Alberto Garcia-Alvarez in his Auckland studio, April 2023. Courtesy: the artist and Tim Melville Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand.

In 1831 Joseph Plateau invented the Phenakistoscope. This animation device could, for the first time, give a fluent illusion of motion and was operated by placing a series of pictures showing sequential phases of an animation in radial array on a cardboard disc.

This technology thus paved the way (via Eadweard Muybridge) for the entire Hollywood motion picture and film industry.

In 1962 Alberto Garcia-Alvarez was living not far from Hollywood in San Jose, California. His 2-year-old son Pablo had been diagnosed with an eye deviation and to correct the problem was forced to follow a series of eye exercises.

Pablo’s inventive and always-curious father started experimenting with double-image drawings intended to encourage the boy to correctly focus by using both eyes simultaneously.

Garcia-Alvarez’ exhibition – Time – presents new works on canvas, paper and board alongside a series of Phenakistoscope-inspired discs from as early as 1965.

Opening Event: Wednesday 3 May, 6pm.

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