Logic and mortality in question at Middle Street Gallery
The Middle Street Gallery in Washington announced an exhibition of works by the digital artist and printmaker Jim Serbent. “Transcendence,” his first major show at the gallery, will run from from Feb. 25 through April 3. Other members of the arts cooperative will also present their works.
“Transcendence” describes works that are other-worldly yet accessible, inspired by ideas associated with Zen and the possibility of spiritual enlightenment, Serbent said in a news release. “You will see selections from diverse series that can provoke mindstopping introspection, from faces peering out of rocks to architectural compositions that defy the laws of physics. At the very least, you are likely to leave with a lasting impression.”
The titles of several of his works include the word “koan,” from Zen Buddhism, a paradox or riddle that can't
be solved by ordinary logic. One work appears to show a cliff of eroded brown sandstone, but on closer inspection reveals the faint impressions of human faces and other mystical shapes. The artist said of it, “Faces out of the distant past along with cultural icons peer out of sea-eroded rocks to confront viewers as reminders of their own mortality.”
Another work shows convergent strips, seemingly created by frozen video clips, in fantastic shades of blue, purple, and red, all running to an eyelike structure at the middle. “Here, an all-seeing eye dominates converging buildings from around the world as city lights twinkle in the vortex,” Serbent said. “It's an example of an art piece, during its creation, guiding the artist toward a surprising conclusion.” He leaves it to the viewer to decide just what that conclusion might be.
Much of Serbent's work has been influenced by time he spent in Japan, he said. “Intuition, imagination and experimentation provide the basis for my artistic efforts. Many of my artworks are by nature meditative, and they reflect that state of mind during their creation.”