Charles Hobbs, Trapped in Orbit: Out of Body, Out of Mind

Large-scale painted trees adorn the gallery walls of Out of Body, Out of Mind

The Esther M. Klein Art Gallery, January 11-March 1, 2008.

Wow! Mr. Hobb's exhibition at Esther M. Klein makes the journey out to West Philadelphia worth it, I've never seen the lobby of the Science Center so holistically transformed. . . It actually made me feel a little giddy, like I was twelve, so forgive me if I gush. It's always hard for me to be articulate when all I felt at an exhibition was pure unpretentious pleasure.


Mr. Hobb's motorized sculptures occupy the Science Center's lobby-turned forest.


A transparent "record" (seen below) cycles this projection between "day" and "night"



There is also a theremin (not pictured), made by Mr. Hobbes himself . I am told he can play actual music on it, like the theme to The Legend of Zelda, or Somewhere over the Rainbow.

This is not a video of Charles, but it gives you some idea of how cool this is: