Gregory Barsamian's three-dimensional animated sculptures probe some of the fundamental dilemmas of human existence while celebrating the potency of dreams. Employing the 19th-century theory of the persistence of vision, Barsamian creates kinetic sculptural pieces that meld and metamorphose familiar objects in unexpected ways to suggest cinematic alternative realities. Using rotating mechanical armatures and synchronized strobe lights, Barsamian's pieces transform simple animation into a boldly three-dimensional sculpture illusion - one that is also a kind of magical realism. Barsamian cleverly combines art, science and humour in order to explore the human subconscious. Through his mastery in working with odd yet recognizable imagery, Barsamian allows the viewer to briefly enter into an unconscious world his sculptures make visible. He calls this the "waking dream state."
Gregory Barsamian featured in Kinetica's Luminaries & Visionaries exhibition (2007) and in our feature exhibition at Kinetica Art Fair 2011.