Composed of 21 panels that stretch 100 feet wide, "Paradise Lost" traces four chapters of the artist's life, from childhood to 2015.
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 Raqib Shaw’s 100-Foot-Wide Autobiographical Painting Traces a Journey of Exile and Self-Discovery appeared first on Colossal.
... Read full Story
"I grew up in the magical realist tradition, not only in terms of literature and painting but as a school of thought and culture," Christian Ruiz Berman says.
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 Magical Realism Permeates Christian Ruiz Berman’s Labyrinthine Paintings appeared first on Colossal.
... Read full Story
From myriad swaths of vivid, translucent fabric, the Tulsa-based artist conjures striking installations.
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 Site-Specific Textiles by Rachel B. Hayes Radiate Within Vast Landscapes and Sunlit Interiors appeared first on Colossal.
... Read full Story
"I love giving vintage textiles another chance to go back up on a wall and be admired again, cherished," the artist says.
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 Velvet and Vintage Textiles, Larysa Bernhardt Embroiders Otherworldly Moths appeared first on Colossal.
... Read full Story
In a range of forms, the Edinburgh-based artist explores the possibilities of pattern.
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 Vibrant Patterns in Frances Priest’s Ceramics Emanate Historical and International Influences appeared first on Colossal.
... Read full Story
The YouTube series began in May 2020 with the simple premise that great art can be explained clearly and concisely in 15 minutes.
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 Explore Centuries of Art History 15 Minutes at a Time in James Payne’s ‘Great Art Explained’ appeared first on Colossal.
... Read full Story
LaMonte’s sculptures explore ideas around femininity, resilience, and conventions of beauty throughout history.
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 Ethereal Sculptures by Karen LaMonte Link Perceptions of Beauty, Femininity, and Nature 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.