Science, sexual innuendo and basketball

"Untitled'' (wood and acrylic  vintage NBA photo layered with the late famed MIT engineer Harold Edgerton's iconic photo "Bullet Through the Apple''). This is a  "photo-sculpture'' by TODD PAVLISKO in his show "Hummingbird,'' Sept. 11-Oct. 24 at Samson Gallery, Boston.

Mr. Edgerton, the inventor of the electronic flash, was known as "The Man Who Froze Time''.

The gallery says of the show:

"For those ... interested in unpacking Pavlisko's layers of meaning in this series, the works deliver on that front as well. One need consider the dual action of sports drama blended with scientific alchemy in order to build elaborate narratives surrounding competition, sexual prowess, indictments of masculine bravado, or any number of allusions toward the passing of time and the fading of clarity. At the apex of their momentum, objects are caught in their trajectories. The athletes’ clenched bodies along with bullets, basketballs and sensuous droplets of water are all frozen in time. Though their explosive kinetic force is silenced by the medium; the images, caught at the moment of release, imply a highly audible experience. Like much of Pavlisko's work, this content confronts us from a variety of angles—at times with levity and sharp wit, and at other times with absolute stoicism and sobriety. Often, the murky territory in limbo is the only real static landing pad for these mixed reactions. A bombastic front underpinned with quiet subtle nuance is a paradigm invariably present.''

Inadequate diversity

 

"Monogram''  (single-channel HD withcolor sound), by ALIX PEARLSTEIN, at Samson gallery, Boston.

We'll stick with hate then

"A Love Like This" (archival inkjet print),  by CORINNE SPENCER, at Samson gallery, Boston, through August. She says "the artist forces the viewer to feel uncomfortable as she imposes bodily distress upon herself.''

Interesting business model.

Take it on faith

"Garden of Faith,'' by GABRIEL MARTINEZ (2013, archival inkjet, silkscreen, 24K gold leaf on paper), at Samson Gallery, Boston.