Unbelievable Transformations: Moving Sculpture by Gregory Barsamian, 2009.

In the last ten years, perhaps no other exhibition has excited our community more than Innuendo Non Troppo: The Work of Gregory Barsamian. This nationally touring exhibition that was organized by the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati came to Polk Museum of Art in the spring of 1999. Ten years later, Barsamian’s work is coming back!

This time Polk Museum of Art is taking the lead in the project, working with Barsamian to conceive a major exhibition of his work. Looking at Gregory Barsamian’s artwork is like watching three dimensional stop-motion animation magically take place right in front of your eyes. Barsamian’s unique works combine a series of sculpted images on a rotating framework with a synchronized strobe light. By using elaborate metal structures that support the sculptures and timing the strobe perfectly, viewers experience the illusion that sculptures are transforming right in front of their eyes. His dream-like imagery is enchanting and unforgettable.

Barsamian’s work is based in dream imagery and philosophy. Immediately upon waking, he records his dreams and uses them as a starting point for new sculptures. He is also interested in the concept of time, and feels that sculpture, more than two dimensional art, relies upon time – in the act of viewing – to be fully understood. He has taken this idea further by creating artwork that changes with time.

Gregory Barsamian’s work has been creating animated sculptures for 20 years. His works have been displayed and collected all over the world. In 2007, he won Grand Prix at the Platform International Animation Festival in Portland, Oregon.