Colossal introduces us to Vincent Bal, a Belgian artist and filmmaker. His origin story places traces his genealogy to comic books and youth theater, which explains both of his major crafts as an adult. It is his work with shadows that is of interest now.
Bal has published Shadowology, a book of illustrations from this ongoing series. He takes everyday objects and draws images around their shadows. The selected objects are very appropriate, such as peanuts giving rise to Charlie Brown from the comic strip Peanuts.
This choice adds not only shadow, but color, too, in this scene reminiscent of the architecture and design of the middle of the Twentieth Century.
Bal is gifted at finding real forms within these shadows. He sees what we do not--at least not right away.
A few of his works are in motion, such as this hula girl toy, whose shaking hips create another familiar motion.