Unprecedented Footage Shows Plants ‘Talking’ to Their Neighbors about Potential Predators
The touch-me-not plant, officially known as mimosa pudica, quickly contracts its leaves when shaken or brushed by assumed predators. When one of these specimens senses danger like a nearby herbivore ready to take a bite, calcium erupts within its system, prompting exposed areas to recoil.
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After Dark, Dave Jordano Photographs the Idiosyncratic Personalities of American Towns
“Night photography is one of the most challenging aspects of photography, which is one of the reasons why I enjoy it so much,” says Dave Jordano, whose atmospheric images cast landscapes in a unique light. The Chicago-based photographer gets to work after the sun goes down, traversing the streets of cities and towns, most often across the U.S., where he seeks illuminated corners, architectural curiosities, and urban idiosyncrasies.
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/01/dave-jordano-night-scenes/
Through Delicate Glass Sprouts, Nataliya Vladychko Emphasizes the Wild Resiliency of Seeds
“After the fire brigades rescued the London Natural History Museum from German incendiaries, Albizia silk-tree seeds bloomed on their herbarium sheets, liberated from two hundred years of dormancy by the precise combination of flame and water,” writes Daniel Mason in an essay about thriving urban flora. The post-Blitz surprise, which became a beacon of hope amid WWII’s destruction, confirmed that nature is fiercely resilient and loyal to starting anew.
Nataliya Vladychko returns to as she sculpts spindly specimens in glass, capturing both their delicacy and strength in a single form. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/01/nataliya-vladychko-glass-seeds/
This Multitasking Lighting Fixture Dampens Sound Using Recycled Plastic Bottles
In our era of multi-functionality, our phones are cameras and flashlights, desks fold into wall art, and now, lighting features can also dampen noise. “Oloïd,” a new luminaire conceived by Swiss design studio atelier oï for Impact Acoustic, assembles high-performance, sound-absorbing felt panels into a sleek, contemporary fixture. Made from recycled plastic bottles, it has the added glow of sustainability.
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In the World’s Largest Cypress Forest, Surf Durrani Captures Atmospheric Autumnal Colors
A cardiologist by day, Surf Durrani ventures around the world with his camera in his spare time, drawn to lush scenery and magnificent vistas. “I find the natural world profoundly beautiful and spiritually moving,” he tells Colossal. “In nature, I see art forms everywhere that are emotionally very satisfying for me.” One recent series takes us on an atmospheric journey through the Big Cypress Bayou at the edge of Caddo Lake in eastern Texas—part of the largest cypress forest in the world—reveling in the unique effect of the trees as they transform into autumnal shades of orange and yellow, draped ethereally in moss. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/01/surf-durrani-caddo-lake/
Todd St. John Hones Surprise and Delight in His Jocular Wooden Characters
From lethargic lions to a fragmented figure with a distinguished chuckle, the sculptures of Brooklyn-based artist and designer Todd St. John are tailored toward surprise and wonder.
The New York Times and The New Yorker and brands like Netflix and Google to illustrate ideas or emotions that words are inadequate to convey. He frequently reaches for pine, walnut, and other woods, carving stylized characters and objects that are both amusing and approachable. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/01/todd-st-john-wood-sculptures/
Nengiren’s Embroidered Figures Embrace Feeling Carefree in Clothing
Extravagant garments and quirky accessories adorn Irene Saputra’s characters encapsulating the boundless possibilities of fashion. The Tangerang, Indonesia-based embroidery artist, a.k.a. Nengiren, centers her work around dressing a nona kecil, or little woman.
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A Knotted Octopus Carved Directly into Two Pianos Entwines Maskull Lasserre’s New Musical Sculpture
Behind the hammers and pins of most upright pianos is a hard mass of spruce, maple, or mahogany, what artist Maskull Lasserre (previously) refers to as a “secret volume of solid wood.”
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/01/maskull-lasserre-third-octave/
Dizzying Gifs by Etienne Jacob Infuse Mathematical Equations into Endless Loops
Paris-based software engineer Etienne Jacob (previously) takes a creative approach to coding with his mesmerizing animations that fall at the intersection of art and math. Gravitating toward space-filling curves and spiral equations, Jacob designs engrossing geometries that twirl around a central axis, coil into parallel black holes, and disperse into individual dots.
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5,000 Years of Feminine Power and Prestige Are On Display in ‘Revered and Feared’
From goddesses and deities to demons and witches, women’s spirituality has always been fraught and the instigator of both awe-inspiring respect and immense anxieties. An exhibition on view now at Caixa Forum in Madrid brings 5,000 years of these complicated feelings together through 166 historical and contemporary artworks.
La Caixa Foundation and the British Museum, Revered and Feared: Feminine Power in Art and Belief considers how spirituality has informed notions of gender since time immemorial. More
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5,000 Years of Feminine Power and Prestige Are On Display in ‘Revered and Feared’
From goddesses and deities to demons and witches, women’s spirituality has always been fraught and the instigator of both awe-inspiring respect and immense anxieties. An exhibition on view now at Caixa Forum in Madrid brings 5,000 years of these complicated feelings together through 166 historical and contemporary artworks.
La Caixa Foundation and the British Museum, Revered and Feared: Feminine Power in Art and Belief considers how spirituality has informed notions of gender since time immemorial. 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 5,000 Years of Feminine Power and Prestige Are On Display in ‘Revered and Feared’ appeared first on Colossal.
The Last Repair Shop: A Heartwarming Documentary Visits the Warehouse Servicing 80,000+ Instruments for L.A. Students
The Los Angeles public school system is one of few administrations in the U.S. that still provides instruments to its students for free. Tens of thousands of young musicians learn to play the saxophone or tuba on borrowed equipment, a program running since 1959 that offers greater and more equitable access to the arts.
Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers visits the unassuming warehouse where more than 80,000 student instruments are maintained. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/01/the-last-repair-shop/
In Large-Scale Installations, Sam Wilde Imagines a Post-Natural Future in Lurid Color
“For generations, we have been taught to bear the responsibility of keeping nature in its most untouched and purest form, but try as we might, Pandora’s box has been opened,” says London-based artist and designer Sam Wilde. His striking illustrations and public artworks portray an imagined world “where we just let everything go awry.”
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/01/sam-wilde-pollution-palace/
Close-Up Photographer of the Year Showcases Mindboggling Macro Images of the Natural World
Now in its fifth year, Close-up Photographer of the Year drew nearly 12,000 remarkable entries from photographers in 67 countries who explore macro marvels of the natural world. From a roly-poly isopod in Austria to sunlit lily pads in an atmospheric Mexican cenote, this year’s images portray a vast array of flora and fauna in incredible detail. Eleven categories ranging from animals and insects to underwater and intimate landscapes welcomed submissions that focus on a breadth of amazing scenes. More
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SpY Transforms a Ghent Building into a Spiny Thicket of Bright Orange Traffic Cones
Hundreds of reflective traffic cones jut from the neoclassical facade of Aula Academica at Ghent University, turning the grand columns into a dense thicket of spines. The playful installation is one of the most recent projects of the Spanish artist known as SpY (previously), whose site-specific works often utilize functional materials in unexpected places.
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An Italian Basilica, Mountain, and the Moon Magically Align in an Extraordinary Photo
Looking out from the high elevation of Castagneto Po in Italy on December 5, Valerio Minato photographed an extraordinarily magical alignment across the way in Piemonte. Already glowing in the darkness, the hilltop Basilica of Superga sits directly in the center of the Monviso mountain with the moon precisely framing the pair.
Instagram—and explains the distinct lighting within the image. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/01/valerio-minato-basilica-moon/
A Mesmerizing Video-Filtering Technique Called ‘Motion Extraction’ Helps Visualize Time
Michiel de Boer, a.k.a. Posy, devised what he terms “motion extraction,” a filtering technique that leaves only the variances in time visible.
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Remarkable Drone Footage Captures a New Volcanic Eruption in Iceland
Photographer and drone pilot Isak Finnbogason captured stunning footage of a new eruption on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula in December, documenting the nearly two-mile-long lava vent on the first day it was active. Streams of magma rolled across the snowy landscape, creating a dramatic contrast between the frozen surface and molten earth surging up from below.
YouTube, and follow him on Instagram for updates. More
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https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/01/isak-finnbogason-volcano/
Undulating 3D-Printed Ceramic Tiles by Studio RAP Envelop a Boutique Facade in Amsterdam
Visitors peering into the storefronts along Amsterdam’s popular P.C. Hooftstraat are greeted by a striking, technologically advanced new facade by Studio RAP. Utilizing custom-built 3D printers, the firm conceived of white and brick-colored ceramic tiles that undulate across the surface, fusing historic architectural styles with contemporary design.
cross bond, or brick arrangement. More
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Colossal Members Have Funded 75 Art Projects in K-12 Classrooms through DonorsChoose
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The Colossal community hit an exciting milestone this week: thanks to our ever-generous Members, we funded our 75th classroom through DonorsChoose.
Colossal Membership fees are allocated to K-12 art education, and so far, we’ve collectively donated $8,090 to classrooms in need. In celebration of the occasion, we’re sharing some feedback from educators whose students have directly benefited from the support.
Thank you for your donations to this project to help our students engage in hands-on learning and use their creativity.
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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 Colossal Members Have Funded 75 Art Projects in K-12 Classrooms through DonorsChoose appeared first on Colossal.