THE ANGARUS PROJECT, incorporates experimental film, drawing, assemblages, and installation art. The exhibition examines significant points in modern art history and asks the question, “Like scientific breakthroughs, can artistic turning points be objectively weighed and assessed?”
The assemblage “Enos,” a Retro/Futuristic space rocket assembled from found objects, represents historical scientific, as well as, historical art discoveries. A collage of mathematical equations, geometric sketches, and graphs represent passion and beauty rather than reason or any absolute solution. The collection of familiar mathematical scribbles of scientists refers to the wonder of human creativity, a passionate quest that gives meaning to existence. But, whereas scientists strive for a single solution from a myriad of hypothesis, Top’s singular artistic concept gives rise to an infinitely expandable creative process.
The installation “Planet Angarus” is a satire of the history of western art. Inscribed artistic quotes (Pollock’s “splatters”, Picasso’s “Demoiselle D’avignon”, and Duchamp’s “readymades”) detail paradigm shifts in modern art history. These quotes, declaring the consequential import of each creative artistic shift, are inscribed along a female form of an island, as if the island has emerged out of these artistic paradigm shifts. Thee “body” of the island mocks the association between creativity and maternal procreation, while, the quotes question whether such cultural shifts can be neatly catalogued like scientific discoveries.
