#Kate Mothes

[xpuigc-bloc]

COLOSSAL

“Unearthing Buried Gods.” Michael McGrath

Michael McGrath Summons Symbolism and a Folk Art Style in Expressive Paintings

November 6, 2024

Art

Kate Mothes

From fanged cats and all-seeing ravens to anthropomorphized botanicals and disembodied faces, Michael McGrath’s uncanny works nod to the symbol-rich, flat compositions of folk art or “naïve” painting. His mixed-media works combine materials like graphite, oil paint and oil stick, ink, and acrylic on a variety of surfaces, including wood, canvas, and burlap.

Inspired by the expansive scenes of contemporary artists Peter Doig and Mamma Andersson, and self-taught artists Henry Darger (1892-1973) and William Hawkins (1895-1990), McGrath harnessed a narrative approach in his own practice. “I decided to experiment with figures and storytelling in my painting,” he tells Colossal. He also counts Jim Henson among his influences.

“Threats and competition for tiny vampires” (2023), graphite, colored pencil, and India ink on wood panel, 14 x 11 inches

Populated with an array of characters, from trees with alarmed expressions to tiny, fairy-like black critters with bulbous wings and long legs, McGrath delves into mysterious, emotional tales with plots as enigmatic as they are supernatural.

The artist’s interest in painting evolved from an early fascination with design, especially album covers and advertising in magazines like Spin and Thrasher. “I never had the patience to develop classical skills, so I focused on dimensional and collage work for a while, until I eventually decided to invest more time in painting,” he says.

McGrath’s work will be part of an online group show with MePaintsMe, Slight of Hand, which opens on November 12. In February, he will also have pieces on view in a group show at Court Tree Collective in Brooklyn.

“Monster control, future systems No. 3,” (2024), acrylic, oil stick, and oil on canvas, 78 x 120 inches

“Night float, threat window” (2024), oil and oil stick on canvas, 60 x 48 inches

“Hunting songs” (2024), oil, oil stick, and grease pencil on linen, 30 x 24 inches

“Muppet moon nightmare choir” (2024), acrylic, acrylic yarn, embroidery thread, painted canvas, and burlap on burlap, 40 x 30 inches

“Moon float” (2024), acrylic, watercolor crayon, enamel, and oil pastel on canvas, 60 x 48 inches

“Stories to frighten your children with and dangerous literature” (2023), oil, oil pastel, and acrylic on linen, 30 x 40

“Cat song, moon riot, No. 2” (2024), oil on canvas, 48 x 36 inches

[fotos-art]

COLOSSAL

History Photography

In a Tribute to Ever-Changing Rural America, Brendon Burton Collects a Decade of Photographs in ‘Epitaph’

AUGUST 6, 2024. KATE MOTHES

Brendon Burton

From the wheat fields of the northern Great Plains to misty days in the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, Brendon Burton (previously) captures a side of America many of us rarely have the opportunity to explore in depth. Despite the vast square mileage of the nation’s rural areas, hundreds of counties see declining numbers of residents each year.

Throughout North America, relics of past inhabitants dot fields and foothills, glimpsing complex lives. Dilapidated farmhouses, churches, and grain elevators stand amid the stark, magnificent landscape in areas that seem to exist in a different world and operate on their own time. While people are typically absent from Burton’s images, the human impact on the land is everywhere. He approaches these places with a keen and admiring curiosity, reveling in layered, fraught, and sometimes unknowable histories.

This year, Burton has collected a decade’s worth of photographs into a new book titled Epitaph, which seeks to “unravel the knot of mystery” he says in a statement, “…shedding light on unseen histories and buried past lives.” The book is scheduled for release in early October and is available for pre-order now on his website.

#BRENDON BURTON #LANDSCAPES

COLOSSAL

[now-winter-comes-slowly]

If you're thinking of starting a new diary or journal because it's January (and to the perfectionist in myself, and perhaps in you: you can still start a new thing for January even if it's the 9th already!), this might be an interesting way: you don't have to catch up and do something for every single day; you might decide to embroider one little image for each week that sums up the dominant mood, weather, event, or activity...

[pop-punklouis]

-

[mvshortcut]

I was thinking about Kate and Milligan (as usual) but specifically about what Kate calls Milligan. Because he's Milligan to her, but that doesn't make him any less her dad, but she doesn't call him Dad, yknow?

How did it go? Was it an unspoken agreement where they just knew and understood the other despite just having met as father and daughter for the first time? Did she just bounce up to him and go "I'm not calling you Dad. You're Milligan and you're going to stay Milligan." and did he reply "Alright, Katie-Cat" without even a twinge of hurt because it's just so right? He just found his daughter, how could he ever be sad about anything ever again?

Or- maybe it wasn't that easy? Maybe she bounced up to him, and everything felt right, but he couldn't help but wonder... and so he went to the one place he always knew he could go when he felt lost. When he presented his troubles to Mr. Benedict - "No, it's going great, but I can't help wondering ... she doesn't want to call me Dad. Which is fine, of course, but ... maybe she doesn't see me in that way?" - when he presented his troubles to Mr. Benedict, how long did he laugh and slump unconscious for, before waking up and apologizing profusely, before helping Milligan sort it all out. (Which really meant sort himself out. Kate had it all figured out, apparently.)

Or- did she try at first? Did she try to press at a puzzle piece that just wouldn't fit? Her dad left. He left a long time ago and she's lived with that her whole life. But - her Milligan is here now. Could he ever understand?

Or- maybe it just slipped out one day, years down the line? When she was teasing him - "Extra coat, Kate, it's brisk out!" / "Da-ad, I'm nearly sixteen, you know, you don't need to-" - did they both freeze? Did she not realize what she'd done until she was halfway down the sidewalk? Did she catch him wiping at his eyes and blowing his nose? Did she tuck that away in her back pocket for later?

Just. It's all good, ya know?

[wishlisted]

Shades of green stained glass moth from Just Kate Glassworks

[why-i-love-comics]

Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #8 (2023)

written by Matthew Rosenberg art by Carmine Di Giandomenico & Romulo Fajardo, jr.

[orsanedraws]

still obsessed abt getting mark of the outsider tattoo somewhere in the future... i got Ellie's tlou2 tattoo and planning to cover the rest of my right arm all the way up to the shoulder.

[ruinedholograms]

[smileymoth]

cleo and gem to me...

[thecurvycritic]

Kate Winslet is Spectacular and Raw in Lee

Lee Miller paved the way for so many women photojournalists and Kate Winslet does her lineage proud https://wp.me/p2v8yf-6Hm #Lee #podcast

A few years back, Lucy Lawless premiered her screen debut with a documentary focused on CNN photojournalist Margaret Moth, who survived being shot in the face in Sarajevo only to succumb to cancer in 2010. However, many decades before Moth there was Lee Miller. Miller’s work as a correspondent for European Vogue during WW II brought an important female perspective to the news, even as the horrors…

[suefiore]

Kate

[sophieswundergarten]

Kate Wetherall for the headcanons ask game?

Headcanon A: She loves the color red so much and when she has to dress fancy as an adult she always themes her outfits around the same fire engine shade :)

Headcanon B: She is double-jointed and uses this to her advantage all the time, whether that's showing off, creeping people out, or getting into/out of tricky spots.

Headcanon C: She used to have really bad nightmares at the circus and while she did get comforted, all it really taught her tiny independent self is to be quieter while crying :(

Headcanon D: MOOCHO BRAZOS IS HER DAD TOO AND HE LOVES HER JUST AS MUCH AS MILLIGAN AND I'LL FIGHT PEOPLE OVER THIS /lh

[chiropteracupola]

actually. if anyone happens to be curious about any of those various guys from my brain that I draw sometimes and would like to inbox me questions. well I would be perfectly keen to answer them.

[mvshortcut]

She had to wait one (1) business day

[mothdruid]

List five things that make you happy, then put this in the ask box of the last ten people who reblogged something from you. Spread the positivity!! 💘💘

oh god, okay.

my therapist

@siempre-bucky

my cats

my figure collection

my tattoos