Robert Wise: Dynaflow
January 17, 2003 - January 17, 2003Over the past decade, Robert Wise has established himself as a unique figure within the West Coast
sculpture scene through a series of interactive, and mechanically sophisticated machines. His most
recent and ambitious work, Roulette, a new public sculpture for the Victoria International Airport
addition, opened to the public this fall.
“Dynaflow” is a new body of work organized by independent curator and sometimes creative collaborator Christian Giroux. Works in the show range from large kinetic pieces, such as: Loach — a latex “pickle” that spontaneously twitches; to small structures like Burr-2, formed using only disentangled nylon rope.
Wise draws upon his engineering and mechanical skills to activate or re-animate the material world of mass production, creating playful objects that compel investigation and contemplation. Most importantly, he invites us to think of how different technologies can connect us to our social or urban environment, while others can effectively separate us from it. For Wise, sculpture is a holistic form of technology, combining engineering and craftsmanship to either shock or charm us out of our complacency within the given world of objects.
Catalogue will be available in the Gallery Shop.