COD’s Marks Art Center Presents ‘Desert Abyss’ Sept. 25-Oct. 22
Cristopher Cichocki's solo exhibition Desert Abyss is a multimedia art installation that brings together hybrid forms of painting, photography, sculpture, video and sound, creating a multi-sensory environment that occupies all three gallery spaces at College of the Desert’s Walter N. Marks Center for the Arts.
The exhibition opens with a reception on Friday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m., with performances by Los Angeles bands Rumspringa and Halloween Swim Team in the courtyard. Other events include an artist’s talk at the Marks Art Center on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 6 p.m., and an Open Mic event—the third in this lively and successful on-going series sponsored by the Marks Art Center—on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. All events are free and open to the public.
“When I was a teenager growing up in the Coachella Valley, I was always fascinated with the landscape, history, and fast-paced development of the desert,” Cichocki (pronounced: chä-hä-skee) says.
“The thought that this valley was at one time an underwater abyss filled with unknown forms of sea-life has been a major source of inspiration for my art since I moved here from Wisconsin in the scorching hot summer of 1989. Through constant exploration of less-travelled areas around the desert, I seek out abandoned sites that become part of my work,” says the former recipient of a La Quinta Arts Foundation Fellowhip and graduate of the California Institute of Arts. “My art is a time capsule that merges fragments of the desert’s past, present, and future. Decayed elements from the Salton Sea to Wonder Valley are represented with the intention of bringing forth new discussions concerning the troubling ecological issues that confront our environment now and in the future.”
Desert Abyss will be on display from Sept. 25 through Oct. 22.
“The Marks Art Center is thrilled to provide a valuable and unusual opportunity for students and the community to experience a compelling example of contemporary art practices that are not commonly available and accessible to residents of the Coachella Valley,” says Lisa Soccio, Director of the Marks Art Center. “What makes this installation exhibition even more exciting is the relevance of the subject matter, which is the desert landscape of the valley itself, to our community.”
Please Note: Gallery Hours Have Changed This Year.
The Marks Art Center is open Monday through Thursday from 12 noon to 4 p.m. and by
appointment.
For more information call 776-7278.
Artist’s Website: http://cristophersea.com.