Matthew Schreiber: Sauron, Bowie and Maquettes

The Butler Institute of American Art

Youngstown, Ohio

March 24, 2024-September 29th, 2024

Matthew Schreiber’s solo exhibition at the Butler Institute of American Art consists of 3 types of light-based artwork, including laser light sculpture and holography. In Schreiber’s research for the exhibition, he came across online interviews with Director Lou Zona focusing on the Butler’s Bermant gallery of Art and Technology. This unusual focus by the Institute was of particular interest to the artist as he began the process for the exhibition. Schreiber’s approach to Art and Technology includes its scientific process and reflection on popular culture.  

The primary work, Sauron, is an installation from a series titled, Wall Works. For Sauron, Schreiber has altered a gallery within the Museum with a specially constructed wall and laser light structure. The resulting form is reminiscent of the Eye of Sauron, from the Lord of the Ring trilogy by J.R.R Tolkien.  

In the second gallery there are two large laser maquettes, Untitled, (Cube) and Untitled, (Tetrahedron), both 2024. These devices fill with a small amount of fog, laser light, and welded aluminum structures. The results display volumetric forms of laser light to model monumental outdoor light sculptures. This group is based on Platonic Solid, or so called Sacred Geometric Forms.  

Within the same gallery are a group of holograms of Schreiber’s hand titled Bowie Blue, 2024. The six bluish-green holograms are from a series titled Bowie started in 2016, just after the death of David Bowie. Schreiber used his hand to disturb the interference pattern required for laser light to produce a hologram. Technically, this “disturbance” causes a cancellation of light within the holograms. As Schreiber puts it, “The fact that I am alive, that blood is running through my hand, this is destroying or killing light”.