Aqua by Selaras Partridge

written by Cyanide Seelowe



Ever since the opening of Kinetic, i've found that my taste for kinetic art has been becoming more diverse and refined- this taste is slowly becoming a preference... i can't seem to stay away from kinetic art, and the best example that i've seen of kinetic art for today is the Aquatic Installation by Selaras Partridge.

When organizing the Kinetic event, i looked up the definition of kinetic- it has everything to do with movement, but i have found that the common solution for kinetic sculpture was to make things actually, physically move. I tried to explore the concept of chronokineticism in my own work ("Music and Form"), but it didn't seem to come off as originally planned, and still needs a lot of work. Selaras Partridge on the other hand, nails the concept of chronokineticism on the head with her installation. Composed mainly of images of goldfish slowly moving in their stark blue and white habitat, Selaras does not so much focus on the image of the fish, but of the movement- and not the "A to B" movement that we commonly think of. When thinking of movement or travel, most will initially think of the starting point- where one is- and the end point- where one needs or wants to be. We rarely think of the trip in between because of the amount of uncertainty... we would sooner just let the journey happen than to contemplate it.



Selaras' exhibit explores that "in-between" movement. Quoted from the artist's statement:

"This body of work is rooted in a study of movement and the uncertainty that occurs in the space between the points of arrival and destination. I wanted to create an environment that embodies the in-between, not simply a destination but also an experience to be traversed. "

Please take the time to explore through this stunning exhibit- you might just see the word "kinetic" in a new light afterwards :]

Aqua Installation, UTD ArtTech Island