Exploring ancient and biblical themes through a contemporary, technological perspective, Thomas Sternglass’ solo debut at the Allouche gallery is an investigation of the present moment. Using oil painting, he re-interprets storied religious iconography in his study of the world we live in today.

Honing in particular on society’s appetite for and dependency on technology, Sternglass evaluates how our own outlooks on society are edited by the screens through which we so often now view the world. Not immune to his own critique, he says of the piece Narcissus Rising: “In the myth, Narcissus gazes at his reflection in the water, absorbed in self-love. I questioned my own purpose too, working on a canvas that took up my whole peripheral, gazing into the abyss. As our digital image is reflected back at us constantly and generated by others, we are in an unprecedented age of narcissism. From seeing a hazy reflection in the water to the endless stream of information now, we are all Narcissus.”

Sternglass’ subjects find themselves caught in a liminal zone between the present and an unknown future, embellished with labels, bar codes, cyborgian figures and inserted in front of a stampeding influx of information, the collection makes for an intoxicating and mind altering reflection on identity in today’s world.

Head below to enjoy a taste of Sternglass’ spellbinding pieces, right now…