Carl Holzman in FORMAL at The Art Center-Highland Park

I spent much of Saturday afternoon at The Art Center-Highland Park accepting deliveries for the upcoming exhibition, FORMAL, which opens this Friday with a reception from 6:30–9pm. The exhibition includes paintings by Igor and Marina, turned wood and steel-beaded sculptures by Beth Kamhi and dramatic still life paintings by Carl Holzman.

Holzman's paintings—which adorn the walls of TAC's Lecture Gallery—were installed on Saturday. The intimacy of the space offers the perfect venue to approach and examine the delicate brushstrokes that morph the canvas surface into beautifully ornate patterns of fabric and patinaed antiques.

In his artist statement, Holzman points out that his paintings highlight an on-going fascination with the simple design of utilitarian mid-century objects. He is passionate about the "...varied textures, often rusted, chipped, distressed, patinated or in other ways marked by usage and time." The elements of each painting come alive with the use of theatrical lighting. Holzman reveals that "If one looks and listens without distraction, one may discern the characters on the stage, and hear their whispered dialog."

Installed a bit early, The paintings of Carl Holzman can be previewed prior to Friday's reception. Visit the Lecture Gallery of The Art Center-Highland Park at 1957 Sheridan Road in Highland Park. The Gallery Hours are Monday through Friday 9am–5pm, Saturday from 9am–4:30pm and Sunday by appointment. All work in the exhibition is available for purchase. The exhibition opens on November 6 and continues through January 2.

Also join us for Coffee and Conversation with Carl Holzman on Thursday, December 3rd from 6-8:30. I will be interviewing the artist—asking questions about his history, process and imagery. The audience will also have an opportunity for questions at the conclusion of our discussion.

Carl Holzman "Ice" oil on canvas, 30" x 24" 2014

Born and raised in Topeka, Kansas, Holzman pursued a career in corporate finance before taking early retirement to devote his time and energy to painting. Holzman's love of drawing and painting dates from childhood and adolescence, but later took a back seat to his work in the publishing and healthcare industries. Holzman received degrees in literature from Swarthmore College and The University of Chicago, and an MBA from The University of Chicago.

A resident of Chicago since graduating college, Holzman began to practice art seriously about 15 years ago when he enrolled in the Art Institute of Chicago's continuing education program. Very soon his long-dormant love of painting eclipsed other interests, and he resolved to develop his hobby into a vocation. In the years since, Holzman's award-winning still life paintings have been included in numerous solo, group and invitational exhibitions in galleries and museums in Chicago, the Midwest region, Santa Fe and Atlanta. His paintings are in many private and museum collections, both domestic and foreign.