Megalopolis 123, 2006

George Widener’s ethereal works on paper contain messages designed specifically for numerical savants and ‘artificial intelligence of the future.’ While Megalopolis 123 is in part an intricate rendering of a cityscape and an homage to urban planning, the true beauty of this piece is in the palindromic dates comprising the lower half of the artwork. Describing patterns in days of the week over different months and different years, Widener creates a beautiful code and enhanced experience for those who share his innate computational abilities. Widener believes that his pieces are in conversation with On Kawara’s (1933-2014) conceptual work with dates “albeit in a whimsical Asperger’s fashion.” While he undoubtedly began his career as an Outsider artist, Widener has become conversant in art world concerns and his work seems to occupy a liminal space between “insider” and “outsider” creation.