Colossal | A blog about art and visual ingenuity.

Fun Site-Specific Wheatpastes on the Streets of France by Lavalet

Fun Site Specific Wheatpastes on the Streets of France by Lavalet wheatpaste street art

I recently stumbled onto the Facebook page of a new wheatpaste artist named Lavalet who has been making some pretty imaginative site-specific pasteups in various locations around France since late last year. Almost all of his pieces interact with their direct surroundings and frequently include props or other three-dimensional objects. You can see more over on his blog, and if you happen to be in the south of France he just opened an exhibition at NUNC ! Grenoble last week.

By Christopher on May 23, 2013 • street art wheatpaste

Surreal Wildlife Paintings by Tiffany Bozic

Surreal Wildlife Paintings by Tiffany Bozic painting nature illustration animals

Self-taught artist Tiffany Bozic explores a wide range of natural themes in her tightly rendered depictions of wildlife. Drawing inspiration from her “extensive travels to wild places” and exposure to various research specimens at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, the artist works most frequently with multiple layers of watered down acrylic paint on panels of maple wood that lends a distinctly natural and often realistic level of detail to each of her paintings. Bozic is currently working on a new body of work for a solo show at FFDG this coming October, but for now you can see more work in her portfolio (and archive) on her website.

Soo Sunny Park’s Unwoven Light Documented by Walley Films

Soo Sunny Parks Unwoven Light Documented by Walley Films reflection multiples light installation documentary

If you enjoyed learning about Soo Sunny Park’s Unwoven Light installation at Rice Gallery earlier this month, you’ll like this new documentary short by filmmaking duo Angela and Mark Walley of Walley Films. The film covers the installation period and opening of Park’s chain-link fence installation and you learn quite a bit more about the artist’s process and intent behind her imaginative, surreal artwork. If you’re unable to make it to Houston to see this in person, this is the next best thing.

By Christopher on May 22, 2013 • documentary installation light multiples reflection

New Hyperrealistic Sculptures by Ron Mueck

New Hyperrealistic Sculptures by Ron Mueck sculpture hyperrealism
Ron Mueck’s Studio, January 2013. Photo by Gautier Deblonde.

New Hyperrealistic Sculptures by Ron Mueck sculpture hyperrealism
Photo by Thomas Salva courtesy Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain.

Hyperrealist sculptor Ron Mueck works in the realm of the ultra-real where he spends hundreds of hours perfecting the shape of the human form, the appropriate color of skin, and the most realistic hair texture. All of his efforts culminate in incredibly lifelike figurative sculptures with one small (or large) exception: the artworks are often gigantic or miniaturized, resulting in an uncomfortable “does not compute” moment when trying to comprehend exactly what you’re looking at. Each sculpted person is as bizarre as it is amazing, in part because of the raw intimacy portrayed in their faces, as if we are somehow witnessing the documentation of a private moment.

New Hyperrealistic Sculptures by Ron Mueck sculpture hyperrealism
Ron Mueck’s Studio, January 2013. Photo by Gautier Deblonde.

New Hyperrealistic Sculptures by Ron Mueck sculpture hyperrealism
Photo by Thomas Salva courtesy Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain.

Like several other hyperrealist sculptors Mueck began his sculpting career in entertainment where he started work as a puppeteer, creating models and puppets for children’s movies and TV shows. Most notably he worked on Jim Henson’s film Labyrinth and even provided the voice for the character Ludo. In 1996 he made the switch to fine art and quickly rose to prominence with exhibitions at the Royal Academy and the National Gallery in London.

Last month Mueck unveiled three new works at the Fondation Cartier in Paris as part of an exhibition that runs through September 29th, including the extraordinary Couple Under an Umbrella shown above. You can watch the video to get a little more perspective on just how large this artwork really is. All images above courtesy Fondation Cartier. (via my amp goes to 11)

By Christopher on May 22, 2013 • hyperrealism sculpture

Optical Ripple: A New Geometric Print from Simon C. Page

Optical Ripple: A New Geometric Print from Simon C. Page posters and prints geometric

Optical Ripple is the latest print from artist and designer Simon C. Page who often explores complex geometric patterns as well as the interplay of color. This latest piece involves a kaleidoscopic array of colors and concentric circles that borders on the edge of a blurry optical illusion. If you liked this, also check out his wonderful Color Wheel. (via the fox is black)

By Christopher on May 21, 2013 • geometric posters and prints

New Cloned Video GIFs from Erdal Inci

New Cloned Video GIFs from Erdal Inci video art gifs animation

Last year I featured a number of amazing gifs from Istanbul-based artist Erdal Inci (previously) who clones sections of video to create hypnotic animated loops. His work has since popped up all over the web and will soon find its way into a gallery space. Above are some of his latest clips depicting numerous copies of Inci himself parading through the frame like a cloned robot army, though he also flashlights to create even more complex effects. If you happen to be in Italy you can catch his work firsthand at Action Gallery in Milano on May 25 and in Naples on May 30.

By Christopher on May 21, 2013 • animation gifs video art

Recycled Bike Part Chandeliers Under a Texas Overpass

Recycled Bike Part Chandeliers Under a Texas Overpass recycling lighting bicycles

Ballroom Luminoso is a series of six chandeliers designed by artists Joe O’Connell and Blessing Hancock currently installed in San Antonio, Texas. Made from custom made structural steel, custom LEDs and recycled bicycle parts, the lights project colorful silhouettes of sprockets and other pieces onto the otherwise drab cement underpass. From the artist’s statement about the project:

Ballroom Luminoso references the area’s past, present, and future in the design of its intricately detailed medallions. The images in the medallions draw on the community’s agricultural history, strong Hispanic heritage, and burgeoning environmental movement. The medallions are a play on the iconography of La Loteria, which has become a touchstone of Hispanic culture. Utilizing traditional tropes like La Escalera (the Ladder), La Rosa (the Rose), and La Sandía (the Watermelon), the piece alludes to the neighborhood’s farming roots and horticultural achievements. Each character playfully rides a bike acting as a metaphor for the neighborhood’s environmental progress, its concurrent eco-restoration projects, and its developing cycling culture.

If you liked this project you might also enjoy Carolina Fontoura Alzaga’s bike chain chandeliers. Images above courtesy photographer Fred Gonzales. (via lustik)