Harwood

Exhibit Archives: January 3 – January 30, 2008

1. Ghosts of the Revolution: New wood and steel sculpture by Wes Pulkka

While preparing for a lecture on David Smith’s “Cubi” series thirty-four years ago sculptor, educator and arts writer Wesley Pulkka noted that Smith’s habit of grinding the entire surface of his stainless steel sculpture made it look transparent. Pulkka realized that Smith was manifesting ghost forms of cubism as well as America’s dying heavy industries.

Ghosts of the Revolution is Pulkka’s commentary on the impending demise of the industrial revolution ala Smith and a celebration of the impending path beyond technology ala Jose Arguelles.  To document Pulkka’s life-long interest in machinery, spiritual archetypes, mythology, carpentry, nature-based magic, poetry, travel, history and the mayhem of America’s self-consumptive greed-based culture Pulkka builds sculptural abstractions of his experiences. Pulkka’s art explores ancient Mimbres pottery imagery, Hindu kundalini-yoga practices, the Kali Yuga (black age of iron), Fairbanks-Morse single cylinder farm, marine and industrial engines and transforms, compresses and incorporates his studies, hobbies and curiosity into tangible objects that commemorate the animism and teleology of living matter.

2. Synchronicities 4:4: Emily M. Sperry

Synchronicities 4:4 is a multi-channel video and audio installation dealing with sensory awareness and hidden layers of perception.  The word “synchronicity” was first used by Carl Jung to describe a series of subjectively meaningful coincidences that affected his life and the lives of others.  Synchronicity is a psychic and spiritual phenomenon and is related to the interconnection among all sentient beings described by Jung’s theories of the Collective Unconscious.  This installation uses repeating sequences of abstracted images and multiple audio soundtracks to create synchronous relationships among its elements.  Audience members should feel as though they have entered a state of deepened awareness when viewing this work, and are encouraged to relax within the space of the piece so that meaningful relationships may arise within their own perceptions.  Further reading on concepts explored in this piece will be presented with this installation.  Sperry has a Master of Fine Arts in Imaging Arts from Rochester Institute of Technology, in Rochester, New York.  For more information, please contact emilymsperry@gmail.com.