“If I would not have the chance to dream or explore other realms, I think I could not exist in this place as an artist or as a man.” – Ondrej Rudavsky.

On December 16th, 2011 GUIDED BY INVOICES will open TRANSFORMATIONS, an exhibition of works by Ondrej Rudavsky.

A filmmaker, painter, jewelry-designer, and sculptor, Ondrej Rudavsky uses several artistic mediums to develop a lexicon that composes a subconscious world. Drawing inspiration from Surrealist filmmakers and painters, Rudavsky’s films transform the human landscape into a metaphysical realm that he often enters, multiplying himself to participate in its rituals and allegories.

Groups of figures- spiraling, balancing, and running through environments of flashing color are projected onto the walls and floor of the gallery in the selection of works on view. In the premiere screening of his short feature, MOON, Rudavsky positions himself in the role of “artist as prophet,” playing on the apocalyptic and transformative themes surrounding the eve of 2012. A back room features an exhibition of etchings, drawings, and paintings, along with a surreal comedy in which the characters from an early “talkie” are thrown into an environment of zero-gravity.

The “Cinemagicians” of early cinema, in their experimentation with a new medium, set out to manipulate the constitution of reality through special effects. Georges Méliès, who began his career as an illusionist, was a pioneer in his displays of what was possible on film, culminating in the first science fiction feature, A TRIP TO THE MOON. Rudavsky spent years perfecting the multi-exposure techniques of Méliès, meticulously layering up to 40 exposures onto a single piece of film. Rudavsky integrates this cinematographic method with new technologies, transferring 16mm film to HD format and collaging hand drawn animations with pixilated images, all which serve to elicit the spectral aura of his compositions.

For the opening, we have invited “neosoprano” Nicole Renaud, known for her synethesiastic compositions, to perform three collaborative pieces within Rudavsky’s world. Additionally, artist William Rahilly will document the evening for further reinterpretation to be later installed into the gallery.

For further information, please contact [email protected] or visit the website www.guidedbyinvoices.us.