Matthew Ritchie at Andrea Rosen Gallery
Line Shot
Until December 2

A production at the Brooklyn Academy of Music a couple of weeks ago called the Long Count was a collaboration between artist Matthew Ritchie and musicians Bryce and Aaron Dessner, with Ritchie supplying the animated and mirrored images that appeared behind the twin brothers on stage. See some video from the performance below. Ritchie has a related exhibition at Andrea Rosen Gallery right now.

Experience it…

The paintings are fun collages of stenciled and sprayed images that are reminiscent of what you would see while squinting on a really sunny day. Also included are dark and heavy looking sculptures that mix organic and geometric forms, and a wall drawing surrounding an animation that is mysterious and captivating. When looking at the paintings, identify the layers of imagery, the patterns, and the symmetries. When does this symmetry get broken? How does the pattern get carried through?

Draw it…

Identify a shape that gets repeated in one of the paintings or sculptures and draw it. Where do you see it in the other works? How does it change? Continue to find these repeating shapes or motifs and keep a record of them.

The Long Count at Brooklyn Academy of Music from Jay Parkinson on Vimeo.

The performance at BAM revolved around several themes that collapse thousands of years of history and various kinds of storytelling and mythmaking.  Themes include twins and mirrored imagery, game playing and chance and are inspired by the ‘76 World Series, indie rock music, the Mayan creation story recounted by the Popol Vuh, and the Mayan Calendar. The title, Long Count, refers to the 5,125 year cycle of the Mayan calendar that is set to end on December 21, 2012.

NYTimes – Mayan Calendar Interactive

Brooklyn Vegan — photos of the performance at BAM by Julieta Cervantes