Rettig has invented a novel way to capture light: He loops strips of paper and metal into biomorphic teardrop and petal shapes, which he then covers with acrylic resin. Hung on the wall, the sculptures glow like moonstones, mysteriously self-contained. Like large-scale costume jewelry, they seem fragile and semiprecious; on the other hand, they look like they'd self-replicate, like cells or algae. Rettig, who hails from Colorado via Texas, ascribes his inspiration to America's ever-changing relationship with landscape and its endless cycle of consumption. The association is far from obvious to the casual observer, but the result transcends missteps of interpretation.
July 2-Aug. 29, 2009
