John Chervinsky’s Frames of Reference is an exquisite contemplation on the interplay between scientific principles and their worldly manifestations. In one of the series’ subsets, Studio Physics , the Harvard applied physics professor went to great lengths for his final photographic prints. Chervinsky set up studio still lifes, then photographed portions of them. He mailed those photos to a painting factory in China and incorporated the reproductions of his photos by anonymous artists back into the still lifes. Elements of decay (a bowl of rotten bananas half covered by a painted “before” version of the ripe fruit) exhibit the enigma of impermanence in a visually straightforward way."Some are more about time, and some move toward other explorations," says Viviette Hunt, director of Richard Levy Gallery (514 Central SW, 766-9888). This movement is evidenced in Frames’ complementary suite, An Experiment in Perspective . Here Chervinsky works in black-and-white photo still lifes that often depict scientific algorithms and mechanical elements drawn in chalk. The result is a study in dimensionality. Sometimes whimsical, always captivating, Frames of Reference is the kind of high-minded art that delivers.The popular show (which has been up since April) reopens with a reception on Saturday, May 26, from 6 to 8 p.m. and extends its run through June 29. Hanging concurrently in the gallery’s backspace is 17 Stones , a series of meditations on one amethyst crystal by Las Cruces painter and UNM grad Jenna Kuiper. Opening next door at 516 ARTS (516 Central SW, 242-1445), also from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, is Time Pieces: Wendover Landing , a collaborative exhibit that fuses the poetry of Miriam Sagan with passenger pigeon sculptures by Christy Hengst and a lofty installation by Alisa Dworsky. The project attempts to explore notions of home, departure and return, and uses the titular Utah air force site at which the Hiroshima bomb piloting crew was trained as a starting point. Live music from JD Davis and Dan Lambert accompanies the event, which also features two other exhibits and runs through August 11.
Culture Shock: Openings At Richard Levy Gallery And 516 Arts On Saturday, May 26
Last Saturday Arts Crawl
2 min read
Sculpture by Christy Hengst
“Bananas in Bowl with Painting on Table” by John Chervinsky
