"The Tragic Plot,” the theme of Jebah Baum's upcoming exhibition at BAU Gallery, is inspired by the classical Greek idea of “anagnorisis,” which he defines as “the critical moment in a story of recognition or discovery.”
In particular, Baum aims to focus our attention on the “calamitous human habit of repeating the past, both within the microcosm of our personal relationships and the macrocosm of our politics.”
As we perambulate the three richly-surfaced abstract sculptures he calls "Turning Posts" in the center of the gallery, the artist intends that new combinations of form should appear, thereby energizing the negative spaces between them.
Similarly, the wheel-like motifs which animate his bas reliefs echo instances of archetypal shapes from multiple cultures past and present, but his purpose is not to represent; he’s after a moment of unmediated recognition.
Even the words “Logos,” “Ethos,” and “Pathos,” scribed across a large canvas—layered with laminated prints of a projection of the Earth’s globe—are not meant as a cri de cœur, but are intended to engender an instant of aesthetic connectedness to the planet we all call home.
"The Tragic Plot," featuring sculptures, paintings, and bas reliefs will be on display at the BAU Gallery at 506 Main Street in Beacon from November 9 to December 7.
For more information on Baum's work, visit Jebahbaum.com.
