The Lovers & The Fool

[View email in browser]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Become a member!]( [The best of the week in art & visual culture. ]( Letter from the editor: Hello and I hope your Tuesday is going as well as possible given the [list of current situations]. We know that many of you turn to Colossal as a daily salve, a sort of brief escapism that celebrates visual expression, creativity, and beauty despite the adversity that swirls around us all lately. We hope you bottle up what you experience in this newsletter, on our website, and other channels and use it as fuel these next few weeks and months. It’s important now more than ever to lean into the wind, and with your support, we’ll keep publishing through all of it. Three quick things you should check out: Have you seen [The Painter and the Thief]( It’s a thought-provoking documentary about art, crime, and compassion that I found to be utterly fascinating. I’ve also heard great things about curator, writer, and activist Kimberly Drew’s new book [This Is What I Know About Art]( aimed at young adults about her experiences studying art history and later working in the art world. Lastly, [Art Relief for Beirut]( is accepting art donations and selling artworks with 100% of proceeds going toward several organizations working to help the citizens of Beirut. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to the dozens of you who have joined as [Colossal Members]( in the last few weeks and especially for the lifetime support from Susanna P., Jac S., Griselda W., Tim B., and Zelie P. This vote of confidence helps beyond words, and we are nearly in tears with gratitude. A Massive Compendium of Tarot Cards Explores 600 Years of the Divine Decks Compiling more than 500 cards, a new book sequences an incredibly diverse array of metaphysical decks from medieval to modern times. [Tarot]( is arranged in order from the Major to the Minor Arcana and examines the meaning behind the varied illustrations, considering who created them and when. [READ MORE]( Sprawling Floral Installations Spill Over Garbage Cans and Phone Booths on New York City Streets Thanks to [Lewis Miller Design]( those passing through New York City have gotten some respite from the rank smells and soggy refuse of streetside garbage cans. For years, the florist has been planting guerrilla installations of sunflowers, hydrangeas, and peonies in public areas, transforming trash receptacles, construction zones, and lampposts with sprawling assemblages. [READ MORE]( Do stories and artists like these matter to you? Become a [Colossal Member]( and support independent arts publishing. Join 966 like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, support the creation of [in-depth interviews]( with some of the most exciting artists working today, experience our website ad-free, receive exclusive partner discounts, and more. Colossal is now largely supported by our readers; without you, there's no us. Help us reach our fundraising goal of 1,200 members by 2021! [Join today](. ❤ Monumental Ballpoint Pen Portraits Are Rendered on Vintage Collateral by Artist Mark Powell From his Brighton-based studio on the seafront, [Mark Powell]( pieces together crinkled book pages and postcards laden with travel dispatches. The vintage collages serve as backdrops for the artist’s oversized portraits of older folks, whose pensive stares and deep wrinkles are rendered gently in ballpoint pen. [READ MORE]( Opulent Kintsugi Installation by Artist Victor Solomon Gilds Dilapidated Basketball Court in Los Angeles Celebrating the restorative qualities of sports and basketball’s return this past week, [Victor Solomon]( has repaired a deteriorated court in South Los Angeles through the ancient art of Kintsugi—the Japanese method of repairing broken pottery by using metallic substances to mend the fractures. [READ MORE]( A Furry Utopia is Overrun with Delicately Rendered Cats in Kamwei Fong’s New Illustration According to long-held superstitions, a horde of black cats certainly indicates impending misfortune, but for [Kamwei Fong]( a mass of the furry creatures is actually a fluffy utopia [READ MORE]( The Coral Greenhouse: Jason deCaires Taylor’s Latest Installation is an Underwater Sanctuary for Vulnerable Sea Creatures About 50 miles from Townsville, Australia, an unassuming structure created by [Jason deCaires Taylor]( rests on the sandy floor the John Brewer Reef. Over time, “The Coral Greenhouse” will amass vibrant clusters of the sea creatures as they colonize the submerged form. [READ MORE]( Ravenous Frogs and Surprised Bears Form an Adorably Expressive Ensemble of Ceramic Creatures Helen Burgess, who works under the moniker [nosey mungo]( crafts a playful troupe of characters with endlessly diverse expressions: there’s a flock of startled chickens, a bulging rain frog sporting a dramatic frown, and a whale duo grinning with contentment. [READ MORE]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Tumblr]( [Vimeo]( [Website]( [Email](mailto:hello@colossal.art) [RSS]( This is the August 11, 2020, issue of our weekly update. Thank you for subscribing. This email is supported in part [by our members](. You also can [adjust your preferences]( or [unsubscribe](. Published with love from Chicago. 6177 N. Lincoln Ave #314 / Chicago IL 60659 ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶