On view: Synesthesia, the works of Crystal Wagner at the Hashimoto Contemporary in San Francisco, CA
The term “synesthesia” describes the neurological phenomenon in which one or more of your senses is activated simultaneously to create an involuntary experience in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. Wagner’s work pulls from this concept, causing viewers to question their perception of the atmosphere around them.
Multi-Diciplinary artist Crystal Wagner creates grand, colorful site-specific installations that consist of hand cut paper sculptures, which range in scale and presentation; her materials, which include various kinds of paper and dollar store objects, build upon themselves; layer by layer, each structure swells into a mass of movement. The installations’ grand scale, and organic look and feel are reminiscent of organic growths that are seen in a colorful coral reef tucked away in deep tropical seas.
Her work is not restricted to these site-specific constructions, in fact, she also creates custom made wooden terrariums. Within them, Wagner embeds smaller models of the paper compositions; the artist, still emphasizing detailed assemblages of paper,creates these flower-like (with some Asian influences) objects that give the “illusion of a swirling force, sprouting and flourishing against it’s rigid constraints. The artist treats each box as a living organism, awake and breathing, that pulls the viewer in for a closer look”.
Synesthesia will be on view until March 29th, at Hashimoto Contemporary- 804 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94109.
