Carl Holzman ~ Hyperreal at Gallery 180

"Antique Iron", oil on canvas, 25" x 25" framed (stained walnut) 2012

Carl Holzman is one of four artists participating is "Hyperreal", an exhibition of photo-realistic paintings, currently on exhibit at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. His imagery is composed of weathered objects from the past, lit and tightly rendered with the focused-intent of a contemporary realist painter. The work conveys nostalgia–a longing for a simpler time. Holzman explains...

The paintings in this series reflect my continuing preoccupations with compositional austerity, textural variety (here conveyed through vintage objects rusted, chipped, patinated or otherwise distressed over time), and dramatic contrasts of light and shadow. 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.

"Masking Tape", oil on canvas, 25" x 25" framed (stained walnut) 2012

Carl Holzman's paintings are presented with the work of K. Henderson, Allan Gorman, and Roland Kulla. Hyperreal will be on exhibition at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago through February 28, 2013. All works are available for purchase. 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.

"Calumet", oil on canvas, 25" x 25" framed (stained walnut) 2012

Born and raised in Topeka, Kansas, I received a BA in English and French Literatures from Swarthmore College and an MA in English Literature from The University of Chicago, before earning an MBA from the University of Chicago in 1982. For over two decades I worked in corporate finance in the publishing and healthcare industries.

Although I have drawn and painted avidly since early childhood, I did not pursue art seriously until 10 years ago, when I began studying drawing and painting at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and later with portrait painter Richard Halstead. As my interest in painting grew, I found ways to scale back my day job until several years ago, when I took early retirement and dedicated myself full time to painting.

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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).

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