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In Magical Cut Paper Works, Barbara Earl Thomas Alchemizes Light and Shadow
“A Joyful Noise” (2022), paper cut with hand-printed color. Photo by Spike Mafford/Zocalo Studios, courtesy of the artist and Claire Oliver Gallery, New York. All images shared with permission
Barbara Earl Thomas reminds us that darkness—and the absences and omissions it conceals—are part of the stories we’ve adopted as truth. Her pieces gravitate toward the inextricable relationship between light and dark, with warm colors and soft glows emanating from floral motifs.
Working in paper and Tyvek, Thomas makes poetry of nature as it envelops the human body, carving intricate narratives that can be read as beautiful and apocalyptic. She’s interested in illuminating the choices society makes, whether it be deciding to cloister ourselves in climate-controlled spaces safe from the elements or cling to baseless prejudices.
“We create a kind of a story for ourselves that gives us the opportunity to not be scared to death every day, and then we live inside that story. There’s nothing wrong with that, but that’s what it is,” she says during a conversation with Colossal. “In the cuttings, I’m focusing on moments that both seem comforting and terrifying, ones where you get eaten, where the landscape engulfs you.”
Thomas’ works prompt viewers to recognize that these stories offer the illusion of control and “that things aren’t exactly what they appear to be.” She references Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s treatise “In Praise of Shadows” as informing much of her thinking.
The essay, which describes the electric lightbulb’s influence on Japanese aesthetics, considers what it means to take something “part and parcel from one culture into another culture,” particularly when it degrades the richness and potential of the culture already there. Both Tanizaki and Thomas point out that adopting new technology, like preserving incomplete histories or privileging some lives over others, isn’t compulsory.
Detail of “The Transformation Room”
Thomas works out of a basement studio in Seattle that she’s occupied since 1988. On the walls are paper-cut portraits with long sheets of Tyvek draped over tables. She knows all of her subjects and sees each body of work as a sort of community, one she won’t split up even to send a piece or two to her gallerist in preparation for an exhibition. For the artist, the community and the individual, like humanity and nature and light and dark, are co-constitutive. Their unity is what allows them to exist.
The first traveling exhibition of Thomas’ work, The Illuminated Body, debuted about a year ago at the Chrysler Museum of Art before heading to The Wichita Art Museum and making its final stop at Arthur Ross Gallery at the University of Pennsylvania this month. Comprising nine portraits and an immersive installation called “The Transformation Room,” the show emphasizes human creativity while celebrating Black icons like playwright August Wilson and cellist Seth Parker Woods along with the artist’s friends and acquaintances. Referencing portraiture traditions, the pieces are equally elegant and subversive, questioning how we present ourselves, recognize others, and what shapes those perceptions.
“Girl with Flowers II” (2022), paper cut with hand-printed color. Photo by Spike Mafford/Zocalo Studios, courtesy of the artist and Claire Oliver Gallery, New York
Each iteration of “The Transformation Room” has been different, with children helping to cut additional panels of white Tyvek in Wichita. When the exhibition opens this week at Arthur Ross Gallery, the piece will include color and a sculptural addition. The space also has gothic windows into which Thomas has fitted cuttings, allowing natural light to combine with the artificial to illuminate the suspended sheets of material.
Casting elegant shadows throughout the gallery, the installation invites viewers to reflect and see themselves and each other anew. The artist intends to “create a community gathering experience where my vision is filtered through sound and light, while being anchored in the historic familiar, poised for transformation.”
The Illuminated Body runs from February 17 to May 21 in Philadelphia. Find more by picking up a copy of the accompanying monograph and visiting the artist’s website.
Installation view of “The Transformation Room,” Arthur Ross Gallery
“Girl and the World” (2022), paper cut with hand-printed color. Photo by Spike Mafford/Zocalo Studios, courtesy of the artist and Claire Oliver Gallery, New York
Left: “Two Trains” (2022), paper cut with hand-printed color. Right: “Lady in the Library” (2022), paper cut with hand-printed color. Photos by Spike Mafford/Zocalo Studios, courtesy of the artist and Claire Oliver Gallery, New York
Installation view of “The Transformation Room,” Arthur Ross Gallery
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article In Magical Cut Paper Works, Barbara Earl Thomas Alchemizes Light and Shadow appeared first on Colossal.
Photographer Michael Hebert is the Saints Hall of Famer most don’t know
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Six years ago, the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame proudly opened its doors to three distinguished individuals, solidifying their places in the hearts of Saints fans everywhere. Lance Moore and Pierre Thomas, household names among Saints faithful, were among the inductees. The third member, Michael Hebert, may not be as widely known to the public, but his impact on the team is undeniable.
Hebert, a Louisiana native, has been intimately involved with the Saints for decades, chronicling the team’s journey through his lens as its Director of Photography for the past 26 years. His story is one of dedication and passion, rooted in his upbringing in New Orleans and fueled by his love for football.
“Football is my first love,” he said. “And shooting football? Oh, there’s an intimacy to paying attention to all those little things that the players see.”
From his early days attending games with his father at Tulane Stadium to capturing iconic moments like Tracy Porter’s pick-six in Super Bowl 44, Hebert’s work behind the camera has immortalized the highs and lows of Saints history. His keen eye and impeccable timing have allowed him to seize pivotal moments, whether it be on the field during a game or behind closed doors during team meetings.
“You got to be lucky,” he said.
One of his most iconic photos — Tracy Porter’s pick-six of Payton Manning in Super Bowl 44 — happened because Hebert was in the right place at the right time.
“I was sitting in the meeting room by myself and the doors open and the defensive backs came in,” he explained. “They spent about 25 minutes going over the one play, down and distance formation, that Tracy Porter intercepted that ball and ran it back for a touchdown.”
“As soon as I looked up, because every play I’m looking at down and distance first formation, I reach back for the longest lens I had and I locked up on Tracy Porter because he took that little step over and it was like slow motion for me.”
But Hebert’s journey hasn’t been without its challenges. Personal trials, including his daughter’s battle with cancer, have tested his resolve. Yet, through it all, he remains steadfast in his commitment to his family and his craft.
“I had to pick all the photographs for Will Smith’s Memorial at the facility. It wasn’t easy. When I walked in that day, I was just so emotional. I couldn’t stop crying. And for Mr. Benson’s funeral, I had to photograph his funeral,” he recalled.
“[Mr. Benson] treated my like a grandson. I worked for him for a long time and have some unbelievable stories with him. Yet, standing two feet from his casket with a wide angle lens when they pop that American flag… I couldn’t do it anymore.”
For Hebert, football isn’t just a game—it’s a platform for making a difference. Through his photography, he seeks to inspire and uplift others, demonstrating that true impact transcends the boundaries of the gridiron.
“I always wondered, why am I so lucky, there are guys that work their whole lives and never get the opportunities I’ve been given. That’s why when Brittany got sick, it all became crystal clear. It was what I was going to be able to do to help others. And I say that humbly. It’s not about me. And as I’ve told people, you don’t need to wear a jersey to make a difference. I had been given an opportunity to help make a difference in others’ lives. And that’s the thing I’m most proud of,” he said.
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‘Queues’ by Louis Osmosis serializes artistic epiphany
The sculptor’s most recent solo exhibition at Kapp Kapp gives the potency of ideas a spermatozoan mascot
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MidlandToday featuring Quest Art members’ work available for bidding during ongoing Rotary Club of Midland online auction
Spotlight: Photographer Catherine Opie Trains Her Lens on Structures of Power in Vatican City
Every month, hundreds of galleries add newly available works by thousands of artists to the Artnet Gallery Network—and every week, we shine a spotlight on one artist or exhibition you should know. Check out what we have in store, and inquire for more with one simple click.
What You Need to Know: On view through March 9, 2023 at Lehmann Maupin in New York, “Walls, Windows, and Blood” features the premiere of pivotal artist Catherine Opie’s most recent body of work. Taken across Vatican City, the photographs mine its inherent power structures—both literally, through the locale’s architecture, and subliminally, engaging with the Catholic Church’s history and legacy. Contending with the politics of place and how it intersects with ideas around identity, the images tap into the vast, multilayered elements that compose the current moment in human history and explores how physical and social hierarchies are affected. The collection of photographs was taken in the summer of 2021 over a period of six weeks while Opie was working as the Robert Mapplethorpe Resident in Photography at the American Academy in Rome. Working in the shadow of the pandemic, the Vatican and surrounding areas were emptier than normal, offering Opie unparalleled access and opportunity to shoot.
About the Artist: American photographer Catherine Opie (b. 1961) is most widely recognized for her unflinching, often poignant color portraits that investigate facets of contemporary society through series that focus on specific groups of people—such as LGBTQ+ communities or high school sports players.
Her practice frequently references autobiography, queer culture, and collective experiences, touching on simultaneously personal yet universal themes. Known for pursuing distinct lines of inquiry across multiple series, within “Walls, Windows, and Blood” similar ideas can be traced to other recent bodies of work, such as “Rhetorical Landscapes” from 2019 and “The Modernist” from 2017. While the latter wrestled with concepts around political and global turmoil, and the former incongruities between America as an idealized model and America on the brink, the present series on view also uses a palette of power and identity and their myriad complexities to create new perspectives.
Why We Like It: The intricate, historical architecture that fills the walls of Vatican City operates within Opie’s images almost as a collaborator—working as framing device, compositional structure, and physical metaphor. Aligned with Opie’s longstanding affinity for surveying and investigating power structures and systems, coupled with the comparable emptiness of spaces of life, each image offers observers a contemplative moment to reflect on the specific view or vantage point of the composition, and consider the ways that the built environment and the activity it contains supports and promulgates the power of the Catholic Church and Catholicism. Adding the magnitude of these conceptual endeavors is the ability of Opie to capture the mass and scale of the architecture; many of the images are conveyed through a monumental reproduction process, resulting in photographs that reach upwards of seven feet, taller than most viewers. Incorporating scale internally and in the context of the space in which the image is viewed calls forth another recurring theme in Opie’s practice, that of complexities that can be found not only on the individual level, but societal, cultural, and political as well.
See featured works below.
Catherine Opie, No Apology (June 5, 2021) (2023). © Catherine Opie. Courtesy of Regen Projects, Los Angeles, and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Seoul, and London.
Catherine Opie, Blood Grid #1 (2023). © Catherine Opie. Courtesy of Regen Projects, Los Angeles, and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Seoul, and London.
Catherine Opie, Untitled #11 (Windows) (2023). © Catherine Opie. Courtesy of Regen Projects, Los Angeles, and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Seoul, and London.
Catherine Opie, Untitled #13 (Walls) (2023). © Catherine Opie. Courtesy of Regen Projects, Los Angeles, and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Seoul, and London.
Catherine Opie, Untitled #10 (Walls) (2023). Courtesy of Regen Projects, Los Angeles, and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Seoul, and London.
“Catherine Opie: Walls, Windows, and Blood” is on view At Lehmann Maupin, New York, through March 9, 2024.
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2023 Wildlife Photographer Of The Year Winners Announced
The Natural History Museum UK has announced the winners of the 2023 Wildlife Photographer of The Year awards.
This year’s People’s Choice award is “Ice Bed” by Nima Sarikhani. The stunning image, taken off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, features a polar bear curled up peacefully, sleeping on a small ice floe drifting in the Arctic Ocean.
Other stunning images include one by Audun Rikarsen, taken in a fjord just outside Tromso, Norway. The image has moon jellyfish in the background below a stunning night sky lit with the aurora borealis.
You can find all the winning images and more here, or check out a video about some of the stunning images below.
(Featured Image credit: Nima Sarikhani, Wildlife Photographer of the Year)
John Nesbitt obituary
My friend John Nesbitt, who has died aged 77, was one of a small group who designed and built large-format cameras. These cameras slowed down the photographic process and enabled photographers to reconsider and deepen their own practice – in John’s case, his enduring engagement with and understanding of the Welsh landscape, evident in Mutatis Mutandis at the Ffotogallery, Cardiff in 1987. In this exhibition John used multiple exposures on 10 x 8in negatives to explore the ways natural landscape changes with the effects of light, atmosphere and different weathers. The resulting images retain a profoundly haunting quality.
John was born in Carlisle, to Margaret (nee Shadwick) and Emmanuel, known as “Manny”. A couple of years later the family moved to Sunderland, where Manny worked as a buyer for a building firm. John attended Southmoor technical school, Sunderland, where he developed his interest in art, as well as useful skills in metalwork and woodwork. At 16 he left school and went to Sunderland Art School, then in 1964 to Bath Academy of Art, Corsham, which is where I first met him.
After graduating in 1967, John initially focused on still life and landscape painting, supported by occasional teaching and work in forestry. He married Jan Allen in 1968 and, following the birth of their two sons, Piers and Tom, the family moved in 1971 to mid-Wales, where John turned to photography using a range of camera formats. John and Jan separated in the mid-70s.
Dissatisfied with the limitations of the second-hand 5×4 MPP camera, in 1983 he decided to design and make his own camera, based on the classic cameras made by Gandolfi and Deardorff. Working in a disused blacksmith’s workshop attached to his home in Llanidloes, he built his prototype, initially using an old mahogany table-top from a skip for its body. Subsequently, John ran large-format camera workshops that proved so popular that he teamed up with a fellow photographer, Pete Davis, to run them on a regular basis; they also resulted in orders for around 150 handmade cameras.
In 1985 John’s work featured in a survey of British photography, Image and Exploration: Some Directions in British Photography, 1980-85, at the Photographers’ Gallery in London. A complete portfolio titled The Old Metal Mines of Mid-Wales was purchased by the National Library of Wales in 1995, and in that year John exhibited another landscape portfolio, Whispers, at the Recontres Photographiques en Bretagne, at Galerie Le Lieu in Lorient, on the southern coast of Brittany. In 1996 John held a retrospective of his work at Studio 13, Llanidloes, and began funded work on a series of photographs about the Highland Clearances, under the title The Year of the Burnings.
John married his second wife, Michelle Audurea, in 1991, and six years later they moved to an old farmhouse in the Vendée, western France, which John refurbished. Although he continued to take photographs and exhibit his work, he no longer made cameras. He returned to an earlier passion for Celtic music and began playing the bagpipes he had bought in an antiques shop in Bath in 1966.
He is survived by Michelle, his sons, Piers and Tom, two grandchildren, and his elder brother, George, and two sisters, June (his twin) and Kathleen.
Creative Spaces Make Creative Minds
Many students are involved in art classes throughout Francis Howell Central. From Digital Art to Ceramics, students are active in many arts. Mrs. Michelle McCune teaches three classes: Digital Art, Printmaking, and AP Art History. Even in her small Printmaking classes, she finds ways to communicate and listen to her students’ ideas. Mily Moreno-Garcia states…
Review: Indigenous Artists ‘Remember the Future’ in New Show
Collection Tweed Museum of Art, art by Rabbett Before Horses Strickland
A new show at the University of Minnesota’s Katherine E. Nash Gallery titled “Dreaming Our Futures: Ojibwe and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ Artists and Knowledge Keepers” showcases an impressive range of perspectives and aesthetic approaches across the work of 29 Indigenous painters and multimedia artists. The truly momentous exhibition marks the opening of the George Morrison Center for Indigenous arts and will travel across Minnesota throughout 2024. The show is on view at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery through March 16.
Collection Tweed Museum of Art, art by Dyani White Hawk
The show’s title, “Dreaming Our Futures,” calls to mind critical positions like Indigenous Futurism and, more specifically, Diné photographer Will Wilson’s practice of “remembering the future.” If colonial linear time’s telos is the erasure of Indigenous people and the complete extraction of resources (to fatally toxic and radioactive ends), then the process of “remembering the future” seeks to disrupt this narrative formation by introducing alternative, non-linear temporalities—to dream futures wherein Indigenous life has persisted and culture and sovereignty have been recovered in the face of total destruction.
Collection of Plains Art Museum, art by Andrea Carlson
In “Dreaming Our Futures,” artists tell these stories, and the exhibition is a must-see. Included among the impressive roster of artists is Dyani White Hawk (Sičaŋǧu Lakota), recently awarded the MacArthur Fellowship “Genius Grant.” Much of White Hawk’s work combines reference to Lakota textile patterns with “Western” modes of abstraction, drawing attention to the ways the development of contemporary abstract art is inextricable from (often unrecognized) Indigenous abstract aesthetic practices. Her monumental painting “Untitled (Quiet Strength III)” evokes the subtle coloring and precise gridwork of abstract painter Agnes Martin. Upon closer inspection, White Hawk has performed a subtle inversion; the grids have been spliced, tilted, and offset to create a more geometrically dynamic pattern, and the multi-tonal stripes that the grid comprises in fact resemble traditional porcupine quillwork. The painting can thus be said to be abstract and representational, its referent being the entangled histories of easel-painting and Indigenous textile-making.
Courtesy of Rabbett Before Horses Strickland
My favorite artworks in the exhibition are a collection of paintings by Rabbet Before Horses Strickland (Red Cliff Band of Anishinaabe). I think it appropriate to call his paintings powerhouses of narrative form, art-historical reference, and composition. Perhaps it was my recent, rather disappointing encounter with Botticelli’s “Primavera” bubbling over, but encountering Strickland’s “Searching for Nokomis” for the first time felt like a punch in the gut. The painter’s study of the techniques and forms of Renaissance and Baroque masters is certainly evident but does in no way overwhelm Strickland’s singular vision. Utilizing and revitalizing familiar “Western” forms and formats to communicate traditional scenes from Ojibwe mythology and storytelling, Strickland creates an immensely evocative, dream-like world, subverting the traditional (Christian or classical Greco-Roman mythological) subject matter endemic to the genre.
