Get the ‘Bigger Picture’ at Michael Wsol’s Exhibit

A gallery talk kicked off Michael Wsol’s contemporary art exhibit “Part of a Bigger Picture,” in the duPont Gallery last Thursday, Jan. 13, complete with a lavish reception.

The exhibit itself showcases a variety of contemporary pieces, ranging from a simple line drawing of a hammer to its enormous, three-dimensional wooden counterpart.

While the large hammer structure is the focal point of the exhibit, and certainly the most eye-catching piece, the majority of the works consist of brightly colored mats marked with intricate grid-like patterns, a few of which resembled scaffolding.

One image of note functions almost as an optical illusion, seeming at first to be a strangely shaped recessed pool but appearing as a bordered light bulb at second glance.

Another consists of a grid pattern merging with ragged, rocky lines, suggesting a combination of urban and natural.

A second structure sat in the back left corner, somewhat upstaged by the central hammer piece. It looked almost like a maze from my short vantage point, but upon further investigation resembled a dormitory and hallway.

Wsol’s artwork is inspired by the variety of systems—structural, social and economic—that exist is contemporary culture. His pieces simplify these systems into their functions and potential evolutions, as seen through his focus on portraying interesting and sometimes impossible architectural-style images.

The exhibit is free and open to the public. It will run from Friday, Jan. 14 through Friday, Jan. 28.

[Photo: Marie Sicola/Bullet]