Sandra Gamarra is the rare artist who might just commune directly with your soul. The Madrid-based Peruvian artist draws her inspiration from the parallels between artistic and mystical experiences. In her ongoing series of paintings titled The New Worshiper and The Apostles, Gamarra proposes that art museums are places of worship-filled contemplation comparable to cathedrals or pilgrimage sites. For her, observing works of art is an act of faith external to any political or philosophical ideal.
At the Bass Museum of Art, Sandra Gamarra: At the Same Time (Al Mismo Tiempo) features an ethereal suite of the artists canvases based on photos Gamarra snapped of visitors looking at works of art. In these paintings, she conjures an eerie sense of déjà vu, as if observing the observers or mirroring anonymous doppelgangers. Gamarras unique vision alludes to the relationship among the maker, the work, the viewer, and the point where they meet in the museum. And it might leave you feeling as if youve been sifted through a weird, spiritual echo chamber. The exhibit opens Saturday and runs through October 16.
Wednesdays-Sundays. Starts: July 2. Continues through Oct. 16, 2011