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Craft

Shimmering Metallic Embroideries of Dragonflies and Other Insects by Humayrah Bint Altaf

Bedford, England-based embroidery artist Humayrah Bint Altaf (previously) continues to construct ornate insects using shimmering threads and metallic beads. Her dragonflies, bees, beetles, and butterflies take shape using carefully paired patterns and colors that form wings, bodies, and even delicate feet. While Altaf takes artistic license with the exact shapes and colors in her embroideries, her use of bright, reflective materials adds a sense of life to these insect interpretations. The artist shares with Colossal:

I strive to create pieces that speak figuratively and literally of the colors and textures of trees, plants, beetles, bees, roots, twigs and other creatures that frequent my world. Light is an integral element of my handwork hence the materials I use reflect this. Soft gold leathers, vintage silks, antique gold cords, iridescent metal wires all call out to me and are woven into my pieces.

Altaf was recently recognized by The Worshipful Company of Girdlers for her contributions to Embroidery. She shares her work on Instagram and also sells her embroideries on Etsy.

Photography

Highlights from the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist [20 Photos]

Culled from nearly 320,000 entries from more than 200 countries, the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards (previously) have announced their shortlist of winners. We’ve selected highlights from several categories, ranging from architecture and travel to contemporary issues and portraiture. Winners will be announced on April 19th. Images courtesy of the World Photography Organization.

Art

Johnny Joo Photographs Forgotten Structures Overtaken by Nature

Photographer Johnny Joo explores abandoned structures overtaken by the natural surroundings that had originally been tamed to make space for them. Joo captures ferris wheels, cottages, malls, schools, armories, and thruways as they slip back into obscurity, covered in undergrowth, vines, and trees. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, the 27-year-old photographer has spent the last ten years traversing the country to explore abandoned spaces. In 2012, Joo started a blog, Architectural Afterlife, where he features his work and writes reflections on his explorations and the history of the all-but-forgotten locations. Joo has published three books of his photographs, and is currently working on a fourth book, which is available for pre-order. He also shares updates on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. (via This Isn’t Happiness)

Design History Science

Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours: a Pre-Photographic Guide for Artists and Naturalists

First published in the pre-photographic age, Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours was the preeminent guide to color and its classification for artists, scientists, naturalists, and anthropologists in the 19th-century. Without an image for reference, the book provided immense handwritten detail describing where each specific shade could be found on an animal, plant, or mineral. Prussian Blue for instance could be located in the beauty spot of a mallard’s wing, on the stamina of a bluish-purple anemone, or in a piece of blue copper ore.

The system of classification was first devised by German mineralogist Abraham Gottlob Werner in the late 18th-century. Shortly after Scottish painter Patrick Syme updated Werner’s guide, matching color swatches and his own list of examples to the provided nomenclature.

The book’s poetic names, such as Arterial Blood Red, Berlin Blue, and Verdigris Green, added flourish to the writings of many researchers, allowing vivid descriptions for prose which had previously been limited to a more elementary color palette. Charles Darwin even used the guide during his voyage to the Madeira, Canary, and Cape Verde islands on the H.M.S. Beagle.

The 1814 book has now been republished by Smithsonian Books as a pocket-sized guide, providing a historic connection to vivid colors found in the field for a future generation of artists, scientists, and curious naturalists. You can preorder the 2018 hardcover for its release date on February 6, 2018.  (via Co.Design)

Photography Science

Radically Unusual Caterpillars Captured by Photographer Igor Siwanowicz

Scientist and photographer Igor Siwanowicz (previously) has made a name for himself documenting the phenomenal range of shapes, colors, and structures of creatures in the natural world. His many images of unique caterpillars include wild variations like feathery blue spikes, curling burnt-orange horns, and long black whiskers. Siwanowicz also works as a neurobiologist at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Farm Research Campus in Virginia. He shares more than ten years of his photography on photo.net.

Art

Mother Earth and Her Daughter Meet in a Mural by Jess X. Snow

A new mural in Philadelphia by Jess X. Snow depicts two abstracted female figures, one young, and one old, both formed of rippling branches, leaves, flowers, and birds in flight. Entitled “A Daughter Migrates Toward The Mother Earth,” the mural was created with the support of public art nonprofit Mural Arts Philadelphia.

In addition to mural-making, Snow is also a poet, filmmaker, and educator. Snow describes her multi-disciplinary work as exploring “survival, joy, and our relationship to the Earth by amplifying the voices of those who refuse to be defined by borders, heteronormativity, gender, color, legislation and time.” You can follow her work and travels on Instagram and Twitter. Snow also designed a screen print with similar imagery available through Justseeds.

Art Craft

New Paper & Textile Wildlife Sculptures by Kate Kato

Botanical paper artist Kate Kato (previously) continues to use found and recycled paper to build intricate natural dioramas. A buzzing hive of bees makes a home in a matchbox, vintage books are overgrown with paper fungi and colorful wildflowers, and a shadow box is filled with butterflies and beetles. Rather than striving for exact scientific replication, Kato allows the original material to show through, lending a spirit of handcrafted whimsy to her work. Some of the pieces seen here can be purchased through Etsy, and you can explore more of the Wales-based artist’s work on Facebook, and Instagram.