Mountains Beyond Mountains V2

Mountains Beyond Mountains brings a natural paradox directly and peacefully into the gallery, creating a Zen-like interactive relationship between the installation and viewer.

As the viewer approaches the large infinity box that appears to blanket the entire room with real, live grass, the horizon-plane of the box and room appears to fall away; creating a steep downhill slope in which the horizon is lost and pushed away from the viewer. Inversely, as the viewer recedes from the piece, the horizon rises up, creating a prodigious incline as the participant walks further and further backward.

This metaphysical and intellectually moving installation was designed to transcend the environment of the confined gallery space using real-life, living material. Through the most simple analog means, the viewer is transported into complete sensory engagement with their surroundings in physically-moving call and response with the immediate universe. The convincing effect of this installation is created through the clever use of simple optical tricks with the aid of range detection sensors and subtly placed mechanic armatures that shift the perspective of the entire room relative to the distance of the viewer to the heart of the artwork. These effects are compounded by the use of real live grass as the focal form of the work, the specific scent of which gives the atmosphere of the space a powerful and visceral feel.