Micro Mayhem by Patrick Boyd - Now at Gallery 286

The moment you walk into Gallery 286 in Earl’s Court, you know you’ve connected with something truly unique. The space is a gorgeous Victorian home near Earl’s Court with several rooms designated as gallery spaces. Their mission is to present an eclectic mixture of painting, sculpture, photography and mixed media. The shows they curate always have something unique and different about them and the two current shows definitely live up to the expectation.

Micro Mayhem by Patrick Boyd is a series of fun, thought-provoking images that catch the eye with bright color and social commentary - and appear to live in 3 dimensions. The technical term for the medium is ‘lenticular’ which basically means these pictures have depth and dimension than an ordinary photograph does not. Boyd uses this extra dimensionality to great effect. As a viewer, I forgot about the interesting technical aspects and simply enjoyed the images, which come across more like playful pop-art. Boyd infuses his work with visual style, so they’re pleasing to the eye, but they also include a bit of (often quite humorous) social commentary, so they’re relatable as well. As a fan of lenticular images, I find that Boyd takes the medium to new and fresh places. A photo of one of my favorite pieces is included in this post, but really, this show should be seen in person to get the full-effect.  

Downstairs at Gallery 286 is a retrospective of holograms – many of them made by made by some of the biggest names in holography. Always entertaining and surprising, this show, too, is well worth the visit.