The promise of music hangs in the air, but is never realized. In Tambourine, Matthew Schreiber (b. Cleveland, Ohio, 1967) creates a shimmering hologram that is as ephemeral as the echoing reverberations of a fading musical note. In his work, Schreiber cleverly plays with the relationship between music and the visual arts, suggesting that they are both ultimately both ephemeral and eternal. The tambourine, thought of as a joyous instrument, associated with celebration and exultation, is here silent, and seemingly encased in a Plexiglas box. But the artist has captured a ghost, and the instrument is merely a trick of the light. Depending upon which angle the viewer observes the piece, the tambourine emerges and fades, its solidity a mirage. Schreiber is part of a group of “light and space artists” working across varying mediums including light sculptures, holography, and photography. He uses experimental materials and techniques to create aesthetic effects that don’t necessarily appear contemporary, but rather timeless. The artist says, “I allow the audience to build their own experience by the static and silent quality of most of my installation. This way I am not controlling time. This method creates focus and meditation.” Here, the artist creates a modern memento mori, suggesting that moments of music, and of pleasure, can never be satisfactorily captured for long, but must be embraced in the moment.