University of South Florida - School of Art & Art History

Wilt Theory is an exploration of the cyclical nature of existence, how renewal and decay coexist. The exhibition examines what happens when the light fades, when the living body, the photograph, and the environment begin to lose their clarity. This exhibition considers wilting and decay not as endings, but as processes of transformation. Matter, light, and time collapse into one another; what once was vivid becomes residue.

The works fluctuate between presence and absence, suggesting that nothing ever fully disappears, but is only altered. Time is treated as both subject and material. For example, long exposures, fading prints, and light-responsive installations embody the instability of memory and perception. Visitors move through a gradient of deterioration, from crisp, defined imagery into dim, decomposing forms. Light levels decrease through the space; surfaces will appear to wilt or blur as if breathing with their own impermanence. The exhibition becomes an embodied meditation of disintegration and rebirth.

Curated by Sarah-Joy and Benjamin Upcavage

Select Artists:
Patrick Carew
Murphy Hottenstein
Sarah Joy
Ryan McConnell
Samira Rangel
Diana Sosnowska
Benjamin Upcavage
Becca Wahl
Katherine Warren

📅 Friday, February 13th

⏰ 6:00 - 8:00 PM

📍Carolyn M. Wilson Gallery
3801 USF Holly Drive
Tampa, Florida 33620

The Carolyn M. Wilson Gallery is free and open to the public.