The Celestial Sea

On February 16, 2013 Sonnabend Gallery will open “The Celestial Sea” a new series by Matthew Weinstein.

In “The Celestial Sea,” Weinstein continues to create videos, paintings and sculptures based on photorealistic computer animations. The title refers to a story from the 13th century about a sailor who climbs down from his ship floating in another world above the clouds – by the time he reaches the surface of the earth, he has drowned. In Weinstein’s works, this narrative becomes a metaphor for the constantly shifting boundaries between physical reality and virtual reality.

The titular sculpture is a large scale reflective bronze anchor and chain that seems to have fallen from the sky and crashed into the floor. A series of paintings depict the paths of virtual lights within a 3D computer program as they sweep across virtual space, creating patterns that evoke Kandinsky, Kupka, Emma Kunz and Delaunay.

Also on view is the computer animation “Cruising, 1980.” Two ships pass each other on a reflective sea. They flash their lights at each other in a brief interval of mutual attraction and then pass each other by.

Please contact the gallery for further information.