Featuring two never-before-seen pieces, local artist Richard Painter invokes alchemy, transformation and the Promethean myth to create a fresh exhibit of his well-known work at Vanderbilt's Sarratt Gallery. “Either rapidly or slowly, everything burns,” observes Painter. “The stars, planets, rocks, earth, plants and animals, molecules and atoms; everything.” Painter's work will be familiar to fans of Zeitgeist Gallery, but his contradictory process — burning delicate, detailed images into wood with a blowtorch — can sometimes seem as mysterious as the esoteric techniques that sought to coax gold from lead. The symbolic language the alchemists left behind ultimately spells out not a get-rich-quick scheme, but a process of human enlightenment punctuated by archetypical milestones. Painter's work can be seen in a similar light: a torch-lit journey with many interesting stops along the way.
Feb. 18-March 26, 2010
