ArtFields is thrilled to announce the opening reception of Subspaces, a solo exhibition by Eric Standley on August 29th from 6 pm to 8 pm at Jones Carter Gallery, Lake City, SC.
Eric Standley, winner of the People's Choice 2-D Award from the 2025 ArtFields Competition and Festival, will be showing a collection of his paper sculptures and drawings in the comprehensive exhibition, Subspaces. Standley’s work consists of intricately layered pieces of laser-cut paper affixed into designs that are inspired by historical architectural elements such as Gothic cathedrals and Tibetan mandalas. Through the push and pull of the finite and the infinite, each work tells the paradoxical story of existence.
Standley effects this result by first developing concept drawings by hand, then using technology to map the precise cuts of each layer, and finally hand-layering the cut pieces into seemingly impossible forms. Each piece, consisting of more than 100 layers, takes months to make. What results from this dedicated labor are complex sculptures that represent both infinitesimal
space and the endless fractals of the universe, mimicking the depths of consciousness.
Speaking about his work, Standley states:
“Everything is a subspace of something else. Our physical bodies are subspaces of our consciousness. Memories are subspaces of the future. Fear, desire, and purpose are subspaces of faith. These are not simply smaller spaces that fit inside larger ones. They are continuous positions of an irreducible whole that is in a constant state of becoming.
The structural vulnerability of paper is analogous with the fragility of the body, memories, and faith. Paper breathes light through its fibers, absorbing, transmitting, and reflecting color in relation to its surroundings. The projection of a two-dimensional surface into three-dimensional space by layering laser-cut paper is related to our ability as living beings to navigate space and occupy the dimension of time. The objects I create start from lived experiences that revolve around paradoxes. I use these concepts to guide my decisions about color, pattern, density, and form to create novel compositions that do not fit into recognizable icons or symbols. They are cognitive fractals that are irreducibly linked to my subjective sensibility and my consciousness. The intentionally formed immersive spaces are made to be occupied with the heart.”
Eric Standley is a Professor of Studio Art at Virginia Tech. His artworks are drawn in his sketchbook, elaborated on using vector software and a gaming mouse, cut with a laser, and assembled by hand. He is represented by Eli Bronner of the Charles Moffit Gallery of NY; Dinner Gallery of NY; and Media Force of Tokyo, Japan. Eric has exhibited in one hundred and fifty museums and galleries around the world. His artworks are a part of the permanent collections of the Haegeumgang Theme Museum, South Korea, the Palace of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, the Scherenschnittmuseum, Vreden, Germany, and The Zupi Collection of São Paulo, Brazil.
On view in Lake City, SC, at Jones-Carter Gallery from August 29th through October 25th, 2025. Operating hours are 11 am to 5 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. Free and open to the public.
