Several weekends ago, I attended the NEO Geo opening party at the Akron Art Museum in downtown Akron. The pieces in this exhibit were created by eight Northeast Ohio artists and focused on contemporary geometric abstraction. The media used included textiles, paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, and photographs.

For a little more background, the Akron Art Museum’s press release stated that “In the 1960s and 70s, painters and sculptors in Cleveland, Oberlin and Kent created abstract works dependent upon hard-edged geometric forms. Often guided by pre-determined systems based on logic or mathematics, they were motivated by their interests in science, psychology and technology. Artists working in the region today use a combination of pre-determined systems and intuitive responses to create the underlying geometry of their work. In some cases, these structures serve as metaphors for broader themes, such as the tension between the natural and artificial or the forces and systems that affect our daily lives.“

The museum was packed as people immersed themselves in the patterns around them. My favorite piece would have to be the one that took the most time to install. There was a whole section of the exhibit where the walls and floors were painted in geometric shapes and patterns in vivid colors. It gives you a bit of a headache trying to absorb it all at once, so I had to take it in a bit at a time.

The amount of time and dedication necessary to put many of these pieces together just takes my breath away. There were hand woven pieces that were bigger than me with spiraling patterns and various colors. At times, I couldn’t even think of the underlying message because I was mesmerized by the beauty of it all.

I’ll have to go back when it’s not as crowded and I can take time to really get to know the pieces. It’s always hard to get a good understanding when you’re trying to mingle while viewing something for the first time.

Be sure to check out the exhibit, you will not be disappointed. It will be up until April 24, 2016.

(This final photo was taken in the Specter exhibit located next to NEO Geo.)

Thanks for reading,