http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhRyC3coZl4

Karthik Pandian, an artist from Los Angeles, is a diverse artist but apparently does a lot of work in 16mm projection installation which describes perfectly the exhibit, "Before the Sun," seen last Thursday. Pandian's current interest in archaeology, architecture, and research of the Cahokia mounds has had a huge influence in the project and can even go as far to call it the theme.

The installation found at the Midway Contemporary Art Exhibit is an installation piece that is quite bothersome to those with allergies and fear of the dark. (Of which I may

or may not exhibit both of those features.) Upon entering the exhibit, which is the same as entering the building, one finds the lights have been shut off to accompany the 16mm projections facing two corners of the room, one showing sunrise over the Cahokia mounds and one showing sunsets. (Clever? Well art should be shouldn't it?) In the center of the dark mass is a stepped plaza made of earth itself. (Just waiting to cause dirty butts to unsuspecting/blind victims.) The sides of the plaza are facing cardinal direc

tions.

Buried in the plaza are two pristinely cut glass pillars that house the projectors sitting atop another mass of earth (sand) that also fills the glass pillars. The film loops around magenta twine that is hung above the installation in a grid fashion. This choice to allow the film to cross the twine not only degrades the film (and bring awesome antique-like aesthetics) but also feeds into Pandian's love of automatic creation.

The exhibit itself I found could only appeal to me through further investigation which may in fact lead right into Pandian's love of archaeology. The only shock factor in

my own observation came from the dark room. Otherwise I was left with questions of everything going on. Only upon the guide's explanation were my questions answered and my need to find artist's intent found. As much as I loved the exhibit and it's simplicity, my favorite part of the exhibit had to be the accidental camera obscura.

Thank you for your time,

chuck..