Charles Cray provides a unique perspective of the world, using layers and layers of precisely carved paper to communicate his vision. His unsettling microcosms call to mind words such as ooze, growth, and spread. These associations are deliberate as Cray draws inspiration for his pieces from concepts such as sound waves, fungus cultures, and microbial diseases. Garish colours invite interactions between his work and audience, where one may intrinsically withdraw for fear of infection.
His series featuring paper constructions tucked underneath coats of wallpaper are made to resemble computer generated sound waves or petri dish samples of viral colonies. With a sense of layers being peeled back from the surface of an alien body, Clary’s meticulously arranged works contrast beautifully with the disintegrating exteriors. Clary has stated that his art serves to “explore the constant ‘growth’ of [the] installations, which, if left alone to gestate, will eventually take over entire spaces, infesting every surface they touch.” By balancing these themes with brighter colours, Clary’s work remains playful and intriguing.
