From every angle, this Kingston exhibit intrigues with its complexity
Do you remember your first interaction with holograms?
Mine was at an elementary school book fair. Although I was there to purchase a book, what is a book without an incredibly eye-catching new bookmark?
I was drawn to the light and colors that changed as I looked at the image from every different angle. As an adult, I am still drawn to this type of visual art, and lucky for me (and you), the HoloCenter has relocated to Kingston.
“Iridescence” is on display until the end of March, showcasing pieces from 11 artists from around the world.
Founded in 1998 by Ana Maria Nicolson and Dan Schweitzer in Queens, New York, The Center for Holographic Arts (The HoloCenter) began as an artist-in-residence program that evolved into an exhibition and educational program space. Under the direction of executive director Linda Law, the HoloCenter is eagerly growing and adding to the robust arts scene in Kingston.
“Iridescence” is the first exhibition in the new space. It is sponsored by the Enowe Foundation in Paris and Phases Institute in California and consists of holograms made by contemporary holographic artists.
Entering the gallery, visitors are met with the work of August Muth (USA). Although his holograms depict what could be considered simple geometric shapes, the work is anything but simple.
They have a 180-degree field of view and can change within that range. The colors and shapes interact with the viewer differently depending upon your angle to the work. Looking straight on, each piece is made up of five different holograms that are laminated together. The glass looks like the work has a black frame but in reality, it is where Muth scraped off the emulsion, creating the absence of light.
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Philippe Boissonnet’s (Canada) piece "Artist Holo Memories, 2018," was created within the steel outline of a briefcase with a holographic image of a digital neuronal structure overlaid on a painter’s palette. The work suggests the relationship between creation and perception.
The painter’s palette is recurring in Biossonnet’s work, which he uses to suggest the artistic practice of image creation. Adding the image of the brain, Boissonnet relates to the idea that the brain of the viewer at the end establishes the meaning and the work as “art.”
Setsuko Ishii (Japan) is a prolific holographic artist whose work can also be seen in this exhibit. "Fragment of Nature - Landscape, 2016," creates a collaboration of light, nature, and perception. Layers of color and space inspired by water and grasses create a dynamic yet calming holographic image. As the viewer moves around, the colors shift and layers are revealed unifying a sense of being with the holographic scene.
Other participating artists include Michael Bleyenberg (Germany), Lana Blum (USA), Patrick Boyd (UK), Betsy Connors (USA), Pascal Gauchet (France), Sam Moree (USA), Ray Park (South Korea), and Fred Untersheher (USA).
In conjunction with the current exhibit, the HoloCenter is offering a unique, hands-on workshop to make your own hologram at 10 a.m. Sunday, March 10. In this workshop participants will have the opportunity to learn some of the principles of holography, make a creative composition, and record it as a hologram in their brand-new mini-holography lab at the HoloCenter.
If you go
What: "Iridescence"
When: noon to 5 p.m. or by appointment Friday-Sunday through April 21, 2024
Where: The HoloCenter, 518 Broadway, Kingston
More information: (845) 532-3035, holocenter.org
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Kingston's HoloCenter exhibit showcases holographic art: What to know
