Spectrum: Bio Interloper IV by Crystal Wagner

Blog post by Stacey Hawkins

At the East Coast National Screenprint Biennial at The Arts Center Of The Capital Region in Troy, NY, was Spectrum: Bio Interloper IV by Crysta. Completed in 2014, made by screenprint, relief print, cut paper, wood, paint, and UV plexi. This piece was in a shadow box hung up on the wall. It was different than the other works, because it was contained within a small box, whereas the other pieces were huge and all over the floor which gave a feeling of power and presence. I enjoyed the size of this piece. It felt intimate and pulled me in. I love the color scheme she used, as well as keeping that light blue color flowing through the whole piece. That helps draw your eyes throughout the whole piece, which is making that movement flow nicely. The background has a gradient of dark purple on the bottom, moving into white towards the top. It is interesting to see that she did not use purple on the piece but just had it as the background. I feel that if she did use purple in the piece as well, it would have been too much and not work as smoothly. Having this three-dimensional piece confined within the shadow box puts limitations on interpretations for the viewer. I would have liked to walk around the whole piece to fully better understand and feel the movement as a whole. I feel like I am being drawn into the piece but stopped by not being able to see the sides and back. I like the idea of using the shadow box, but I want to be able to see more of it since there is so much going on and so many colors. It is nice to get up close (as close as you are able to) to see and appreciate the little details that add to the movement.

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