Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube791kG.rev, the Japanese developer behind various shoot 'em ups like Kokuga and Border Down, has announced that it is bringing yet another rare arcade shooter to the Switch as Strania -The Stella Machina- EX lands digitally on the Nintendo hybrid on 23rd January.Originally released on Xbox 360 and in arcades by exA-Arcadia (on its ROM cart-based system, which allows owners to put up to four games on a single cabinet) Strania -The Stella Machina- is your standard shoot 'em up affair, where you'll take to a giant mech to fight in an intergalactic war. The catch is that you get to choose which side you fight on, so you can take up arms for the goodies or the baddies.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube791kWatch on YouTube The EX version arriving on Switch packs in some bonus features like additional difficulty modes (a rebalanced 'Normal' for those new to the game through to a mode simply called 'Hell' which we think is pretty self-explanatory), refreshed visuals and a choice between an original and rearranged soundtrack.Revealing the news on Twitter, Strania producer and G.rev president Hiroyuki Maruyama stated that the team "chose to focus exclusively on the Nintendo Switch to ensure the best possible experience for players", promising that the game will provide "an unforgettable adventure". You can find Maruyama's full statement below:It seems that this one will be digital-only for the time being, so keep an eye on the eShop later this month for a chance to check it out. Shoot em up, all of emWill you be picking this one up in a couple of weeks? Let us know in the comments.[source x.com]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:02 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Highlights Multiple Switch Games Launching In 2025It's going to be an action-packed year126 Games You Should Pick Up In The Nintendo Switch eShop Holiday Sale (Europe)Every game we scored 9/10 or higher35 Upcoming Nintendo Switch Games To Look Forward To In 2025The best new Nintendo Switch games coming soon161 Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's 'Hits For The Holidays' eShop Sale (North America)Reminder: It wraps up on SundayHamster Releases Its First Arcade Archives Switch Game Of 2025, Teases A Year Full Of "Surprises""We will be taking on many new challenges"

Hiya, folks, welcome to TechCrunchs regular AI newsletter. If you want this in your inbox every Wednesday, sign uphere.The AI news cycle didnt slow down much this holiday season. Between OpenAIs 12 days of shipmas and DeepSeeks major model release on Christmas Day, blink and youd miss some new development.And its not slowing down now. On Sunday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a post on his personal blog that he thinks OpenAI knows how to build artificial general intelligence (AGI) and is beginning to turn its aim to superintelligence.AGI is a nebulous term, but OpenAI has its own definition: highly autonomous systems that outperform humans at most economically valuable work.As for superintelligence, which Altman understands to be a step beyond AGI, he said in the blog post that it could massively accelerate innovation well beyond what humans are capable of achieving on their own.[OpenAI continues] to believe that iteratively putting great tools in the hands of people leads to great, broadly-distributed outcomes, Altman wrote. Altman like OpenAI rival Anthropics CEO, Dario Amodei is of the optimistic belief that AGI and superintelligence will lead to wealth and prosperity for all. But assuming AGI and superintelligence are even feasible without new technical breakthroughs, how can we be sure theyll benefit everyone?A recent concerning data point is a study flagged by Wharton professor Ethan Mollick on X early this month. Researchers from the National University of Singapore, University of Rochester, and Tsinghua University investigated the impact of OpenAIs AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT, on freelancers across different labor markets.The study identified an economic AI inflection point for different job types. Before the inflection point, AI boosted freelancer earnings. For example, web developers saw a ~65% increase. But after the inflection point, AI began replacing freelancers. Translators saw an approximate 30% drop.The study suggests that once AI starts replacing a job, it doesnt reverse course. And that should concern all of us if more capable AI is indeed on the horizon.Altman wrote in his post that hes pretty confident that everyone will see the importance of maximizing broad benefit and empowerment in the age of AGI and superintelligence. But what if hes wrong? What if AGI and superintelligence arrive, and only corporations have something to show for it? The result wont be a better world, but more of the same inequality. And if thats AIs legacy, itll be a deeply depressing one.NewsImage Credits:Moor Studio / Getty ImagesSilicon Valley stifles doom: Technologists have been ringing alarm bells for years about the potential for AI to cause catastrophic damage. But in 2024, those warning calls were drowned out. OpenAI losing money: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that the company is currently losing money on its $200-per-monthChatGPT Proplan because people are using it more than the company expected. Record generative AI funding: Investments in generative AI, which encompasses a range of AI-powered apps, tools, and services to generate text, images, videos, speech, music, and more, reached new heights last year.Microsoft ups data center spending: Microsoft has earmarked $80 billion in fiscal 2025 to build data centers designed to handle AI workloads.Grok 3 MIA: xAIs next-gen AI model, Grok 3, didnt arrive on time, adding to a trend of flagship models that missed their promised launch windows. Research paper of the weekAI might make a lot of mistakes. But it can also supercharge experts in their work.At least, thats the finding of a team of researchers hailing from the University of Chicago and MIT. In a new study, they suggest that investors who use OpenAIs GPT-4o to summarize earnings calls realize higher returns than those who dont.The researchers recruited investors and had GPT-4o give them AI summaries aligned with their investing expertise. Sophisticated investors got more technical AI-generated notes, while novices got simpler ones. The more experienced investors saw a 9.6% improvement in their one-year returns after using GPT-4o, while the less experienced investors saw a 1.7% boost. Thats not too shabby for AI-human collaboration, Id say.Model of the weekMETAGENE-1s performance on various benchmarks.Image Credits:Prime IntellectPrime Intellect, a startup buildinginfrastructure for decentralized AI system training, has released an AI model that it claims can help detect pathogens.The model, called METAGENE-1, was trained on a dataset of over 1.5 trillion DNA and RNA base pairs sequenced from human wastewater samples. Created in partnership with the University of Southern California and SecureBios Nucleic Acid Observatory, METAGENE-1 can be used for various metagenomic applications, Prime Intellect said, like studying organisms.METAGENE-1 achieves state-of-the-art performance across various genomic benchmarks and new evaluations focused on human-pathogen detection, Prime Intellect wrote in a series of posts on X. After pretraining, this model is designed to aid in tasks in the areas of biosurveillance, pandemic monitoring, and pathogen detection.Grab bagIn response to legal action from major music publishers, Anthropic has agreed to maintain guardrails preventing its AI-powered chatbot, Claude, from sharing copyrighted song lyrics.Labels, including Universal Music Group, Concord Music Group, and ABKCO, sued Anthropic in 2023, accusing the startup of copyright infringement for training its AI systems on lyrics from at least 500 songs. The suit hasnt been resolved, but for the time being, Anthropic has agreed to stop Claude from providing lyrics to songs owned by the publishers and creating new song lyrics based on the copyrighted material.We continue to look forward to showing that, consistent with existing copyright law, using potentially copyrighted material in the training of generative AI models is a quintessential fair use, Anthropic said in a statement.

Triller, a would-be competitor to TikTok, is hoping to capitalize on the potential for a TikTok ban in the U.S. by pitching to creators to move their content from the popular short-form video app to its own. The company has now launched a website, SaveMyTikToks.com, which promises to back up all your TikTok videos by uploading them to Triller.The site is powered by the customer engagement platform Amplify.ai, which Trillers parent company, TrillerNet, acquired in 2021. The deal was originally focused on helping Triller creators track and monetize their content, while also helping brands and advertisers match creator content to consumers. Now, users can agree to Trillers terms and then click a Connect TikTok Account button to provide Triller (via Amplify.ai) with access to their videos, profile information, and more.After doing so, the site will ask users for their email address to alert them when their posts have been downloaded and saved. Users then have to set up a Triller account and await instructions on how to later upload their saved content. The process takes a bit more effort than the click of a button that Triller promises on the new website. The January 19 deadline for a TikTok ban is nearing, after being signed into law by President Biden in April 2024. The move then saw strong bipartisan support in the House and Senate over concerns about TikToks Chinese roots; its parent company is Beijing-based ByteDance. Lawmakers believed this presented a national security threat to U.S. citizens.However, the ban now seems less likely, given that incoming president Trump recently asked the Supreme Court to put it on pause as it would interfere with the presidents ability to manage the U.S.s foreign policy. (Trumps court filing also noted he had 14.7 million followers on TikTok, which led him to reconsider the apps importance as a unique medium for freedom of expression, including core political speech, it said.)Still, creators on TikTok have been regularly expressing concerns over how the ban will affect their ability to reach fans and, ultimately, their ability to generate revenue through creator rewards, ad revenue sharing, and brand partnerships.Currently, over 543,000 videos are tagged with the hashtag tiktokban, for example, and tiktokbanned adds over 103,000 more. (Many more videos exist, too, but use less specific tags like social media or just tiktok.) Creators have largely been advising their followers to find them on other, more established apps like Instagram or YouTube not Triller nor Lemon8, another ByteDance-owned app introduced in previous years as something of a backup plan in case of a TikTok ban.Whether Trillers pitch to creators will work, of course, remains to be seen. Many creators want to move their audiences to other platforms where theyre already active and have a following, rather than adopt a new app entirely.Triller, which IPOd in October 2024 after three failed attempts, has seen its stock decline in the weeks and months since, and is currently trading at $2.50. Its also embroiled in another lawsuit this one over failure to repay a $35.5 million promissory note. (The company settled a sizable $28 million lawsuit with Timbaland and Swizz Beatz in 2022).The company also hired an ex-TikTok exec, Sean Kim, as its CEO in December 2024 to focus on an overhaul of the app. Kim had previously served as TikToks head of product from 2019 to 2022, working on things like its For You feed, creator monetization, the developer platform, third-party integrations, and more.TikTok did not respond to a request for comment ahead of publication.

The post-pandemic years havent been especially kind to connected fitness. As bigger names like Peloton and Mirror have struggled, however, plenty of smaller firms like Tonal are still going strong. At CES 2025 on Wednesday, the Bay Area firm announced the arrival of its new strength training system, fittingly named Tonal 2.At its core, the system is the same as its predecessor, which was introduced way back in 2015: Its a wall-mounted exercise couch with built-in weight bars.There are a few aesthetic changes, including a sleeker black and chrome design, coupled with a more durable frame.The built-in camera has been upgraded, and the cables are 75% stronger, per Tonals figures.Image Credits:TonalThe system now supports up to 250 pounds of resistance, adjusting the weight accordingly based on things like workout types. If, for example, it senses fatigue in the user, it will drop the weight down and increase it when building strength. The onboard motors have also been improved to provide smoother workouts.The upgraded camera, meanwhile, analyze[s] your movement pattern and provide[s] real-time coaching cues like a personal trainerso you can train safely, improve form, and achieve better results. All of that is coupled with new HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts.Overall, not a tremendous change after nine years, and likely not worth the upgrade for most unless, of course, your original machine has given up the ghost. Still, its nice to see a connected fitness company still going strong post-pandemic slowdown.The system is available now for $4,000.

Maxon, the software solution for 2D/3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, and other areas of visual content creation, has acquired Laubwerk, the Berlin-based CG software company that offers procedural 3D plant models. Hundreds of detailed 3D greenery and botanical assets, materials, and tools will join the Maxon creative workflow.With the Laubwerk team joining Maxon, they bring synergies that will result in even greater innovation in our products and enhanced creative possibilities for artists, said David McGavran, CEO of Maxon. Laubwerks vast library of plants and trees, some of which we already added to Maxon One as part of our long-standing partnership, is widely used by artists working in architectural visualization and visual effects. Their solutions and extensive experience will be instrumental in supporting our efforts to accelerate artists workflows by delivering ready-to-use, parametric assets to help kickstart their projects.The acquisition of Laubwerk is a natural and exciting extension of our long-standing partnership, said Philip Losch, Chief Technology and Product Officer at Maxon. Their expertise in high-quality 3D plant modeling complements our own technologies perfectly. Together, we can enhance the creative capabilities and workflows of our users around the world.The move is part of Maxon's ongoing Capsules project, which seeks to provide artists with essential assets to jumpstart creativity. Maxon One subscribers will already have access to a selection of Laubwerk's Redshift-ready trees and plants directly within the Cinema 4D Asset Browser.Laubwerk's mission has always been to create the most authentic, versatile, easy to use digital plant models, grounded in the expertise of experienced landscape architects and botanical experts, said Philip Paar, CEO and Founder of Laubwerk. Our previous collaboration with Maxon has been incredibly rewarding and our relationship has always been characterized by a shared passion for innovation and a commitment to enhancing the creative process for digital artists. Joining forces with Maxon allows us to leverage their extensive resources and reach, enabling us to elevate our offerings and continue pushing the envelope in 3D plant modeling and visualization. We look forward to the incredible new possibilities this union will bring to the industry.Following the integration with Laubwerk, a broader range of assets will become available to subscribers in the future. Further developments for existing Laubwerk customers will also be announced at a later date.Source: Maxon Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologistL'Wrenbrings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.

The upcoming season of the hit series, based on Naughty Dogs PlayStation video game franchise, will debut this April on HBO, also streaming on Max.

InterviewsVenom The Last Dance: David Lee VFX Supervisor DNEGBy Vincent Frei - 08/01/2025 With nearly two decades of experience in visual effects, David Lee has contributed his expertise to shows including Man of Steel, Avengers: Infinity War, Tenet, and Meg 2: The Trench.What was your feeling to be back in the Venom universe?Venom is a great character, and it was a lot of fun diving back into this world for The Last Dance.How was the collaboration with Director Kelly Marcel and with VFX Supervisors John Moffatt and Aharon Bourland?It was my first time working with John, and it was such a pleasure to work with him over the duration of the show. He is very much dedicated to making sure everything is of the highest quality, and working together to achieve this. Ive worked with Aharon a number of times before, and have always thoroughly enjoyed our collaborations. Kelly was also great to work with and, having been involved in the previous two films, she had an intimate relationship with these characters which was wonderful to be a part of.How did you organize the work with your VFX Producer?I worked closely with DNEG Producer, Fatemeh Khoshkhou, to divide the show into two units in London and Mumbai. We tried to keep similar sequences together so that the two teams could maintain a creative consistency and keep as many workflow efficiencies as possible.What are the sequences made by DNEG?We were responsible for the majority of the first two acts of the movie, following Eddie and Venom as they make their way to Las Vegas, plus where we see Wraith within the helicopter in the last act.Over the course of the three Venom films, how has the visual depiction of Venom evolved? What were the biggest technical or creative challenges in this progression?Venom is a fairly defined character in a creative sense within the context of these films, so we didnt need to make any large-scale changes for The Last Dance. Our model and texture work was able to be ported over in a fairly straightforward manner, however our pipeline had continued to develop over this time, so we did need to rework elements of the asset to accommodate this.We did end up making certain adjustments to try and reduce some of the challenges we had experienced in the previous films, however. For example, we made a variant for when Venom was required to be smaller in frame, allowing for more break up in the spec to avoid broad reflections becoming too overwhelming and affecting the scale.Venoms movements and interactions with his environment feel more refined and natural in this film. What advancements in technology or techniques made this possible?In comparison to the first film we predominantly used motion capture for Venoms performance in The Last Dance, whereas the first film was predominantly traditional key frame animation. Its less that new technologies made this more achievable, and more that Venoms performance in this film spoke more to mocap than a number of the sequences in the first. For example, the dancing scene in Vegas had a very naturalistic feel to it which lent itself well to motion capture.The new symbiotes introduced in this chapter bring fresh dynamics to the story. How did the design and animation of these characters differ from Venom and Carnage?Speaking for the Green Symbiote, which was the new symbiote developed by DNEG, the initial concept was to give it a distinctly different look compared to what we have seen previously with the symbiotes. Something quite striking via a translucent type appearance, which also allowed us to see aspects of the internal structure via a vascular system of sorts. We took this idea and, to avoid it looking too much like a glass statuette, we added more complexity with a rougher exterior surface. We dialled in iridescence onto the torso, which produced a lovely cyan-ish shimmer as it catches the light from external sources, as well as a subtle, almost frosted quality to the exterior. Kelly also wanted to have a different style of movement with this symbiote. The addition of a tail that split into multiple lengths allowed us to lean into a more smooth, hypnotic type of motion. Similar to a snakes movements, its calm and slow, and belies the power he could unleash if he so wanted.The Xenophage is an incredibly menacing creature. Can you walk us through the process of designing and bringing this terrifying entity to life on screen?We started development of the Xenophage early in the post-production process, knowing this would be a major new character within the Venom universe. Having been provided with an initial concept, we then took this as the base and iterated on top of it. Drawing inspiration from a variety of animals, ranging from praying mantises and crocodiles to snakes and porcupines, this evolved into something which could then be passed to our build department to mock up 3D sculpts within Zbrush. This then went through a quick rigging process so that the animation team, led by Animation Director Chris Lentz, could start motion studies within an internal mocked up sequence. Given the unusual physiology we were developing conceptually for the Xenophage, this allowed us to ensure the character would be able to keep a sense of grounded movement that felt organic and realistic. We settled on a variety of insectoid type movements to give us a staccato motion, with limbs and head movements that were almost mechanical as evident in some larger beetles and spiders. As the animation team worked through their motion tests, we fed this back into adjustments to the model itself to ensure everything worked correctly, before updating to a fully functioning rig for the final asset.What role did motion capture play in creating the nuanced performances of Venom and the new symbiotes? Did the actors influence the final design of the characters?We utilised motion capture extensively within this film, particularly for the human-esque characters Venom and the Green Symbiote, separately from the performance on the day. This allowed us to get much more natural performances faster than traditional keyframe animation. For the Green Symbiote, Stephen Graham provided a good sense of movement and pacing that definitely influenced how we approached the performance of the character. Later, when we were on the mocap stage in post, this was an invaluable reference for how Kelly and Stephen had interpreted the character and we did our utmost to keep the feel and pacing of his performance on the day.Were there any unexpected technical or creative challenges encountered during the production?There wasnt anything particularly new that was required for this project on a technical level that we hadnt already established from the first two films, so it came down to taking everything we had learnt from these prior shows, and trying to improve upon it. Standing on the shoulders of the previous films development allowed us more time to finesse looks and performance, rather than having to create the majority of the set-ups from scratch. We did, ultimately, have to recreate a certain amount of each asset due to our pipeline updating substantially between the films, but we knew where we were going which can sometimes be half the battle.Looking back on the project, what aspects of the visual effects are you most proud of?The Venom Horse transformation was really enjoyable to be involved with, and it was a lot of fun getting this to work, as was this entire sequence. It was technically quite challenging and the team really rose to the challenge. Plus its always really nice when the audience responds well to the work, as Venom has a very active fanbase who can be very vocal about what they see.How long have you worked on this show?I came onto the show a couple of months before we began shooting in May 2023 and finished in October this year, so about a year and a half.Whats the VFX shots count?DNEG worked on around 500 shots.What is your next project?Something will be happening in the New Year but, for now, Im just enjoying a slower pace and enjoying life.A big thanks for your time.WANT TO KNOW MORE?DNEG: Dedicated page about Venom: The Last Dance on DNEG website.John Moffatt and Aharon Bourland: Heres my interview of Production VFX Supervisors John Moffatt and Aharon Bourland. Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025

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Industrial manufacturing firm Siemens has launched its new Siemens for Startups program at the Las Vegas CES 2025 technology trade show.This new initiative supports early-stage engineering and manufacturing startups by offering venture-related services while lowering the cost of Siemens software and hardware. According to the Munich-based tech conglomerate, this offering will help young companies streamline collaboration, make new partnerships, accelerate innovations, and scale faster.The new program features three core pillars: Connect, Collaborate, and Empower. These will provide key services ranging from onboarding to the Xcelerator marketplace, venture clienting support, and key software tools. Siemens has partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to provide access to the Siemens Xcelerator ecosystem, helping foster startup growth and innovation.During CES 2025, running until January 10, Siemens is also highlighting several technology startups that are using its expertise and technology to enhance operations. This includes 3D printed furniture company Haddy, which employs additive manufacturing and robotics to produce low-cost, sustainable products on a commercial scale. The Siemens Xcelerator is supporting Haddys efforts to build a global network of micro-factories featuring CEAD Flexbot 3D printers and recycling units to reduce waste and shorten supply chains.Other startups collaborating with the Roland Busch-led company include space infrastructure developer Arkisys, manufacturing workflow software specialist Dirac, AI-powered factory management developer EthonAI, work safety firm Tended, and Instrumental, which offers a solution to detect failures in electronics manufacturing.Startups are essential to making our customers more competitive, sustainable and Resilient, commented Peter Koerte, Siemens CTO, Chief Strategy Officer, and Member of the Managing Board. By collaborating with startups, Siemens helps bring breakthrough ideas to industries faster, empowering customers to address global challenges more effectively with cutting-edge technologies, tools and solutions, he added.Siemens Xcelerator software is available through the Siemens for Startups program. Image via Siemens.Siemens for Startups unveiled at CES 2025The first pillar of the Siemens for Startups program, Connect, helps onboard partner companies to the Siemens Xcelerator marketplace. This online platform serves as a centralized hub where users can locate, purchase, and connect digital services, software, and solutions from Simens and its partners. Connect provides access to this global go-to-market channel, as well as the broader Siemens Xcelerator ecosystem.Through the Collaborate pillar, the tech giant will partner with participating startups as an early customer and co-developer. By collaborating through a venture clienting approach, Siemens will leverage its products and expertise to solve business problems without directly investing in or acquiring the startups. The company claims this relationship is symbiotic, providing Siemens access to valuable cutting-edge capabilities and services while delivering startups the revenue needed for growth.Through its final pillar, Empower, Siemens program will offer young companies access to essential software tools from Siemens Xcelerator. This support is available to startups regardless of whether they focus on product development or software development.The firm also announced that it will build on its existing partnership with AWS by linking the Simens for Startups program with AWSs Startup program. It is hoped that this combination will accelerate innovation, streamline development processes, and facilitate faster company scaling. Siemens added that the move underscores both companies commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and driving digital transformation in the industrial sector.Integrating the design, simulation, and manufacturing software solutions from the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio into AWSs cloud infrastructure and startup program will reportedly provide access to the tools startups need to seize market opportunities. Qualifying startups requiring technical and go-to-market support will also receive AWS credits, business development resources, and AWS Activate program access.Collaborating with Siemens allows us to extend the capabilities of our AWS Startup program to a new generation of innovators in the engineering and manufacturing Space, commented Jon Jones, Vice President and Global Head of Startups at AWS. By providing startups with advanced software, generative AI and cloud services, AWS and Siemens are enabling them to bring their ideas to life more quickly and boost entire industries with cutting-edge solutions.Featured image shows a graphic of a client using Siemens Xcelerator software to optimize their 3D manufacturing process. Image via Siemens. 3D printing startups target growthSiemens for Startups taps into ever-present demand within the additive manufacturing market, which continues to see the introduction of new companies looking to commercialize technology and scale operations.Earlier this month, Greg Mark and David Benhaim, the founders of industrial 3D printer manufacturer Markforged, launched their new company, Backflip, after raising $30 million in funding. The startup offers an AI 3D model generator that can convert simple text and image prompts into 3D printable parts. Its novel neural representation reportedly accelerates the design process, enabling 60x more efficient training, 10x faster inference, and a spatial resolution that is 100x greater than existing methods.Financial backing for Backflip has come from venture capital firms NEA and Andreessen Horowitz, as well as Microsoft CTO and LinkedIn Co-founder Kevin Scott, Android Founder Rich Miner, and Essential AI CEO Ashish Vaswani.Metal 3D printing startup Fluent Metal launched from stealth last year after raising $5.5 million in venture capital funding. The company was founded to develop and commercialize its drop-on-demand additive manufacturing technology. This production-scale wire-based, liquid metal printing (LMP) process reportedly produces zero material waste, making it cheaper and more sustainable than existing powder-based approaches.Who won the 2024 3D Printing Industry Awards?All the news from Formnext 2024.Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to keep up with the latest 3D printing news.You can also follow us on X, like our Facebook page, and subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry Youtube channel to access more exclusive content.Featured image shows Siemens software available through the Siemens for Startups program. Image via Siemens.

Fuentes de Vida; Gemela (2023)Nicole McLaughlins Mixed-Media Sculptures Celebrate Craft, Heritage, and New LifeJanuary 8, 2025ArtCraftKate MothesFrom ceramics and wool fiber, Nicole McLaughlin (previously) summons striking connections between materials, heritage, and personal experiences. She draws upon the rich traditions of historically domestic crafts to reconsider their roles today, merging ceramics and textiles into elegant, cascading wall sculptures.Drawing on artisanal trades like pottery and weaving, McLaughlin deconstructs preconceptions about form and function, emphasizing mediums, techniques, and themes through the unexpected pairing of stoneware and fiber. Her works encourage us to think critically about relationships between tenderness and strength or past and present.Cordn de Vida (2024), ceramic, tencel, indigo, wool, and cochineal, 27 x 60 x 4 inches. Courtesy of Anderson Yezerski GalleryMany of the pieces shown here are from McLaughlins ongoing Indigo Series, which explores the history of the Mayan pigment and its taps into the continuity of life cycles, history, and culture. Streams of wool fiber flow from central openings in glazed ceramic spheres, referencing the life-giving flow of water as a parallel to fertility and maternal care.McLaughlin gave birth to a daughter in early 2024, which dramatically shifted how she viewed her studio practice. The work in her most recent exhibition, String of Life at Anderson Yezerski Gallery, merges personal experiences and her Mexican cultural heritage, delving into themes of life and the transformative journey of motherhood.The transformation of organic material echoes the transformative nature of motherhood, McLaughlin said in a statement for the show. The range of colors captures an intense emotional spectrumfrom the vitality of birth to the softer, more intimate moments.For McLaughlin, cochineal carries an equivalent significance. The brilliant magenta hue emerges from carmine dye, also known as cochineal, which comes from crushing an insect of the same name. The color plays a vital role in Indigenous material culture and heritage of the Americas. Detail of Cordn de VidaFor the Aztecs and Mayans, red was symbolic of the gods, the sun, and blood, and the dye was traded throughout Central and South America for use in rituals, producing pigments for manuscripts and murals, and for dyeing cloth and feathers.During the Mayan empire, indigo was combined with clay and incense to create a pigment known as Maya blue, she says. The pigment was said to hold the healing power of water in the agricultural community.McLaughlins work is in the group exhibition OBJECTS: USA 2024 at R & Company in New York, which continues through tomorrow. The artist is currently taking a short break from the studio in anticipation of working toward a solo exhibition at Adamah Ceramics in Columbus, Ohio, which will open this fall. See more on her website, and follow updates on Instagram.Agua; Sangre de Vida. Photo by Logan Jackson, courtesy of R & CompanyLa Pequea (2024), ceramic, wool, and cochineal, 10.5 x 21 x 1.5 inches. Courtesy of Anderson Yezerski GalleryLa Marea que me Envuelve II (2023). All images courtesy of Nicole McLaughlin, shared with permissionDetail of Fuentes de Vida; GemelaDetail of De Mi Vientre (2024), ceramic, tencel, wool, and cochineal, 17.5 x 73 x 5.5 inches. Courtesy of Anderson Yezerski GalleryUntitled (2024), 10 x 10 feetDetail of La PequeaNext article