Michael Mitchell is proud to present Vagal Tone, the bilateral show of local artist Lisa Shimko and Hirona Matsuda.

In Vagal Tone, Lisa Shimko and Hirona Matsuda collaborate to explore the Western model of “body as machine” versus the Eastern philosophy of “body as garden.” This dichotomy is represented in Shimko’s focus on organic subject matter and Matsuda’s use of remnants of the industrial world. Both bodies of work focus on the idea of things connected and linked together: elements affecting each other in order to function, not unlike the wandering vagus nerve.

Vagal tone is the activity of the vagus nerve, the longest of the cranial nerves, which regulates the activities of our vocal chord, ears, facial muscles, and heart rate. Vagal tone is known to be linked to our emotional state, how we communicate with others, and how we respond to stresses. Shimko and Matsuda aim to affect an enhanced vagal tone through the act of creating work and the subsequent visual communication.

Meet the artists at the opening reception of Vagal Tone on Friday, March 17, 2013 from 6pm until 9pm at 438 King Street. The reception is free and open to the public.