Editor’s Note: This description and photographs of Robert Black’s Memory Chamber, on exhibit at Gallery-in-the-Field was sent to us by gallerist Fran Bull. This is the final exhibit of the gallery’s Encore Season, after which the gallery is expected to close. It is a space that has always presented interesting exhibits, mounted in an elegant space. The run of the show has been extended through December 23
These are some photos of the Memory Chamber installation (measuring about 8’ by 21’ by 7’) by Robert Black at Gallery in-the-Field. This show will continue through December 23rd. The show has two segments now: The Memory Chamber and Photographic Memory. The latter is an exhibition of photographs by people of all ages, some of them children, some professional photographers, including Don Ross who took these shots. Robert invited a number of people to submit photos and short essays on the question Why are we here? The photographs (not reproduced here) all address that question in a variety of ways.
The Memory Chamber is a large structure, designed and built by architect and artist Black, that occupies a good part of the gallery space. Viewers are invited to walk through it. Inside are three main chambers, the first being a space that evokes an experience of water, and suggests beginnings, the fluid from which we emerge when we are born, etc. The second chamber contains a beautiful slide show of images set side by side designed to provoke comparison, surprise, and contemplation. In this chamber there are images on the walls suggesting the ancient caves – Lascaux, Chauvet.
The third chamber is awash in light and bright reflections. There are objects arranged to suggest some unnamed ritual or prayer space. My own sense is that Black wishes to remind us of the dimension of human experience often overlooked in today’s world--the soul dimension, the poetic sensibility, the interior realm from which creativity springs.
Black provides art supplies and invites viewers to leave a “mark” on one of the outer walls of the Memory Chamber. I have no photo of this wall, but it’s getting filled up with art, writing, graffitti--a wide range of expressions left by those who have walked through the Chamber.
Gallery hours are 12 to 5 pm Friday through Sunday and by appointment. Robert leads groups through the Memory Chamber (also by appointment; contact info@galleryinthefield.com) and will hold small workshops , hands on sessions for those interested. His interest is in assisting people, artists or not, in reawakening the creative impulse.
Images: Details from Chambers 1, 2, and 3
