The ARC Gallery is hosting an opening reception for a group exhibition titled Consciousness of Abstraction: Beyond Literal Appearance. This show will feature several artists all working within abstraction.

The terms “Abstraction” or “Abstract Art” are perhaps among the most common references describing particular way(s) of understanding and perceiving the cosmic and daily realities in which we find ourselves. (We might note, too, that the terms are often mis-applied as though they are necessarily in opposition to “Realism” or “Realistic Art”.) The truth is, however, that the abstract art “movements” of late 19th and early 20th century (Impression, Cubism, Expressionism, Surrealism, etc.) were driven by a passion to get closer to the complex realities of nature and human condition, not depart from them. Later, Minimalism, Neo-Dada, Geometric Abstraction, Conceptualism, Art Povera and other developments continue this “Big Bang” inquiry. Put simply, “Realism in Art” could no longer be described as an explicit fidelity to direct, observed, experience. This basic axiom remains, arguably, just as valid today: Reality is often far beyond simple, static appearance and can be highly counter-intuitive. Over the decades, the concepts of Relativity, Quantum Theory and the advent of photography – among many other ideas – have helped clarify, how and why this is so.

Abstraction, of course can be many different things, driven by many different principles and suppositions: some conscious, some intuitive. This exhibition invited artists to submit, through the qualities and implications of their work, some conscious exploration of this question.

EXHIBITING ARTISTS: Martin Altman, Kayla Bailey, Zoe Beaudry, Gretchen Beck, Curtis Anthony Bozif, Nancy Charak, Shuwan Chen, Miles Chumley, Chris Cinque, Lexi Coffee, Simone Collins, Barb Cone, Sally Duback, Gary Duehr, Ashley Edgerton, Jack Flynn, Judith Roston Freiilch, Alice George, Zack G Goulet, Mille Guldbeck, Carol Hamilton, David Hauptschein, Paula Henderson, Kate Hendrickson, Susan Hensel, Megan Hinds, Nancy Hlavacek, Kate Pollard Hoffman, Neil Kalmanson, Jamie Kost, Sarah Kreuter, lialia Kuchma, Carrie L. Larson, Chris Law, Denton-Peter McCabe, Jon Merritt, Nabil Mousa, Denise Presnell, Gina Lee Robbins, Sabrina Sabella, Fran Sampson, Judith Shepelak, Eunhye Shin, Casey Sills, Pamela Simard, Marion Sirefman, Jim Sloman, Jeff Stevenson, Sharon Swidler, Nils Timm

JUROR: David Reif, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Univ. Wyoming. BFA, Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, The Art Institute of Chicago; MFA, Sculpture, Yale Univ.; Assoc. Professor, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.; Chair and Board, Wyoming Council for the Arts; Visiting Artist: Univ. of Northern Arizona, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, Univ. of Michigan, Colorado State Univ. Ft. Collins, Centenary College of Louisiana, Univ. of Houston, TX., Wayne State Univ. Detroit.

Official Website

More events on this date

Tags: Alice George, ARC Gallery, Ashley Edgerton, Barb Cone, Carol Hamilton, Carrie L. Larson, Casey Sills, Chicago, Chris Cinque, Chris Law, Consciousness of Abstraction: Beyond Literal Appearance, Curtis Anthony Bozif, David Hauptschein, David Reif, Denise Presnell, Denton-Peter McCabe, Eunhye Shin, Fran Sampson, Gary Duehr, Gina Lee Robbins, Gretchen Beck, Jack Flynn, Jamie Kost, Jeff Stevenson, Jim Sloman, Jon Merritt, Judith Roston Freiilch, Judith Shepelak, Kate Hendrickson, Kate Pollard Hoffman, Kayla Bailey, Lexi Coffee, Lialia Kuchma, Marion Sirefman, Martin Altman, Megan Hinds, Miles Chumley, Mille Guldbeck, Nabil Mousa, Nancy Charak, Nancy Hlavacek, Neil Kalmanson, Nils Timm, Pamela Simard, Paula Henderson, Sabrina Sabella, Sally Duback, Sarah Kreuter, Sharon Swidler, Shuwan Chen, Simone Collins, Susan Hensel, West Town, Zack G Goulet, Zoe Beaudry