Land scape
Carol Elkovich
CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW
captivating . While walking our readers through the genesis of Viral Theories , would you shed light to your main source of inspirations ?
I ’ m glad you recognize the dichotomy and appreciate the visual tension I strive for . In the studio , laborious processes are something of a hallmark and almost a kind of meditation for me . The Viral Theories pieces are made from applying multiple layers of color , marks , and glazes to individual elements . Each installation is the culmination of hundreds of those elements . This laborious attention to detail requires patience and for me the intense focus can actually be relaxing ; it ’ s a process that contrasts sharply with the somewhat frenzied multi-tasking of modern life . The generative impetus in Viral Theories has direct relationship to Rhizomatic Theory , the notion of decentralized systems and how they manifest in natural and human-made structures . Rhizomes grow from networks of multiple nodes and without a singular , linear path . This nonhierarchical structure is fascinating . When observing pattern-languages in either natural and cultural constructs — from viruses , proteins , insect swarms , to brain waves , power grids , social networks , or the Internet — it is surprising how these differing instances bear striking resemblance in structure and visual complexity . I believe data maps of phenomena are the primary abstractions of our time . Perhaps the precursor to this can be seen in Renaissance era fascinations with the