100 GALLERIES AND DEALER PRESENTATIONS
AT SOFA CHICAGO 2005:
STRIKING VISUAL, TEXTUAL AND MATERIAL EXPRESSIONS

Lee, Whitney Venus of Urbino by Titian, 2004 Found latch hook rugs and yarn 33 x 45" gescheidle, Chicago, IL

Striking visual, textual and material expressions promise to combine in the presentations of a record-number 100 galleries and dealers at SOFA CHICAGO 2005. Twelve new galleries will exhibit at SOFA CHICAGO this year, including Chicago’s West Loop contemporary art gallery, gescheidle, which will debut paintings as well as very strong dimensional work, including Whitney Lee’s ironic pastiche of the decorative and fine arts.

Eglin, Philip Oliver's Cranach Nudes, 2003 Ceramic 22 x 16.5" Photo: Philip Sayer Barrett Marsden Gallery, London, UK

Barrett Marsden Gallery, London, leading gallery for applied arts dealing in contemporary ceramics, glass, metal and wood, returns to SOFA CHICAGO for the sixth straight year. Principal among represented artists is Philip Eglin, winner of Great Britain’s prestigious Jerwood Applied Arts Prize in 1996 for “the most significant contribution to contemporary ceramics in the past five years.” Inspiration for Eglin’s iconoclastic porcelain figures comes from Northern Gothic religious woodcarvings, Chinese export porcelain and English folk ceramics. He is renowned for his painterly use of slips and glazes, and for his “bucket” vessels, whose surfaces carry complex layers of imagery and text.

Slee, Richard Bananas, 2005 Clay 11.5 x 16 x 16.5" Photo: Philip Sayer Barrett Marsden Gallery, London, UK

Also represented by Barrett Marsden is Richard Slee, who will speak in the SOFA CHICAGO Lecture Series. (See Lecture Series Release and Lecture Schedule). Slee won the Jerwood Applied Arts Prize in Ceramics in 2001 for “expanding the dialogue between ceramic tradition and visual culture in ways that resonate outward.” His robustly modeled and traditionally hued artworks, while often fantastical, reference the commonplace and domestic interior. Dr. Oliver Watson, Chief Curator of Ceramics and Glass, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, said, (Slee) “understands that the ornamental tradition is meaningful for most people in as complex and as significant way as any self-conscious “art”; over time, ornaments have been far more important in most people’s lives than fine art has ever been”.

Coper, Hans Hour Glass, 1965 Stoneware Sold at SOFA CHICAGO 2004 by Galerie Besson, London, UK

Jupp, Mo Black Venus, 1995 Stoneware 28" H Galerie Besson, London, UK

Galerie Besson, London, leading UK gallery for international studio ceramics, returns to SOFA CHICAGO for its sixth straight year. Louisa Vowles of Galerie Besson said, “We are very excited to be bringing a selection of new artists, as well as some artists who we always make a point of bringing over to show our American clients,” including mid-century modern vessel masters Hans Coper, Lucie Rie and Bernard Leach.

Vowles continued, “One of those new artists is Mo Jupp—a well established maker here in the UK who makes wonderful figurative sculptures in terracotta and stoneware. David Whiting, critic for the British ‘Crafts’ magazine writes: Regardless of theme, (Jupp’s) work has preserved its own silence, in which (he) has probed into mass and space with an abstract vision that deals more with essence than literalism. Jupp's work appears to have been a long and gradual reach for the sky… his latest work has pushed the figure higher, and to its abstract limits.

Lee, Jennifer Olive, dark haloed trace, amber pot and pale, speckled granite and olivetrace pot, 2004 Hand-built colored stoneware 5 x 4.25” & 8.5 x 6.25” Photo: Alan Tabor Gallery Besson, London, UK

Also exhibiting at Galerie Besson is master of the ceramic vessel, Jennifer Lee, who will make a presentation in the Lecture Series. Lee is world-renowned for her subtle yet innovative explorations of traditional cylinder and bowl forms. (See Lecture Series Release and Lecture Schedule).

Turner, Robert Owerri, 1994 Stoneware; Glazed, Sandblasted,br>16 1/2” x 15 3/4”, Photo: John White Private Collection

Helen Drutt: Philadelphia/ Hurong Lou Gallery will represent ceramic work by Robert Turner, who sadly passed away this year. Drutt said, “Robert Turner devoted himself to the medium of stoneware. His monochromatic surfaces were sand-blasted and incised with subtle alterations in the essential symmetry of their wheel thrown forms. They looked ancient but were contemporary, serene and contemplative, and reflected the peaceful countenance (of Turner.) His artistic legacy as well as his soul is present in his work.”

Lucero, Michael Dust Collector, 1997 Ceramic with glazes 85 x 22 x 23" Photo: Good Body Donna Schneier Fine Arts, New York, NY	Lucero, Michael Dust Collector, (detail) 1997 Ceramic with glazes 85 x 22 x 23" Photo: Good Body Donna Schneier Fine Arts, New York, NY

Donna Schneier Fine Arts, New York, NY will present new work by Michael Lucero who, from the beginning of his career, challenged the perceived limitations of his chosen material—clay. For Lucero, “[Using clay I could] make something that was [as] justified or legitimate as anyone else….yet have my own identify felt through the work." Schneier will present Lucero’s vessel and figural forms with their colorfully painted underglazes and sgraffito, along with whimsical new ceramic and embroidered yarn sculptures that iconically reference Staffordshire animals produced in the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

Chesney, Nicole In Spite of Everything, 2005 Glass, oil paint 55 x 36 x 1.5" Photo: Scott Lapham Heller Gallery, New York, NY

Douglas Heller, of Heller Gallery, New York, NY reported he will bring new glass sculpture by Nicole Chesney to SOFA CHICAGO, including In Spite of Everything, which “was singled out for praise in a recent exhibition review in the summer 2005 issue of Glass magazine. In it, critic Robert C. Morgan says “In her best works – such as ‘In Spite of Everything’ – one senses a sublime vastness, but not a void… and this work becomes an object that welcomes meditation.”

Mares, Ivan Archa, 2003 Cast Glass 51 x 39 x 9" Sold at SOFA CHICAGO 2003 by Heller Gallery, New York, NY

In a long awaited major return to SOFA CHICAGO, Heller Gallery will also premier new work by Ivan Mares, whose last focus exhibition sold out at SOFA CHICAGO 1999. Heller said, “In 1999, not only did every work sell but they were purchased by private collectors who made firm commitments to gift the pieces to their favorite museums.” Inspired by nature, Mares' monumental sculptures often combine organic and geometric forms, and are created by melting glass into moulds and selectively polishing the raw surface once it has annealed, a process that allows him to vary the texture and color of his work widely.

Dam, Steffan Black perforated Bowl, 2005 Slumped glass 17" D Galleri Grønlund, Vaerløse, Denmark

Galleri Grønlund, Vaerløse, Denmark will present a distinctive group of young Danish glass artists born in the 60’s and 70’s, whose work has matured into masterful vessel and abstract forms. Principal among these are Steffan Dam, whose platters, bowls and vases are often executed in a pale palette with subtle matte surface treatments and holes bored into them; Tobias Møhl, whose mastery of the tricky Venetian reticello or lace technique has earned the praise of Lino Tagliapietra, whom Møhl often assists; Micha Maria Karlslund’s black and white blown glass vessels with striking open spaces; and Stig Perrson’s large-scale architectonic cast glass wall panels, rich with color and texture.

Bridgwater, Margaret Floating Silver, nylon, silk chiffon Galerie Metal, Copenhagen, Denmark

Galerie Metal, Copenhagen, will present top Danish metal work at SOFA CHICAGO including contemporary silver hollowware by Else Nicolai Hanse, and cutting-edge jewelry made of precious as well as non-traditional materials such as Margaret Bridgwater’s Floating, which incorporates nylon and silk chiffon in a sculptural silver rings presentation. Galleri Nørby, Copenhagen, one of Denmark’s leading galleries for ceramic art, reported it will again bring challenging works that explore the fine line between vessel forms and sculpture.

Hall, Patrick Lure, 2005 Plywood, aluminum, glass, collected fishing reels, LED lighting 71.5 x 43 x 21" Photo: Peter Whyte "Convergence: Crossing the Divide" Special Exhibit at SOFA CHICAGO 2005 Despard Gallery, Tasmania

Despard Gallery, Hobart, Tasmania, will present the hugely popular furniture of Patrick Hall, about whom critic Richard Flanagan has written: “(Hall’s) works defy easy definitions. Ostensibly furniture they reach beyond the ready criteria of form, function and narrow aesthetic by which furniture is often judged...He embraces paradox and makes of it an unexpected unity: the marriage of industrial materials and finishes with highly detailed doll and toy like sculptures and fabrications, give the work a disarming innocence. Yet this in turn when coupled with his prose poems, create work at once disturbing and comforting, tragic and comic.” Steven Joyce of Despard reported that he will bring two major new pieces by Hall to SOFA CHICAGO. Lure will be presented in the Convergence—Crossing the Divide Special Exhibit at the exposition. Other artists presented by Despard Gallery include furniture by Ross Straker, Peter Prasil and Marty Wolfhagen; jewelry by Di Allison and Patricia Bromley Marks; and fiberglass, auto paint and glass Stingray sculptures by Michael Eather. (See Special Exhibits/Events Release and Special Exhibits/Events Schedule).

Dali, Salvador Surrealist Angel, 1983 28.75 x 15 x 8.6" Aldo Castillo Gallery, Chicago, IL

SOFA CHICAGO welcomes back The Aldo Castillo Gallery, Chicago, IL, specializing in contemporary Latin American art, which Aldo Castillo said, “is a hybridization of strong Pre-Colombian, European and African influences, among others.” Castillo will represent significant three-dimensional works by Salvador Dalí, who “remains one of the best-known artists of the modern era, due to his flamboyant personality and instantly recognizable art style.” In his artwork, Dalí often referenced the renowned Greek marble statue of Venus de Milo, dating from the 2nd century B.C., appropriating her her into his paintings, graphics and sculptures, beginning in 1936, when, with Marcel Duchamp, Dalí made his renowned Venus de Milo with drawers.

Hatakeyama, Norie The Inner Eye Series: Seeing is Believing, 2004 Paper fiber strips 53 x 60 x 19" browngrotta arts, Wilton, Connecticut

Tom Grotta and Rhonda Brown of browngrotta arts, Wilton, CT will bring new work by Japanese artist, Norie Hatakeyama. They write: “In (her) deft hands, simple paper packing material becomes sculpture of extraordinary power. Hatakeyama creates mass, ‘composed of layers of material plaited over and over until the entire piece acquires an unusual solidity that conveys the suppressed energy of an ever-growing organism,’ said noted basket artist, Hisako Sekijima. And, like a living organism, Hatakeyama's works have no apparent beginning or end. This feature amazes artists and casual viewers alike, forcing viewers to consider the artistic process and that of human development as well. In Seeing is Believing, this mystery is intensified by the structural tunnels that have "grown" inside the work, visible--though impenetrable—from the outside.”

Tyler, James Brickhead: TRUTH, 2005 Ceramic 96" H R. Duane Reed Gallery, St. Louis, MO, New York, NY

Artist James Tyler with his sculpture entitled, "Brickhead: TRUTH."

R. Duane Reed Gallery, New York, NY and St. Louis, MO will present large-scale ceramic sculpture by James Tyler. Duane Reed said, “Brickhead: TRUTH is the latest edition to James Tyler's Brickhead Series of ceramic sculpture. It is also the largest. Over 8000 pounds of clay were used to create the 600 ceramic bricks. The single word TRUTH, etched into the surface intermittently, repeats layer upon layer around the assemblage. Humanity constructed from many truths, or perhaps the truths themselves ordered to fit into our visions of ourselves.”

The Brickhead installation will also utilize a variety of interactive elements. Tyler has been working with a team of computer scientists at MIT in Massachusetts to develop some very new, computer-driven technologies. SOFA CHICAGO will be the debut, said Tyler: “I can't say precisely what I plan to incorporate interactively into the Brickhead: TRUTH installation. There is so much potential. Think of a painter finding a palette of entirely new colors—Now, what should I paint??”

Bergner, Lanny Symbiote Blue, 2005 Component of SOFA CHICAGO installation. Snyderman-Works Galleries, Philadelphia, PA

Bergner, Lanny Fruititious, 2005 Stainless steel screen, wire, glas frit 48 x 19" Component of SOFA CHICAGO installation. Snyderman-Works Galleries, Philadelphia, PA

Snyderman-Works Galleries, Philadelphia has also planned an ambitious new installation for SOFA CHICAGO by Lanny Bergner, entitled Ground Swell, which Bergner describes as “ethereal screen works, hovering above an eruptive ground mass.” It will be large-scale, with an estimated platform size of 20’ wide by 14’ deep.

Bruce Hoffman of Snyderman-Works Galleries, Philadelphia said: “This remarkable new installation by Washington State sculptor, Lanny Bergner comprises a variety of materials: silica sand, broken glass frit, and various types of mesh screening. The artist’s intent is to create a dreamscape, an environment somewhat surreal. Combining natural and industrial materials, Bergner makes reference to the harmful effects man is having on the environment. The landscape could be the sea floor or the surface of the moon. One may also see the great joy in these forms as new growth and an attempt for positive change. Like a destructive volcano, new growth always appears in the aftermath.”

Khan, Kay The Mumblers, 2005 36 x 17x 6.5" Quilted, pieced, layered, appliquéd, hand & machine constructed silk, felt & cotton Thirteen Moons Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

Thirteen Moons Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, will present Kay Kahn’s fabric vessels, which blend the art of quilting, fine line drawings in thread, and architectural concerns. The grid, stitched into all of her vessels, suggests order and mapping of an archeological site. Kahn says “The landscape conjures a visual stream of consciousness, things that I relate to each element…. the landscape as a place that holds secrets and hidden histories.” Jane Sauer of Thirteen Moons said, “Kay Khan’s handsome classic vessels record personal and public narratives which capture images of her thoughts, memories, dreams and reality. Her process is overlapping, inlaying, and layering fabric coupled with rows upon rows of stitches, creating an intense line drawing.”

Ueno, Masao (family [last] name: Ueno) Inside Out, 2004 Madake bamboo and gold leaf 20.5 x 16 x 20.5" Tai Gallery/Textile Arts, Santa Fe, NM

Tai Gallery/Textile Arts, also of Santa Fe, NM, represents over 30 Japanese bamboo artists, including artists named by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as Living National Treasures of Japan. Rob Coffland of Tai Gallery explained the fundamentals of bamboo art: “Bamboo masters often say it takes at least ten years to master the basic skills necessary to make a basket. Young students often spend the first few years watching their master at work while they clean, scrape and split the bamboo. After acquiring basic material understanding, students then start copying Karamono baskets (old Chinese baskets) to acquire various techniques and to gain aesthetic sensibilities. Then they become independent and make many simple flower baskets for years to gain confidence in their skill level and artistic ability, finally developing their personal style.” Coffland is excited about presenting new bamboo artists at SOFA CHICAGO: “We will debut the work of several new artists at this SOFA CHICAGO including Maseo Ueno and Shohaku Yufu. The fair attracts our most adventurous audience for leading edge sculpture.”

Karnes, Karen Trio of Tall Forms, 2004 Woodfired Stoneware 15" H Ferrin Gallery, Lenox, MA

Ferrin Gallery, Lenox, MA will present a focus exhibit of recent woodfired ceramics by Karen Karnes, in honor of her eightieth year. Leslie Ferrin said, “Ferrin Gallery celebrates the life and achievement one of today's most revered ceramic artists. Widely admired for her artistry, independence, and mentorship of younger colleagues, Karnes has successfully embraced innovation and tradition, merging utility and sculpture to forge a body of work of remarkable depth and beauty. Starting at Alfred University in 1952 she moved on to a teaching residency at Black Mountain College in North Carolina where her career crossed paths with experimental artists of that time including John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Peter Voulkos, Robert Turner. She then set up her studio in Stony Point, NY, later moving to northern Vermont where she currently lives. For thirty years, as the artistic director of the annual Old Church Pottery Sale in Demarest, NJ, she has become both a mentor to younger artists and a leader in the field of contemporary studio pottery, creating a vigorous dialog between artists in the field.” (See Special Exhibits/Events Release and Special Exhibits/Events Schedule).

Peters, Ruudt Brooches Polyester & silver Photo: Rob Versluys © Ruudt Peters Ornamentum, Hudson, NY

New to SOFA CHICAGO this year is Ornamentum Gallery, Hudson, NY, presenting international contemporary art jewelry. Stefan Friedman of Ornamentum said that central to its gallery presentation at SOFA will be Azoth, an installation of the latest series by Ruudt Peters, a leading force in the field of Dutch conceptual jewelry: “These wearable sculptures, titled after a word from alchemy, are hollow prism forms of silver, embedded in vibrantly colored layers of polyester creating an amorphous object—sliced open to reveal the mysteries within. Peters has created these works as an exploration of the transformation between liquid and solid, the mystical process of turning water into gold, an exploration he carries further in his method of displaying the works, submerged in water-filled glass bowls elevated by iron stands. SOFA CHICAGO will be the first time that Ruudt Peters' work will be exhibited as a full installation, and his first in the United States since 1997, when Malcolm Knapp, an important collector of Peters' work, organized a major presentation at the Harvard Club in New York City. To celebrate this showing, Ruudt Peters will be present at SOFA CHICAGO to speak to visitors about his work.” (See Lecture Series Release and Lecture Schedule).

Bennett, David Charisma, 2005 Hand blown glass and bronze 28 x 21 x 10" Habatat Galleries, Boca Raton, FL & Great Barrington, MA

Bennett, David Suspended Man, 2005 Hand blown glass and bronze 24 x 33 x 10" Habatat Galleries, Boca Raton, FL & Great Barrington, MA

Linda Boone of Habatat Galleries in Boca Raton, FL and Great Barrington, MA reported they will present new work by David Bennett: “David Bennett, considered one of the most prominent artists working in contemporary glass, has managed to capture the strength of bronze and the excitement of hot blown glass. The melding of these two materials, an ancient Venetian technique, has become the signature of this artist who has the insight, clarity and boldness to successfully explore the realm of figurative sculpture while igniting our interest with a fresh narrative of visual forms.” David Bennett said, “The metal structures—rigid and formal in a way that glass alone can’t be—literally allow us to build a cage that holds glass shooting through the air. And the glass animates these formal structures with its fluidity: It’s like a photograph of water frozen for a second in the air. It’s an effect that I don’t think one could capture with any other medium.”

Onofrio, Judy Look and You Shall See (detail), 2005 Mixed media 80 x 33" x 33" Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO

Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO, specializing in fine art in all media, will present new work by Judy Onofrio. Sherry Leedy said of Look and You Shall See, “This work by Judy Onofrio presents a favorite theme revisited many times in her career, the fortuneteller. Onofrio’s women, whether magicians, acrobats or lion tamers, are always icons of the powerful feminine— insightful, self-assured, dazzling, funny and wise. As a stand-in for self-portraiture, they are self-assured and smile, as if they know the answer, when up against the mysteries and precariousness of life.” Judy Onofrio is the McKnight Foundation 2005 Distinguished Artist of the Year. (See Lecture Series Release and Lecture Schedule).

View Dealers Choice, a special section of the SOFA website where SOFA CHICAGO 2005 exhibitors profile an outstanding artwork from their gallery presentations at SOFA.