Drawing from the myth of Proteus, the shape-shifting sea deity from Greek mythology, the work manifests a sense of fluidity and transformation to reflect back the light playing upon the ocean’s waves as a means of alluding to the mystery of the divine. Through a dynamic interplay of light, darkness, sound, and three-dimensional forms, the installation echoes sensibilities referencing mystery, intuition and the territory of the collective unconscious. It makes reference to analytical psychology and Carl Jung's theories while rendering a commentary on the "Proteus effect" in our digital age—the influence of one's virtual avatar on real-world behavior. The glittering, repetitive space of tumbling waves recalls the subtle repetition and impermeability of coding or algorithms: cryptic, limitless realms where our contemporary lived experience is determined much as ancient Greek civilization was once profoundly impacted by the movements of the sea. The surface of the waves naturally refers to shape-shifting, as the protean facet of psychological processes reminds us that we have the power, like mystics, shamans, and healers, to accept our own awe and fear and to reflect on shape-shifting as a dynamic activity which can articulate or jeopardize our very existence.
Excerpt from the curatorial text by Audra Verona Lambert: "This sound piece consists of recordings of ocean waves layered with the breath and incorporating a voice singing the notes E-C-C-E. These four notes, transcribed to the Latin ‘ecce,’ translate to the word ‘behold’: an action that occurs in relation to something outside of one’s control. One key aspect of Proteus is the unique shape-shifting aspect of the deity’s identity: the ability to defy easy perception or definition. When considering what it means to ‘behold’ we can ask: what are we beholding? This critical inquiry can extend as much to ancient shapeshifting deities as it does to shimmering new technologies: what does it mean for us to hold these illusions tightly without letting go? To demand that they solidify, choose their form, give up, and reply to whatever they are asked?
Medium: Aluminum, epoxy resin liquid glass, LED lights, motor mechanism, marine grade plywood, acrylic mirrors, plexiglass.
Dimensions: 80 x 144 x 107 in (203 x 365 x 273 cm)
10-channel audio
Duration: 1'04''
