The Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art Gets Surreal

From his time spent with the master surrealist to his more recent exploration of fractal imagery, this exhibition also includes rare collaborative works by Dalí from Markoya’s personal collection, LEDilluminated lenticular prints and chessboard, and a 3-D film experience. Markoya began his artistic career working for Dalí in 1971 in New York City. Exposed to a world of fine art, celebrity, and invention, he became interested in lenticular prints while assisting Dalí on 3-D projects that included holograms. Since Dalí, Markoya spent 34 years as a research scientist and engineer and developed more than 30 patents that employed complex animations and holography.

Markoya has been on the forefront of art and technology, including 3-D graphics, since the advent of personal computers in the 1980’s. In recent years, the introduction of 3-D fractals ignited his creative desire to push the envelope of modern art. Using fractals, which are infinitely complex patterns that are self-similar across different scales, Markoya reveals his vision of the inner workings of the human mind. Merging this technology with lenticular lens printing, he has created the ultimate viewing experience—an illusion of dimension that artists have been seeking to capture to since the Renaissance. Relocating to St. Petersburg, Florida, in 2020, Markoya’s output has been prolific and includes a new series of paintings inspired by the coronavirus pandemic. From these paintings, he created high-resolution 3-D lenticular prints that visualize the unseen forces of the virus and envelopes the viewer with remarkable depth. Leading the evolution of Surrealism and Nuclear Mystical art into the digital age, Markoya’s innovative work transcends Dalí’s visions of bringing art into the third dimension.

From his time spent with the master surrealist to his more recent exploration of fractal imagery, this exhibition also includes rare collaborative works by Dalí from Markoya’s personal collection, LEDilluminated lenticular prints and chessboard, and a 3-D film experience. Markoya began his artistic career working for Dalí in 1971 in New York City. Exposed to a world of fine art, celebrity, and invention, he became interested in lenticular prints while assisting Dalí on 3-D projects that included holograms. Since Dalí, Markoya spent 34 years as a research scientist and engineer and developed more than 30 patents that employed complex animations and holography.

Markoya has been on the forefront of art and technology, including 3-D graphics, since the advent of personal computers in the 1980’s. In recent years, the introduction of 3-D fractals ignited his creative desire to push the envelope of modern art. Using fractals, which are infinitely complex patterns that are self-similar across different scales, Markoya reveals his vision of the inner workings of the human mind. Merging this technology with lenticular lens printing, he has created the ultimate viewing experience—an illusion of dimension that artists have been seeking to capture to since the Renaissance. Relocating to St. Petersburg, Florida, in 2020, Markoya’s output has been prolific and includes a new series of paintings inspired by the coronavirus pandemic. From these paintings, he created high-resolution 3-D lenticular prints that visualize the unseen forces of the virus and envelopes the viewer with remarkable depth. Leading the evolution of Surrealism and Nuclear Mystical art into the digital age, Markoya’s innovative work transcends Dalí’s visions of bringing art into the third dimension.

The museum’s permanent collection includes works by Abraham Rattner, a renowned figurative expressionist; Esther Gentle, Rattner’s second wife and a printmaker, sculptor, and painter; Allen Leepa, Rattner’s stepson and an abstract expressionist artist; and an extensive collection of works by notable 20th century artists such as Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Fernand Léger, and Henry Moore. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, a distinction held by only 6 percent of all U.S. museums. LRMA is located just west of U.S. 19 at 600 E. Klosterman Road, on the Tarpon Springs Campus of St. Petersburg College. Museum hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission by donation. The museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays. Additional information available at leeparattner.org.http://www.leeparattner.org. Content provided by the Leepa-Rattner Museum . All photos are for editorial purposes only-all rights reserved. (Florida exhibit at Leepa-Rattner Museum-Right)