There is something so oddly compelling about Charles Gaines work. The first time I saw one of his pieces, it was a beautiful piece seen from a distance. When I looked up close I was hit with a puzzle I still cannot figure out. Up close was a pixellated mass consisting of uniform squares containing numbers. I immediately was drawn into the work and attempted to crack the code to no avail.
Gaines’s work is a deceptive algorithm that I still cannot comprehend. Taken at face value his work conveys a seemingly simple figurative subject but the closer you gaze at the deconstructed work you are forced to think of it’s deeper purpose or true meaning. It becomes more complex as it is made simplified. Conceptual work is so subjective, it is extremely hard for me to quickly write about my visceral, first impressions. All I can say is that the meticulous nature of the work amazes me. It is a perfectly ordered piece of art and there is something oddly comforting in the order yet the ambiguity of the deconstruction is challenging.
Culture Shock Art 