We’ve been faithful followers of Christopher Jobson’s blog since its inception. What began as a part-time personal expedition to infuse his daily life with a healthy dose of art and design has become his day job and one of the highest-regarded online aggregators of visual culture. Christopher scours the web and unearths a vast array of interesting, excellent, cutting-edge finds. Colossal is the wildly popular space where he shares his discoveries, and the artists that Christopher features are introduced to an enormous audience. It’s an equal-opportunity exhibition that makes an ever-evolving art world accessible to anyone with an internet connection and an inclination to explore.
Colossal is a place where all kinds of people can connect with and be delighted by art. We think that’s damned exciting and inspiring. Many of the artists Christopher has featured move in some of the swankiest circles, but pedigree has never informed his picks. Instead, he tends to let the art speak for itself, giving it room to roam freely in the eyes of his audience and making it easy to learn more. It’s a breath of fresh air when one is accustomed to consuming a stream of hoity-toity stuff about this or that fancy art fair or posh Biennale. It’s art for everyone, and that’s something we can always get behind. – Team 20x200
5 Perfect Picks
1) Hulk by Amy Stein
This is so terrifyingly preposterous. The juxtaposition of the the hulking top half and the poorly cinched pants, the gritty urban setting, and the uneasy feeling this person might be an adult and not a child. So many questions. Such a great image.
2) BBMet_06.03.2010_S2257 by Mike + Doug Starn
All at once a place you want to immediately explore and can't fathom how it was constructed. The first time I ever encountered the Starn's work I remember feeling completely disoriented. The texture, the depth, the madness of it all.
3) Eroded in the Silence, by Chikara Umihara
Like the photo of the Starn's work, I saw this and immediately wanted to be there. It seems surreal and strangely nostalgic, kind of like the feeling you get when you wake up from a fantastic dream and wish you could go back.
4) prettymaps (chicago), by Aaron Straup Cope
Having lived here for 15 years, I love to see different interpretations of Chicago, be it movies, in art, or through data.
5) Torus Interior AC75-2621 5718, a 20x200 Space Edition
I like this piece for two reasons. First, I love retro depictions of the future. From 2001: A Space Odyssey, the Andromeda Strain, or THX 1138... all fascinating in how they depict different aspects of space and technology in the future. Second, this definitely harkens back to a time when NASA had the ability, will, and resources to dream a bit larger. After putting people on the moon it really seemed like anything was possible.
5 Q's + 5 A's
1) What's your favorite museum?
The City Museum in St. Louis. OK--that's kind of not fair, because it's not really museum in the art gallery sense, but it has museum in the title so I'm going with it. But, being a massive 10-story sculptural jungle-gym of sorts, it still imparts inspiration and creativity to its visitors as any other artistic institution.
2) Most coveted coffee table book?
My favorite photographer, Arno Rafael Minkkinen's book of photos, Body Land. One of the most visually striking and immediately impactful books of photography I've ever encountered, how he merges his body with the environment in a completely uninhibited way. It's just staggeringly beautiful. Even after running Colossal for 5 years, Minkkinen's work remains right at the top for me.
3) If you could be reincarnated as an artist, who would you want to be?
da Vinci. Less because of his artistic abilities, more because I'd love to see the world through his eyes.
4) You've got $5m to spend on one piece of art. What would it be?
I would buy one of Jeff Wall's huge illuminated lightboxes of his Invisible Man photo.
5) You're kind of living the dream—you quit your day job to delve into art all day! How do you keep things fresh now that your dream job is your day job?
It's somewhat cliche and maybe a little embarrassing to say this, but I'm doing something that I love, it's not a job. I love getting into the office every day, love to discover new things, love to learn. But am a bit more strict about the separation between Colossal and home/personal life. No blogging late into the night, only small bits of work on the weekend. Even doing something you love it's important to take a break.
The 411 on Christopher Jobson
Christopher Jobson is founder and editor-in-chief of Colossal, a Webby-nominated blog that explores art and other aspects of visual culture. Launched in 2010, Colossal began as Christopher's personal art and design blog, and now features 15-25 posts per week on photography, design, animation, painting, installation art, architecture, drawing, and street art. Colossal won the Utne Media Award for Arts Coverage in 2013 and is ranked by Technorati as one of the top 50 blogs on the web. Christopher Jobson lives in Chicago with his wife Megan and son Caleb. He has also written about art and design for Wired Magazine and Mental_Floss. You can learn more about him in FastCo and Demo Magazine.
Professional Site: Colossal Personal Site: Christopher Jobson Instagram: @colossal Twitter: @christopherjobs Pinterest: @itscolossal
Read the prior 5+5 with Emily Henderson »
