Art

Yuko Nishikawa’s Sprawling Mobiles Mimic the Rambling Growth of Moss and Plants

For the last two years, Yuko Nishikawa (previously) has prioritized traveling. Chasing the unbridled inspiration that new environments bring to her practice, the Brooklyn-based artist has found herself in Japan, participating in residency programs and appreciating time on her own. Using local materials, crossing paths with people, and immersing herself in different landscapes has become the starting point for much of her recent work.

Nishikawa’s previous body of work incorporates more bulbous vessels, whereas the artist’s newest solo exhibition, Mossy Mossy, returns to the classic paper pod mobiles she’s known for and evokes a physical reflection of her musings from Hokuto-shi. Located in Yamanashi Prefecture, the city is replete with moss sprawling atop rocks, alongside waterfalls, and covering buildings. This simple plant “spreads from the center to the periphery and grows and increases,” she says. Methodically balanced by weight and connected by wire, Nishikawa suspends a plethora of green pods uniquely shaped from paper pulp.

Composed of more than 30 sculptures, all works in Mossy Mossy represent a system of growth that evokes the plants’ rambling qualities and always stem from a single, fixed line hanging from the ceiling. Delicate, dangling elements invite each mobile to respond to the movement of viewers and airflow. “Rather than looking at it from one point, the shape changes when you move your body to see and experience it from all directions,” she explains.

Mossy Mossy is on view now at Gasbon Metabolism until May 27, and Nishikawa is also preparing for an exhibition and lecture in October 2024 at Pollock Gallery. Follow on Instagram for updates, and see her website for more work.

 

Photography

Dudi Ben Simon’s Playful Photos Draw on Visual Puns and Humourous Happenstance

When Dudi Ben Simon observes the world around her, visual puns and parallels are everywhere: a cinnamon bun stands in for a hair bun; the crinkled top of a lemon is cinched like a handbag; or yellow rubber glove stretches like melted cheese. “I see it as a type of readymade, a trend in art created by using objects or daily life items disconnected to their original context, changing their meanings and creating a new story from them,” the artist says. “I attempt to preserve the regular appearance of the items, but with a switch.”

Ben Simon also takes inspiration from the directness of advertising, focusing on a finely tuned, deceptively simple message that can both be read quickly and provoke humor or curiosity. “I truly believe in minimalism,” she says. “What is not required to tell the story does not exist.”

See more playful takes on everyday objects on Ben Simon’s Instagram. You might also enjoy Eric Kogan’s serendiptous street photography around New York City.

 

 

Animation

The Burden: A Darkly Funny Musical Punctures Existential Dread with Unusually Cheerful Song and Dance

Today we’re returning to a dark comedy classic that, although released in 2017, rings just as true in 2024. Directed by Swedish animator Niki Lindroth von Bahr, “The Burden” is a wildly wry musical that skewers loneliness, greed, beauty myths, and the existential woes of modern life through a lively cast of animal characters.

The award-winning short film visits a bleak supermarket, hotel, call center, and fast-food restaurant where employees break into song and dance, sometimes to the tune of common sales refrains. “Would you like to sign up for our money-back guarantee? Try our satisfaction guarantee?” monkeys croon. When an apocalypse hits the bizarrely relatable world, the characters jump at the chance for change.

Watch “The Burden” above, and find Lindroth von Bahr’s other films on Vimeo.

 

Art Books

Two Decades After Its Release, ‘The Art Book for Children’ Gets a Vibrant Makeover

First published in 1997, Phaidon’s The Art Book has long been a go-to source for introductions to some of the most influential artists. Spanning medieval to modern times, the volume contains more than 600 works and is available in 20 languages. About two decades ago, the iconic title received another type of translation geared specifically toward younger art lovers when editors released The Art Book for Children.

That kids’ edition presents a bite-sized, accessible version of The Art Book and was recently updated and revised. The new volume features 30 artists from its predecessor along with 30 additions, bringing together the most significant names from art history like Katsushika Hokusai, Jackson Pollock, and Frida Kahlo. Each spread includes one or more works by each artist and a fun, informative text, inviting children to look closely and discover a variety of paintings, sculptures, photographs, and more.

The Art Book for Children will be released on May 22 and is available for pre-order in the Colossal Shop.

 

Art

Jason Limon Gets to the Heart of Human Emotion in His Soul-Stirring Skeleton Paintings

Reaching toward universal experiences unclouded by specific identities, Jason Limon strips his recurring characters to the bare bones. The San Antonio-based artist (previously) continues his uncanny paintings of skeletons, who find themselves in precarious, startling, and genial situations. Recent works include “Peas In A Pod,” which features two friends adopting new heads from a large, curved shell. Similar smiling orbs appear in “The Right Grape” as a character chooses and fits the cheerful green fruit onto its neck.

Working in acrylic paint, Limon conjures myriad textures, whether through the deckled edges of a paper-craft structure or thin, crinkled plastic wrap. Combined with his muted palette of neutrals and jewel tones, these three-dimensional effects imbue the scenes with a vintage charm and a sense of timelessness.

Limon is currently working on a few personal projects, so keep an eye on his Instagram for updates. Find originals and prints in his shop.

 

Art

Stéphane Thidet Challenges Physics and Social Norms in His Site-Specific Installations

Paris-based artist Stéphane Thidet invites viewers into wondrous worlds that skew perceptions and distort the laws of physics: a small wooden boat appears to arise from hard planks, flat stones nest inside a bookcase where paper tomes once stood, and water cascades from a Nantes theater making it impossible to enter without being drenched. Crafted with familiar materials and subject matter, Thidet’s site-specific installations and sculptures twist common scenes into unexpected territories.

Explore an archive of the artist’s work on his website.