Jason Willome’s exhibition, "When a Mind Wanders," explores humanity’s intrinsic desire to investigate the self and our connection to the unknown.
When leaving his father’s home for the last time, Willome was struck with the desire to hold onto that place. This urgency caused him to spontaneously grab a discarded piece of wood, a gesture embodying the central tension of this exhibition: being at the brink between one existence and the next and not knowing what falls in between. Willome’s exploration of the unknown takes on a more personal connection as he witnesses his father’s transformation through Parkinson’s disease, which includes a progressive loss of movement and cognitive ability. His drawings feature abstract forms replicated across paper using cattle markers, black gouache, and charcoal, creating scenes that are difficult to interpret. The drawings mirror his father’s consciousness as he drifts in and out of hallucinations, constantly trying to gauge what’s real, a process reflected in his deliberately obfuscated drawings.
A trepanned skull extends from the wall, inviting viewers to peer inside and discover the cosmos hidden within. The trepanned hole is fashioned after Grote Reber’s 1937 graphic plotting of the Milky Way, one of the first known visualizations using radio astronomy. The connection between trepanning, drilling holes in the skull, and astronomical observation both represent humanity’s quest to connect with the unknown, whether by accessing inner realms or observing the vastness of the universe.
Following the opening reception, the exhibit will be on view through October 5.
Jason Willome’s exhibition, "When a Mind Wanders," explores humanity’s intrinsic desire to investigate the self and our connection to the unknown.
When leaving his father’s home for the last time, Willome was struck with the desire to hold onto that place. This urgency caused him to spontaneously grab a discarded piece of wood, a gesture embodying the central tension of this exhibition: being at the brink between one existence and the next and not knowing what falls in between. Willome’s exploration of the unknown takes on a more personal connection as he witnesses his father’s transformation through Parkinson’s disease, which includes a progressive loss of movement and cognitive ability. His drawings feature abstract forms replicated across paper using cattle markers, black gouache, and charcoal, creating scenes that are difficult to interpret. The drawings mirror his father’s consciousness as he drifts in and out of hallucinations, constantly trying to gauge what’s real, a process reflected in his deliberately obfuscated drawings.
A trepanned skull extends from the wall, inviting viewers to peer inside and discover the cosmos hidden within. The trepanned hole is fashioned after Grote Reber’s 1937 graphic plotting of the Milky Way, one of the first known visualizations using radio astronomy. The connection between trepanning, drilling holes in the skull, and astronomical observation both represent humanity’s quest to connect with the unknown, whether by accessing inner realms or observing the vastness of the universe.
Following the opening reception, the exhibit will be on view through October 5.
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Admission is free.
