Light Grey Art Lab will be showcasing four new exhibitions that feature scientific alien words, repeating timelines, far flung fantasy, and limitless imagination with the launch of Parallel, Crossroads, The Magic Fish, and Then | Now: Childhood Revisited, all of which open Friday, September 22nd, from 7-10 PM.
Parallel
Theoretical physicist Dr. Michio Kaku once asked, "Is it ever possible on any scale to perhaps flip between different universes?" It’s an idea that’s been explored over the years via thought experiments, scientific studies, and a plethora of science fiction. The very concept of an alternate dimension has a way of instantly capturing the imagination - ranging from slightly skewed takes on the status quo to unrecognizable foreign alien worlds, the permutations are limitless. This vast trove of inspiration sits at the heart of Light Grey Art Lab’s newest exhibition, Parallel.
Parallel is a group exhibition featuring over sixty artists from around the world, all coming together to explore the concept of ‘what if?’ Each participant was asked to create the vision of a world or dimension that could be, creating a unique and engaging peek into a parallel universe. For the launch of Parallel, these fantastic landscapes will come together as a series of large format panoramas, each a window to an alternate dimension, turning Light Grey Art Lab’s main gallery into the nexus of the multiverse.
Crossroads by Matt Rockefeller
In conjunction with the Parallel exhibition, Matt Rockefeller will be exhibiting a body of new work, Crossroads. Rockefeller is an illustrator and comic artist known for work that is rich with details that provoke a strong but unspoken narrative, who’s created work for Harper Collins, Cartoon Network, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, Random House/ Penguin, and DC Comics.
Crossroads is a series of wordless comic pages from the world of Rockefeller’s own story, Dragonfly Holiday. Set in an alternate fantasy America, the story centers around an epic road trip and the relationship humans have with nature and urban sprawl. Each piece will tell a smaller narrative within the world, depicting pivotal moments and revelations through image alone.
The Magic Fish by Trung Nguyen
Old stories have a habit of finding new life in new places. Themes and conflicts repeat themselves again and again throughout time and across worlds, which explains why we might seem to already understand them deep in our bones. This idea is at the center of a new collection of work titled The Magic Fish by comic book artist Trung Le Nguyen, aka Trungles, who has contributed work for Oni Press, Boom! Studios, Limerence Press, and Image Comics.
The Magic Fish is a collection of drawings, comics, and zines that aim to explore classic stories and folklore through a new lens. The titular story, The Magic Fish, is based on an old Vietnamese fairy tale, Tấm Cám, who could be considered a morbid ancestor to well-known story Cinderella, and explores themes of the heroine being reborn again and again.
Then | Now: Childhood Revisited Launch
Despite the fact that we were all young once, children have imaginations most adults can’t begin to comprehend. It’s almost as if kids can see details that exist on another plane, creating characters, narratives, and worlds whole-cloth in an instant. But what if you could visit the world you once knew existed, and bring back an updated, high-resolution glimpse for everyone to see?
Then | Now: Childhood Revisited is a new book that asked thirty artists to dig through their attics and archives to unearth some truly bizarre and endearing artwork from their early days, and reinterpret and recreate it with the tools and abilities gained after years of professional practice.
A published collection was successfully funded on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter earlier this year, and creators Adam Hoppus and Bob Rissetto are prepared to release the outrageous Then | Now: Childhood Revisited to the public. This launch will be the first time most of the world will get to see all the artwork from the project, and get their hands on a copy of the book, hot off the presses.
Opening Reception
The opening reception for Parallel, Crossroads, The Magic Fish, and the Then | Now: Childhood Revisited launch is Friday, September 22nd from 7-10 PM and will remain on display through October 21st. The opening reception is free and open to the public and features artwork, music, and refreshments.
