Current Exhibition
July 26th - August 28th, 2010
Opening Reception Friday, July 30th 6pm-9pm
Artist Talk Saturday, July 31st at 2pm
Closing Reception Friday, August 27th 7pm-9pm
Monuments
Monuments is an artist's in-depth exploration of three closed factories in Indiana; Borg Warner of Muncie, BPB Celotex of Lagro, and Delco Remy of Anderson. Nathanael Gray has been visiting these motionless structures in order to paint them as they currently stand. Gray's paintings are of a fine art quality, as he uses his medium to reflect the shapes and shadows of the rooms and structures that are before him. The series of watercolors are quick studies of each factory and provide a window into Gray's perspective as he paints based on what he sees and also the stories he has heard behind these shut-downs. Gray has built three boxes for each factory which contain multiple paintings within each one. These boxes are on the floor of the gallery and allow the viewer to walk around the structure and also interact with it by opening them up to view more paintings. These "monuments" to the factories represent the structures as they stand motionless now, but allow the viewer to remember something that once was and now is not. The paintings in these boxes are much more intricate studies of the buildings as they stand in light and shadow.
Past Exhibitions
June 13th - July 22nd, 2010
Opening Reception Friday, June 18th 6pm-9pm
Artist Talk Saturday, June 19th at 2pm
Closing Reception Friday, July 16th 6pm-9pm
Not Quite There Yet
Glowing Fishes
Argentinian and local Chicago artist, Beatriz E. Ledesma will be exhibiting a series of work entitled, Not Quite There Yet. This series of vibrant work explores our attempts to find a safe space amidst a world of chaos and destruction. By exploring this aspect of life, the work inspires us to question what makes us feel safe and where we go to feel safe, whether that space is a state of mind or an actual place. The exhibition consists of several vibrant mixed media and oil paintings. Each piece exhibits an ethereal demonstration of chaos through brush strokes and painted forms that surround a window or space of calm and safety. Through her work, Ledesma proposes to the viewer a spiritual path to finding safety amidst a current society of materialism and violence. Ledesma's personal beliefs and background reflect strongly through this exhibition of work.
May 3rd - June 12th, 2010
Opening Reception Friday, May 7th 6pm-10pm
Closing Reception Friday, June 11th 6pm-9pm
All-Day Sketch Event with the Artist on Saturday, June 12th
The Peculiar Manifestation of Paint in My Life
Chicago-based emerging artist, Jennifer Cronin brings her large-scale oil paintings to the gallery for a solo exhibition of intimate, self-portraiture. Cronin's paintings focus on the psychology of the domestic space, personal space and the imaginative space in which our minds can take us. The figure in each painting faces her fears as manifested through ominous forms of paint within the space. Sitting on the surface of the canvas, the paint breaks the peace of these quiet, interior moments in which the artist finds herself. The result is a beautifully composed painting that vibrates with captivating tension and anxiety. Cronin's work is deeply visually satisfying and emotionally charged through the gestures of the figure and the ominous paint form in the room. The viewer is faced with the uncomfortable task of seeing something that the subject in the painting is unaware of, and wondering what will happen next. Cronin's work is heavily laced with the psychology of the human mind in our most intimate and lonely moments. Her process takes cues from the historical painted dramas of Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi, as well as the archetypal human fears that are visually represented in popular horror films.
March 26th - May 1st, 2010
Opening Reception Friday, March 26th 6pm-10pm
Closing Reception Friday, April 30th 7pm-9pm
The Record is Far From Complete
narrative collages by Lillianna Pereira
Lillianna Pereira of Northampton, MA brings her narrative collage work to Chicago in an exhibition of several framed paper compositions. Pereira's inspiration for her work is mythology and collage is her medium. Pereira pulls images from magazines, newspapers, books and other printed materials in order to deconstruct and reassemble them into a collage. The personal unconscious guides her composition, while the meaning of the pieces emerge to form a narrative. The narratives bring a darker content of uninhibited perspective to these beautiful images that are so delicate in appearance. Much of her work reflects the female experience in society, by juxtaposing these forms with loaded imagery of other objects and forms. The language of myth allows for the imagery to be read universally, but allows room for those interpretations to extend beyond Pereira's intentions. The viewer is asked to interpret the narrative by not only examining the literal images within the work, but by observing how those images, now brought together through Pereira's perspective, reflect the societal, emotional and cultural elements found in the materials that were so carefully chosen.
February 8th - March 24th, 2010
Open Reception Friday, February 12th 6pm-10pm
10% of the sales from this exhibition will be donated to Haiti through www.oxfamamerica.org
1000 Miles Shy - Jay Lawrence Pearson
1000 Miles Shy is a large-format documentary photography exhibit based on Seattle-based photographer, Jay Lawrence Pearson's hike of the Appalachian Trail. In 2005, Pearson embarked on the Northern half of the AT with his 4x5 field camera, with the intention of taking 3 shots a day. The work speaks strongly from the photographer's point of view through the self-portraits that involve a connection to the trail, as well as the struggle of the hike. Just as importantly as the work is a self-study, it also pays homage to the people of the area who Pearson hiked with and spent various lengths of time with. The intimacy of these photographs reveal a unique perspective from Pearson that seems humble and lacks any sense of intrusion into the subject's lives. The work provides a glimpse into the hiking subculture in America and places this into the setting of a very intimate gallery space. Since the work was exhibited at UIC in 2006, Pearson has taken time to go back over the photographs, rearrange and reinterpret both the experience of the hike and the work itself. 1000 Miles Shy includes many more photographs that have been recently printed in Seattle.
December 21st, 2009 - February 6th, 2010Artist Talk Friday, January 29th @ 3pmOpen Reception to follow 6pm-10pm
The Wear Recycle Poster Show - Nicky Watts
Wear Recyle comes to Chicago in the form of hand printed silkscreen posters designed by Catherine Savello and produced by Nicky Watts Studios. Nicky Watts is the producer, sculptor, photographer and researcher for the international project. The posters have been designed based on the final photographs of individuals paired with a sculpture made out of recycled paper. Watts studies the interactions and relationships between the participants involved in the project in order to explore the fragility of interpersonal relationships and draw a correlation between this and the process of working with recycled paper to create a sculpture. The sculpture is inspired by the cast of a body part of that individual and the actual intimate experience of the casting. Wear Recycle will be visiting other countries once it leaves Chicago and will finish with the publication of a book on the entire experience of work relationships through the process and implementation of an artistic vision.
Dinner with the Artist
There will be a private dinner with the artist on Saturday, January 30th at 6pm at Tamarind . The dinner will include several different asian inspired dishes, wine and exclusive access to the artist for an entire evening of fine dining and good conversation. Tickets are availalbe at the gallery for $100 each and the proceeds will benefit Wear Recycle and its' ability to travel internationally.
November 1st - December 19th, 2009
Open Reception Friday, November 20th 6pm-10pm
Sam Kirk
The "i am" show combines 3 different series of work from 2008 and 2009. The work highlights major influences that have inspired Sam to take on a new approach using more raw materials as her canvas. The exhibit allows for us to see her development as an artist over the past 2 years and provide a window into her future ventures. The work is progressive and speaks to an evolving American culture in which so many other cultures collide and struggle with identity and representation. These ordinary streets contain vibrant and impressive people that we constantly ignore. Sam takes the time to explore the ordinary and share her interpretations with us so that we might appreciate the diversity in current society.
