Guest artist’s work brings underworld to light

January 21, 2015 | Arts, Events, UToday
By Angela Riddel



Jim Jipson’s exhibit titled “Chthonic” will be on display from Thursday, Jan. 22, through Monday, Feb. 23, in the Center for the Visual Arts Gallery on UT’s Toledo Museum of Art Campus.

These images are from Jim Jimpson's exhibit titled “Chthonic.”

These images are from Jim Jimpson’s exhibit titled “Chthonic.”

“Chthonic” is a Greek word meaning subterranean usually referring to Greek gods of the underworld.

Jipson will speak about his work in a free, public lecture Thursday, Jan. 22, at 12:30 p.m. That evening from 6 to 8 p.m., there will be an opening reception for his exhibit.

In addition, Jipson will work with UT students in photography and 3D mixed-media classes.

“Exploring the chthonic underworld, I see a terrestrial darkness toward which I am drawn. Traveling into complete blackness, I realize that I am seeing light. At the center of true blackness is light. After all, blackness is the total absorption of light. As I approach the light, I begin to see the universe; as I travel further, I see the spiritual perception of thought,” Jipson said of his exhibition.

“My work begins with a projector that I have invented that projects images of 3-dimensional objects that move in both repetitive and nonrepetitive ways,” he explained. “I allow my audience to see the actions within the projector so that they think they know what it is that they are about to see. They will not see what they imagine, but they will see what they cannot even imagine: my take on chance and reality.”

Jipson is an artist and professor of visual arts at the University of West Florida. He received a bachelor of fine arts degree from Wayne State University and a master of fine arts degree from Michigan State University.

The free, public exhibit can be seen Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For more information about the artist, visit jimjipson.com.

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