Pondering the infinite is part of what being an artist, and the artist's process, often is. As an artist you are tasked with listening and seeing in a particular way and then transforming that experience into some form of communication.

As the poet Arthur O'Shaughnessy wrote is his poem “Ode,” “We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams.” It is this process of transforming our experiences into a physical form that makes the artistic process so meaningful.

“Cycling,” an exhibition by noted Akron artist Micah Kraus, is on view through June 25 at the Summit Artspace.  The show features over 50 works, many of which are created using printmaking techniques, though there are several works using photography and other media as well. 

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The exhibit includes pieces from the last 20 years of the artist’s studio practice. However, this is not a retrospective; rather, it is more like an invitation into this artist’s making process over the last two decades.

Kraus has filled the space with the ideas and thoughts that inspire, plague or perhaps invigorate him. Visiting this exhibit is inspirational, energizing and a great look into the studio of one of the more creative humans living in Akron.

Kraus was raised the child of a minister, and this fact has been an underlying inspiration for the work he has made throughout the last 20 or so years. If his upbringing isn’t a direct inspiration, certainly “existential uncertainty” is a recurring theme throughout all of the work. 

“Prepping for Eternity” is a performance piece in which Kraus rides his bicycle while repeating all the books of the Bible (Old and New Testament). There is a recording of the performance on view in the gallery displayed on an almost life-size monitor. The piece has an interesting rhythm, and watching Kraus go through the list is both humorous and touching because he is riding a bicycle. There are many ways to translate this work and different metaphors to ponder, but this approach results in the feeling that the artist is taking you along for the ride and doing so in an approachable and unique way.

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“Smarter/Sorrowful” is a screenprint on laser-cut, cast, hot pink-colored acrylic. This piece is cut into the size and shape of a headstone and has white text that flows down the middle of it. The text is from Ecclesiastes and reads, “For with much wisdom comes much sorrow.” This is one of several hot pink acrylic headstones that the artist has included in the exhibit. Another headstone has “OK” in large type centered in the middle of it in white, and another headstone has the proverb “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.” 

These works are subtly powerful. The hot pink color feels absurd, and indeed it is, so at first glance, these pieces just arrest the viewer. They take you out of your comfort zone and in some ways out of the gallery, because if you grew up in a similar way to the artist you are likely trying to place the text from your memory. This is the strength of these pieces; they stay with you long after you look at them.

“All Falling Together” is a laser-engraved monotype with acrylic ink on rag paper. A monotype is created by applying printing ink to a non-porous surface like plexiglass, the ink is then removed with a rag or brushes and then run through a press with paper on top of it to create a print. This work looks like a collage of images that likely originated as photographs that are then used to help create surface and texture. In this piece multiple garage doors and wooden building elements help create a montage that undulates and moves with weathered structural grains and textures, helping to move your eyes about the composition.

Even with all the work included in the gallery this piece stands out and has a commanding presence. It shows off much what makes Kraus such a skilled artist through its incredible detail and overall shape and form.

A folio of 30 individual relief prints makes up the work “OK, OK, OK.” Like so many of Kraus’ pieces, this piece focuses on a phrase or a couple of words, in this case either “I am OK” or “We are OK.” While it’s not clear which phrase is directly driving this display, it's impressive how the artist uses a variety of colors and interpretations of all or part of these words in this folio. The most interesting of the included prints involve a complete dismantling of the type, which renders the words and their meaning indecipherable. 

Micah Kraus is pondering the infinite and bringing us along for the ride. When he isn’t contemplating forever, he is riffing on an idea like a musician might riff on a certain element in a tune. Indeed, it is the rhythm of thinking and the rhythm of making that this exhibit highlights the most. If you are looking to better understand how and why an artist makes work and how the artistic process can inform someone’s entire life, this exhibit is worth a stop.

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Anderson Turner is director of the Kent State University School of Art collection and galleries. Contact him at haturner3@gmail.com.

Exhibit: “Cycling” by Micah Kraus

Place: Summit Artspace Betty and Howard Taylor Main Gallery, 140 E Market St, Akron

Hours: Friday noon to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

More information: 330-376-8480 or summitartspace.org