Internationally acclaimed musician and photographer to perform at Shafer Gallery

Dr. Paul Rudy

July 1, 2019
Story by Joe Vinduska
Courtesy photos submitted

The Shafer Gallery at Barton Community College will host a reception and free concert of electro-acoustic improvisational music by award-winning composer and musician Dr. Paul Rudy at 6:30 p.m. on July 19. He will perform with longtime collaborator Jim Pisano.

Rudy is well known in the environmental and electronic music field. Winner of numerous awards including the Global Music Award, he combines influences from multiple musical genres. Rudy’s music has earned him nicknames such as “The High Priest of Sound” and “Sage.” In addition to composing instrumental and electronic art, he is a sought-after practitioner of sacred sound therapy, sound immersion, and sound healing. His music performance at the gallery will give attendees a unique awareness-expanding experience.

The exhibit of Rudy’s photographs on display in the Shafer Gallery feature images based upon chance or anomalous experiences. During the creation of these photos, Rudy’s camera lens was exposed to natural moisture that was in the air, as well as the artist’s breath. The end result evolved into a collection of surreal, orb-inspired works of art.

“My breath found its way into the photographs, creating cosmic designs that look more like supernovas and distant galaxies than the moisture from my body,” Rudy said of the organic nature of his creations. “Explained or unexplained, these images show, to me at least, the magic and mystery of life.”

Shafer Gallery Director Dave Barnes said Rudy’s photography invokes infinite speculation and awe.

“The photographs of Paul Rudy are like a gateway into the transcendence that lays right in front of our eyes,” he said. “Rudy’s photos take me to a beautiful cosmic place where scale and time have no meaning. His work challenges us to see an entirely obvious but rarely contemplated reality.”

Barnes said Rudy’s musical and physical art complement each other organically.

“What immediately struck me about the photography and music of Rudy is that they are in total sync with each other,” he said. “Rudy’s photographs could be made into album covers for his musical compositions. He has a focused and consistent vison which is unique and identifiable even as it crosses from expressive medium to medium. This is the hallmark of a truly visionary artist.”

The exhibit will run through August 1. Admission is always free. For more information on Rudy go to paulrudy.net. The Shafer Gallery is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday during the summer with normal hours resuming (10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday) on July 29. For more information, contact Shafer Art Gallery Director Dave Barnes at (620) 792-9342 or barnesd@bartonccc.edu.