Critical MAS: Stacey Ray on Lynn Ihsen Peterson’s “Meltan”

Written by Stacey Ray

I always find myself drawn to the most detailed piece in a room, searching for rivers through which my eyes can run, prairies where they can sprint over texture and color, get caught in tiny crevices, and rest among the cracks. I consume art with the fervor of an explorer, and Lynn Ihsen Petersen’s “Meltan” gave me an adventure. 

“Meltan” is a sculptural object, hanging from wire structures and weighted so heavily with tile and wood that it feels as if it is pulling down the ceiling. Its 4,000 tiles are meticulously placed, carefully arranged to fit color, shape and texture into saturated striations that recall the constant flow and changing light of a stream, the roughness of tree bark, and the pressurized layers of compressed sandstone. The tiny tile trails meander down the wood panel like droplets on a window, leaving a path of color and light curving and flowing behind. 

Each tile, sized at barely a half-inch, activates the others on all sides, resulting in vibrations of color and texture that make the whole piece move with energy. Peterson creates value changes with the tiles just as someone painting or drawing would with marks. They gradually change from light to dark in striations that contrast next to one another, contributing depth and movement. At a distance, the piece disguises its mosaic identity, begging for closer inspection.

Taking in the mosaic feels like observing nature. There is so much in which to get lost and in doing so, new discoveries are made. I notice new textures and colors, cracks, shadows, and patterns. Many of the tiles are tiny paintings or textured mosaics on their own. There is a gift to be had in the each look. 

Time is the most essential medium.

An image crafted from thousands of miniature images, brought together moment by moment to build a whole over years. Born of time and elements, each tile is its own world in a starry galaxy, all individual interpretations of fire, water and air. Squares of all shades of red, purple, blue, green, orange, and yellow paint, diluted and running, are caught by fire and transformed to solid rock.

The patterns and colors we find in nature can only be formed with the medium of time. These are intricacies that can’t be entirely thought out. This is happenstance that only happens through the compilation of weeks, months, and years, a buildup up of small moments over time. While we do as much as we can to plan and prepare all of the pieces, the best things may happen when we give ourselves up to the flow of time and the present moment.

To learn more about the writing in the Critical MAS series, go to Critical MAS: Introduction.