On exhibit from January 24 to February 24 in the Tremaine Art Gallery, Metaphor features the work of Brooklyn-based artist Lee Arnold. Through a variety of media – including photography, audio, animation, collage, and drawing – the exhibit invites visitors to immerse themselves in Arnold’s vision of how we perceive and misperceive the natural world.

Arnold’s photography features landscapes that are threatened by climate change. The images were shot on film and then digitally combined with his drawings. Some of the drawings were based on NASA data sets measuring climate change, others were inspired by the use of infographics in the media.

Arnold also works with the moving image. In the piece, Eclipse, Arnold uses overlapping circles to create moire patterns and adds acoustic effects to create a mobile eclipse. Together, the moving patterns and sounds create a mesmerizing experience.  As Arnold explains, “Having studied both painting and photography, I am interested in the possibilities of digital way to synthesize old and new forms…I have become increasingly fascinated by the aesthetics of information and how abstract imagery is used to tell complex stories with multivariate data.” 

Given the diverse use of media, Metaphor prompts the viewers to develop their own  interpretations of Arnold’s work. Stephanie Ge ’22, who attended the exhibit, said, “I find it interesting that in the animation, Signals, he divides a single note into tonal layers which are then translated into a series of different colors. I think the artist wants to express the unique patterns found in nature through digital media as a way to enhance the complexities of nature. These symbols make the artwork more vibrant.” 

By blending traditional landscape photography with new technologies, Metaphor  offers visitors an opportunity to experience a variety of art techniques and provides them with  a multidimensional sensory experience. Matthew Kim ’19 said, “I really enjoyed Lee Arnold’s work, for it involved two disciplines that I enjoy: statistics and digital creation. His art involves not only a beautiful photo, but also statistics that relate to that issue.”