BARSAMIAN

Motorhead, tinkerer, philosopher and engineer, Gregory Barsamian's pseudo-sophisticated sculptures fuse the beautiful chaos of his dream world with myths of urban reality.

Barsamian's machines call attention to a general mistrust of society's growing dependence on technology, or maybe he is calling on our inner, primordial selves.

The meaning of these enchanting works defies logical thought processes, where time becomes frozen and thoughts tend to blur.

Using everything from strobe lights to motorized frames, this internationally known artist creates animated scenes where objects metamorphose and seem to come alive. Photographs of dancers glide and flutter apart and then finally join with different partners. A lizard overlaid with text scurries across many pairs of text-covered hands as they lay themselves across books. Barsamian is creating four new works especially for this exhibition.

Sponsored by Star Bank, the exhibition is organized by the Contemporary Arts Center and includes a 60-page catalog that will be funded in part by a grant from the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation. The show will travel to the Arkansas Art Center, the Polk Museum of Art, the Anderson Gallery at Virginia Commonwealth University, the Boise Art Museum and San Jose Museum of Art.

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