Humans Merely Being
Seven artists portray the unique beauty
of the human image
and the strength of the human spirit
Tall Grass Arts
Association in Park Forest is honored to present a new exhibit opening on
January 25, 2020. Humans Merely Being includes works by artists Javier
Chavira, Michael Chelich, Judy Fan, Jeanine Hill-Soldner, Jean Lewis, Jessica
Smit Mattingly, and Lidia Wylangowska.
Each of the award-winning
artists has created an impressive body of figurative and portrait works. The
exhibit offers many diverse approaches to portraying human images through
realistic and expressive approaches, as symbolic, evocative, or strikingly literal
representations.
Through their
knowledge of anatomy and their technical expertise with a variety of media,
the seven
artists convey identity, action, expression and emotion. Inspired by a number
of different artists, movements, and sources – the great masters of the Renaissance and Baroque
periods; the Symbolist and Pre-Raphaelite artists of the late nineteenth
century; narrative and allegorical paintings; classical methods of realistic drawing
and painting; the challenging lives of children from Mali and Kenya; the joy of
families spending time together in Chicago; cherished moments with their own daughters
and sons – they create personal works that often move us to recognize our
similarities, our shared situations, our common humanity.
These artists
and educators have been recognized with honors, commissions, solo and group exhibitions, both nationally and internationally.
Their figurative works appear in numerous galleries and museums, in art
journals and magazines, and in television
interviews and documentaries.
Working from
life and photographs, the artists in the Humans Merely Being exhibit create
what artist Jeanine Hill-Soldner describes as “fresh narratives, capturing the
life, energy, movement, and excitement experienced in the moment.” Seeking to
express the authentic beauty of the human figure, they often strive - as artist Jessica Smit Mattingly
has stated her goals – “to physically portray the emotions experienced within, what
lies beneath the surface, the larger stories and deeper meanings of our
everyday experience.”
Curated by
Claudia Craemer and Deborah Craemer, Humans Merely Being is on view
from January
25 through February 29, 2020, with an Artists Reception, open to all, on
Saturday,
January 25, from 1-3pm.
