‘The Hydrant Directory’ Catalogs the Color Palettes of Community-Painted Infrastructure
Fun municipal fact: Did you know the color of a fire hydrant often correlates with its capacity? Light blue has the lowest potential flow, while the familiar red hue is at the other end of the spectrum, unleashing a torrent once opened. But as with other public infrastructure like bus shelters and telephone booths, artists have been known to leave their marks on hydrants.
The Hydrant Directory catalogs dozens of unconventional color palettes found on the plugs, to use hydrant industry jargon. 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 ‘The Hydrant Directory’ Catalogs the Color Palettes of Community-Painted Infrastructure appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/06/the-hydrant-directory/
Architectural Installations by John K. Raustein Harbor Bulging Sacks and Woven Textiles as Sites for Contemplation
What’s the smell of terracotta? Of mauve? Artist John K. Raustein invites these questions about his architectural sculptures and installations covered in monochromatic textiles. Using a singular color emphasizes the diverse textures and physical qualities of his works and asks viewers to consider how such hues would unconventionally engage the senses. “I often draw on memories from my own childhood, seeking to evoke sensations, colors, sounds, smells, and places to visualize a bodily sense of existential uneasiness,” he shares. 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 Architectural Installations by John K. Raustein Harbor Bulging Sacks and Woven Textiles as Sites for Contemplation appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/06/john-k-raustein-installations/
June 2024 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists
Every month, Colossal shares a selection of opportunities for artists and designers, including open calls, grants, fellowships, and residencies. If you’d like to list an opportunity here, please get in touch at hello@colossal.art. You can also join our monthly Opportunities Newsletter.
$1,800 Innovate Grants for Art + PhotoFeatured
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 June 2024 Opportunities: Open Calls, Residencies, and Grants for Artists appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/06/june-2024-opportunities/
In ‘The Repatriation of King Skellig Mör,’ Duke Riley Explores the Bizarre Relationship Between Nature and Institutional Power
The most famous goat in the history of Boston was named Skellig Mör. During the early 1900s, Skellig Mör’s name plastered headlines as an arduous legal battle for his custody ensued. The famed goat was born in Killorglin, a town in County Kerry, Ireland. Prior to being bought by Americans and taken overseas to Boston, Skellig Mör was dubbed king in the annual Puck Fair, one of Ireland’s oldest traditions in which a group of individuals trek up a mountain range, catch one of the horned mammals, and crown the chosen one ‘King Puck.’ A king and symbolic entity, Skellig Mör’s absence caused tensions to rise, taking matters of ownership to the courts. 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 ‘The Repatriation of King Skellig Mör,’ Duke Riley Explores the Bizarre Relationship Between Nature and Institutional Power appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/duke-riley-skellig-mor/
JR’s ‘TEHACHAPI’ Goes Behind-the-Scenes of His Monumental Collective Portrait of Incarcerated Men in California
“Can art change the world?” is the fundamental question at the core of French photographer and street artist JR’s global practice. From a participatory public artwork in protest of Iran’s restrictions on women to a giant collective portrait of more than 1,000 New Yorkers, his work takes on architectonic proportions and emerges on the facades of iconic buildings, container ships, and even the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
documentary takes us inside the imposing confines of California Correctional Institution, a supermax state prison in Tehachapi, which sits about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. 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 JR’s ‘TEHACHAPI’ Goes Behind-the-Scenes of His Monumental Collective Portrait of Incarcerated Men in California appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/jr-tehachapi-documentary/
Graham Franciose’s Dreamlike Paintings in Watercolor and Gouache Tell a Snippet of a Story
“My first memories of appreciating any form of ‘art’ were the illustrations in children’s books,” writes Graham Franciose (previously). “My grandmother had a whole bookshelf full of them in the guest room of her New England home, and my brother and cousins and I would pull them out and pour through them at every family gathering.” When paging through these formative texts, Francoise would create vast narratives to pair with the illustrations, ignoring the storylines already filling the pages. 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 Graham Franciose’s Dreamlike Paintings in Watercolor and Gouache Tell a Snippet of a Story appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/graham-franciose-paintings/
Lush Sod Blankets 16,000 Square Feet of a Historic Detroit Warehouse for Lisa Waud’s ‘Petrichor’
Petrichor describes the fresh, earthy scent that emanates from dry soil after rainfall. For three days in a historic Detroit warehouse, that sensory experience travels indoors, cloaking 16,000 square feet of an old factory floor in lush, green grass.
Lisa Waud (previously), “petrichor” is a site-specific installation at the Boyer Campbell Building, where she’s in the middle of a six-month residency. The idea is to offer a dose of natural calm “as a pause button” amid a hectic, urban environment that allows visitors to “lose track of time and feel like they’ve had a reset.” Contrasting the industrial architecture with verdant rows of sod, the temporary work is an invitation for people to slow down and disconnect. 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 Lush Sod Blankets 16,000 Square Feet of a Historic Detroit Warehouse for Lisa Waud’s ‘Petrichor’ appeared first on Colossal.
‘Jim Henson: Idea Man’ Traces the Remarkable Life and Work of the Visionary Puppeteer
Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and The Muppets to silver-screen cult classics like The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986), Henson took the art of puppeteering to unprecedented heights and built incredible worlds for viewers to escape to. 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 ‘Jim Henson: Idea Man’ Traces the Remarkable Life and Work of the Visionary Puppeteer appeared first on Colossal.
From Virtual Beginnings, Lee Sangsoo’s Spirited Creatures Emerge in Pristine Resin and Steel
With painstaking attention to detail, Lee Sangsoo (previously) renders minimal lines and colorful facets into spirited rabbits, perky cats, and elegant swans. The Seoul-based artist works with digital imaging tools to create virtual mockups of each sculpture before translating them into 3D-printed resin or stainless steel. The raw material is then coated in pastel hues or natural gradients, bringing to life siamese cats or vivid parrots.
Fourth Industrial Revolution and the evolving, complex relationship between virtual and physical experiences. 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 From Virtual Beginnings, Lee Sangsoo’s Spirited Creatures Emerge in Pristine Resin and Steel appeared first on Colossal.
Vanessa Barragão’s Fibrous Coral Tapestries Unfurl the Delicacy of Marine Ecosystems
Exploring the fragile forms of ocean ecosystems, Vanessa Barragão continues to create fibrous iterations of coral reefs and marine biomes. Working with a team of studio assistants, she is inspired by environmental stewardship and textile techniques such as latch hooking, crochet, and weaving. Over the course of several weeks to several months, these meditative processes give life to tactile and textural forms.
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 Vanessa Barragão’s Fibrous Coral Tapestries Unfurl the Delicacy of Marine Ecosystems appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/vanessa-barragao-coral-collection/
Sergiu Ciochină Illuminates Dreamy Sun-Dappled Scenes in His Glowing Oil Paintings
From the romantic streets of Paris to sun-dappled walkways of Mediterranean villages, Sergiu Ciochină’s paintings (previously) transport us to remarkable places. The artist, who is based in Moldova, recently embarked on a journey through northern France, Paris, Portugal, Madeira, and Morocco.
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 Sergiu Ciochină Illuminates Dreamy Sun-Dappled Scenes in His Glowing Oil Paintings appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/sergiu-ciochina-impasto-paintings/
In Noam Oxman’s ‘Sympawnies,’ Pet Personalities Come to Life in Distinctive Musical Portraits
Noam Oxman expresses distinctive animal personalities in his Sympawnies series. Beginning with a photograph of a beloved pet or favorite animal, ranging from dogs and cats to badgers and snakes, Oxman creates original musical arrangements that also boast an impressive presence on the page.
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 Noam Oxman’s ‘Sympawnies,’ Pet Personalities Come to Life in Distinctive Musical Portraits appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/noam-oxman-sympawnies/
Sarah Detweiler Unpacks the Connections Between Art and Motherhood in ‘Exist’
In her 2014 novel Department of Speculation, Jenny Offill coined the phrase “art monster,” writing: “My plan was to never get married. I was going to be an art monster instead. Women almost never become art monsters because art monsters only concern themselves with art, never mundane things,” those mundane things including motherhood and caring for a child.
Claire Dederer and Lauren Elkin who discuss the ways women are often asked to choose between being an artist and being a mother. 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 Sarah Detweiler Unpacks the Connections Between Art and Motherhood in ‘Exist’ appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/sarah-detweiler-exist/
‘100 for the Ocean’ Brings Together 100 Photographers from Around the World to Support Marine Conservation
In 2023, the inaugural 100 for the Ocean event raised more than half a million dollars toward ocean conservation, and this year it’s back with 100 world-renowned photographers and artists making a global difference. From June 1 to 30, you can purchase prints for $100, with 100% of the net proceeds supporting three under-funded and under-recognized nonprofit organizations focused on ocean advocacy and action.
Coral Gardeners, focused on coral restoration; New Zealand-based Young Ocean Explorers, inspiring school-age children to protect and cherish the world’s marine environments; and Oceans Initiative, which communicates data and urgency around threats to British Columbia’s Salish Sea. 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 ‘100 for the Ocean’ Brings Together 100 Photographers from Around the World to Support Marine Conservation appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/100-for-the-ocean-2024/
Further Your Creative Practice With SVA Continuing Education Courses, Workshops, Residencies
Ready to take your practice and creativity to new heights? The Division of Continuing Education at the School of Visual Arts (SVACE) has the resources and expertise to help you go to the next level. With a diverse range of more than 200 courses and over 10 artist residency programs, you’ll find everything you need to achieve your goals and actualize your potential. Whether you’re looking to advance your career, explore new artistic avenues, or simply deepen your practice, our experienced faculty will provide the guidance and support you need to grow. 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 Further Your Creative Practice With SVA Continuing Education Courses, Workshops, Residencies appeared first on Colossal.
Winnie Au Photographs 60 Pups with Pizzazz in Her New Book ‘Cone of Shame’
Protecting an injured paw or pesky stitches never looked so good. Winnie Au (previously) upends the humiliating nature of Elizabethan collars as she photographs hounds sporting stylish takes on the medical devices for her series Cone Of Shame.
Marie-Yan Morvan as a way to showcase dogs’ unique personalities and turn otherwise torturous ruffs into spectacular accessories. 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 Winnie Au Photographs 60 Pups with Pizzazz in Her New Book ‘Cone of Shame’ appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/winnie-au-cone-of-shame/
Monumental Plants Nourish and Flourish in Adele Renault’s Lush Paintings
Nature walks are Adele Renault’s main source of inspiration. Spending her time between Los Angeles and Brussels, the artist (previously) encounters varying landscapes that catalyze her practice. While the rugged urban terrain of southern California bolsters desert plants and palms, the Belgian countryside bears lush vegetation and thickets of trees. Renault likes to connect her subjects with the environments she thrives in, explaining, “the flora become a metaphor for the people, both native and nonnative, who inhabit a city, enrich its cultural assemblage, and share in a collective consciousness.”
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 Monumental Plants Nourish and Flourish in Adele Renault’s Lush Paintings appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/adele-renault-monumetal-plants/
Ted Lott Retrofits Vintage Furniture and Suitcases with Stark, Miniature Dwellings
For Ted Lott, the distinction between a shelter and a home is endlessly fascinating. Using vintage furniture as the foundation, the Grand Rapids-based artist and designer (previously) outfits common domestic objects with bare-bones models of houses, apartments, and other living spaces. His architectural additions are often minimal and pared back to just the essentials, which contrasts the ornate trimmings and motifs of the found bases.
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 Ted Lott Retrofits Vintage Furniture and Suitcases with Stark, Miniature Dwellings appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/ted-lott-vintage-furniture-dwellings/
A 5-Year-Old’s Drawing of a Bird Nest Became an Enormous Beacon of Light Above an Estonian Port
Soaring above Noblessner Port in Tallinn, Estonia, three enormous eggs rest inside a woven nest. The project of design studio Velvet in collaboration with UN-LIKE, the glowing work perches atop a former mast and was inspired by a 5-year-old’s sketch.
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 5-Year-Old’s Drawing of a Bird Nest Became an Enormous Beacon of Light Above an Estonian Port appeared first on Colossal.
Megan Bogonovich’s Exuberant Ceramic Sculptures Find Joy in Coexistence
Protruding in a meandering fashion like tree branches or the sprawling overgrowth of flowering vines, the flamboyant botanical sculptures that sprout from Megan Bogonovich’s Norwich studio capture the wondrous moments of when “bucolic tips over into batty.”
previously) embody the delicate relationship between humans and the environment. 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 Megan Bogonovich’s Exuberant Ceramic Sculptures Find Joy in Coexistence appeared first on Colossal.
https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/05/megan-bogonovich-coexistence/