“Unbelievable” Sculptures Coming to Polk Museum of Art

In a few weeks,  Polk Museum of Art will  be bringing back one of the most talked about artists it has ever exhibited. To get an idea of why, check out these links to see examples of the work:

http://gregorybarsamian.com/video/Lather/

http://gregorybarsamian.com/video/Copropha/

What you’re seeing in that footage is not a film — it’s a sculpture. Well, three different sculptures, to be precise. And that’s what you’ll see in person if you visit the Museum between March 14 and June 7.

Unbelievable Transformations: Moving Sculptures by Gregory Barsamian will feature 5 pieces by the New Jersey artist. The Museum exhibited Barsamian’s work about 10 years ago, and people have been asking when it would be coming back since then.

Barsamian’s unique works combine a series of sculpted images on a rotating framework with a synchronized strobe light. The result is the illusion that the sculpture is transforming in front of the viewer’s eyes. In some works, sculptures appear to be stationary yet morph seamlessly from one object into another. In other works, the sculptures appear to move and transform at the same time. The impact is magical.

Barsamian’s work is often based on dream imagery and philosophy. Immediately upon waking, he records his dreams and uses them as a starting point for new sculptures. He is also interested in the concept of time, and feels that sculpture, more than two dimensional art, relies upon time — in the act of viewing — to be understood fully. He has taken this idea further by creating artwork that appears to change with time.

Admission to this exhibition is $10 Adults, $8 Seniors, $5 Member Adults, $4 Member Seniors, $2 Students (K – College). Children under age 5 will be admitted free. The Museum will also be open until 8:00pm on Thursday evenings for the duration of the exhibition, and Museum members will be admitted for free during that time.