The Center Is Everywhere by Josiah McElheny

An elongated map of a specific patch of sky, The Center Is Everywhere by celebrated artist Josiah McElheny bursts with information. Though its conceptual underpinnings may elude the casual spectator, each of the work’s elements denotes a stellar corollary: the isolated crystals near the top act as single stars, globular crystal clusters signify galaxies, and the longest rods capped with lightbulbs represent distant quasars. Captivating in its lustrous sheen, the [object] obscures its astronomical origins while stoking the guileless, childlike attraction toward all that flickers and shines. (Excerpt from Taylor Walsh: Study for the Center is Everywhere)

Each of the twelve examples from this limited edition were custom-fabricated in New York City. They feature a brass canopy and more than 60 Swarovski crystals illuminated by 11 hanging bulbs. The adjustable chain allows for various ceiling heights as McElheny prefers the piece to hover 6 inches above the floor giving it a human-like scale. A signed and numbered copy of the French revolutionary Auguste Blanqui's cosmological treatise, Eternity Through the Stars: An Astronomical Hypothesis, which partially inspired McElheny, accompanies each edition. This is the first time this text has been translated from its original French into English, and is a custom-publication made for this edition.