awesome!
June 1 - July 14, 2007
awesome! showcases work which refuses to take itself seriously. Work included in the show is fun, light-hearted, and playful. Touching on themes such as fantasy, consumerism, and popular culture, the selected artwork approaches these topics without cynicism. awesome! transforms things which in another context would be grotesque or overdone into transcendent objects. By isolating these ideas, the artists in the show make them more approachable. This show makes one giggle on the surface, but exposes an underbelly of lovingly nourished agendas. At the end of the day there is little left to say- this collection of work is awesome!
Liz Nielsen
www.liznielsen.com
Liz Nielsen received her MFA from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Nielsen's photo included in awesome! depicts a florescent and glowing jelly fish floating through a deep sea environment. Although this ethereal creature could be ripped from the pages of a National Geographic, it is Nielsen's construction, made out of paint, tape, and glitter. Presented in a humorous way, the work explores the boundaries between the natural and the artificial.
Chris Kerr & DeeDee Scacci
www.slimlimb.com
Chris Kerr received his BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and currently teaches at Columbia College. DeeDee Scacci received her BFA from Columbia College. Kerr and Scacci collaborate to produce sculptural work for awesome! Their collaborative sculptures draw influence from myth, folklore and German fairy tales. They depict a world of evil and mischief in which situations result in devastating consequences.
In their new series of work, both Scacci and Kerr focus on well-known children's stories and fables, which are presented in a new context. The stories and scenes are recognizable; however they have been altered by taking parts from one story and attaching them to another.
Their newest work, entitled "I'll get you my pretty," depicts a decapitated witch's head atop a log. By isolating this one element out of the fantasy world which they have created, the viewer can relate to it on their own terms, a relic of something imagined, presented as something quite real.
Paul Simmons
paulwaltersimmons.com
Paul Simmons received his BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and will begin studies for an MFA from Ohio State University in the fall. Simmons makes paintings from the future. Simmons’ work is an ongoing conversation with the language of objects, through which he seeks to reconcile contemporary ideologies in the world with his personal belief system. The works on display in awesome! suggest cultural perceptions of a hierarchical society in the assumed near future.
In years to come what materials will we have at our disposal? How can we mold those things into works of art? Simmons' work playfully deals with antiquated sci-fi visions of what the world will be like a hundred years from now. Yet, at the same time offers real substance as to what has artistic value, and will stand the test of time.
awesome! showcases work which refuses to take itself seriously. Work included in the show is fun, light-hearted, and playful. Touching on themes such as fantasy, consumerism, and popular culture, the selected artwork approaches these topics without cynicism. awesome! transforms things which in another context would be grotesque or overdone into transcendent objects. By isolating these ideas, the artists in the show make them more approachable. This show makes one giggle on the surface, but exposes an underbelly of lovingly nourished agendas. At the end of the day there is little left to say- this collection of work is awesome!
Liz Nielsen
www.liznielsen.com
Liz Nielsen received her MFA from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Nielsen's photo included in awesome! depicts a florescent and glowing jelly fish floating through a deep sea environment. Although this ethereal creature could be ripped from the pages of a National Geographic, it is Nielsen's construction, made out of paint, tape, and glitter. Presented in a humorous way, the work explores the boundaries between the natural and the artificial.
Chris Kerr & DeeDee Scacci
www.slimlimb.com
Chris Kerr received his BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and currently teaches at Columbia College. DeeDee Scacci received her BFA from Columbia College. Kerr and Scacci collaborate to produce sculptural work for awesome! Their collaborative sculptures draw influence from myth, folklore and German fairy tales. They depict a world of evil and mischief in which situations result in devastating consequences.
In their new series of work, both Scacci and Kerr focus on well-known children's stories and fables, which are presented in a new context. The stories and scenes are recognizable; however they have been altered by taking parts from one story and attaching them to another.
Their newest work, entitled "I'll get you my pretty," depicts a decapitated witch's head atop a log. By isolating this one element out of the fantasy world which they have created, the viewer can relate to it on their own terms, a relic of something imagined, presented as something quite real.
Paul Simmons
paulwaltersimmons.com
Paul Simmons received his BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and will begin studies for an MFA from Ohio State University in the fall. Simmons makes paintings from the future. Simmons’ work is an ongoing conversation with the language of objects, through which he seeks to reconcile contemporary ideologies in the world with his personal belief system. The works on display in awesome! suggest cultural perceptions of a hierarchical society in the assumed near future.
In years to come what materials will we have at our disposal? How can we mold those things into works of art? Simmons' work playfully deals with antiquated sci-fi visions of what the world will be like a hundred years from now. Yet, at the same time offers real substance as to what has artistic value, and will stand the test of time.
