Toshiko Takaezu ~ Perimeter Gallery

Toshiko Takaezu, “Form C”, 2001, ceramic, 32 x 20 x 19 inches

Yesterday afternoon, I spent some time wandering around Chicago’s River North gallery district. It's been a month or two since I had an opportunity to visit the neighborhood so I’ve been anticipating this time to explore. The trip was well worth it… I saw some wonderful work.

Perimeter Gallery, located at 210 W. Superior Street, is presenting a beautifully-peaceful exhibition of ceramic vessels by Toshiko Takaezu (1922-2011). The gallery becomes a garden of vessels mimicking a walk through a forest or nature preserve. The vertical vessels emerge from the floor as though growing from the hardwood. Smaller pieces—resting on platform ledges—offer a vision of vines cascading from a garden wall. The clean form of the vessels mimic the crisp environment of the gallery while the beautifully adorned surfaces add a natural element of intrigue with brushstrokes and drips of neutral tones… peaceful and meditative. 

Also, don’t forget to visit Perimeter's lower level gallery. There is a wonderful—very meditative— installation piece by Keiko Hara that should be experienced.

The Toshiko Takaezu exhibition continues through December 31st. Perimeter Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 to 5:30. Additional information can be found at: perimetergallery.com
.

Susan Sensemann at Perimeter Gallery

Susan Sensemann "Disclosing the Verge" 2013, Acrylic and ink on wood, 24" x 24"

If you are in the neighborhood of Chicago's River North Gallery District, stop by the Perimeter Gallery for the summer show. On view in the lower level are works by Clark Ellithorpe, Neville Gerson, Judith Kruger, and Susan Sensemann.

I dropped by the gallery last week and found myself captivated by the imagery of artist, Susan Sensemann.  Her rich patterns fill and manipulate space, offering the viewer a multitude of avenues to explore. I  found myself lost in the beauty of her surface patterns—eventually moving to the next canvas—Then the third and eventually left wanting more. Two 48" square canvases [not shown here] share a single wall. The pieces are meditatively-stunning—especially at the larger format. This show is a must see!

The Summer Group Show at Perimeter runs through August 30th. Perimeter Gallery is located at 210 W. Superior Street in Chicago.

Susan Sensemann is an artist, educator, and arts administrator who has lived and worked in Chicago since 1979. She is Professor Emerita at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Sensemann has curated a number of exhibitions that reveal her interests in feminism, gothicism, eroticism and contemporary baroque. Her photographs and paintings have been exhibited nationally and internationally, and are held in numerous private, public and university collections.
.

Don Pollack ~ Perimeter Gallery

Don Pollack, Detail from "American Landscape" 2012
oil on panel, 7 panels each 9 x 7 inches

“34 Days to Washington” is the current exhibition by artist, Don Pollack, on view at Perimeter Gallery in Chicago. It’s an interesting exhibit that chronicles a recent 2046 mile bicycle journey that followed Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural train route from Springfield to Washington D.C. The exhibition consists of paintings, maps and significant objects that compare and contrast the parallel expeditions. From Pollack’s statement…

I propose that the time has come to recognize the human powered act of riding a bicycle as an artistic gesture. The form is about movement and the measure of place. Slow movement and long distance travel situates a rider in an intimate relationship within the landscape…

Pollack goes on to describe his touring speed in relation to that of a horse and buggy… offering a slower, simpler transition of the scenic countryside. He attempts to mimic the same perception that Lincoln would have experienced on his journey. The images are peaceful but not typical of landscape painting. He incorporates graphic elements to his imagery and offers interesting twists to the landscape theme.

Continuing through May 31st, this exhibition is well worth exploring. Perimeter Gallery is located at 210 W. Superior Street in Chicago. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 to 5:30.

Rhonda Gates, "Steeling Blue Away", 2011, oil on panel, 16" x 20

While you’re there, check out the lower level gallery. There is an exhibition of abstract modular paintings by Rhonda Gates that’s also quite wonderful.
.