Krowswork inaugurates its program with “As X → ∞” (As X Approaches Infinity),* an exhibition of videos and photographs that explores ideas of the infinite, divinity, and the leap between reason and faith as a natural expression of the mediums themselves. Because they are “reality” based and poised at the intersection of the mechanical and the conceptual, video and photography are uniquely suited to emulate and traverse these philosophical pathways. In “As X → ∞” the artists record their specific engagement with the infinite as either direct references to spiritual or ritualized experiences, abstracted allusions to cosmic forms, or playful, elliptical manifestations of the paradox of attempting the approach at all, affirming Kierkegaard’s belief that “the only thing that can save [man] is the absurd, and this he grasps by faith.”

In the screening room, we will feature a 20-minute looped program of videos ranging from 21 seconds to 4 minutes with works by Usama & Kristie Alshaibi, Animal Charm, Nate Boyce, Torsten Zenas Burns, Volkan Ergen, Sabine Gruffat, Kaliptus, Jason Livingston, Austin Muller, and Aaron Oldenburg. Though conceived individually, the works are curated to be seen together, presenting a complete meditation on the show’s subject. Visitors to the gallery are welcome to a cup of tea or coffee while they watch. Hundred-year-old oak pews with velvet cushions serve as seating and set the tone for a unique experience.

In the project room are an installation and video by RKDB which explore divination and ritual from the eyes of a clown-shaman. Also on view in the exhibition space is the work of five photographers: Gigi Gatewood, Adam Wier, Paula Catao, Walker Dukes, and Lauren Orchowski, whose works approach infinity from the perspective of the sacred, the profane, the fanciful, the ritualized, and the cosmic, respectively.

Stills from some of the videos will also be presented.
Krowswork is located at 480 23rd Street, between Telegraph and Broadway, in midtown Oakland. It occupies the back half of the building, behind Chandra Cerrito Contemporary, and the entrance is through the side door.

*The title is borrowed from an expression in calculus where the value of a function is determined by solving for the limit of the function as x approaches infinity. One might extrapolate that as X Approaches Infinity, the function (art) = ∞, therefore this is not an indeterminate form. It has meaning. Thus, the limit does not exist.