“Midway in the journey of our life I came to myself in a dark wood, for the straight way was lost.” ~Dante Alighieri, Inferno
By Suzanne Révy
Can the flutter of a butterfly’s wings ultimately lead to a hurricane on the other side of the world? Don’t laugh! A non-linear chain of events appears random, but scientists and mathematicians have derived perpetuating fractal models to describe and understand such patterns in nature. They exist in trees, rivers, sea shells, skeletons…and in art. Tara Sellios exploits the fractal patterns found in organic material from the likes of snakes, birds and butterflies in Infernalis, her richly detailed, large format, still-life photographs, drawings and sculpture. On view at Gallery Kayafas through October 12th, there will be an Artist Reception on First Friday, October 4th, 2019 from 5:30 – 8:00pm.
Installation view of Tara Sellios’ exhibition “Infernalis” at Gallery Kayafas. (Photograph courtesy of Gallery Kayafas)
Deeply influenced by Biblical stories, Sellios blends the fundamentals of Baroque and Dutch still-life painting with a veritable scientific catalog of small creatures and specimens in her third solo show at Gallery Kayafas since 2012. The exhibit includes several tempestuous drawings and watercolors that served as guides for the still-life models Sellios constructed and photographed using an 8”x10” view camera. And “Spiralis,” a breathtaking installation of cicadas and butterflies in flight, adds a sculptural dimension to the remarkable craftsmanship obvious throughout Sellios’ passionate and immersive work.
“Seven Woes #2” by Tara Sellios, 2019 inkjet print mounted Dibond, UV Luster Laminate, U-Channels, courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas.
“Oculus, procession” by Tara Sellios, 2019, 25″ diameter inkjet print mounted Dibond, UV Luster Laminate, U-Channels, courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas.
In “Seven Woes #2” Selios arranges a diptych with the skeletal remains of two snakes. The lengths of their long, spiny ribs move in and through circles over a field of deep maroon. The extraordinary detail of her large format photographs allows viewers to appreciate the shapes and textures in the undulating spines and cartilage of these two serpents. Or in “Oculus, procession,” Sellios photographed the carcasses of flying insects with gossamer wings set against a sky blue backdrop. It is hard to imagine the gentle vibrations of these silky small creatures impacting the weather, yet the picture implies vast numbers of insects and the eternal murmurations they generate when flying in swarms. At once technical and spiritual, the serpents’ skeletal rhythms conjure slithering and infer earthly knowledge while the fractal patterns in insect wings imbue sense of awe in flight and the possibility of heaven.
“Triangulum” by Tara Sellios, 2019, inkjet print mounted Dibond, UV Luster Laminate, U-Channels, courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas.
Though death and mortality infuse much of this work, Sellios embraces the carnal in “Triangulum,” which celebrates the pleasures of life. The raised beaks of three osteological birds entwined in a bacchanalian dance bring the Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymous Bosch of the 15th century to mind. Although the figures are nothing more than bone and branches, their expressive movements and the inclusion of several large moths fluttering around the birds creates a fanciful choreography of terrestrial pleasure.
“Infestation” by Tara Sellios, 2019, seven panel installation, inkjet prints mounted Dibond, UV Luster Laminate, U-Channels, courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas.
The fear of death brings many to religion, and in Infestation, Sellios offers an altar of sorts in her seven-panel installation in the intimate back room of the gallery. It might give arachnophobes pause with its abundance of spiders and insects, but the chapel-like space offers a sanctuary to contemplate the art and science that Sellios has married in this recent work. Elegant biological fractals accompany a comforting repetition of geometric shapes within each frame, once again revealing Sellios’ attraction to interrogating the physical and philosophical. With passion and precision, Sellios’ Infernalis aligns mathematical themes and religious tenets to ponder the most fundamental questions of our existence.
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(Featured Image) “Seven Woes No. 1” by Tara Sellios, 2019, inkjet print mounted Dibone, UV Luster Laminate, UV-Channel, courtesy of the artist and Gallery Kayafas.
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