Island Universe
Upon entering the first floor space you are greeted with an explosion of five highly reflective, chrome-plated, aluminium spheres. There are roDs protruding off each sphere ending with lightbulbs some on with the filament inside and some without. It feels a bit like I am looking at design art, as they do represent chandeliers, at first glance it seems as though it should be in a trendy wine bar.
However, they are a play on the Lobmeyr-designed chandeliers in New York's Met Opera house. There is also something distinctively scientific about them; so is it coincidence or influence that the design of the chandeliers and the discovery of the first data supporting the Big Bang both occured in 1965.
McElheny has collaborated with a cosmologist; David Weinberg to create the scientifically correct sculptures as well as illustrations of the Big Bang theory.
The film on the second floor is one of the best video pieces I have seen in a long while... filmed in super 16mm at the Metropolitan Opera House NY each of the five sections depict the types of universes in the installation. The music and editing convey a rhythmn that shifts, freezes and develops in relation to the scientific speculations about other words.
Art that relates to Science and vice versa is always so fruitful and is definately a great partnership. It always inter-relates and McElhenys' installation and video is a romantic view, investigation into portraying a scientific theory of the big bang through a visual kaleidoscope.
I also saw some of his sculptures last year in The Donald Young Gallery in Chicago, Illinois along with artist Joshua Mosley.
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