The Migration of Thought
Kim Abeles
Musings | Monthly Muse August 2022
In Kim Abeles’s The Migration of Thought, disembodied hands from the outer galaxy appear to steer artery-like tubes looping out from Earth. Silhouettes of objects, including a book, laptop, fork, and #235, float in space like constellations. Through this serigraph, I am reminded how much the networked environment and global exchange of information has transformed my field and career as a librarian. Is Abeles depicting the hands of an intergalactic Wizard of Oz or a higher being that circulates information? Is the imagery a playful metaphor for how knowledge evolves and begets new knowledge? For me, this whimsical artwork poses more questions than it answers. It appeals to my innate curiosity and interest in puzzles and paradoxes—the DNA of librarians and researchers around the world.
Lorelei Tanji
University Librarian, UCI Libraries