"Ripple..." comes to a close

A few weeks back, I was contacted by Philip Hartigan, artist and faculty member at Columbia College in Chicago. Hartigan—born in the UK and now living in Chicago—asked me if I would consider meeting to conduct an interview related to my work and the three-person exhibition currently on view at The Art Center in Highland Park. Well... the interview was posted this morning on Hartigan's blog and it's worth a read.

As a reminder, "Ripple ~ Cause and Effect" at The Art Center in Highland Park will close on July 22nd. The exhibition—and the exhibition space— is wonderful. The three-person show includes sculpture by Paula Kloczkowski Luberda, and paintings by Yelena Klairmont and myself. The work flows together seamlessly. If you're in the area, take a quick trip to the Center... it will be worth the visit.

The Art Center - Highland Park, Illinois

Some twenty years ago—after I graduated from school—I was trying to find ways of feeding myself as well as feeding my soul. I was working as a print designer yet wanted to continue painting and teaching. I ended up working a number of part time teaching positions, including one for The Suburban Fine Art Center in Highland Park. Well, over the years, the Center constructed a new space a few block from the original space, and they shortened their name to "The Art Center".

Earlier this week, I took a drive up to Highland Park. I hadn't been there in years. I wanted to check out the new space, since I—along with Paula Kloczkowski Luberda and Yelena Klairmont—have landed a show in the center's amazing main gallery. The three person show is titled "Ripple – cause and effect". It's a powerfully inspirational exhibition of painting and sculpture, presenting imagery focused of the meditative surface patterns found within nature. The works of Yelena Klairmont, Paula Kloczkowski Luberda, and myself have been compiled to create this peacefully, compelling exhibition.

The oil paintings of Yelena Klairmont are the most literal of the group. Klairmont captures the result of a compromised pool of water—portraying the ripple effect as a beautiful thought-provoking moment in time.

Paula Kloczkowski Luberda creates powerful stoneware rock forms with intriguing surface features. The wonderfully glaze-washed forms are manipulated and organized to create intriguing compositions in space.

Influenced—for more then a decade—by the hundreds of the pre-historic stone circles throughout Great Britain, my work uses the surface patterns of the Megaliths to create meditative imagery on which to ponder.

“Ripple – cause and effect” will be presented at The Art Center of Highland Park from July 2 through the 23th. An Opening Reception will be held on July 2 beginning at 6:30pm. The Art Center in Highland Park is located at 1957 Sheridan Road. For additional information, contact The Art Center at: 847.432.1888 or check the web site at: www.theartcenterhp.org