Vintage lace and the intricate innards of cells influence the thread components of Susanna Bauer’s crocheted works....
PICTORIAL
Tina Kraus recreates nature’s beauty, idiosyncrasies, and diversity through her intricate paper sculptures. Though environment has been a source of inspiration for the artwork, Kraus also expresses her worry about the future.
The climate crisis, pollution, and the loss of biodiversity already have a big impact on nature and life on this planet. These disquietudes gave rise to her Paper Life! Ocean series, in which she focused on marine pollution by depicting a hermit crab living in a tin can, a squid trapped in a fishing net, and more.
Kraus challenges herself to create sculptures that are more and more life-like every time. Working intuitively with a bit of experimentation and spontaneity, the Münster, Germany-based artist always starts with a sketch before continuously building up layers of crepe paper to create depth.
Vintage lace and the intricate innards of cells influence the thread components of Susanna Bauer’s crocheted works. The German artist stitches leaves she’s found, washed, and dried, a painstaking process made more laborious by the inherent fragility of the material. Taking time beneath trees, gathering leaves, contemplating their shapes, imperfections, and details lies at the basis of her process.
Crafted from individual sheets of paper, Maude White’s sculptures unveil the intricate patterns of petals and leaves, intricate hair arrangements, and vibrant animal portrayals. To create her masterpieces, the artist meticulously makes numerous small cuts on archival paper using an 11-sized blade, starting with a reference photograph and a rough sketch to preserve overall proportions.
White remains dedicated to nature as her primary subject, concentrating on conveying the emotions of animals and the diversity of plant life. One of her recent works, featuring a net-like and “sketchy” composition, may initially resemble a bird’s nest, but upon closer examination, it reveals the subtle details of an elephant’s eye and trunk.
Some of the most exciting artistic discoveries are the results of accidents or the surprising outcomes of experiments, and artist Kim Simonsson’s series Moss People is the result of one such unexpected twist. Coated with soft flocking—a process of applying very fine fiber to the surface of an object—the large-scale ceramic sculptures were initially layered only with velvety black until a few years ago, when one day, the Finnish sculptor decided to flock one of those pieces with yellow, too. Once the crushed nylon fiber was applied over the black, it turned green, and the verdant figures have since grown into a cornerstone of his practice.
Simonsson draws inspiration from pop culture and Nordic fairytales and folklore, creating expressive, youthful characters who tote rucksacks, wear feathers in their hair, or carry important items like books, radios, or plush toys.
Atmospheric images taken outdoors capture the self-assured figures as they wander through woodland, equipped for an expedition. The most recent characters feature edible greenery and cabbage that grows from their limbs, torsos, and feet, providing both protection and sustenance. By producing and carrying their own food, they are completely autonomous, self-sustaining beings.
