EXHIBITION

Leaps into the Void: Shamanism, Meditation, Transcendence, Oblivion

Garis and Hahn, New York, New York, 06/18/2014 - 08/16/2014

ABOUT

Garis & Hahn is pleased to present Leaps into the Void: 
Shamanism, Meditation, Transcendence, Oblivion, a group exhibition featuring mixed media 
work by an international roster of artists: Gwyn Joy, Sky Kim, Michael Maxwell, Joe Nanashe 
and Phoebe Rathmell. The five artists were selected for their distinct and compelling practices 
that explore and illustrate spiritual transcendence in their work. There will be an opening 
reception at Garis & Hahn (263 Bowery) on Wednesday, June 18th from 6 to 8 PM. 
 
Leaps into the Void... is a show united by the philosophical underpinnings and practical 
objectives of each artist’s own practice in addressing concepts related to meditation and altered 
mental states, physical and mental transcendence and Eastern and Western belief systems 
related to cycles of life. 
 
Australian artist Phoebe Rathmell uses Seishin Toitsu meditation in the creation of her abstract 
paintings that employ repetitive motion, extreme concentration, and durational acts to poetic and 
dizzying effects... Michael Maxwell’s mixed-media work examines the artist’s own inquiry into altered states of 
consciousness. Informed by his practice that actively engages hypnosis, trance and meditation, 
Maxwell works with the patterns experienced during these moments of heightened mental focus 
and perspective as a continuance of the Modern concept of Universality in art..  

Sky Kim uses the continuous repeating of gestures in her paintings to achieve a meditative state 
that captures not only the time spent in their production, but also the moments, emotions and 
memory experienced during her time with them. Kim’s work depicting the repetition of concentric 
circles, spheres and shapes like grains of rice can best be understood through the filter of her 
belief in cell memory and reincarnation, a personal subject for the artist who feels compelled by 
this line of metaphysical questioning after the loss of her twin sister at birth. 
 
Gwyn Joy’s paintings and collages are shaped by his experience working with the Tlingit Indian 
tribe in Alaska. His subjects are people depicted with the features of animals, or animals that 
have taken human forms, referencing the shamanistic power to assume the identities and 
attributes of animals through anthropomorphic masks... 


These themes of cycles, transcendence and reinvention are echoed finally in Joe Nanashe's 
work. His sculptural installation incorporates sound, structure, and light in examination of the 
role of fall and redemption, a major narrative device in Classical mythology and a recurring 
concept throughout the Western canon. His installation is created from mundane home repair 
products, like step ladders and work lamps, with a self playing keyboard scored by the artist to 
set the tone for celestial ascent. 

 

For More Information

APT ARTISTS ON VIEW

Share this Exhibition: