Frank Gillette's Video Art Exhibition Opens at Microscope Gallery

New York, USA — Frank Gillette's video art exhibition, Spectra Obscura, opened at Microscope Gallery on Thursday. The exhibition features a trilogy of three-channel video works titled The Symbiotic Blues, created between 2017 and 2022. The videos are accompanied by ambient soundscapes that include field recordings from Eastern Long Island's woodlands and beaches, along with percussive elements, melodic tones, and distorted electronics.

The exhibition showcases Gillette's exploration of the interplay between nature, culture, and human impact on the biosphere. The videos and Polaroids in Spectra Obscura depict various forms of disappearance, decay, and fleeting natural phenomena. One of the pieces, a single-channel video titled 'Symptomatic Syntax' from 1981, features close-ups of slowly shifting aquatic environments, with sounds of running water and an intermittent voice-over reading from J.M.E. Taggart's 1908 book The Unreality of Time.

Gillette has been creating video and media art since the 1960s, known for his layered and intricate works that delve into the complexities of the natural world and human influence.

CONTEXT: The exhibition is significant as it highlights the ongoing dialogue between art and environmental consciousness, showcasing how artists like Gillette use their work to reflect on the delicate balance between nature and human activity.