Richard Rezac has a wonderful exhibition up right now at Rhona Hoffman Gallery (through February 2, 2010). In addition, the Modern Wing of the Art Institute is currently displaying six Rezac sculptures (spanning the years 1985-2008) from its Collection — they’ll be on view through early May. Rezac had a survey exhibition at the Gahlberg Gallery of the College of DuPage last year (the exhibition’s catalogue, which contains an enlightening essay by James Yood, is available for download on the Gahlberg Gallery’s website; just click on the link above to go there).

Richard generously agreed to answer a few questions about his latest works via email. I’m very grateful to him for taking the time to provide such illuminating and thoughtful responses.

You won the Rome Prize fellowship in 2006, which enabled you to travel to Italy to study Roman architecture in greater depth. To what extent did having a more sustained, daily interaction with Roman architecture impact your work?

That 11 month experience in Rome and in numerous parts of Italy has had a strong, and I trust, lasting effect, though because it was so substantive, I still do not know the extent of the influence. My purpose was to study the Baroque architecture of Francesco Borromini, whose 11 or so buildings are all in Rome. My approach in taking this in was naturally one of an artist, not an historian, though I certainly read what I could about his work and that of his immediate predecessors and those he influenced, especially Juvarra and Guarini in Turin.

The great pleasure was in seeing Borromini’s architecture (and eventually a large group of drawings in Vienna) on a near weekly basis, allowing me to feel aspects of his accomplishment and study many details. I was also privileged, by the American Academy’s offices, to gain entry to parts of his buildings normally off-limits.
The effect on my sculpture is not so clear to me, other than a continuation of some complexity – several materials or layers or juxtaposed forms within one work resulting in a, perhaps, more broad, gently argumentative, dynamic. In the long arc, though, of my sculptural language from the past 25 years, there has been an evolution from simple and concrete form to more extended, thin, linear and colored form, so the desire to be around Borromini’s architecture was in some sense anticipated by my work before I went there.

Along with architecture, I often think of interior design when viewing your sculptures. Some of them, for me, bring to mind things as mundane as contemporary kitchen and bathroom fixtures! After coming home from viewing your show, the kitchen faucets, towel racks, and cabinet knobs in my house–the particular geometries of their placement and their relationship to my body–all of a sudden stood out for me. Even the old-fashioned diamond tile in my bathroom floor started to “dance” for me in new ways. Am I being overly-specific here, or do you yourself ever draw inspiration from commonplace domestic interiors?

There is certainly a resemblance to ornament, facets of interior design objects, furniture, and architectural detail, such as moldings, in my sculpture of the past 6-8 years. I attribute this mainly to geometric form – the basic language in which my sculpture originates. Perhaps most manufactured applied design objects rely on the ease of elemental, efficient geometric forms. So there is an overlap, to be sure, between the common domestic accessories often handled or those elements produced in multiples as in tile flooring and the appearance of some of my forms or combinations.

I consider most of my sculpture, and all of those that are untitled, to be abstract and they may only arrive at some suggestiveness or association to domestic elements when completed and then exist in our space. I have rarely begun a work with the intention of representing another existing form, if anything it is in pursuit of a persona or complex phenomena. I am most interested, in as much as is possible for me, in starting with nothing and finding a satisfying form or arrangement.

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So in an art world filled with talent the Driehaus Foundation has announced this years Chicago award winners.

Rumor has it this year was extra tough and all nominees and winners should be proud.

The answers as to who they are after the jump.

Driehaus Foundation Unveils Winners of 2008 Artist Awards

Driehaus Individual Artist Awards are the only unrestricted, annual awards for Chicago artists

CHICAGO – The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation is thrilled to announce this year’s winners of the Individual Artist Awards: Jason Lazarus, Anne Wilson and Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle.

“This year’s entries proved that Chicago artists are always innovating. I am extremely proud of the thriving artists’ community we have in the Chicago area,” said Sunny Fischer, executive director of the Foundation. “The Foundation supports local working artists, allowing their work to continue to enrich our communities.”

The awards are given in recognition of the artists’ past works, talent, commitment to the field and promise. This year the Foundation increased the amount of the cash awards. Each artist will receive $15,000 to use as they see fit. There are no restrictions on how the artists can use their cash awards.

Here is a brief introduction to the winning artists:
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Chicago gallerist and legend Rhona Hoffman recorded live in a discussion with Bad at Sports at Three-Walls, on November 7, 2006, election day… when happy days arrived again.

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Duncan and Amanda interview Dan Devening about his current “editions project”, what printmaking is today, and his new exhibition space.

Everyone talks to Chris Walla, all around kickass guy and professor at Moorhead State University in Moorehead Minnesota.

And Duncan and Richard have a show that opens Saturday at the Suburban and an open Bad at Sports mic WTF?

The Suburban is Located at 244 West Lake Street, Oak Park, IL.
On the “El” it is the Ridge Land Stop on the Green Line.

You should check it out.

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BAT Magazine: Blunt Art Text. Like ninjas of art journalism, these evil doers sneak around and do smart, thoughtful reviews and publish them in their journal. We thought we had the drop on them, but nope the lights when out and Richard and I found ourselves tied together, laying on train tracks.

Who knew Richard was born with a prehensile tail?

It was a close one. Enjoy.

Oh Yeah, BAT is Elijah Burgher, Julia Marsh and William Staples.

Richard would like to note next to them, “[we] seem even dumber than usual.”

DON’T FORGET:

We are being auctioned off at Phyllis’s Musical Inn on
Thursday the 29th to benefit 40000.

AND TOTALLY, OH MY GOD!!! Duncan and Richard are announcing the first
annual art-world Kickball Tournament July 1st at Noon in Wicker Park.
Watch the blog for details.
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