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The East Wing Gallery at Mount Wachusett Community College welcomes Ben Parker to Gardner for a fall exhibition of his work titled “Bends and Shadows”.
Parker, a native of Pittsburg, currently resides in Connecticut where he teaches workshops and classes at local schools, businesses, and libraries. Parker’s art uses geometric origami to design tessellations and corrugations.
“Origami is a fascinating discipline. To its practitioners, it presents an unparalleled challenge to the mind and body, and the knowledge that can be unlocked by pushing the limits of what is possible with a single sheet of paper never ceases to amaze. The study is ancient, yet modern science is just beginning to reveal its full potential. It involves the manipulation of paper, among the humblest of materials, yet it sheds light on questions that flow through fundamental branches of human study such as mathematics, physics, pedagogy, art, and meditation. It is an art form that in its purest state neither adds nor subtracts material but alters it in an almost alchemical process. These aspects of origami have held my interest for a very long time. I practice a branch of this discipline known as geometric origami, and primarily design tessellations, which are studies of how paper can be shaped to create complex patterns capable of an infinite number of repeated iterations,” notes Parker’s artist statement.
The “Bends and Shadows” exhibit runs through December 3rd, with an artists reception on Sunday, November 19th from 1 to 3 pm. The East Wing Gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 8 am to 8 pm, and Fridays from 8 am until 5 pm as well as during all Theatre at the Mount performances.