Paul Kos: Oracles

Paul Kos is a conceptual artist for whom nature, culture, and language are best understood as process: as sites of labored emergence where transmutation and (mis)translation are constants. Continuing themes from his broader practice—which includes sculpture, performance, site-specific, and public works—the videos selected here show Kos working to conjure or uncover meaning from the landscape and natural world. The drama and extremity of the American West—its stormy deserts, river valleys, and snowy peaks—amplify the poetry and mystery of Kos’ shaman-like efforts. Where there is magic, there is also humor and disappointment. Missed connections abound. Yet, throughout Kos’ divining efforts, a tantalizing proximity remains: the promise of meaning, never fully captured, is left hanging in the charged air.