Art History Social Issues

Merging Past and Present, Tavares Strachan Wrests Light from Darkness in His Expansive Installations

In 1887, an African-American man named Matthew Henson was hired by U.S. Navy engineer Robert Peary to accompany a team of explorers to be the first to navigate to the Geographic North Pole. On April 6, 1909, after several failed attempts, Henson was the first to arrive with the help of Inuit guides, but Peary—whose records were later interrogated and found to contain discrepancies—was credited with the achievement for a century.

And then there’s Andrea Motley Crabtree, the U.S. Army’s first female deep-sea diver and the first African-American female deep-sea diver in any branch of the country’s military service. While lauded as a trailblazer, she recounts a 21-year career marred by prejudice and considerable racist and misogynist hazing.

Figures like Henson and Crabtree appear often in Tavares Strachan’s multimedia installations and sculptures (previously). His ongoing series The Encyclopedia of Invisibility first came to fruition in 2018 as a 2,400-page book, containing 15,000 entries on subjects omitted from the Encyclopedia Britannica—an authority on history.

In his recent large-scale, immersive exhibition Magnificent Darkness with Marian Goodman Gallery in Los Angeles, Strachan positioned The Encyclopedia of Invisibility like a nucleus around which all other installations revolved. He even included a “pocket” edition of the book on a bespoke acrylic stand that doubled as a container for a pair of white gloves.

In one installation, “Matthew Henson (Hunter’s Shirt Stacked with Football and Spear)” stands adjacent to “Andrea Crabtree (Potter’s Shirt Stacked with Diver’s Helmet),” both homages to their respective subjects, situated like timeless totems in a desert-like expanse. In another arrangement, busts of legendary African queens like Amanirenas, Moremi Ajasoro, and Makeda—the Ethiopian name for the Queen of Sheba—are carved from marble. Adorning the works with real, flocked hair, Strachan venerates both ancient historical figures and Black hair itself.

 

Another series of busts, Inner Elder, continues the theme of connecting past to present by merging modern names with those from deeper in history. “Inner Elder (Biko as Septimius Severus),” for example, pairs South African anti-apartheid activist Bantu Stephen Biko with a laurel wreath crown redolent of Roman Emperor Septimius Severus, who was born in what is today Libya and ruled from 193 to 211 C.E. And “Inner Elder (Nina Simone as Queen of Sheba)” depicts the musical icon wearing a gilded crown as her face parts to reveal the queen, who dons a modest head wrap.

A new work composed of neon, “There is a Light in Darkness,” draws on the words of writer James Baldwin from his 1964 collaboration with the photographer Richard Avedon:

One discovers the light in darkness, that is what darkness is for; but everything in our lives depends on how we bear the light. It is necessary, while in darkness, to know that there is a light somewhere, to know that in oneself, waiting to be found, there is a light.

Strachan often focuses on dualities and contradictions inherent in history, stemming from whose narratives have been told—or whose have been overlooked—and who is doing the telling. As time passes, African-American heritage is increasingly in peril as significant sites and structures are at risk of loss or redevelopment.

Only 2 percent of the 95,000 entries on the National Register of Historic Places focus on the experiences of the Black community. By contrasting dark and light, whether literally as skin tone or metaphorically in terms of knowledge and access, Strachan emphasizes the importance of bringing unrecognized or erased histories to the fore and plumbing the past to better understand our present.

Find more on the artist’s website.

 

Art

Weathered Wood and Marble Visualize Time Passing in Stefaan De Croock’s Poetic Portraits

Lush with material textures, Stefaan De Croock’s portraits have no identifying attributes. The Belgian artist (previously) puzzles together fragments of wood or marble into figures with distinctive postures and presences but no facial features. Anonymity can lend itself to universality, De Croock believes, and he strives to pinpoint the experiences and stories that touch many lives.

Using reclaimed materials, the artist finds that dings, scratches, and evidence of wear add to the histories of each piece, while speaking to a sense of timelessness that runs through his work. “The materials hold something magical. They possess a certain spontaneity, impossible to recreate. They show an amazing imprint of everything that ever happened to them. You can ‘see’ time,” he said in a statement.

If you’re in Brussels, you can see a collection of his portraits on view through July 13 at Nosbaum Reding Gallery for In Limbo. Otherwise, explore more of the artist’s work on Instagram.

 

Art

Tang Shuo Casts Himself as Members of His Small Chinese Village in a New Series of Paintings

In The Narrators, artist Tang Shuo inserts himself into the stories of his native Boulder Hill by painting himself as the protagonist. He envisions life as a sweaty worker hunched over a field of weeds or a child angling to capture a butterfly. Like previous bodies of work, the pensive series takes the divide between memory and fact as a starting point and how that tension arises within his small village on the edge of Guilin, China.

Working in deep, shadowy palettes with a signature flatness, Shuo creates an ensemble of characters in his likeness. All wear the same rolled pants and long-sleeved shirts and have dark hair that pools at the shoulders. This resemblance allows viewers to similarly cast themselves in the roles the artist has as an exercise in empathy and connection. “I hope viewers can immerse themselves in the stories of Boulder Hill, experiencing the memories and emotions I have encountered,” he says. “I aim for these artworks to evoke resonance and provoke contemplation on personal memories, hometown history, and human emotions.”

The Narrators runs from June 7 to July 13 at Beers London. Find more from Shuo on Instagram.

 

Sponsor

The Floating Bosch Parade Makes a Spectacle of Online Life on a River in The Netherlands

The Bosch Parade, a theatrical and musical art spectacle on the Netherlands’ Dommel River, kicks off on Thursday, June 20. For four days, spectators on the riverbanks can experience a procession of 19 floating, paddling, and swimming works of art in the middle of the historic center of ’s-Hertogenbosch, the birthplace and home of Hieronymous Bosch (1450–1516). The tenth edition of the parade is dedicated to our contemporary demons.

Fantasy, Absurdities, and Wonderment
An impressive spectacle that amazes, touches, and connects viewers, Bosch Parade 2024 is the tenth edition of this floating art manifestation in the heart of ’s-Hertogenbosch. As in previous editions, visual artists, directors, and choreographers from the Netherlands and around the world will pay tribute to the timeless creativity and imagination of Bosch. In this all-new fascinating cruise of the ludicrous, nineteen quirky and colorful art objects full of fantasies and absurdities will be shown to thousands of spectators. 

Extraordinary Creations Depict Contemporary Demons
Through floating, bobbing, and wading creations, renowned and emerging artists present their interpretations of the theme of this year’s edition: contemporary demons. Algorithms, data, news reports, social media, hackers, trackers, and influencers rattle like menacing pests at the gates of our existence. What do we have to fear from these tormentors? Do we turn away from them, or surrender? 

During Bosch Parade 2024, artists and creators from far and wide will highlight these contemporary demons in a wondrous spectacle of unique sailing artworks, some of which feature theater, dance, and music.

 

Thespian Lennie Visser, collaborating with designer Jelle Engel, creates singular circus performances with Boost Producties, exploring the boundaries between movement theatre, circus, dance, and visual arts. Visser will perform “Evolution of Demons” at this year’s Bosch Parade.

 

Chant van Lieshout and MOSs Social Club have created a magical archipelago “Isteria Archipelago”, a utopian paradise where deformed fish, amid pollution and decay, work toward a better universe.

 

For centuries, Bosch’s The Ship of Fools (c. 1490–1500) has been a symbol of a flawed human society. Simone Serlenga and Amy Evans used it as inspiration for their installation,“The Voyage of the Ship of Fools”, to deliver a similar social critique of today’s excesses: overconsumption and a constant desire for newer, bigger, and better.

 

Garden of Earthly Delights: David Bade & Tirzo Martha

Part of this year’s Bosch Parade is the Garden of Earthly Delights, a summery open-air studio on the waterfront at the Citadel, a medieval fortress in the center of ’s-Hertogenbosch. From May 23 through June 23, you can see and meet artists at work in this breeding ground of artistic fervor, including Curaçao artists David Bade and Tirzo Martha, who collaborated with dozens of volunteers, artists, and students from Curaçao and the Netherlands on an impressive gesamtkunstwerk that will continue to be built from May onwards with the opportunity for attendees of the parade to participate.

To learn more, visit boschparade.nl, and view the 2024 full program.

 

 

Craft Nature

Seasonal Blooms Capture Sunlight in Jessica Saunders’ Delicate Stained Glass Sculptures

“Flowers are connecting, grounding, uplifting, healing, and worth treasuring,” says Essex-based artist Jessica Saunders, whose delicate stained glass sculptures highlight an array of familiar and beloved blooms. From daffodils and poppies to cornflowers and hydrangeas, her pieces celebrate the cyclical nature of the seasons and the incredible range of specimens in both our backyards and the wild.

For Saunders, inspiration comes from her own garden and walks outside with her dog Bramble, observing the gradual changes in blossoms and foliage throughout the year. She also builds upon stories people share with her about specific flowers that evoke memories of others or places they’ve visited, which can be captured in glass as an everlasting reminder.

Saunders began working with stained glass in 2020 when her partner gifted her a beginners’ guide to the practice. “I immediately fell head over heels in love with the process,” the artist tells Colossal. “It felt natural to use my hands this way, and understanding all the different techniques came easily.” She enjoyed the challenges and possibilities of the medium, intrigued by its colors, textures, and transparency, in addition to its ability to be endlessly recycled.

While preserving personal memories or observations, Saunders is also helping to keep a heritage craft alive. Stained glass “takes time and care; it can’t be rushed,” she says. “Each piece has positive intentions soldered, ground, and burnished into them.”

Saunders is currently working on her Summer Collection, scheduled for release around the solstice in June, which will include honeysuckle, rudbeckia, sweet peas, hollyhocks, strawberries, and more. Find more on the artist’s website, and follow updates on Instagram.

 

   

Art

Landscapes Radiate Light and Drama in Erin Hanson’s Vibrant Oil Paintings

In vivid pinks, blues, and greens, radiant landscapes emerge in Erin Hanson’s impressionistic oil paintings. The artist is based in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where the rolling hills and surrounding mountain ranges cradle miles of vineyards. She draws on the textures and shapes of grapevines, trees, paths, and rugged horizons to create glowing scenes.

Hanson is influenced by the rich tradition of Impressionism, a movement that developed in France in the 19th century and focused primarily on spontaneous en plein air—in the open air—landscapes and portraits. Its seminal practitioners, like Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, and Vincent Van Gogh, broke with tradition by employing visible brush strokes that captured the fleeting nature of light.

Adopting a similar language of expression, Hanson uses thick paint in carefully-mixed colors that she applies in loose dabs to the canvas, evoking bright sunrises and luminous reflections. “I love the consistency of oil paint—it is like painting in smooth frosting,” she says. “I love how each paint color has a different thickness and texture, and how pure the colors are.”

The artist recently visited Japan to take in the cherry blossom season, where she made “Philosopher’s Path” and “Sakura.” She will embark on a trip to France this summer to retrace some of the places that Van Gogh and Monet lived or visited during their lifetimes.

Hanson’s work will be on view in a solo exhibition titled Landscapes of the West at the Sears Art Museum in St. George, Utah, from June 14 to August 23. And if you’re in Oregon, you can visit the artist’s gallery in McMinnville, which features a constantly rotating presentation of original works and prints. Find more information on her website.