History
Thousands of Josiah Wedgwood’s Glazed Ceramic Samples Paved the Way for 18th-Century Ingenuity
In 1759, Staffordshire potter and entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795) founded a ceramics company that achieved global recognition and continues production today. He soared to success as a leader of industrialized pottery in Europe, tapping into a renewed 18th-century vogue for classical forms in home decor and tableware. A meticulous studier of current trends and materials, “Wedgwood conducted thousands of experiments to perfect his unique clays and glazes,” says the Victoria and Albert Museum, which stewards more than 175,000 works of art, ceramics, manuscripts, and photographs in the V&A Wedgwood Collection. Tray of Clay and Jasper Trials, ceramic, Etruria (1773) Once he streamlined factory production, Wedgwood turned his eye to marketing…
Thousands of Josiah Wedgwood’s Glazed Ceramic Samples Paved the Way for 18th-Century Ingenuity
In 1759, Staffordshire potter and entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795) founded a ceramics company that achieved global recognition and continues production today. He soared to success as a leader of industrialized pottery in Europe, tapping into a renewed 18th-century vogue for classical forms in home decor and tableware. A meticulous studier of current trends and materials, “Wedgwood conducted thousands of experiments to perfect his unique clays and glazes,” says the Victoria and Albert Museum, which stewards more than 175,000 works of art, ceramics, manuscripts, and photographs in the V&A Wedgwood Collection. Tray of Clay and Jasper Trials, ceramic, Etruria (1773) Once he streamlined factory production, Wedgwood turned his eye to marketing…
Our Favorite Stories of 2024
As we look back at the hundreds of remarkable initiatives, artworks, discoveries, and events we’ve chronicled throughout 2024, we’re continually awed by the creative work we’re able to write about everyday. It’s a privilege to be able to share so much creativity with you, and we thought we’d compile a list of our favorites. Below, you’ll find eight picks—two from each of us—that showcase just a few of the remarkable projects we published over the past twelve months. Many of these articles impart deeper context, delve into personal experiences through interviews, and highlight important stories that may have flown under the radar. You might also enjoy our readers’ choice top…
Our Favorite Stories of 2024
As we look back at the hundreds of remarkable initiatives, artworks, discoveries, and events we’ve chronicled throughout 2024, we’re continually awed by the creative work we’re able to write about everyday. It’s a privilege to be able to share so much creativity with you, and we thought we’d compile a list of our favorites. Below, you’ll find eight picks—two from each of us—that showcase just a few of the remarkable projects we published over the past twelve months. Many of these articles impart deeper context, delve into personal experiences through interviews, and highlight important stories that may have flown under the radar. You might also enjoy our readers’ choice top…
Colossal’s Top Articles of 2024
Throughout 2024, we were awed by archaeological finds, vibrant paintings, striking sculptures, remarkable photography, immersive installations, and so much more. It’s tough to choose only 10 top articles for the year! Lucky for us, dear Colossal readers, you’ve helped pick the best. Below, dive into our most-read stories on the site during the past twelve months, and find hundreds more in the archive. “Untitled (after François Gérard)” (2023), oil on canvas, 100 x 80 centimeters. Images © Ewa Juszkiewicz, courtesy of Almine Rech Ewa Juszkiewicz’s Reimagined Historical Portraits of Women Scrutinize the Nature of Concealment From elaborate hairstyles to hypertrophied mushrooms, an array of unexpected face coverings feature in Ewa Juszkiewicz’s portraits.…
Colossal’s Top Articles of 2024
Throughout 2024, we were awed by archaeological finds, vibrant paintings, striking sculptures, remarkable photography, immersive installations, and so much more. It’s tough to choose only 10 top articles for the year! Lucky for us, dear Colossal readers, you’ve helped pick the best. Below, dive into our most-read stories on the site during the past twelve months, and find hundreds more in the archive. “Untitled (after François Gérard)” (2023), oil on canvas, 100 x 80 centimeters. Images © Ewa Juszkiewicz, courtesy of Almine Rech Ewa Juszkiewicz’s Reimagined Historical Portraits of Women Scrutinize the Nature of Concealment From elaborate hairstyles to hypertrophied mushrooms, an array of unexpected face coverings feature in Ewa Juszkiewicz’s portraits.…
Marilou Schultz Weaves Computer Processor Patterns in Traditional Navajo Tapestries
What does Intel’s Pentium computer chip have in common with Navajo textiles? More than you might think. For artist Marilou Schultz, the ancestral practice of weaving melds with an unexpected contemporary source of inspiration. Merging analog loom methods with the patterns found on computer processor cores, Schultz entwines the histories of the Navajo people and modern technology. Detail of Intel Pentium core processor die In the late 17th century, Spanish colonists introduced a breed of sheep called the Iberian Churro to the American Southwest. The Diné—known also as Navajo—who had lived in the Four Corners region for hundreds of years, embraced shepherding and wool production, eventually developing a unique breed…
Marilou Schultz Weaves Computer Processor Patterns in Traditional Navajo Tapestries
What does Intel’s Pentium computer chip have in common with Navajo textiles? More than you might think. For artist Marilou Schultz, the ancestral practice of weaving melds with an unexpected contemporary source of inspiration. Merging analog loom methods with the patterns found on computer processor cores, Schultz entwines the histories of the Navajo people and modern technology. Detail of Intel Pentium core processor die In the late 17th century, Spanish colonists introduced a breed of sheep called the Iberian Churro to the American Southwest. The Diné—known also as Navajo—who had lived in the Four Corners region for hundreds of years, embraced shepherding and wool production, eventually developing a unique breed…