I was looking forward to seeing the new work by Hiroshi Sugimoto – photograms created using giant sparks of electricity. I was shocked when I saw how little energy the work actually has. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist the puns.) Pace Gallery and Sugimoto should get an A+ for presentation, but the works themselves fail to transmit the thrill and fear that is usually generated by the tesla coil’s spark. There is a spark generator in the gallery, and if you linger long enough you’ll get to experience the real thing. Seeing the presentation and the spark generator in action is worth a trip to 545 West 22nd Street. The show runs fro November 6 to December 24th 2010.

The Pace website says:
“In Hiroshi Sugimoto’s first solo presentation since joining The Gallery Pace, the revered photographer and architect exhibits two new 50-foot photographic diptychs from his “Lightning Field” series (2009-10), accompanied by nine single “Lightning Field” photographs. Created in the darkroom with the help of a Van de Graaff generator, sheets of unexposed film are subjected to electrical discharges, creating sparks of light that scar the film with patterns reminiscent of organic life forms and tree-filled landscapes. Seven photographs from the artist’s iconic “Seascapes” series will also be on view. ”

If you are in Boston and want to really experience some big sparks go to the Museum of Science for the Lightning Generator show. That will make your hair stand on end and you will know how exciting it can be.