Curated by Erik Guzman

Shift is a group exhibition featuring large scale kinetic works by Erik Guzman, Federico Muelas and Meridith Pingree. The three interactive installations occupy the entire gallery space.

Shift refers to the mutations, changes and altered states of our world. Ant trails, the route to work everyday, the moon and the corresponding ebb and flow of tides, as well as solar eclipses are all examples of this constantly shifting nexus. Now more then ever, daily life is so frenzied that our innate, hard wired responses to our environment are being desensitized. The three kinetic electromechanical sculptors, by investigating scale, time, light, sound and movement, remind the viewer of the basic connection between the self and the constant natural chaotic shifts taking place around us.

While organic chaos is manifest in each artist’s vision, the means towards the end is individual: with the artist drawing from the sciences, astrology and the stars, or via trial and error investigation. Federico Muelas, in his most recent work Water Traces, by using a complex system of lens, mirrors and electronics, transforms the patterns of ink drops in water to a morse code-like pattern on a sand covered rotating disc. Yellow Stair, by Meridith Pingree, feeds off ambient energy: her hanging transparent plexiglas rectangles ungulate and contract in slow jarring movements by using motion sensors that are constantly surveying human presence in the room. Erik Guzman’s Eclipse harnesses and rotates 5000 watts of light, while a low subsonic hum recreates an Eclipse in the gallery.

From a recent review of Guzman’s solo show at Front Room Gallery: “In traditional terms, “Lost Sense” is a machine, but a machine whose function is to produce a specific aesthetic result. Can a jolt of fear and trembling be valid responses to visual art? Perhaps. Just don’t stand too close.”

Shift/Remix

This show is in conjunction with Shift, and includes installation artists working with similar ideas.

Artist featured: Jose Carlos Casado, Lishen Chang, Alexi Chrisler, Derick Melander, Yuko Oda and Kai Vierstra.