We would like to highlight some of our awesome artists at the Windlight Art Gallery! Today’s spotlights are on Kacey Macbeth & SuperVac (Dante) Parabola:
Kacey Macbeth, a native from Wisconsin, is a self taught, multidisciplinary artist who’s work is influenced by the wilds of Wyoming, the north woods of Wisconsin and the majestic pines of South Carolina.
Her connection to the pristine and raw beauty of nature has greatly influenced her style and vision which tell the stories of love, happiness, peace and even sorrow.
Kacey’s work has previously premiered in galleries at Art in the Park and La Galerie.
She is influenced by impressionists artist Monet, Cezanne and Renoir,
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I am not an artist by trade. My education is primarily in theoretical physics (quantum cosmology) and higher education. However, while pursuing dual PhDs, I learned to enjoy and appreciate the communicative nature of cinematography and photography. While studying digital media at University, I pursued various interests including:
–Photographic manipulation and editing (digital and film)
–Three-dimensional modelling using Blender and similar software
–NLE
–Photographic and virtual composition
–DSLR and full frame photography
–Stage lighting
Throughout all my experiences, I found contemporary art echoed Dr. Snout’s realisation about humanity:
“We don’t want to conquer space at all… We don’t want other worlds; we want a mirror. We seek contact and will never achieve it. We are in the foolish position of a man striving for a goal he fears and doesn’t want. Man needs man!” (Lem, 1961)
Recently, digital photography has fallen to the selfie, movies have abandoned stories and oral tradition as to opt for degenerate character driven pseudostorylines, and cheap cinematography fitting a lethargic industry. Film has eroded into entertainment for the masses; all for the sake of profit and prestige. And worse yet, it all focuses on appeasing the Self with little more than a recasting or distorted reflection of the Self; offering the audience little more than the comfort of what they already know.
Thus, this leads to my philosophy regarding art and the future struggle it faces. Art can offer an intersubjective gift allowing the embodiment of alien and foreign concepts and experiences. However, contemporary artists seem fascinated with the re-representation of the human form and the Self. The next step in the arts is to overcome such self-obsession. Of all the arts, I believe photography has the greatest chance of success while leading to new explorations and understandings disallowed by remaining trapped within the Self.
This is why you rarely (if ever) see people in my work. Although most composition classes emphasise the role of the person in telling a story, such a practice is little more than Dr. Snout’s warning. I do not wish for my art to imprison me in a reflective mirror—forever condemning me to examine myself as the means of understanding. My attempts at art represent the trials to free myself from Snout’s Mirror.
Although my perspective may seem cynical, it grew from an appreciation of Kubrick’s and Tarkovsky’s works offering humanity a glimpse into distant understandings of existence and efforts at communication. Their works tried to teach an audience how to bridge the infinite distance between the Self and something utterly foreign/alien to the Self. Such an objective is the hallmark of brilliant cinematography and utter genius which has been recently forgotten. I can only hope to offer a fraction of what they have, in some form.
Kultivate Magazine 