Ori Gerhst's Photos/Videos ON REFLECTION @ CRG are Mesmerizing

The dimly lit CRG gallery in Chelsea is divided into 2 rooms which highlight the large scale photos of Gersht (b. Israel 1967 ) & 3 video installations.  Gersht works ON REFLECTION juxtapose destruction & regeneration with a captivating & ingenious approach.  The photos appear  more like multi- layered collages.  The 3 video installations are 3 separate floral arrangements.  These floral replications were painstaking constructed by hand to resemble the paintings of Brueghel "Elder's Floral Paintings" (1606.)  There is a richness of color & oppulence in both the original Brueghel paintings & Gerst's work that correspond with Vienna in the early 17thC & today's world of the 21stC.  The stunningly beautiful floral replications are viewed in a few moments of synchronized stillness and then unleashed in an explosive & kinetic video played in slow motion to an original musical score.  This  creates a serene & dynamic kaleidoscope of color & shattered glass.  Gersht utilizes 2 large digital cameras focused on the mirrors' reflections of the flowers & the destruction of their mirrored images.  The large photographs in the front gallery are secondary in impact to the visceral aesthetic of destruction & regeneration seen in the video installations.  Altogether, the work makes for a contemplative & impressive show.