Ruth at Meridian

Friday night I went to an opening at Meridian. Ruth Eckland is showing there, a new video work. The sumptuous single-channel piece consists of layered images of stars reflected on water, people in VR headsets who resemble 18th century divers, video static, and faces, projected onto scrims that are placed at different distances from the projector–a kind-of cubist video space. Showing in a room down the hall is David Avery. His tiny etchings of imagery from the Brothers Grimm are framed and hung on burgundy-colored walls, creating the feel of an old museum. The pairing of Ruth and David’s work is just dynamite. His ideas are so contained by the frame, and require such intimate contact, while Ruth’s work bursts out of the frame and surrounds the viewer. Aside from the physical dynamism, the content of the two bodies of work feed the readings of each other, as well, with their different takes on past and present, science fiction and spirituality. I had a great talk with Anne, the director, and was very excited by her energy and intelligence. Check out the show, now at Meridian…