Peter Campus, pioneer of video art, is in Italy with the exhibition Myoptiks

One of the pioneers of video art, Peter Campus (New York, 1937) is in Italy with the exhibition Myoptiks, held in Milan, Italy, at Carlocinque Gallery, from Oct. 3 to Dec. 6, 2023. The exhibition presents a dozen recent works by the artist, who has dedicated his work over the past two decades to capturing the extraordinary natural beauty of Long Island’s southern coastline. All of the works in the exhibition Myoptiks were made around Bellport, where the artist placed his camera in carefully selected locations along the coastline and recorded hundreds of hours.

In his video works, time flows, light transforms and air moves, gradually capturing the small changes in the landscape. There is no sudden moment of revelation, rather small changes over time accumulate, creating a unique visual experience.

In this series of works, Peter Campus is inspired by the artistic philosophy of Ananda Coomaraswamy, a Sri Lankan metaphysician who was curator of Indian art at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts from 1917 to 1947: paraphrasing his concepts, Campus points out that while contemporary art often captures a moment in time, a more meditative art seeks to represent a continuous condition, approaching the “Tao” or source of things themselves.

Peter Campus’ art stands along the distance between human perception, camera recording and the artist’s vision, and Carlocinque Gallery’s project aims to demonstrate Campus’ mastery as a video artist and his ability to capture the subtle and ever-changing beauty of nature through a contemporary, meditative lens. Indeed, Campus’ works invite viewers to reflect on the intrinsic beauty of reality and its connection to the very essence of things. The Myoptiks exhibition also seeks to highlight Peter Campus’ ability to challenge perception and make us reflect on the relationship between what we see, what a camera can capture, and what an artist brings to the foreground.

The exhibition can be visited during gallery hours: Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Saturdays from 3 to 7:30 p.m., Sundays, Mondays and outside visiting hours by appointment. Free admission. For information visit the Carlocinque Gallery website.

Peter Campus, pioneer of video art, is in Italy with the exhibition Myoptiks

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