Nearly a century before the invention of the microscope and the field of entomology emerged, Joris Hoefnagel devoted himself to the natural world.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article The 16th-Century Artist Who Created the First Compendium of Insect Drawings appeared first on Colossal.
... Read full Story
Lee Me Kyeoung creates exquisite visual odes to the small markets she encounters from Australia to Turkey.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article From Vietnam to Nepal, Lee Me Kyeoung Expands the Geographic Bounds of Her Corner Store Drawings appeared first on Colossal.
... Read full Story
'Made on Market Street' illuminates a lesser-known period of the iconic artist's life and creative practice.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article A New Book Illuminates Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Prolific Time in Los Angeles appeared first on Colossal.
... Read full Story
In a recent excursion, the artist traveled to Africa to participate in the Sahara Marathon.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Unity and Resilience Flow Through Taquen’s Gestural Compositions appeared first on Colossal.
... Read full Story
The Philadelphia-based artist channels a nostalgic medium to peer more closely at what we ignore in the present.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Tenderly Crocheted Sculptures by Caitlin McCormack Contend with Existential Dread appeared first on Colossal.
... Read full Story
Through large-scale installations and framed tile pieces, the artists explore the possibilities of texture, pattern, and color.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Wood and Ceramic ‘Guardian’ Assemblages by Expanded Eye Emphasize Earthy Materials appeared first on Colossal.
... Read full Story
Known for his large-scale participatory art projects, JR has embarked on a new project that breathes life into a historic venue.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article JR’s Tree of 10,000 Hands Takes Root in a Former Montpellier Church appeared first on Colossal.
... Read full Story
This year marked the seventh edition of the festival's theme, "Art in Manufacturing," with large-scale installations and dozens of events.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Blackburn’s National Festival of Making Celebrates Collaborations Between Art and Industry appeared first on Colossal.
... Read full Story
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 2, 2025 is:
palimpsest \PAL-imp-sest\ noun
Palimpsest in its original use refers to writing material (such as a parchment manuscript) used one or more times after earlier writing has been erased; the underlying text is said to be “in palimpsest.” Palimpsest in extended use refers to something that has usually diverse layers or aspects apparent beneath the surface.
// Scholars believe the motive for making palimpsests was often economic—reusing parchment was cheaper than preparing a new skin.
// The ancient city is an architectural palimpsest.
“My aim was to trace the course of … the Aqua Marcia, built between 144 and 140 B.C. by Julius Caesar’s ancestor Quintus Marcius Rex. … The original tuff arches carried the Marcia across a steep ravine. Subsequent retaining walls and buttresses have transformed the bridge into a palimpsest of building styles.” — David Laskin, The New York Times, 24 Apr. 2024
Did you know?
Long ago, writing surfaces were so highly valued that they were often used more than once. Palimpsest in its original use referred to an early form of recycling in which an old document was erased to make room for a new one when parchment ran short. (The word is from the Greek palimpsēstos, meaning “scraped again.”) Fortunately for modern scholars, the erasing process wasn’t completely effective, so the original could often be distinguished under the newer writing. De republica, by Roman statesman and orator Cicero, is one of many documents recovered from a palimpsest. Nowadays, the word palimpsest can refer not only to such a document but to anything that has multiple layers apparent beneath the surface.