Hologram artist August Muth and atmospheric painter Nola Zirin expand our perceptions and invite us into otherworldly realms in their upcoming group exhibition at OTA Contemporary, “ENIGMA.” Paired together, the artists’ work allows the viewer to contemplate the mysterious existence of light and its physical complexities, subsequently leading us on an intellectual quest to explore the relationship between light, space and time.
Quantum Immersion by August Muth, hologram laminated in glass, photo from OTA Contemporary
“My work manifests light in space,” explains Muth. “Light becomes this tactile material that you can touch and feel, yet doesn’t have any mass. It’s a magic thing.” Muth, a local Santa Fe artist, will present a series of new work for ENIGMA that interacts with the viewer through spatial illusions of light, inspiring curious engagement as we view the piece from different perspectives. Geometric shapes in iridescent colors shift and change as we move around the piece, which intrudes into our physical realm in an illusive way. Muth’s process is labor-intensive as he mixes his own emulsions to create unique pigments and combines them with laser lights. His holograms become recordings of this light, space and time phenomena. “I’m painting with light,” says Muth of his process. “Through my work, people can engage in something that is very new and curious in terms of their insight.”
Yellow Zip by Nola Zirin, 12x12" mixed media, photo from OTA Contemporary
While Muth uses light as material, Zirin creates celestial illusions through painted structures. White illumination cuts through layers of geometric forms on Zirin’s canvases, which are created with oil and acrylic paint as well as textural materials such as glitter and flocking. Through her process, Zirin achieves a three-dimensionality that similarly comments on the illusion of space and time. The New York artist will present a series of small works in addition to two 72x52” canvases and one 83x50” canvas that engulf the viewer and invite us to step into mysteriously constructed passageways and ethereal voids. “The complexity of these paintings and their virtual orbs mirror the macro and micro layers of the world around us,” says Zirin of her latest work, which along with Muth’s holograms urges us to explore the unfathomable and discover the ENIGMA of our own existence.
“ENIGMA” opens Friday, September 22nd with an opening reception from 5-7pm at the gallery and an artist talk from 6-7pm. The exhibition will remain on display through November 9th.