Zahra Nazari ~ Worldview at Gallery 180 ...in its Final Days

"Mapping" acrylic on canvas, 48” x 30” 

There are just a few more days to visit the Worldview Exhibition at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. The exhibition includes work by nine artists from around the country... all defining their individual perceptions of the world in which we share. "Mapping" is one of two paintings by Zahra Nazari, included in the exhibition to benefit Worldview Education and Care. Her rich painterly style presents an abstract composition of man-made cityscapes as seen from above. Nazari explains...

The visual richness found in the structural patterns of architecture, both ancient and modern, especially in its relationship with the surrounding landscape, is the starting point of all my work.

I paint abstract urbanscapes that resemble city maps; they contain aerial views, distorted perspectives, and combinations of different architectural time periods containing both observed and imaginary disjointed places. Sometimes the images baffle even me. I am attracted to this since of ambiguity because it draws the viewer deeper into my imagery.

My mind aims for inventiveness in the painting process, passing time, worn surfaces, surprising shapes, and the mechanics of memory. I aspire to an underlying feeling of complexity and exploration in all of my work.

The Worldview exhibition will close on Friday, January 11th. It's an excellent collection of pieces and  all works are available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds donated to Worldview Education and Care. Gallery 180 is located at 180 N. Wabash... the corner of Lake and Wabash in Chicago's Loop.

Zahra Nazari received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from the School of Art & Architecture, Tabriz, Iran in July 2007. She is currently an MFA candidate in Painting/Drawing at SUNY New Paltz, New Paltz, NY and was a recipient of both a graduate scholarship and a teaching assistantship from the Memphis College of Art. Her recent exhibitions include the “6th Annual Master Pieces” at Manifest Gallery and “Reroot” at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center, both in Cincinnati, Ohio; “Twenty in Their Twenties” at Woman Made Gallery and “Wet Paint” at Zhou B Art Center, both in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was an artist in resident at The International School of Painting, Drawing & Sculpture, Umbria, Italy. In addition she is the recipient of a grant from the Vermont Studio School in Johnson, Vermont.
.

Joann Rea ~ Worldview

Tapestry, oil on masonite, 48" x 36"

Joann Rea is one of nine artists currently exhibiting at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago's "Worldview" exhibition. The work included in the exhibition is diverse—presenting a variety of perceptions and interpretations of the subject, Worldview. The two paintings shown by Joann Rea represent the density of lush forestry in early fall. The images are created with a an obsessively  complex buildup of patterns created with tinny brushstrokes. The brushstrokes emerge into a composition of movement reflecting the transitions of life. Rea explains...

Although both “Tapestry” and “Spirals” are luxuriant paintings of leaves and branches, they are also woven patterns of colors and brushstrokes that lead the eye from one curve to another in the painting. In “Tapestry,” especially, the composition winds its way up the middle of the image, with the leafy brushstrokes following the movement. Straight lines of purple tree trunks both create a stark color contrast and prevent the woven patterns from dominating the composition. “Spirals” is not so much the painting of a tree but more the painting of a tree’s vivid gold and red colors swirling through a maze of green leaves, while the branches hold everything together. 

The Worldview exhibition will be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago through January 10, 2013. All works are available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds donated to Worldview Education and Care. Gallery 180 is located at the corner of Lake and Wabash in Chicago's Loop.

Spirals, oil on masonite, 30" x 24"

Joann Rea has been capturing the nuances of nature and the environment for over 35 years, successfully showing and selling her original oil paintings through a number of galleries across the country. Her work was handled by the Dyansen Galleries of New York throughout the late 1980s and 1990s and was shown in Dyansen galleries in Boston, MA; Soho, NY; Arlington, VA; Waikoloa, HI; Tokyo, Japan; and San Francisco, CA. Independent galleries that have shown her paintings include Marin-Price Galleries, Chevy Chase, MD; Southwest Gallery, Dallas, TX; Park West Gallery, Southfield, MI; Kruckmeyer and Cohn Gallery, Evansville, IN; Fisher Gallery, Washington, DC; Main Street Gallery, Annapolis, MD; and the Prince Royal Gallery, Alexandria, VA. Joann currently maintains a studio at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center in Evanston, IL.

.

Murray Hidary ~ The Repercussions of Sandy

Abstract Color Series, Series 17#1 • digital photograph • 40” x 30” 

Producing a national juried exhibition is always a challenge but the stress increases as the work from around the country begins to arrive... or doesn't. Last Saturday morning, as I began hanging the Worldview exhibition in Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago, It was obvious that a create was missing. After a sweep of various storage areas, I contacted the artist's representative. She tracked the create to find that it was in New York... detained and possibly destroyed by super storm Sandy.

I hung the exhibition without the two Murray Hidary photographs... But the story does have a happy ending. As I was standing in the gallery—an hour before the private preview reception was to begin—FedEx delivered the crate containing Hidary's work. With a few minutes before the guests were to arrive, I uncreated the work and placed the images on easels. The following morning, the pieces were  appropriately installed—included into the exhibition before the reception and available for purchase.

The Hidary images are amazing colorfield pieces mounted behind glass and floating just in front of the wall. An explanation of these rich and thought-provoking photographs, was offered by his gallery...

The dilemma between what remains objective in photography and what is transformed by one’s own perceptions is met head on by Murray Hidary’s work. The blurred color fields in his Abstract Color Series as well as his progressively blurred objects series’ challenge how we visually organize the world. By defamiliarizing commonly encountered objects, he creates new realms within his photographs that inspire to transcend our grounded notions of perception and reality.

Hidary chooses to bring attention to that which goes largely unnoticed by us through his bare lens. His work is shot in 35mm using primarily Kodak and Fuji films and printed on a variety of surfaces including photographic and watercolor paper. Filters were not used to achieve any of the colors or effects in the work, and the images have not been digitally enhanced or physically manipulated during the developing or printing processes. Hidary’s work frames an alternative view of the world that remains true to its’ original composition from the point a photograph is snapped to the final print.

The Worldview exhibition will be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago through January 10, 2013. All works are available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds donated to Worldview Education and Care. Gallery 180 is located at the corner of Lake and Wabash in Chicago's Loop. 

 

Abstract Color Series, Series 17#2 • digital photograph • 40” x 30” 

Hidary’s work has garnered wide praise and regularly appears in gallery and museum exhibitions. His work is also held in many private collections. His photography has appeared in myriad group shows including the San Francisco MoMA’s 15th Biennial Auction, at the Guggenheim Museum, and the San Diego Art Institute. Solo exhibitions of Hidary’s work have been featured at Karpeles Museum (Santa Barbara, CA), East Link Gallery (Shanghai, China), and the Nabokov Museum (St. Petersburg, Russia).

.

Richard Laurent ~ Worldview

Richard Laurent, Veil of Tears, oil on canvas, 24"x48" 

Friday's reception for the Worldview exhibition at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago was well attended. Richard Laurent is just one of the nine artists exhibited in the show. His work "Veil of Tears" is from a series of paintings that address Criminal Traditions from a visually symbolic point of view. Laurent's statement reads...

"Around the world, millions of females live too close to their bones and too far from their dreams. They are at risk for honor killing, forced childhood marriage, acid violence, female circumcision, and more. These practices go back thousands of years and still continue today even though they result in the maiming and death of thousands of women each year. This happens worldwide, including in the United States. My work is intended to raise consciousness around these issues because consciousness is the first step toward global change."

Pieces from Laurent's series will be included in a upcoming group exhibition that is planned to travel the country with the intention of raising awareness of this multilayered issue and perhaps leading to social change. Additional information about the Criminal Traditions exhibition can be found on the CAA Exhibition Opportunities board.

The Worldview exhibition will be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago through January 10, 2013. All works are available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds donated to Worldview Education and Care. Please join me this friday for the reception, from 5:30-7:30pm. Gallery 180 is located at the corner of Lake and Wabash in Chicago's Loop.

Richard Laurent is widely exhibited, with numerous awards and recognitions. Recent solo venues include the Atrium Gallery, Fine Arts Building Chicago, Gallery H, Three Oaks, Michigan, and the University Club of Chicago. Laurent has also been included in the Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibition for the past six consecutive years. Richard Laurent is represented by Gallery H, Three Oaks, Michigan.

Opening Friday at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago

Glory Days  • oil on canvas • 36” x 48” 

This Friday, I will be hosting a reception for the Worldview National Juried Exhibition at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. The exhibition is a benefit for Worldview Education and Care... a 501(c)(3) charity that supports education and health care services in the Arumeru District of northern Tanzania.

One of the nine exhibiting artists is Chicago area painter, Anne Smith Stephan. Her beautiful subtle abstract colorfield paintings are calming in presenting their emotionally-driven content. The artist explains...

My work explores the wounds of life. Memories of these moments float in the recesses of one’s mind and then­—suddenly—jarring recollections appear out of nowhere, startling in their depth. Many moments in life are tranquil and beautiful, others are unsettling and horrific. My work approaches the range of memories that make up a life.

The Worldview exhibition will be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago through January 10, 2013. All works are available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds donated to Worldview Education and Care. Please join me this friday for the reception, from 5:30-7:30pm. Gallery 180 is located at the corner of Lake and Wabash in Chicago's Loop.

Bloodlines [top] • oil on canvas • 30” x 40” 

Gone [bottom] • oil on canvas • 30” x 40”

Anne Smith Stephan received her BA in Fine Arts and Philosophy at Barat College in Lake Forest, IL. She has studied at the Contemporary Art Workshop, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Northwestern University, and the Evanston Art Center.

Her work has been exhibited at Woman Made Gallery, Chicago; the James R. Thompson Center, Chicago; Noyes Street Cafe, Evanston; Gallery Mornea, Evanston; and the Evanston Art Center. For several years she was represented by AnamArt Gallery in Naperville. She recently had a solo exhibition at the Chicago Cultural Center and is currently in a group show at the Oak Park Art Center.
She was formerly on the faculty of the Evanston Art Center teaching oil painting and is a founding member of the Wilmette Arts Guild. Her work is in many private collections around the country.
.

Carl Holzman "...whispered dialog amid the suspended calm"

Carl Holzman, "Red Ceramic Pot", oil on canvas, 25" x 25" 

While reviewing submissions for the upcoming "Worldview" exhibition, to be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago, I came across the amazing paintings of Chicago Artist, Carl Holzman. Holzman—born and raised in Topeka Kansas—exposes his love for distressed vintage objects within his compositions. Treating the objects like the actors on a theatrical stage, Holzman arranges and lights his subjects to satisfy his obsession with composition and the rendering of a form through the use of chiaroscuro. Holzman explains:

The mid-century imagery, with its utilitarian shapes and weathered, plain-spoken character, undergoes an arresting transformation—a kind of abstraction or sublimation—under the influence of arrangement and lighting. Allusions to the recent past (objects) and the deep past (lighting, technique) are filtered through the sensibility of a contemporary painter, suggesting whispered dialog amid the suspended calm.

Nine artists were selected for the upcoming "Worldview" exhibition, which will benefit Worldview Education and Care. Founded in 2007 by Philanthropists, Ann and Robert Avery, Worldview Education and Care is a 501(c)(3) charity that supports education and health care services in the Arumeru District of northern Tanzania near Mt. Kilimanjaro.

The Worldview exhibition will be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago from November 5, 2012 through January 10, 2013. An Opening Reception will take place on Friday, November 9 from 5:30-7:30 pm. All works will be available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds donated to Worldview Education and Care.

Gallery 180 is located at 180 N. Wabash—at the corner of Lake and Wabash—in Chicago’s Loop. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 8am-8pm, Friday 8am-5:30pm and Saturday 9am-5pm. Additional information can be found at gallery180.com

.

A Different View of The World

Al Denyer, Arctic V, color pencil on paper, 22" x 22"

Save the Date: Friday, November 9th
On Friday November 9th, Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago will host a catered reception for Worldview, A National Juried Exhibition to benefit Worldview Education & Care… a 501(c)(3) charity that supports education and health care services in the Arumeru District of northern Tanzania near Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Founded in 2007 by Philanthropists, Ann and Robert Avery, Worldview Education & Care was initially created to support a small orphanage in the Nshupu Village of Arumeru. Since then, Worldview has expanded to provide education for unwed teen mothers, secondary education and graduate vocational training, as well as scholarship residence for teenagers. Their newest project, “Community Mobilization for Change”, provides HIV/AIDS outreach and counseling, which has already helped several thousand people. Worldview continues to fully support “Precious Orphanage”, which is currently home to nine orphans.

The Worldview exhibition at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago—will present the work of nine artists, each artist offering their specific perceptions of the world in which we live. The list of artists includes: Al Denyer of Salt Lake City, UT; Murray Hidary of Los Angeles, CA; Carl Holzman, Chicago, IL; Richard Laurent, Chicago, IL; Zahra Nazari, Memphis, TN; Sheila Oettinger, Chicago, IL; Joann Rea, Evanston, IL; Matthew Runfola, Chicago, IL and Anne Smith Stephan of Wilmette, IL. I plan to blog about each of these amazing artists in the coming weeks.

Al Denyer is one of the nine artists whose work was selected for inclusion into the Worldview exhibition. His exquisite pencil drawings, display beautifully mesmerizing surface patterns, interpreting one of the planets’ most pristine and unspoiled areas. Denyer explains:

“My work is invested in representing conceptual approaches to mapping, aerial views and the aesthetic created from the observation of the earth’s surface as viewed from above.
As a personal response to the recent environmental changes in the Arctic Region, I have created different bodies of drawings and paintings, which explore the aesthetics presented by the coastline and ice sheets of the Arctic and reference a satellite viewpoint. These works, which play on the aesthetic beauty of the surface and reflective material used, present an interpretation of one of the planets’ most pristine and unspoiled areas.”

Worldview: A National Juried Exhibition will be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago through January 10, 2013. Previews begin on November 5th. An Opening Reception will take place on Friday, November 9 from 5:30-7:30 pm. All works will be available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds donated to Worldview Education & Care.

Gallery 180 is located at 180 N. Wabash—at the corner of Lake and Wabash—in Chicago’s Loop. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 8am-8pm, Friday 8am-5:30pm and Saturday 9am-5pm. Additional information can be found at gallery180.com.

.