" That movements of extreme complexity were taking place seemed certain, and yet what a simple thing it seemed, that vast yellow light sailing slowly behind my bars and which little by little the dense wall devoured, and finally eclipsed." -from Samuel Beckett's Molloy

Oculus is an architectural term used to describe a round window often located in a ceiling. The principle function of such a window is to allow light into a building. In ancient structures such as the domed Pantheon in Rome, the oculus allowed for a dynamic interaction between the interior space and the sunlight casting a daily path across the room. Through the year, this path would vary with the angle of the sun, activating the surfaces and transforming the interior into a seasonal calendar.

What has become a related source of inspiration -- and certainly a poetic aspect of the project at Gallery 555 -- is the absurdity of the idea of the oculus as an observatory. A hole in the roof of a building clearly gives no practical advantage as an instrument of observation. In fact, it serves little purpose other than to limit visual range. The result, as was the case for Beckett's Molloy, is an observatory of speculation, where one is compelled to invent an understanding of the extreme complexity or incalculable simplicity passing by on the outside.

The constructions created for exhibition in Gallery 555 are fantasies of geometry, prototypes of imagined structures. In my projects, I always hope to illustrate an object/setting relationship, which both engages the viewer and stimulates some line of contemplation on what is being represented. Even when fully realized in a space, the objects are like three-dimensional drawings and models, alternately suggesting places vast and microscopic.

Gallery 555 is a space of transition with obvious paths, points of entry and destinations. It has its own language of design giving it a sense of clarity as the portal of the building. An important part of my work is developing an awareness of how we move through a space and how we stop and look. Oculus is a temporary re-orchestration of the space, the light, and the navigation.

Michael Meyers, artist