Light as a metaphor for the soul is central to Cheselyn Amato’s installation of six screen mesh discs fitted with spectral radiant film to create an aura of radiant and colorful light punctuated by the shadows of incised marks, objects laid on the surfaces and flat silhouettes. While the six discs obviously represent the six symbolic foods of the seder, it is the invisible presence of light that engages the viewer, something the artist believes is “recognized by the gift of spectacle, by the joy of seeing, by the work of art as catalyst and carrier, bearer and witness.” For all the lessons learned in the seder, it is joy that binds them together.
-David Revere McFadden, Chief Curator at the Museum of Art and Design in New York