Superimpostor: Brett Smith

The title of Brett Smith’s show Superimpostor, could be the name of a comic-book or movie superhero; an inconspicuous worker by day becomes a crusader for good by night. This kind of superimposition, in which a person takes on two roles but struggles to keep them from overlapping, fascinates Smith; he wants to know how the facade is made and maintained. Smith has an encyclopedic knowledge of science-fiction special effects and hand-built cinematic sleights of hand used to create illusions on film before the widespread use of computer-generated special effects. Visitors will see expertly crafted scale models of seemingly familiar movie sets using mirrors to create expansive and deceptively realistic lunar landscapes.

Download the exhibition brochure for Brett Smith’s Superimpostor (pdf)

Underwater: David Bowen

Bowen’s elaborate interactive installations are based on digital data gleaned from remote locations, that are then translated into physical forms and movements. His hypnotically complex exhibition Underwater, is at the bleeding edge of technology and interactive environments. An Xbox Kinect collected data from the surface water of Lake Superior for months. This information was fed into a complex motor-controlled grid structure that is suspended from the gallery ceiling. The grid gently rose and fell, corresponding to the collected wave data. When visitors stand under the structure, they will see a fascinating contrast between the natural undulations of the waves and the mechanical movement of the aluminum rods and motors.

Download the exhibition brochure for David Bowen’s Underwater (pdf)

Generous support for the Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program is provided by The McKnight Foundation and Jerome Foundation.