“Such reciprocity is the very structure of perception. We experience the sensuous world only by rendering ourselves vulnerable to that world. Sensory perception is this ongoing interweavement: the terrain enters into us only to the extent that we allow ourselves to be taken up within that terrain.”
– David Abrams
Sound of a Bloom, Lena’s second show at Park Life, showcases a series of work which examines ideas around sound, time, memory, and reciprocity. The paintings were born from the idea that sound is occurring all around us, though the majority of it is either too low or high a frequency for us to perceive. A sound wave is simply a transfer of energy as it travels away from a vibrating source. In this sense, a plant pushing out a bloom should make a “sound.” We just aren’t able to hear it.
This body of work explores intangible questions around sound and the natural world. What would the sound of a bloom look like? At what frequency does anxiety ripple? Does it explode or implode? And can vibration carry a soul?
Lena Gustafson is a visual artist based in Oakland, CA. After graduating from the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University in 2011, she cofounded Night Diver Press with her partner Peter Calderwood. Together they use silkscreen and other alternative printing techniques to create and publish multiples in the form of prints, books, zines, and monotypes. Lena’s paintings are technically informed by her background in preparing images for screen-prints.
