Evangelical Audio Project ‘The Imagined Chase’ Debuts

The beginnings of religion lie deep in the human past, originating in a place and a time and a mindset that’s ostensibly inaccessible to contemporary thinkers.

With his latest project, The Imagined Chase, SF-based artist Joshua Hagler tries to get to the root of the historical factors and inside the psychological consciousnesses that may have inspired ancient myth-making and religiosity. Key to Hagler’s main installation is the collected audio recordings of four men culled from hours of interviews that have been parsed into twelve minute segments that will played on a continuous feedback loop. Each of these men shares a similar psychological and philosophical purview—and for his exhibition, Hegler has translated the likeness of each of his interviewees into an imagined animated “evangelical” projection to better illustrate his vision.

Eight additional smaller mixed-media paintings and sculptures will accompany and fill the entry gallery. These works incorporate images of the human body and explore the themes of faith and sexuality and rebirth using a variety of textures and muted colors.

The gallery reception for Hagler’s The Imagined Chase will be Thursday, March 1, at the Frey Norris Contemporary Modern from 5-8 pm.