..
"the blankets hover solidly between being a utilitarian object and a material that conforms to the work of a painting. Or, as I've said before, a painting that is impersonating a sculpture, or inversely, a sculpture impersonating a painting." - Tom Burr

“An object becomes so much more interesting
when a little bit of history is revealed." - Zak Profera





1. Tom Burr's, deep wood drive @ Bortolami Gallery :March 7th to April 26th

"Tom Burr continues his visual exploration of the physical and psychological dimension of objects, and the fantasies we project upon their surfaces. Integral to the exhibition are works from the new series of "Cloud Paintings,"which are wooden wall panels covered with woolen blankets meticulously arranged and pinned to convey states of comfort and discomfort, order and disarray. These works are shown alongside large floor-bound sculptural tableau that engage notions of containment, biography, and protectionism in the context of public view. Tom Burr emerged in the 1990s as an important new voice in the dialogue of institutional critique, exploring the politics of minimalism and politics at large that were at the forefront of artistic and social concerns during the period.

2. New Textiles by Zak + Fox. Jingasa 100% Linen.

"The Jingasa was used as a protective piece of headgear for samurais during the Edo period (1603-1867), typically made of black wood or metal with the exception of a minimalistic adornment painted in gold. Some simply shielded the warrior from the elements while others were used to ward against the dangers of battle.

This textile’s allover pattern is a modern take on a crest found upon an antique Jingasa, evoking images of a lone samurai’s journey and insatiable wanderlust."

ZAK+FOX is a New York-based company founded by Zak Profera. Our fabrics are printed on Belgian-made linen using water-based inks.

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William J. O' Brien

The Renaissance Society
Chicago, May 15- June 26, 2011

In his words, “it’s like being able to go in and do something everyday consistently creates a certain level of steadfastness in the mind and the body, and I think that is what has made me an artist rather than pursuit of beauty.”










If you live in Chicago, and love objects + art, do not miss the current show at the University of Chicago, The Renaissance Society... Trust me. William J' O Brien's work in a solo exhibition, on plywood tables. I'm bummed I wont be seeing this in person, but lucky for the rest of us, The Renaissance Society has a fantastic website, along with tons, tons of photographs, and a video of him.... Go here...




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(text below taken from a essay by Hamza Walker)




O’Brien prefers to openly share them as art. He is conspicuously prolific. His torrent of production includes drawings, ceramics, paintings, sculptures, collages, videos, zines, and tapestries, all of a volume that makes them, as symptoms, far outweigh their source in any disease. He has consciously forsaken remembering in favor of a repetition-compulsion that in his case translates more accurately as repetition-combustion. He characterizes his practice in terms of “discipline,” and “exertion” and relates art-making to a therapeutic activity helping him achieve a psychic balance.

In his words, “it’s like being able to go in and do something everyday consistently creates a certain level of steadfastness in the mind and the body, and I think that is what has made me an artist rather than pursuit of beauty.”




















Still producing his own ceramics at a community arts center, O’Brien views his work with exceptional humility, stating “it was just coincidental that I started to master the material.” Regarding authorship, O’Brien would chalk it up to the muses, if not the channeling of spirits.

“I struggle tremendously with my own authorship, asking myself, who is making this work. Who is this person? Who makes this? Because I don’t really think about it as my hand.” Not aimed at mastery, O’Brien’s discipline is geared toward dispelling a sense of self-consciousness. It is not surprising that a generous portion of his work, seen all at once, bears resemblance to the hordes of ceramic whatnots produced daily at community arts centers, as well as to a host of seminal Twentieth Century artists and ethnographic objects from throughout history. His quizzical goal, like many of his artistic brethren, is to find for himself an origin of creativity, one producing symptoms that by another name might be called joy.

(taken from a essay by Hamza Walker)










The Renaissance Society
Chicago, May 15- June 26, 2011

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