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Resting with Ancients: Nichola Theakston Invokes Animal Spirits in Her Contemplative Bronze Sculptures
31 May 20:00:29 | ThisIsColossal
As far back as 5,000 years ago, ancient Egyptians worshipped the goddess Bastet, who took the form of a lioness, a fierce warrior deity associated with the sun. She was seen as a protector during pregnancy and childbirth and a defender against evil spirits and diseases. Over time, her likeness adopted the characteristics of a domestic cat, which in later dynasties assumed cult-like status, and the animals were revered and bred for protection and sacrifice. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Resting with Ancients: Nichola Theakston Invokes Animal Spirits in Her Contemplative Bronze Sculptures appeared first on Colossal.
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Playful Scenes by Julian Frost Animate the Absurd through Minimal Details
31 May 20:00:28 | ThisIsColossal
Illustrator Julian Frost might equate his animations to one-liners. Minimal in composition, his works convey a simple idea through succinct absurdities. A line-drawn character walks with an exceptional amount of purpose only to wander a tiny cube or slam into a pillar obstructing its path, while another figure dances in an endless loop of flying daggers, detached body parts already lining the floor.
When creating, Frost strives to pare down his animations to just the necessities, likening them to jokes “so well-crafted you couldn’t remove a word.” The goal is to create what he calls “idiotic zen poetry,” conveyed through repeating motions, clean lines, and healthy doses of negative space. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Playful Scenes by Julian Frost Animate the Absurd through Minimal Details appeared first on Colossal.
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‘Temples of Books’ Is an Ode to the Grandeur and Democratic Ideals of Public Libraries
30 May 20:00:11 | ThisIsColossal
In the U.S., libraries have increasingly been attacked by the far right as part of a movement to impose unjust book bans and protest diversity and inclusion efforts. Although the public institutions are sites of contention at the moment, they’ve historically functioned as beacons of knowledge and democracy, spaces that are free and open to all.
A recent book published by Gestalten returns to the fundamental beauty and communal nature of libraries, traveling the globe to visit some of the most alluring places. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article ‘Temples of Books’ Is an Ode to the Grandeur and Democratic Ideals of Public Libraries appeared first on Colossal.
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Lisa Stevens’ Ceramic Sculptures Capture Coral-Inspired Motifs in Vibrant Color
30 May 20:00:10 | ThisIsColossal
Ridges, florets, and spirals comprise the vibrant terrains of Bristol-based artist Lisa Stevens’ marine-inspired ceramics. On the surface of high-fired porcelain clay, she builds vivid hues using underglazes and stoneware glazes along with melted glass to achieve jewel-like details. During the past few years, she has expanded her coral-inspired designs, incorporating a wide range of shapes and emphasizing a spectrum of bright hues. “My work has become more extreme with more fans, spikes, and branches, and now many pieces can be displayed on the wall,” she tells Colossal. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Lisa Stevens’ Ceramic Sculptures Capture Coral-Inspired Motifs in Vibrant Color appeared first on Colossal.
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A Humbling Short Film Visualizes the Breathtaking Magnitude of 13.8 Billion Years of Cosmic Existence
28 May 20:00:12 | ThisIsColossal
The human conception of time is limited. We often think in hours, days, and years, units of measurement that are comprehensible when considering our lifetimes or those of generations past. Even decades and centuries, though, are only a minuscule fraction in the timeline of the universe and are wholly inadequate when assessing a nearly 14-billion-year history.
A new short by Alex Gorosh (previously) and Wylie Overstreet (previously) helps to visualize the immensity of cosmic creation beyond the clock and calendar. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article A Humbling Short Film Visualizes the Breathtaking Magnitude of 13.8 Billion Years of Cosmic Existence appeared first on Colossal.
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Conner Griffith Animates the World of Objects Through Historical Engravings in ‘Still Life’
27 May 20:00:05 | ThisIsColossal
“Still Life,” a short animation by Los Angeles-based filmmaker Conner Griffith, opens with a classic game of “guess which hand.” As the illustrated hands open and close, a tiny ball morphs into a series of tools and other household objects, and we are whisked off on a journey through more than 1,000 historic engravings. Collecting images from sources like the Iconographic Encyclopedia of Science, Literature, and Art and Gray’s Anatomy—both published in the 1850s and now in the public domain—Griffith examines how items and materials help to define lifestyles, attitudes, and consciousness of the world around us. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Conner Griffith Animates the World of Objects Through Historical Engravings in ‘Still Life’ appeared first on Colossal.
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A Pair of Contrasting Prints by Seb Lester Gilds Popular Aphorisms in Elegant Lettering
27 May 20:00:05 | ThisIsColossal
Lewes-based artist Seb Lester (previously) vacillates between the maximal and minimal in a new pair of aphoristic prints. Die-stamped in gold ink, the calligraphic works are studies of the relationship between medium and message, all filtered through elegantly gilded lettering.
“Carpe Diem,” the popular Latin maxim to “seize the day,” is the ornate of the pair and embedded with swords, flowers, and elaborate motifs. “I’ve drawn from many influences, including Victorian Memorials, Medieval Cathedral Inscriptions, and the work of the finest Writing Masters of the 18th century,” Lester says. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article A Pair of Contrasting Prints by Seb Lester Gilds Popular Aphorisms in Elegant Lettering appeared first on Colossal.
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Jean Baptiste Vérany’s Wildly Influential Cephalopod Chromolithographs Depict Sea Creatures in Stunning Opalescent Color
26 May 20:00:18 | ThisIsColossal
In 1851, French pharmacist-turned-naturalist Jean Baptiste Vérany (1800–1865) published a collection of illustrations that captured the subtle colors and tonal variances of cephalopods. A class of mollusks that includes squid, octopus, cuttlefish, and nautilus, cephalopods have pronounced, often bulbous heads, symmetric bodies, and arms and tentacles known to produce ink. The marine creatures became a source of fascination for Vérany after a research expedition with Franco Andrea Bonelli, a preeminent ornithologist and entomologist, who helped usher in the young naturalist’s interest in zoology. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Jean Baptiste Vérany’s Wildly Influential Cephalopod Chromolithographs Depict Sea Creatures in Stunning Opalescent Color appeared first on Colossal.
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In ‘Ocean Sentinels,’ Jason deCaires Taylor Installs Eight Hybrid Sculptures as Coral Guards
26 May 20:00:17 | ThisIsColossal
A new cast of hybrid characters continues Jason deCaires Taylor’s effort to revitalize the Great Barrier Reef. Recently installed off the coast of Townsville, Australia, as part of the Museum of Underwater Art, Ocean Sentinels is comprised of eight figurative sculptures that meld the textures of marine life with the likeness of influential conservationists.
Similar to “The Coral Greenhouse,” which was embedded in the aquatic landscape in 2020, these works are made of pH-neutral, low-carbon concrete and stainless steel and are created with the intention that sea creatures use them as homes. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article In ‘Ocean Sentinels,’ Jason deCaires Taylor Installs Eight Hybrid Sculptures as Coral Guards appeared first on Colossal.
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Guadalupe Maravilla Transforms a School Bus into an Immersive Installation for Sound-Based Healing
25 May 20:00:09 | ThisIsColossal
Chrome plating, fringe made of humble kitchen cutlery, illuminated chandeliers, and symbolic sculptures of flora and fauna adorn a school bus parked at the ICA Watershed in the Boston Harbor Shipyard. The elaborately retrofitted vehicle is the largest project to-date by Guadalupe Maravilla and the latest addition to his Disease Thrower series.
Born out of the artist’s traumatic experience immigrating as an unaccompanied minor and suffering from colon cancer as an adult, the ongoing body of work evinces the healing power of sound and vibration. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Guadalupe Maravilla Transforms a School Bus into an Immersive Installation for Sound-Based Healing appeared first on Colossal.
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