Galley 1: Ryan Wolfe

Gallery 2: Mark Esper
September 10- October 16

Portfolio Esper Online: Catalogue of Past Projects

GET SWEPT UP IN THE EXCITEMENT THIS FALL...
A real, live TORNADO by Mark Esper
whirls up a storm
over robotic blades of grass by Ryan Wolfe
in Dam, Stuhltrager’s expanded gallery.
A category 5 event, the magnitude of this exhibit breaks through a brick wall into the adjoining building inaugurating Dam, Stuhltrager ’s new expansion.Triple the size. Triple force exhibited.

For his fourth solo exhibit at Dam, Stuhltrager, Mark Esper premieres "Second Orrery", an installation encompassing a whirling tornado. The ethereal twisting column of gasses is reflected in other spiral forms that constitute the work, including a double helix and train running on looped track. Another spiral form is even less corporal than the tornado in that it isn’t seen. It is felt in time through the cyclical behavior of the piece, through the periodic adjustments in lighting coupled with the repetitive journey of the train, and the appearance and disappearance of the tornado. It is a spiral in time.

In a unique collaboration in September 2004, Mark Esper held three simultaneous solo shows at three separate neighboring galleries in Williamsburg prompting... "His work requires the support and attention of larger institutions than the brave independent galleries can provide. Patrons and institutions alike should start paying attention."- W. Powhida, The Brooklyn Rail, Oct.‘04

For his New York debut, Ryan Wolfe presents "Sketch of a Field of Grass" an installation that encapsulates the experience of watching the rise and fall of a summer breeze across a field. Just as in a real field, every single blade responds to the wind in a slightly different way. Individual blades in the installation are computationally autonomous, possessing the ability to sense and respond to local environment independently. Each blade is both physically distinct and simultaneously part of a larger aggregate phenomenon. The emergent behavior that comes from the interrelation of independent nodal behavior interpreted in a group context is fundamental to the overall aesthetic effect. Download full Press Release (PDF)