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

    More stories

    • 150 Shares159 Views

      in Art

      Eerie Graphite Drawings Encase Aliens and Sci-Fi Experiments in Looming Stacked Towers

      by

      
      Art

      #aliens
      #drawing
      #graphite
      #science fiction
      #technology

      September 21, 2021
      Grace Ebert

      “Engineering Consciousness.” All images James Lipnickas, shared with permission
      New Haven, Connecticut-based artist James Lipnickas conjures towering sci-fi structures filled with futuristic labs, clashes with aliens, and massive laser beams shooting from rooftops. Working in graphite, Lipnickas uses heavy shading to shroud his architectural renderings in mystery and unfamiliarity as tentacled creatures crack through the walls and humans become science experiments. “This series really grew out of my interest in advanced technologies integrating with humans and how it shapes us moving forward,” he says.
      Amidst the machines and eerie contraptions, the artist interrupts each building with a level containing a garden bed or an illuminated tree grove. “The future holds many unknowns (technology and lifeforms).  We can’t forget the natural world while we move further from it,” he says.
      Before the end of the year, Lipnickas will show some of his works at Chicago’s Vertical Gallery and in a few virtual exhibitions with WOW x WOW. You can find more of his drawings, and keep an eye out for an expansion of the series shown here, on his Instagram. (via Jeroen Apers)

      “Through Different Identities” (2021)
      “Way of the Future” (2021)
      “Intelligent Machines” (2021)
      “More than Human” (2021)
      “A Simulated Reality”
      “Techno Human” (2021)

      #aliens
      #drawing
      #graphite
      #science fiction
      #technology

      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!

       
      Share this story
        More

    • 188 Shares99 Views

      in Art

      New Articulate Cardboard Sculptures by Greg Olijnyk Populate Miniature Worlds of Fantasy and Science Fiction

      by

      
      Art
      Craft

      #cardboard
      #insects
      #light
      #robots
      #science fiction
      #sculpture

      May 20, 2021
      Grace Ebert

      “DvG 2.0.” All images by Griffin Simm, © Greg Olijnyk, shared with permission
      An eerie pair of buildings, a jet-powered dragonfly, and a sci-fi-inspired retelling of David and Goliath complete with an oversized robot and samurai comprise the latest cardboard sculptures by Greg Olijnyk (previously). Fully articulate and outfitted with LED lights and glass where necessary, the extraordinarily detailed works are futuristic, slightly dystopic, and part of larger world-building narratives. The architectural constructions, for example, are “the start of a series of pieces exploring the fear, fascination, and curiosity aroused by the stranger in our midst. The weird presence out of place. The building of unknown purpose with no windows and with lights flickering at night,” he says. “What’s going on in there?”
      Olijnyk is based in Melbourne and shares works-in-progress and more photos of the machine-like sculptures shown here on his Instagram.

      “DvG 2.0”
      Detail of “DvG 2.0”
      “Dragonfly Bot”
      “The New Neighbours,” 80 x 75 x 30 centimeters
      “The New Neighbours,” 80 x 75 x 30 centimeters
      Detail of “The New Neighbours,” 80 x 75 x 30 centimeters
      Detail of “Dragonfly Bot”
      “Dragonfly Bot”

      #cardboard
      #insects
      #light
      #robots
      #science fiction
      #sculpture

      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!

       
      Share this story
        More

    • 163 Shares159 Views

      in Art

      A Plant Overruns an Incredibly Intricate Cardboard Universe for Robots by Greg Olijnyk

      by

      
      Art
      Craft

      #cardboard
      #light
      #plants
      #robots
      #science fiction
      #sculpture

      September 18, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      All images © Greg Olijnyk, by Griffin Simm, shared with permission
      Until now, Greg Olijnyk’s cardboard robots have been poised for adventure, whether perched on a speed bike or sailing an undulating sea. His meticulously crafted universe, though, has taken an eerie and slightly dystopic turn. The Melbourne-based artist presents fully articulate robots lying on an operating table and attempting to wrangle an aloe plant bound to a cage. Complete with LED lights and glass where necessary, the latest iteration even features an illustrated danger sign, warning that the plant will soon breach its enclosure.
      To follow the latest sculptures in Olijnyk’s science-fiction inspired reality, head to Instagram, where he shares process shots and videos of the robots in action.

      #cardboard
      #light
      #plants
      #robots
      #science fiction
      #sculpture

      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!

       
      Share this story
        More