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John Kalymnios at Caren Golden - New York - Brief Article
Art in America, March, 2002 by Lisa Panzera
Optical illusion intersects with art history and popular culture in this intelligent body of work made in 2001 by John Kalymnios. The artist employs basic technology to explore visual experience. However, his lenses, mirrors and motors often become a means to distort rather than clarify. Kalymnios likes to upset the viewer's objective gaze, challenging it with the very format he uses to organize it--the framed view.
One of the largest constructions in the show, Untitled (Fresnel), is its own hall of mirrors created by two curved walls of Fresnel lenses that face each other like parentheses. Rather than admiring their reflections, viewers walk within the corridor peering through the stacked, square lenses at the surrounding environment, which becomes magnified and distorted. Whether through shifted perception or actual physical engagement, viewer participation is central to Kalymnios's work.
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In a similar funhouse spirit, Untitled (Mirror) is an Op art-inspired piece that promises to leave those prone to motion sickness feeling rather woozy. It consists of a single rectangular mirror upon which a grid of small circular mirrors is superimposed. A simple motor, gear and chain system (visible from the side for those curious) rotates the mirrors, creating a series of fragmented reflections. An optical illusion is also at work in Untitled (Spiral), in which twisted acrylic rods mounted in an aluminum frame rotate slowly. The rods appear to move up and down, and the effect is mesmerizing.
The artist also finds a place for nature. In Untitled (Butterflies), four butterflies appear to flutter inside a Plexiglas box mounted in the corner of the gallery. Set against a blue background, the butterflies are connected to rods and wires that move their wings and simulate flight. From either side, the viewer looks through Fresnel lenses that magnify the insects. The piece is allusive on many levels, recalling the formaldehyde-filled containers of Damien Hirst, the boxes of Joseph Cornell, natural-history museum dioramas and childhood memories of catching bugs in jars. In his engaging and resonant constructions, Kalymnios combines sophisticated visual puns and references to familiar objects, providing the viewer accessible means to experience his work.
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COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group
