While Mr. Forager & I are on the road, making our way to California, we’re rerunning Artsy Forager’s most popular posts. This post originally published on April 23, 2012 and got a huge bump thanks to being featured on the Freshly Pressed WordPress feature. Enjoy!
Do you have any idea how bummed I was to miss out on Shaun Kardinal’s show, Connotations, while we were in Seattle? So very very bummed. But time was not my friend on this trip. Two half-days and only one full day just isn’t enough to fit in time with friends, every gallery show I wanted to see and one on one time with the hubby. But I know I’ll be back and I have a feeling Shaun’s work is going to continue gaining ground while I’m gone.
Connotation No. 18, hand-embroidered paper collage, 9.75×6.5
Kardinal increases the complexity of his collages with this new series. Beginning with a foundation of vintage ephemera, he embroiders each piece with a geometrically intricate design carefully placed to compliment the retro imagery.
Connotation No. 25, hand-embroidered paper collage, 9×6
Kardinal’s work feels like sophisticated folk art and I mean that in the best possible way! It is approachable, yet thoughtful. Highly designed using common materials. Love.
Connotation No. 24, hand-embroidered paper collage, 11.75×11.75
Connotation No. 19, hand-embroidered paper collage, 9.25×8.25
To see more of Shaun Kardinal’s work, please visit his website. If you’re in Seattle, do what I couldn’t– go see his Connotations show at Joe Bar Cafe.
Featured image is Connotation No. 2, hand-embroidered paper collage, 11×11. All images are via the artist’s website.
My name is Lesley Frenz and I am the curator & author of this site, Artsy Forager. Beautiful, innovative, exciting artwork is my passion and I look forward to introducing you to hordes of talented artists! We'll also chat about lots of other art-related goodies. So sit back, relax and let me show you what the art world has to offer.
Artsy Forager 
What a great find! So glad you shared this.
Glad you enjoyed Shaun’s work! Did you have a fave?
Cheers!
Lesley
I think the suspension bridge snagged my attention the most. It’s the one I remembered best after I left the page. What with all the sweeping grandiosity and all. 🙂
By the way, you’re about to get about 15,000 page hits in the next couple of days. Enjoy!
Great choice! I think my fave is the other bridge– I love the composition and juxtaposition of colors.
Wow– how I am getting that many hits? 😉 I’m already seeing an increase in traffic this morning. Do tell!
You’re on Freshly Pressed, the daily WordPress “best of” collection. Just happened to me two days ago. (Mine is the cat photo, titled “On Working.”) 16,000 hits later…
Crazy, but fun.
I just figured that out. 😉 This is my second go-round being on FP– it does make for a whirlwind few days, doesn’t it? Congrats on your FP, I’ve been away for a few days, but will check out your blog!
Same here. And both times, FP seemed to be driven by a photo of my cat. (She’s undeniably cute.) That’s the Interwebs for ya.
Wow, great work! Thanks for sharing. I look forward to catching his show.
Are you in Seattle, Carlie? I hope you can see it! Report back when you do, if you’d like. 😉
Cheers!
Lesley
Darn it, nope I live in Tampa : (. Do you know if the show is posted online anywhere?
You can go to Shaun’s website to see more of his work, Lauren! http://www.shaunkardinal.com
Great art in Tampa, too! 😉
Cheers,
Lesley
Great! Thanks for exposing my culturally-ignorant self to this form of art, I really enjoyed it 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it, Thomas! I truly believe that for everyone, there is a type of art that will “speak” to them. Hope you check back for more, you’ll be an art afficionado ( sp? ) in no time!
Cheers!
Lesley
Such beautiful work…the “movement” in the bridge piece is incredible…love how it draws your eyes in.
🙂
Glad you enjoyed it, Mikalee! Welcome to Artsy Forager!
Amazing work! Loved it 🙂
Can I just shine the spotlight away from the art and onto you for a moment? I am totally digging the groovy colour scheme you have going on!
Haha.. thanks, Valerie! I loved the color scheme when I first started the blog last year, but I’m in the process of coming up with a redesign so that the background is a bit more neutral. 😉 The turquoise will still be incorporated though– my favorite color and you’ll definitely see it pop up in much of the artwork featured.
Cheers!
Lesley
Great find!
Very interesting absolutelyloved the post!
Katie
http://katieraspberry.wordpress.com/
Thanks for visitng, Katie!
This is so creative and wonderful!
Amazing; I’ve never encountered such art. Are there other artists in this genre?
Absolutely! Check out the work of Lucky Jackson ( http://www.lostateminor.com/2012/04/21/365-embroidered-artworks-by-lucky-jackson/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LostAtEMinor+%28Lost+At+E+Minor%29 ) and Jose Romussi ( http://cargocollective.com/joseromussi ) to start. There are others out there!
Nice! 🙂 Thank you.
thanks, jason. there are a lot of cool works being made by a fair few embroidery artists… in fact, Elephant Magazine recently had an article on the recent boom (http://www.frameweb.com/magazines/elephant/elephant-9), noting these artists: Maurizio Anzeri, Lauren DiCioccio, Maria Ikonomopoulou, Inge Jacobsen, Shaun Kardinal, Stacey Page, Ehren Elizabeth Reed, Hinke Schreuders, Berend Strik, Melissa Zexter. i’d also add Gabriel Dawe, Erin Frost, Selflesh, and Jessica Ginsbourg!
cheers!
Nice. I’ll be sure and check that article out. 🙂 Thank you.
thanks, jason. there are a lot of cool works being made by a fair few embroidery artists… in fact, Elephant Magazine recently had an article on the recent boom (http://www.frameweb.com/magazines/elephant/elephant-9), noting these artists: Maurizio Anzeri, Lauren DiCioccio, Maria Ikonomopoulou, Inge Jacobsen, Shaun Kardinal, Stacey Page, Ehren Elizabeth Reed, Hinke Schreuders, Berend Strik, Melissa Zexter. i’d also add Gabriel Dawe, Erin Frost, Selflesh, and Jessica Ginsbourg!
cheers!
Thanks for that list, Shaun! 😉
my pleasure. sorry about the double-post there. 😀
Love suspension bridges in general, so very cool to see one used for art, thanks for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by! I share your affection for bridges. 😉
Cheers,
Lesley
These are great, a really left-field use of vintage photos, embroidery and geometrics – often, as you say, with an almost classical-folk motif thing going on. Fab stuff, thanks for sharing it! And congrats on the FP! Just one thing – any idea what size these pieces are?
Hi kinetikat!
The sizes are listed in inches in the caption under each image. Glad you like Shaun’s work!
Cheers!
Lesley
Woah, those are really cool! Detailed yet simple. 🙂
I really appreciated the way you described the work as “approachable yet thoughtful” because I am completely fascinated with this work. Thank you so much for opening my eyes to something new and beautiful today. Excellent blogging.
Great post. Definitely an interesting read.
We’re giving away free t-shirts. Check it out today at…
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I really found his work fascinating. Thank you for introducing us.
Glad you enjoyed it!
The fact of seeing structures in the landscape or in a nice view you have, is something that hits me walking around. He found a very creative way to show them!
nice……
asheeee.blogspot.com
awesome creativity..like it very much
nice post..good article
Reblogged this on eighteenthousand.
Thanks for reblogging! 🙂
Cheers,
Lesley
As a first time visitor, congrats on a great blog site promoting a great variety of artists and genres. Sean’s work is a particularly interesting use of materials creating visual interest! keep up the blogging!
Thanks so much for the kind words, Dean! Promoting interesting work by talented artists is my passion, I’m thrilled you enjoyed the site & Shaun’s work. Hope to see you again!
Cheers!
Lesley
I like the bridge.
These are interesting… never seen anything like it!
Kudos for FP!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed Shaun’s work!
Cheers!
Lesley
Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed. Thanks for sharing Shaun’s work. Fantastic. My fave is the bridge. The top part makes the symbol for the Akhet, but the hole in the circle is pure genius!
That is a fantastic observation, J! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your favorite and what you see. Hope you enjoy the blog!
Cheers!
Lesley
I am, and I will stop by again.
Lovely post, and congratulations on your freshly pressed!
Thanks so much, Richard! Glad you enjoyed Shaun’s work.
Cheers!
Lesley
Interesting artwork. Unique ideas. Connie
http://7thandvine.wordpress.com/
Cool art! Thanks for sharing 🙂
/Linda
http://www.lindalind.com/blog
Great works! Thanks for sharing.
very creative ..
thanks for sharing .
and i think its a best blog on wordpress.
As a first time visitor, congrats on a great blog site promoting a great variety of artists and genres. Sean’s work is a particularly interesting use of materials creating visual interest! keep up the blogging!
oh this is cool photos 😀
Great find and beautiful pics.
Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!
What nice choide of colors and mixed media! Thanks for sharing!
great and beautifull
Great…
http://www.likeq.me
This is really cool. I love the combination of photography and embroidery.
Glad you enjoyed Shaun’s work! Thanks for visiting, Abby!
Cheers,
Lesley
Cool! This makes me want to visit Seattle even more.
My favorite city! Do visit if you can and make sure you have plenty of time to explore!
Cheers!
Lesley
I plan to! My husband goes there often for work and has only good things to say about it. I would definitely need at least a week to check it out 🙂
Reblogged this on Filosofia, Mente e Fabricio!.
It’s really surprisingly beautiful.
This art is interesting and brings geometical shapes overtly into relationship with the “naturalism” of photographs of architectural structures and reminds us of all sorts of things, hidden and not so hidden.
Reblogged this on Open Kitchen.
Thanks for reblogging! 🙂
Cheers!
Lesley
Ugh! I love his stuff so much it hurts- the use of geometry, found imagery, embroidery- this dude has combined all my favorite visual things. I first heard about him over on jealouscurator.com, but this was a great reminder.
Great site overall, btw, it’s made it into my ‘to visit daily’ bookmark toolbar!
Glad you share my love for Shaun’s work and enjoyed the blog! I first saw his work through another of his fellow artists, though I’m also a fan of The Jealous Curator blog. 😉
Hope to see you around the blog!
Cheers!
Lesley
I had never heard of Shaun Kardinal and thus was unfamiliar with his works prior to coming across your blog. I checked out his website and love the embroidery pics. I remember doing something similar with some kids when I worked as a Nanny but clearly nothing like Shaun’s. I may even try it myself – would be good when I need to block myself out of a photo:)
Haha.. love your idea of using to enhance unflattering photos! Glad you found the blog!
Cheers!
Lesley
What an amazing artist. Sorry you missed the show, but thanks for the spreading the word!
Glad you enjoyed his work, Lauren!
Cheers!
Lesley
Hello! Great article and really awesme blog keep the good work 🙂
I would like to share with you one of my project about the word emotion!
1-Click on this link : http://www.behance.net/gallery/Screw-your-emotion/3767504
2- “appreciate it” by clicking on the blue icon at the bottom of the page!
It’s part of a university project and my grade depends of the clicks and votes!
Please help me! thank you!
Vanessa
Great work again !
totally inspiring!
http://www.geordiesgirl.com
symetrical wonderful
Benoit
Reblogged this on Christopher Duncan and commented:
Interesting stuff here!
That’s very cool work, really enjoyed the post, thanks.