In the world of fine arts, we are seeing a progression towards the use of more unconventional materials to create thought provoking pieces. Where the brush, the pencil, or the chisel was the commanding tool of art in the past, artists are turning towards recyclables, found objects, and technology to convey their concepts in unique ways. Conceptual art is the norm, and it particularly reflects the zeitgeist of society, culture, and the evolution of our environments.
Artist Jim Campbell is creating such intriguing conceptual pieces. His current exhibition, Exploded Views, on view at SFMOMA from November 05, 2011 – October 23, 2012, uses technology and light in a dynamic way. He employs 2880 computer controlled LED lights that are dangled specifically to create a flickering grid of light that is part sculpture, part cinematic screen. From the closest viewing point, one would merely see a three dimensional field of alternating bulbs, but when the viewer achieves a further viewing vantage point, the work reveals itself as a screen with people moving across.
Jim Campbell focuses our attention on the idea that a pixel is the most finite bulding block of any component and that it can have any shape other than square, to which is what we are commonly accustomed. Exploded Views thoughtfully and dynamically allows us to condider the nature of perception through a series of four different films, changing every two months. The first and final film depicts Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet; the second studied a flock of birds; the third considered the unrehearsed movements of San Francisco pedestrians; the intensely choreographed fourth film captured a boxing match up close with a moving camera.
The following video elaborates on the installation with a brief overview by Jim Campbell. More of this magnificent display can be seen at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
