Category: Design

From aurora borealis to the Milky Way to distant nebulae, cosmic phenomena induces wonder like little else. When faced with distant galaxies and the seemingly endless sea of trillions of stars—a trillion trillion, actually, known as a septillion—the sheer scope is impossible to grasp. The universe’s workings may always remain a mystery. So it’s no…

From simple yet deft strokes of graphite, ShouXin summons cats that jump, roll, crash, and express their curiosity. Detailed eyes, mouths, and noses complement the artist’s gestural use of pencil for the rest of the felines’ bodies, conveying energy, sounds, and plenty of cattitude through the fundamental use of line. Prints and occasionally originals are…

In a monumental new installation, Raúl de Nieves brings Catholic imagery, Mexican folklore, and tarot into dazzling view. For “In Light of Innocence,” Pioneer Works’ Main Hall transforms into a vibrant sanctuary complete with 50 stained glass-like panels that reach up toward the heavens. The individual pieces are fitted into the space’s windows, with a…

In so-called “granary trees,” acorn woodpeckers drill remarkable pegboard-like patterns in which they store thousands upon thousands of acorns for food over the winter. And the Austral pygmy-owl, endemic to parts of Argentina and Chile, can be identified by its high-pitched toot. These are just a few of the incredible array of bird species represented…

West of Naples, along the Tyrrhenian coast, sits the storied Lake Avernus. Situated in a volcanic crater, its Latin name is synonymous with hell or the underworld, and to the ancient Romans, it was considered the portal to Hades. Dante Alighieri echoed the belief in his seminal Inferno. More recently, Anish Kapoor set out to…

Known for their innovative music videos and dance-worthy tracks, OK Go knows the power of great visuals. Coordination is often the name of the game, from the viral treadmills in “Here It Goes Again” to 64 synced and choreographed smartphones in “A Stone Only Rolls Downhill.” For their latest release, “Impulse Purchase,” the group turned…

Hangama Amiri translates fragments of her teenage years and family history into quilted portraits and tender tableaus. The artist, who resides in upstate New York and maintains a studio in Red Hook, is interested in recollection and the stories that make us who we are. “There’s an innocence and a special quality in revisiting and…

In 1903, on a farm in southeastern Norway, a once-in-a-lifetime discovery emerged from within a large yet unassuming mound in a field. When the spot was excavated in 1904, the mound revealed an entire Viking longship that had been interred in its entirety as a burial containing the remains of two women, several animals, and…

Known for trompe l’oeil ceramic sculptures of pantry staples and domestic life, Stephanie Shih has further entrenched her largely culinary-focused repertoire in material culture. In two exhibitions, the Brooklyn-based artist (previously) embraces mosaic as she nests small glass fragments and pottery sherds into vivid compositions that explore production and labor. Shih’s architectural work on view…

Curious foxes, sleepy fawns, and daring mice are just a few of the woodland creatures that populate Laura Catherwood’s dreamy drawings and paintings. Working primarily in graphite and oil, she situates recognizable animals into unexpected and fantastical situations in illustrations that “explore the inner emotional landscape while simultaneously soothing the viewer,” she says. It often…