Pixel People

Pixelated Wood Sculptures Carved by Hsu Tung Han In a clash of digital and analogue, artist Hsu Tung Han carves figurative sculptures from wood that appear to be dissolving into fields of pixels. The Taiwanese artist views the carved figures of men and women as puzzles, planning for each configuration through a series of drawings and clay models. Han then produces the final work from segments of walnut, teak, or African wax wood, carving cubed pieces from the sculptures to give the illusion of suspended levitation or a paused transformation.    Arabic Words Illustrated to Match Their Literal Meaning Egypt-based graphic designer Mahmoud Tammam creates simple modifications of Arabic words, transforming the language into visual representations of their meaning. The words Tammam chooses to design are often animals, turning long slopes into a llama's neck, or a series of curves into an octopus's tentacles. By creating these pictorial translations he allows the words to be understood by those not familiar or well-versed with the Arabic language, a minimal gesture that leads to a much greater understanding.   Colossal  ❤'s 20x200 Featuring "Growth" by Carrie Marill Since 2007 we've been huge fans of 20x200 and their mission to make art accessible to everyone through hundreds of limited edition art prints. Curating works from some of our favorite artists and photographers like Jenny Odell, William Wegman, Paul Octavious, and Amy Casey, 20x200 consistently produces some of the brightest and most approachable artworks available online.  Carrie Marill is a Phoenix-based artist whose gouache painting, Growth, chronicles her first year of motherhood, in an organic, layered painting that brings to mind the strong yet unpredictable patterns of neurons or tree branches. Marill intentionally abstained from new work during pregnancy and then unspooled her creative energy in a deliberate, ritualistic process. She added just a bit at a time to Growth, without a premeditated direction, as each day of her new reality as a mother unfolded. The painting is part of a series, String Theory Drawings.  Jen Bekman Gallery Director Jeffrey Teuton describes Marill's practice as "rooted in the exploration of our connectedness with nature, a thread that winds through each of her series, much like the bright and delicate colors that often twist through her images. Even as her imagery changes, her essential interest in the parallels between nature and private life relate an unwavering honesty." In partnership with 20x200.    Handmade Ceramic Blooms and Succulents by Owen Mann Self-taught artist Owen Mann creates ceramic blooms from dozens, and sometimes hundreds of petals, each hand-formed to mimic the appearance of peonies, dahlias, and spiraling succulents. Simply painted in cool shades of blues and greens, the porcelain flowers look as if they were freshly plucked from the garden.    Architect Ricardo Bofill's Abandoned Cement Factory Residence and Studio In 1973 Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill stumbled upon a cement factory in Catalonia, Spain, an enormous compound of silos and buildings that covered nearly two and a half miles of underground tunnels. Bofill decided to buy The World War I era structure and its grounds, making modifications to the original structure in order to create an all-inclusive live/work space that would unite the Surrealist, Abstract, and Brutalist elements found in its industrial form.   Street Kintsugi: Artist Rachel Sussman Repairs the Roads with Gold As part of an ongoing series titled Sidewalk Kintsukuroi, artist Rachel Sussman brings the Japanese art of kintsugi to the streets. We've long been enamored by the ancient technique that traditionally involves the process of fixing broken pottery with a lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, resulting in an a repair that pays homage to the object's history. In the same way, Sussman's kintsugi series highlights the history under our feet, bringing attention to the imperceptible changes that take place over time in the world around us. Even the repairs are impermanent and will eventually be lost to wear and tear.   The Rise of the Image: Every NY Times Front Page Since 1852 in Under a Minute The New York Times published its first issue on September 18, 1851, but the first photos wouldn't appear on the cover until the early 1900s over 60 years later. This visual timeline by self-described data artist Josh Begley captures the storied newspaper's approach to layout and photography by incorporating every NY Times front page ever published into a single one-minute video.   From The Colossal Shop: Galactic Playing Cards STARDECK takes playing card designs out of the middle ages and into the galaxy. With each card completely redesigned by Minneapolis-based Lunar Saloon, everything from the suits to the court cards and stylized numbers draws inspiration from science fiction tropes. Now in stock in The Colossal Shop!