The Supernumerary Rainbow Curated by Adam Erickson

New York Center for Art and Media Studies (NYCAMS) is proud to present The Supernumerary Rainbow, an exhibition of wonder, complexity, and curiosity. This show, bringing together a diverse group of 21 artists and designers from around the country, blurs divisions between the art and lives of its participants. Having just completed a three-month residency in New York City, the group will mount an exhibition that recalls their working environments and the living experiences they shared together.

The supernumerary rainbow is an infrequent phenomenon, which consists of several miniature rainbows on the inner side of a primary rainbow caused by interference between rays of light following slightly different paths with varying lengths within raindrops. For millennia, rainbows have captured the human imagination. Physically unapproachable, ephemeral and mysterious, these optical phenomena have long been sought after and celebrated in almost every religion, past and present. The rainbow reminds us of the sublime force of nature, which can simultaneously attract and repel. In short, the rainbow evokes wonder.

Inspired by 16th and 17th century “cabinets of wonder,” this exhibition will dismiss traditional boundaries between curiosities, objects of beauty, and objects of everyday use. In a world of rapid technological change and social upheaval, this exhibition employs a strategy of surplus to create intrigue and interference. The Supernumerary Rainbow is an exhibition that seeks to generate dialogue between people and objects. It embraces constructive and destructive interference, preferring extravagant ephemera to autonomous artworks. No reading is set in stone; as the meaning of an object is informed and mystified by its surroundings, an element of wonder becomes palpable.

The Supernumerary Rainbow opens Friday, November 30, from 6-8 p.m. at the NYCAMS Gallery located at 44 West 28th Street, 7th Floor. The show is curated by Adam Erickson, and includes work by: Ian Crane, Asia David, Paige Dierker, Caleb Genheimer, Mary Gruben, Amanda Iglesias, Kaylin Johnson, Kayce Price, Kathryn Pritchard, Christian Reed, Katie Riesenweber, Mackenzie Rouse, Kalie Stier, Jenny Swim, Greta Tumbelston, Sara Villarreal, Taylor Viramontes, Lissy Vranjes, Sydney Walters, Julia Windom, and Amanda Yamashita.

From 4-5 p.m. on Friday, November 30, in the gallery space there will be select readings by the NYCAMS resident writers: Alexis Beasley, Lyndsay Field, Jillian Schmid, and Sofia Tongson.

Location: NYCAMS, 44 West 28th Street, 7th Floor Directions: N/R to 28th Street Contact: Adam Erickson, 212-213-8052