July 14 - August 16, 2017
opening reception: July 14, 2017 - 5:00 to 8:00pm
opening reception: July 14, 2017 - 5:00 to 8:00pm
Chicago & Indianapolis - What's the Connection?
Curators Statement by Michael Robertson & Christopher Slapak
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Two obvious connections between Chicago and Indianapolis: geographic proximity and topographic similarity (essentially flat). With the exception of Lake Michigan for Chicago, the growth of the two cities has been largely unconstrained by major natural features. Indianapolis and Chicago are defined by strict rectilinear grids of streets that provide a sense of rational planning that is not prevalent in the cores of older East Coast and European cities. We detect a shared urban sensibility in Chicago and Indianapolis.
What about the artistic cultures of the two cities? In a world of networked artists and international biennials and art fairs, is it useful or illuminating to speak today of “national” artistic practices, much less those of “regional” American artists? Despite the advent of our globalized art world, artists working in Midwestern locales such as Chicago and Indianapolis are still at risk to be marginalized in the art historical record. The notion of “regional” or “provincial” artistic production has proved to be a stubborn one, even when it is not explicitly acknowledged or articulated in critical discourse. |
In our experience, the work of artists in Chicago and Indianapolis has proved to be more compelling and rewarding than much that we have encountered in New York City, Los Angeles, or abroad. And while we reject the invidious label of “provincial” art, we have observed common threads in the practices of artists working in Chicago and Indianapolis.
Liminality is a shared attribute of the work of the artists included in this show as well as that of several Chicago artists whom we admire. By the term “liminal” we mean to imply an “in between” or “borderline” state occupying an indeterminate space outside or at the threshold of traditional media or spheres of artistic activity.
Blurring the boundaries: fine art and other modes
Just as Midwestern artists have sometimes been marginalized because of their geographic location, some artists have been marginalized for pursuing practices considered outside the purview of fine art. These include artists whose work has been described by adjectives such as “decorative” or “craft” or “vernacular.” Ray Duffey and Reagan Furqueron produce objects in wood that hover between functional / design-oriented and non-functional work. Regardless of category, these objects exhibit high facture and an arresting visual interest. Furqueron’s works reference mental maps of his travels and activities since moving to the Midwest. Duffey’s use of salvaged material parallels efforts such as the artistic repurposing of abandoned buildings and discarded objects from Chicago’s South Side.
Anila Quayyum Agha’s practice includes references to domestic work such as embroidery, historically the domain of women and disvalued in an art world dominated by men. Her work explores relationships between gender, culture, and social codes. Apposite Chicago practices include that of Christina Ramberg, who painted images of the female body, hairdos, and undergarments and then later focused on making quilts. Likewise, Rebecca Shore’s early tempera on panel paintings have a domestic scale and employ patterns evocative of her prior work as a quiltmaker.
Figurative versus abstract painting
In the 21st century it is perhaps superfluous to revisit the contest between representational and abstract art. After the controversies attending the Armory Show, the backlash against Abstract Expressionism, and Gerhard Richter’s triumph in rejection of a “signature style,” all seems to be fair game since the death of painting was prematurely announced. In Chicago, the works of Ray Yoshida, Jim Lutes, or Andrew Holmquist exemplify the fluid boundaries between figurative and abstract painting.
The paintings of Marc Jacobson and Valerie Eickmeier include figuration, but they could not be described as representational in an illusionistic sense. Whereas Jacobson’s pictures concentrate on the urban core, Eickmeier’s are evocative of natural settings near water. Jacobson’s paintings have site-specific imagery and are allusive rather than descriptive in their formal vocabulary. Eickmeier’s works oscillate between more intimate, figurative pictures and larger, almost abstract works.
Two dimensions and/or three dimensions
In the current post-medium condition, it may seem frivolous to consider the roles of painting versus sculpture in an artist’s practice. It is unexceptional for an artist to work in multiple modes, including painting, sculpture, photography, video, and installation. However, we believe that such concerns are not a matter of indifference to the artists in this exhibition.
Melissa Parott Quimby predominately produced ceramic sculptures for some years after completing her education at the Herron School. More recently, she has focused on paintings and works on paper characterized by use of bold colors and patterns contrasted by occasional pieces that primarily emphasize linearity.
Andrew Winship has followed the opposite trajectory in his practice. His earlier work was largely two-dimensional, including paintings, drawings, and prints. He is currently producing assemblages of three-dimensional objects in the shapes of diamonds, icicles, and octahedra, all rendered with a lustrous finish.
William Potter produces work that is not adequately categorized as either painting or sculpture. He starts with ideas developed in drawings that are subsequently translated into collages that are then realized into three dimensional forms. The milled plywood structures thus produced are subjected to polychromatic treatment to yield striking yet ambiguous objects.
We hope that you enjoy the show as much as we have enjoyed the opportunity to work with the artists, the staff of the Herron School of Art and Design, and the Zolla/Lieberman Gallery. We owe special thanks to Timothy Stark at the Herron School and Brian Gillham at Zolla/Lieberman Gallery for their patience and assistance.
Liminality is a shared attribute of the work of the artists included in this show as well as that of several Chicago artists whom we admire. By the term “liminal” we mean to imply an “in between” or “borderline” state occupying an indeterminate space outside or at the threshold of traditional media or spheres of artistic activity.
Blurring the boundaries: fine art and other modes
Just as Midwestern artists have sometimes been marginalized because of their geographic location, some artists have been marginalized for pursuing practices considered outside the purview of fine art. These include artists whose work has been described by adjectives such as “decorative” or “craft” or “vernacular.” Ray Duffey and Reagan Furqueron produce objects in wood that hover between functional / design-oriented and non-functional work. Regardless of category, these objects exhibit high facture and an arresting visual interest. Furqueron’s works reference mental maps of his travels and activities since moving to the Midwest. Duffey’s use of salvaged material parallels efforts such as the artistic repurposing of abandoned buildings and discarded objects from Chicago’s South Side.
Anila Quayyum Agha’s practice includes references to domestic work such as embroidery, historically the domain of women and disvalued in an art world dominated by men. Her work explores relationships between gender, culture, and social codes. Apposite Chicago practices include that of Christina Ramberg, who painted images of the female body, hairdos, and undergarments and then later focused on making quilts. Likewise, Rebecca Shore’s early tempera on panel paintings have a domestic scale and employ patterns evocative of her prior work as a quiltmaker.
Figurative versus abstract painting
In the 21st century it is perhaps superfluous to revisit the contest between representational and abstract art. After the controversies attending the Armory Show, the backlash against Abstract Expressionism, and Gerhard Richter’s triumph in rejection of a “signature style,” all seems to be fair game since the death of painting was prematurely announced. In Chicago, the works of Ray Yoshida, Jim Lutes, or Andrew Holmquist exemplify the fluid boundaries between figurative and abstract painting.
The paintings of Marc Jacobson and Valerie Eickmeier include figuration, but they could not be described as representational in an illusionistic sense. Whereas Jacobson’s pictures concentrate on the urban core, Eickmeier’s are evocative of natural settings near water. Jacobson’s paintings have site-specific imagery and are allusive rather than descriptive in their formal vocabulary. Eickmeier’s works oscillate between more intimate, figurative pictures and larger, almost abstract works.
Two dimensions and/or three dimensions
In the current post-medium condition, it may seem frivolous to consider the roles of painting versus sculpture in an artist’s practice. It is unexceptional for an artist to work in multiple modes, including painting, sculpture, photography, video, and installation. However, we believe that such concerns are not a matter of indifference to the artists in this exhibition.
Melissa Parott Quimby predominately produced ceramic sculptures for some years after completing her education at the Herron School. More recently, she has focused on paintings and works on paper characterized by use of bold colors and patterns contrasted by occasional pieces that primarily emphasize linearity.
Andrew Winship has followed the opposite trajectory in his practice. His earlier work was largely two-dimensional, including paintings, drawings, and prints. He is currently producing assemblages of three-dimensional objects in the shapes of diamonds, icicles, and octahedra, all rendered with a lustrous finish.
William Potter produces work that is not adequately categorized as either painting or sculpture. He starts with ideas developed in drawings that are subsequently translated into collages that are then realized into three dimensional forms. The milled plywood structures thus produced are subjected to polychromatic treatment to yield striking yet ambiguous objects.
We hope that you enjoy the show as much as we have enjoyed the opportunity to work with the artists, the staff of the Herron School of Art and Design, and the Zolla/Lieberman Gallery. We owe special thanks to Timothy Stark at the Herron School and Brian Gillham at Zolla/Lieberman Gallery for their patience and assistance.