Inside the Cosmic Motion Picture Projector refers to the human mind in relation to what we perceive as reality. In other words, the observer is the creator. Inspired by quantum theory and the recent global interest in the Large Hadron Collider built by CERN on the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva, Switzerland, Samson has created a body of work, consisting of paintings and sculptures, exploring the concepts of quantum mechanics.

Creating an illustration as an installation. The sculptures in this exhibition are fictional components of the aforementioned particle accelerator, and are created from found objects, arranged and manipulated through the use of copper paint and assemblage. Through their form and nature these sculptures are akin to props from any number of Sci-Fi films. The paintings are suggestive of a higher dimension outside of the realm of the everyday. Created using spray paint, acrylic, on canvas, chipboard, often embellished by light fixtures, the paintings draw from notions and representations of the afterlife, subatomic particles and Dark Matter. These works are evocative and influenced by Frankenthaler, Rothko, Bart van der Leck and Ad Reinhardt. Evidence of Samson’s wish is to return a stylistic minimalism to its mystical roots.

Samson underlines that all matter in the universe is connected because all matter is truly waves of energy. What we perceive as reality is in fact our brain’s interpretation of the interference patterns of the waves. We objectify these patterns as reality. To apply quantum theory, the physical world must be divided into two parts. These parts are the observed system and the observing system. On a subatomic level, physicists create particles just by observing them. On the macrocosmic level the human mind creates the universe. Reality is projected by thought. The mind is a wave. It is connected to everything in the universe. This is Justin Samson’s second solo show at John Connelly Presents.