David Spriggs‘ atmospheric installations, such as Axis of Power, above, inhabit both the two-dimensional and the three-dimensional realm, challenging the viewer’s concept of space. The piece, which was commissioned and produced by this year’s Sharjah Biennial, is “like a scientific specimen, the power of nature appears to have been captured, isolated, and objectified within the confines of the room’s architectural space,” as captioned at the installation in Sharjah. Initially, the spiraling forms recall the eye of a hurricane or other meteorological phenomena. As the viewer walks around Axis of Power, the intriguing and methodical manner in which it was constructed is revealed.

Axis of Power consists of several sheets of transparent plastic film that have been marked with white acrylic. These sheets are then installed in precise spatial increments with aluminum tee bars and springs, creating multiple image planes. The logic dictating the placement and hanging of the sheets contrasts with the organic and ethereal nature of the work. The resulting combination is at once chaotic and controlled.

Spriggs is influenced by Futurism and Cubism, as well as digital art and cinema. He received his B.F.A. from the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver and his M.F.A. from Concordia University in Montreal, where he currently lives and works.