Juxtapoz Magazine – The “Limit Sequence” by Colin Prahl @ The Chambers Project

The Chambers Project is proud to announce Limit Sequence – a solo exhibition by Colin Prahl. Limit Sequence will be showcasing nearly 50 pieces, which will be on display from July 23rd through September 16th at The Chambers Project in Grass Valley, CA.

This young prolific artists’ style is clearly divided into two very different, yet strikingly similar approaches. From airbrushed, delicate landscapes, to intricate mathematical patterns, the work of Colin Prahl represents continuity and infinity. “It’s going to be incredible to see this vast body of work on display,” said gallery founder Brian Chambers. “His style is very unique and I’m not aware of anyone else who mixes those two mediums so masterfully.”

Originally from Potsdam, New York, Prahl studied illustration at Rhode Island School of Design, receiving his BFA in 2012, then relocating to New York City soon afterwards. Now based in Grass Valley, Prahl’s show is his second solo exhibition at The Chambers Project, following his debut in June 2019 at the first gallery location in Nevada City.

“This is a meaningful show because it is his first show after relocating and embedding himself in the local culture and community, and he is at a special point in his career where his work is becoming more recognized and collected,” Chambers said.

Prahl’s focus is primarily in two dimensional work. His pieces often feature detailed, playful infrastructures that seem to lay just beneath the surface of reality. His work is heavily influenced by architectural renderings, perceptual effects, optical illusions, logical puzzles, as well as scientific, medical, and futurist illustration. His inspiration draws deeply from these sciences as a means to deepen his understanding of them.

Utilizing tools typical in the illustration of technical and engineering drawings such as isometric projection, Prahl’s work succeeds at representing three dimensional landscapes within a two dimensional medium, taking the eye on a journey through optically dynamic terrain. “This one sort of happened naturally, I was trying to figure out if there was a mathematical proof or name for this actual pattern,” Prahl said of the show’s crown jewel and namesake “Limit Sequence,” a piece consisting of a total of 11 canvases stretching themselves out from a single large centerpiece.

Prahl equates it to a Sierpiński carpet or blanket – the result of using a technique of subdividing a shape into smaller copies of itself extended recursively. Beyond mathematical explanations, and the genuine interest of the artist in making sense of his uncanny ability to illustrate the building blocks of space, the observer is in for an optical treat. “I really like playing with patterns,” Prahl said. “When I’m doing this kind of work that has more of an immersive perspective line – like looking into a tunnel – if you can get it so that things are coming towards you and as close to you as possible, you can do the same thing where you can flesh out the shapes and detail to an infinite degree no matter how close it is.”

His research-driven illustration work, specifically of a series of neuroanatomical functional diagrams, have served Prahl as a means of self instruction into the perceptual sciences of vision, audition and motor functions, while still experimenting with open-ended geometric landscapes.

There’s no doubt that in addition to his artistic prowess, Prahl’s genuine interest in the sciences gives his work an edge. These visual themes are incorporated into these densely detailed and colorful environments giving his work a game-like or fun-house mapping effect that inspires the viewer to want to see more.

The exhibition will be open to the public from July 23 through September 16, 2022.