Don’t Blink!

When in Lars' hands, a circle appears stationary even though it is in constant motion. Another revolves around it as if mechanically motorized, and Lars [@Sh8pshiftr on Instagram] melts into the background, allowing his transformative shapes to captivate the eye in his mastered game of illusion.

A Rhode Island native, Lars Matthew Rieck began a journey in the performative arts at the young age of 12. Joining his older sister at a techno rave exposed him to an opulent world that blended music, rhythm, light, and motion, stimulating all of his senses and sparking his imagination. This single moment would transpire into a path of exploration, manipulating shapes into a poetic dance that defies gravity and space. He immersed himself in learning various disciplines in the flow arts, each leading to the next. Lars’ trek with static props, as they are called, began with glove light shows that entranced him at his first rave. He spent three years perfecting the act of lighted gloves, which he integrated into dance and movement, using light patterns and visual effects to amplify the techno experience. This was just the beginning.

Poi spinning, a pair of tethered weighted balls, and Buugeng manipulation, a pair of S-shaped props, became his next endeavors over another six years. His experience in handling props became a natural foundation when he took on 8-ring manipulation, which he learned from Polish performer Shao [@shao.pl]. He seemed to have a natural knack for each discipline, but not without endless hours of practice to perfect his developing vision of each art form. At the learning core is a strong connection with prop manipulation and shape isolation that transforms simple geometric shapes into art.

“It’s hard to put your finger on it,” Lars says as he searches for words to describe his performative art. “But putting your finger on it is what you’re doing,” he laughs. “Your fingers are manipulating the props to make the effect.”

The 8-ring props stuck and remains his current passion. Four basic moves can produce a multitude of combinations based on the direction and speed the props rotate. He began posting videos of himself gracefully spinning overlapping outlined shapes to become a kind of kaleidoscope that expands, contracts and suddenly begins to move as a single breathing object independent of his fingers that control them. Often posed in profile, Lars holds his 8-ring props to his side against a simple background to not distract from the motion he’s generating. The shapes he spins can be circles, squares, diamonds, triangles, stars, S curves, and one he invented called an Eye Ring. Used in pairs, the sets of shapes transform when they are set in motion and overlap. When he begins, you realize the complex dexterity needed to rotate objects like steady clockwork. That’s where extensive practice and exercises come in. Lars stretches his digits daily to stay fluid and agile.

His posts on social media earned him a healthy following of two-thousand-three hundred viewers who enjoyed his rhythmic visuals, lulling the watcher into a zen-like space while escaping their troubles of the moment. It’s soothing to watch and is further enhanced by his calm demeanor. He discovered a sudden uptick in video viewership when he began adding audible narratives to his performances: Sometimes simply explaining what he was doing, guiding a tutorial, telling stories, or dispensing life’s lessons. He rewarded his followers by posting regularly, and then, a serendipitous natural event took place.

On April 8th, 2024, anticipation of the solar eclipse “path of totality” captured the nation’s imagination as astronomy geeks flocked to prime locations in the U.S. to bear witness to the rare event that would darken the earth in mid-day. As the moon passed before the sun, it would interrupt daylight from central Mexico through Ohio to Newfoundland. The celestial wonder drew millions to places like Niagra Falls to witness the four-minute and twenty-eight-second spectacle. For those outside the path of totality, only a partial eclipse would occur, so social posts would be the next best thing. Lars chose to relate one of his props, one small ring inside a larger one, as a visual parallel to the eclipse, and his social media followers went nuts.

“And I was thinking about this today,” Lars said as he gently rotated two sets of rings. He kept the smaller circle in a fixed position as the larger one smoothly encircled it. “As it reminds me a lot of the eclipse, how the circles come apart and then come together just for a brief second before they separate again.”

Describing the Eclipse

“And I was thinking about this today,” Lars said as he gently rotated a larger ring around a smaller one that he kept in a fixed position. “As it reminds me a lot of the eclipse, how the circles come apart and then come together just for a brief second before they separate again.”

He continued explaining how he created the visual illusion and alternate ways to expand upon the effect. What Lars didn’t realize was that his audience embraced his demonstration so powerfully that they began to share it with their social media connections, drawing even more attention his way. This was the beginning of “going viral.” The social media jackpot.

Lars watched his viewership notifications soar by the minute, with one hundred comments, likes, shares, and new followers at a time. The exponential impressions totaled 6.2 million views to date. While the eclipse may have darkened the earth in North America, it shone a spotlight on Lars, significantly raising his profile on social media worldwide.

Lars continues experimenting with shape manipulation, regularly posting videos for over 50,000 followers. He is also excited about a new chapter in his life he calls Symmetry In Motion. Over time, he will introduce a new series of props he invented, including the Eye Ring, Double Stars, and Square One. Each offers a visual playground for him to entertain and explore. He is also producing his props for other 8-ring enthusiasts seeking inspiration. When considering a new design, Lars looks for how the two identical shapes will overlap to make a striking point in space. What he calls “sacred geometry” is at the root of his discoveries. The interplay as the shapes move is where the magic happens.

“Do you remember the toy called a Spirograph?” Lars asks. “Manipulating props is the same principle. Your hands are the pencil from the toy that trace the wheels as they rotate together or in opposite directions.” He makes it sound simple, yet further explanation reveals that responding continuously to centrifugal force and gravity requires special skills.

The Victorian Chautauqua will be one of Lars’ rare live appearances on July 6 and 7, 2024. Look for him throughout the weekend as he roams the festival grounds, presenting his famous 8-ring manipulation, crystal spheres, and other objects from his fantastical menagerie. His personable nature invites questions about optical illusion and its long-standing allure. Who knows, he may eclipse the festival weekend too.

Eye Ring

Double Star

Square One