Art has always been about perception. What is the art trying to convey? Or rather, what is our understanding of what the piece is trying to convey? In his 73rd solo exhibition, visual artist Paul Kolker plays around with human perception. Dialogical Perception…Art as Experiment debuted this February in his Chelsea studio with much anticipation from science and art enthusiasts.
The new exhibit consists of eighteen large-scale pieces that are definitely captivating. For a little context, next to the pieces of artwork, you can find Kolker’s explanation of dialogical perception in text. He cites the scholarly writings of Arthur Schopenhauer, John Ruskin, Martin Buber, John Dewey and Mikhail Bakhtin.
The exhibition centers on a portrait of Martin Buber taken from his archives. Kolker manipulated the portrait with numerous materials, including inkjet, acrylic and polyurethane. A grayscale and a colored version of the portrait are placed side by side as part of the perception experiment.
It’s not surprising that Paul Kolker is also an accomplished physician and scientist. His work skillfully infuses science, psychology and visual art. Dialogical Perception… Art As Experiment is on view at the PAUL KOLKER collection at 511 West 25th Street through March 27, 2020.
