Panta Rhei (everything is in flux)

Art short films are often the most difficult reviews to write because, in the end, art is all subjective. American artist KWA’s Panta Rhei (everything is in flux), is one of those films and I’m wrestling over it. The issue for me comes down to whether the artist’s vision was successfully passed on to me.

Full disclosure: this description has been pulled from the press notes. KWA wishes “to present the radical yet, I believe, self-evident concept of life as a flow in a constant state of flux.” The idea of Panta Rhei emanates 360 years ago when Sir Isaac Newton refracted rays of light to produce what we know as the rainbow or color spectrum. The short takes the idea of refraction and views the world through the lens of a prism. KWA utilizes a unique form of ColorDepth 3D he dubs “SpectrumVision.”

“…self-evident concept of life as a flow in a constant state of flux.”

The short film opens with what appears to be celluloid as seen through a macro lens, and then we’re inundated with the never-ceasing movement of colors and shapes. There are no discernable or recognizable images, but we see are images that have life and both living and breathing.

Panta Rhei is the second in KWA’s trilogy, The Space Between (stimulus and response). KWA “intends to turn millisecond reactions into several seconds of considered response time after receiving information.”

I watched Panta Rhei (everything is in flux) cold without knowing the artist KWA or his work. The film is definitely an intriguing work of art. There is beauty in Panta Rhei’s imagery, and its sound design is the perfect accompaniment. But I definitely did not see KWA’s grand design upon first watch. So information about Panta Rhei is essential before going in. Now that you know what Panta Rhei represents, check it out for your pleasure and exploration.