Coastal Traveler - Spring 2008 - (Page 24)

coastalart Erwin Redl Matrix II By Sasha Wolfe Matrix II can be viewed at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, at its La Jolla branch at 700 Prospect Street. The museum, cafe and bookstore look out upon the ocean, which lies at its feet. For information call 858.454.3541 www.mcasd.org For the last decade, Erwin Redl has incorporated reverse engineering into his work by first analyzing and then reproducing the structure, function, and operation of objects. In Matrix II, he creates a virtual copy of physical space with precise grids of light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, designed using 3-D computer code. The installation, which has been exhibited worldwide, is modified to fit the room in which it is displayed. In the 2,839 square-foot Carolyn and Jack Farris Gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla, Redl has strung tiny phosphor-green lights on clear wires, which are attached from the ceiling to the floor. It creates a web of color that is superimposed on each person who walks through. The effect, as described by the museum as, “A space that seems to multiply and recede in all directions, as if the walls were mirrored.” LEDs are small lights brightened by the movement of electrons in semi-conductor material. They form the numbers on digital clocks and the on/off buttons of home appliances. Because there are no filaments in the bulbs, LEDs remain cool at all times. Walking through the Matrix II is a visceral experience, combining the play of images and the feel of small orbs against the skin. According to Head Curator Dr. Stephanie Hanor, the effect is akin to standing inside a video game. The light grid creates perceptual and physical changes within and around the viewer, and the architecture of the room is transformed as observers push the limits of space. New space is discovered when one changes location, looks in another direction, or even blinks. Reality inside the Matrix II, like life outside, is different for each person who experiences it. Erwin Redl was born and raised in Austria and earned a B.A. in Composition and Electronic Music from the Music Academy, Vienna. He went on to get a M.F.A. in Computer Art from the School of Visual Arts in New York, and won international praise when he decorated the Whitney Museum with red and blue lights for the 2002 Biennial. He has been creating large-scale, architectural light installations since 1997. In investigating the relationship between orientation and disorientation, the artist wants gallery-goers to personalize the art. In his statement Redl says: “Participating by simply being ‘present’ is an integral part of the installation. The formal aspect of the work is easily accessible, but an interpretation and understanding of this aspect is dependent upon the viewer’s subjective references.” Sponsored by the MCASD’s International Collectors, this is the first time Matrix II will be exhibited since the museum acquired the work in early 2007. It will be on display through May 4, alongside the MCASDorganized exhibition, Soundwaves: The Art of Sampling, which focuses on the relationship between art and sound. 24 coastaltraveler spring http://www.mcasd.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Coastal Traveler - Spring 2008

Coastal Traveler - Spring 2008 Contents Coastal Connoisseur Coastal Picks Coastal Scenario Coastal Art Coastal Driver Coastal Roadkill Coastal Eco Coastal Hotel Coastal Desert San Diego La Jolla Laguna Beach Malibu Santa Barbara San Luis Obispo Big Sur Carmel Monterey Santa Cruz San Francisco Sausalito Mill Valley Stinson Beach Bolinas Olema Point Reyes Station Fairfax Inverness Marshall, Tomales Sebastopol Petaluma Sonoma Coast Redwood Coast

Coastal Traveler - Spring 2008

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