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Before Measure by Chris Klapper and Patrick Gallagher at the Gallery at 200 Lex
Debuting at The New York Design Center’s Gallery at 200 Lex, is the newest exhibition by Chris Klapper and Patrick Gallagher. Exploring the power of infinitesimal energies, it draws inspiration from research the artists encountered during their residency at Fermi National Particle Physics Laboratory. Through abstraction and poetic interpretation, the work translates geometries of the quantum world, inviting contemplation rather than explanation. Looking to express the beauty hidden within patterns that echo across scales. The artwork suggests that even at the smallest scale, the universe carries a language we intuitively recognize and allows the viewer to observe the interconnections of all things.
Algorithmic Paintings
These one of a kind pieces were made using custom-designed software created by the artists that allows them to paint with algorithms in a 3D environment and emulate the structures of the quantum world. The program, developed within an object based C and C++ framework, allows for precise control of parameters like rotation, scale, surfaces, points, lines and color across a series of concentric spheres where multiple wavefunctions continuously shape their form and structure.
Using dye sublimation on aluminum, the work presents an atmosphere of reflection, bringing the viewers into the artwork. Dye sublimation is a process in which heat and pressure turns ink into gas, infusing it into the surface of the aluminum.
Style and Substance
The work is a maximalist approach to minimalism. An intricate interpretation of color field paintings. While conceptually informed by quantum physics, the works are about the beauty of symmetry, motion and energy. The colors and contrasts are about drawing the viewer into a space of contemplation to further fall into the movements and rhythms expressed through line and form.
The dye-sublimation process allows the surface material to merge with the imagery to form a direct connection to the work’s subject. The subject being: the interconnectedness of all things. The mirror-like quality of the work highlights the subtle variations of the metal surface and folds the viewer and their environment into the work.
The pieces are highly light-reactive and dynamic. They transform and evolve as the lighting changes. Events such as sunlight at different angles dramatically affect the work, wherein subtle variations viewed in more ambient light, explode with color and unseen detail.
An important point the artists want to convey is that, while the concept is grounded in the complexities and abstractions of physics, the pieces themselves are about the beauty of our universe. In this case, life at the infinitesimal and invisible scale.
See the exhibition in The Gallery at 200 Lex on the 10th Floor of the New York Design Center.
