Menu
The New Contemporary Art Magazine

The Costumes and Prints of Ellis Tolsma

Ellis Tolsma’s vibrant costumes recall the famous parties of Germany's Bauhaus school in the 1920s. Like her prints and sculptures, Tolsma has a knack for integrating geometric forms into striking creations. The illustrator "and maker" hails from the Netherlands.

Ellis Tolsma’s vibrant costumes recall the famous parties of Germany’s Bauhaus school in the 1920s. Like her prints and sculptures, Tolsma has a knack for integrating geometric forms into striking creations. The illustrator “and maker” hails from the Netherlands.

“Because in my opinion we often take things just a little too seriously, I want to bring color and madness back to the world with my work,” the artist has said. “When you are young you often believe in a kind of magical world that, as soon as you enter puberty, ceases to exist. From that moment you seem to step into a kind of gray adult world, where daydreaming and playing is out of the question. With my work I try to stir up this magical world a little bit.”

See more of her work on her site and some of her non-costume work below.

Meta
Share
Facebook
Reddit
Pinterest
Email
Related Articles
Since moving from New York city to the countryside in Hudson, artist Jason Middlebrook has found himself in a constant contact with nature. His striking "plank series" is informed by his surroundings; vividly painted abstract designs on natural pieces of cut wood like maple and birch, sourced from a local mill. Though his use of straight lines and angles, drawn with a geometric precision, may not be naturally occurring, they are inspired by the subtle nuances found in his materials.
Mari Katayama's photography uses her own body as one of her materials. Born with a rare congenital disorder, the artist had her legs amputated as a child, and at times, her sculptural work emulates the features of her body that the condition caused. The resulting work explores identity, anxiety, and other topics.
Masaya Hashimoto's images of pure white plants might not look like anything remarkable until you realize what they are made out of: the self taught artist crafts them out of the fine bone and antlers from deer near his home in Japan. In some ways, his sculptures are a byproduct of where he lived for nearly a decade, a mountain Buddhist temple where he was given the chance to closely observe the life cycle of plants and flowers like irises and chrysanthemums.
Featureless, animal-like characters populate the works of Brendan Monroe. He renders them with visceral textures and biomorphic shapes that evoke some sort of primordial goop from which life emerged. While the Oakland-based artist is known for creating paintings, drawings and wooden sculptures, he recently collaborated with Los Angeles studio Heath Ceramics on a series of ceramic works that will be exhibited in "Blobography," his solo show opening on November 1 at the same location.

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List