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Michael Whiting: Level Up

Sculpture Exhibition

“The highest level I’ve ever gotten to on Ms. Pac-Man is level 12. It is the fourth maze and just a couple mazes after the cutscene of a stork bringing a baby Pac-Man to Ms. Pac-Man and Pac-Man. Early video games were all about High Scores, and each level you went up things got harder. You, the player, had to “level up” your playing ability to keep going. My work explores the visual connection between minimalism and early video games. The sculptures in the plaza represent animals, figures and objects as pixelated abstractions. I limit my image making to the same constraints that governed early pixel based technologies.

I use a minimal number of squares to create an image. The works I create are constructed using steel and automotive paint- materials traditionally used to build minimalist sculpture. The pixelated sculptures have been placed in the plaza on multiple levels. They are the digital made physical. And the viewer can move up and down the levels to interact with them- More like Donkey Kong, but without a giant gorilla throwing barrels at you. These sculptures span 15 years. From pigeon 2008 to flamingo 2023. I like seeing them together. It feels like leveling up.” — Mike Whiting, Artist

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Cauldron: Guest Curated by Tyrone Davies

Video Exhibition

"CAULDRON is a hot-pot of weird and wonderful video styles. This collection is an international mix of works that includes ten short works by eight video makers: Tony Gault (Denver), Elizabeth Henry (Denver), Van McElwee (St Louis), Tim Sullivan (San Francisco), Rosa Menkman (The Netherlands), Carlos Castro (Bogota, Columbia), Ryan Wylie (San Francisco) and Timothy David Orme (Marina California). From art-jokes to deep transcendental projects, each maker offers something very different. The best way to appreciate this program is to stand (or sit) still, watch and listen.” – Tyrone Davies, Guest Video Curator