“Outer Limits”
Art Palace, through April 12
No one wants to admit that they ultimately stand alone. It is unsettling to discover that the system of ideas we have used to guide our lives may no longer help us overcome our fear of annihilation and, ultimately, historical erasure. Merging the polarities of forces is an act that artists face during the creative act and with their careers. The new series of paintings in “Outer Limits” by Eric Gibbons contemplates this discovery through psychological portraits of himself and of characters from Star Wars. Gibbons states that the paintings “depict moments of doubt, shame, and guilt.”
A hefty number of awards and honors does not buffer anyone from wondering if they have chosen the right path. “Outer Limits” becomes a tangible tribute to a theme that Gibbons has explored in previous series of emotionally charged landscapes, namely, the beautiful and terrifying choices that life presents. In a postmodern world, any one of the Star Wars characters, including Darth Vader, exhibiting an emotional meltdown can be interpreted as frustration with complacency of self or other. Proceeding forward on the path is suffused with boredom and neurotic anguish and moments of blatant refusal. Self-discovery is in the end a tricky business that requires a warning label: Avoid mistaking the wrappings for the ultimate boon.
On the return trip, “Outer Limits” ultimately brings one as close to the threshold as possible. Like all true heroic journeys, the individual stands alone as he or she makes the final crossing. And although the ordinary world is trying for an imaginative hero, Gibbons is willing to share what he has learned during his own journey.
This article appears in April 7 • 2006.