WEST PALM BEACH, FL.- Vivid explosions of color, computer-generated light installations, obsessive patterns, and multi-layered collages – visitors to Altered States, the Norton Museum of Art’s newest exhibition, may find their eyes have never had so much to take in at one time. On display from April 2 – July 17, and featuring the works of contemporary artists, Jose Alvarez, Yayoi Kusama, Fred Tomaselli, and Leo Villareal, the exhibition challenges viewers’ perceptions of reality, and addresses the essential question of whether art can truly have transformative power.

“Is it naïve to believe that looking at art can be more than just a pleasurable experience,” asks Cheryl Brutvan, the Norton’s curator of contemporary art? “I’ve selected four artists whose work may offer an altered reality in which a deeper meaning is achieved.”

From the colorful collages of Alvarez, to the incredibly detailed paintings of Tomaselli and Kusama, to a room-sized light installation by Leo Villareal, the four artists included in the exhibition each create extremely engaging, almost “interactive” pieces that encourage – even demand – a level of viewer participation and reflection that exceeds the typical comprehension of physical materials. “Even though they work in different media, each of these artists explore the viewer’s relationship with art, and believe in its altering ability,” Brutvan said. “Whether ultimately transcendent, or simply appealing, they each explore the power of art, and the path that may lead the viewer to another sense of self and place.”

Jose Alvarez actually spent two decades in a somewhat “altered” state as he created performance art in which he “channeled” a 2,000-year-old shaman he called “Carlos.” He used “Carlos” to examine the powerful appeal of belief systems, and to expose false, shamanistic purveyors of spiritual truth in performances for international audiences numbering in the thousands. When he returned to making art, he transferred the knowledge he had gained into spectacular collages, featuring natural elements, such as crystal and feathers, which may be imbued with meanings associated with science and mysticism or, simply chosen for their aesthetic appeal. Some are layered over brightly colored watercolors that verge on the hallucinogenic, while others are composed entirely of single elements such as glimmering sheets of mica or peacock feathers.

From an early age, the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama endured extreme hallucinations in which she saw everyone and everything in her world covered in a net-like pattern. This perception, along with her obsessive-compulsive behavior, is reflected in her work, resulting in provocative, figurative sculptures, and minimalist paintings covered in highly detailed patterns. These vast fields of dots and patterns called “Infinity Nets,” are inspired by her hallucinations. According to Kusama, the intensity of her efforts and the physical demands of their creation transcend the act of painting, and carry her into another state of reality. “By obliterating one’s individual self, one returns to the infinite universe,” she has said when reflecting on the obsessive quality that she brings to her work, and to the physical act of painting.

Fred Tomaselli grew up in the Los Angeles area during the 1970s and 1980s near Hollywood, Disneyland, and a variety of what he describes as “lesser theme parks focused on escapism, artificial worlds, and illusions.” It was a time and place characterized by cultural and physical experimentation achieved through the consumption of natural and manmade substances. Together these influences affected his artistic evolution resulting in works that are both painting and collage. He uses natural elements such as flowers and plants, and synthetic substances such as pills to create fantastic abstractions and images that embody the seductive and curious nature behind the search for altered states of reality.

Leo Villareal creates both discrete objects and magnificent room-sized installations through his sensitive manipulation of shapes and passages of color emanating from programmed LEDs activated by his own custom-made software. He has reinvented the use of color and light as integral elements of art in its most pure form, succeeding modern masters of light such as Dan Flavin, known for his space-defining fluorescent sculptures, and James Turrell, recognized for his evocative, color-saturated voids. The art works of Villareal have an extraordinary power both visually and – potentially – internally on the viewer.

Visitors to Altered States will also have the rare opportunity to experience some ‘firsts’ by several of the artists. Villareal is creating an original installation for the exhibition based on its altered states theme; Alvarez is creating an original site-specific work that will be on display in The Ruth and Carl Shapiro Great Hall, and Tomaselli’s major work, “Flipper,” is being exhibited for the first time in the United States.