Statement


I’m a visual artist who works in several interdisciplinary areas: both 2D and 3D formats using oils, acrylics, encaustics among other materials. In choosing the format for the artworks I’m drawn toward the media that best embodies and supports my idea. Often the works entomb cast-offs such as, peach pits, bullet casings, cigarette butts, insects, bones and dried fish in encaustic. This waxing of found objects or cast-offs carries a certain aesthetic. This infusion of materials whether paint or wax lends itself to a wide range of tactile encounters.

The processes in creating pieces often involve collecting and saving piles of objects and deciding on the best way to reconstruct or deconstruct them in works. Some recent pieces utilize throwaways like floppy disks or food boxes as subject matter that comment on conditions of wastefulness, over-consumption and excessiveness in contemporary life. Other works incorporate an assemblage of found elements [teeth, bones, a hearing aid] which make statements of a conceptual and humorous nature. For example, Michelangelo’s Molars which contain teeth I found in Tuscany. Who’s to say they are not really Michelangelo’s molars? The results of my works have a richness and depth to be explored on several levels. 



Biography


As a kid I didn’t know about being an artist. My drawing experiences consisted of making drawings on the streets and sidewalks on our block. We had no art on our walls and never talked about artists. I am first generation Czech/Bohemian descent. My mother was quite an accomplished baker and my father was enormously handy and creative with machines. They never discouraged my artistic pursuits but didn’t know how to encourage or direct me either. Their advice was to “pursue what you love to do.”


At age 13, I won a drawing contest from the Chicago Daily Newspaper and spent Saturdays at the Art Institute taking free drawing classes in Fullerton Hall. In High School we had an artist named Jack Powell doing field work from the Art Institute of Chicago who influenced me immensely. He made me aware of many contemporary artists and techniques. It was his encouragement that I entered and won a years scholarship to Illinois Institute of Technology and met sculptor Cosmo Compoli who also had a huge impact on my artistic development.


In 1960, the School of the Art Institute had a competition offering a scholarship. Applicants had to arrive with supplies on a Saturday morning and work all day on a project that was to be judged. Not knowing what to expect, I arrived with many shopping bags filled with stuff: paints, found objects, tools, burlap, wall papers etc. I think I won a scholarship mostly on my fortitude in exploring materials, techniques and of youthful exuberance. After graduating in 1964 with a BFA I slowly pursued my artistic career exhibiting in various venues.


For many years I had meaningless jobs to survive and only pursued my art part-time. I was awarded an Illinois Arts Grant which enabled me to buy supplies. I taught at the School of the Art Institute, faux finish techniques, and at Columbia College, 2D and 3D classes. In the 1970s I went to New York City several times and took my work around galleries. In 1980 I had a solo exhibit at Neill Gallery in Soho. Unfortunately the 80s was the beginning of the AIDS crisis and much of the art community began to change. I showed also at Axel Rabin and Terry Dintenfass galleries only to have them close. 


At this time in NYC I had a major epiphany. While in line at David Davis art store on LaGuardia, I noticed Francisco Clemente next to me buying the same sketch books, pencils and oil paints. He was already a famous, successful artist paying the same price of materials as I with limited means in comparison and thought successful artists should pay more. Silly as that may sound, I immediately began to use more cast-off materials instead of expensive oil paints.


Since then, my work has been in numerous group shows, nationally and well as Europe, New Zealand, Czech Republic and Paris. I have shown work with Pocket Art Gallery in Hamburg Germany and in the Berlin International Expo in 2000. With the encouragement of art dealer Karen Lennox, I showed my work to William Lieberman of Zolla Lieberman Gallery. In the 70s I showed at the same gallery, at that time run by his mother Roberta. I had to leave the gallery when I moved to Paris. William liked what I showed him, made several studio visits, and took me on as a represented artist.


During most of my career my husband Phillip has been my mentor and honest critic, encouraging me throughout ups and downs. To this very day I still find the need to create works of art but not on sidewalks or streets.


CV

Represented by: Zolla Lieberman Gallery, Chicago


Selected Exhibitions


  • Rockford Art Museum Biennial Show, Rockford IL 2023
  • ARC Gallery, group exhibit "Motley Cruise" Chicago 2023
  • Stola Contemporary “Guns + Money”, Chicago IL 2020
  • Zolla Lieberman Gallery, “CITY UNHINGED”, Main Gallery, Chicago, IL 2020
  • Robert Morris U., State Street Gallery, “Variations in Wax” group, Chicago IL 2019
  • Zhou B Center “Painting with Fire” group, Chicago IL 2019
  • Woodstock Court House, “Compendium” group, Woodstock IL 2018
  • ExpoChgo with Zolla Lieberman Gallery, 2017 + 2018
  • Bridgeport Art Center “Rebirth of an Ancient Medium” group, Chicago IL 2017
  • Art Miami with Zolla Lieberman Gallery, Miami. FL 2016
  • Expo Chgo with Zolla Lieberman Gallery, Chicago Il 2016
  • Dubuque Museum of Art, Solo, Dubuque IA 2016
  • Art Miami with Zolla Lieberman Gallery, Miami FL 2015
  • Expo Chgo with Zolla Lieberman Gallery, Chicago IL 2015
  • ExpoChgo with Zolla Lieberman Gallery, Chicago IL 2014
  • Art Miami with Zolla Lieberman Gallery, Miami FL 2014
  • Zolla Lieberman Gallery “Re:Animate” Chicago, IL 2014
  • Morpho Gallery “Unbound [ed” Chicago IL 2014
  • Union Street Gallery “Fused” Chicago Heights, IL 2014
  • Expo Chgo 2013, with Zolla Lieberman Gallery, booth 600
  • Art Miami with Zolla Lieberman Gallery, Miami FL 2012
  • Zolla Lieberman Gallery “Paper Works” Chicago 2012
  • Eyeporium Gallery “Wax Works” group Chicago 2012
  • Chicago Artists Coalition Gallery Spotlight Wall Chicago 2012
  • The Sketchbook Project World Tour 2012, Art House, Brooklyn, NY Traveling Sketchbook Exhibition
  • Noyes Cultural Arts Center, Fused Chicago, group, Evanston, IL, 2011
  • 33 Contemporary Gallery, 7th Annual National Self-Portrait Exhibition, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago,2011
  • Black Cloud Gallery, FusedChicago, group, Chicago 2011
  • Harper Gallery, Chicago, 2011
  • Fine Arts Building, 1stFusedChicago, group show, Chicago 2009
  • Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, 2009
  • Galerie Hlavniko mesta prahy (City Gallery Prague), Czech Republic 2006
  • Axel Rabin Gallery, New York 2005
  • Eastwick Gallery, Solo, Chicago 2003
  • Pocket Art Gallery, Hamburg, Germany 2002
  • Wood Street Gallery, Chicago 2000
  • Berlin International, Roxis Art Gallery, Berlin, Germany 2000
  • Aleliers Ouvert, Quartier de Belleville, Paris, France 2000
  • In Flex/In Flux, Sculpture, SAIC, Chicago 1998
  • The Big Show, The Warehouse, Chicago 1996
  • Arresting Images, Gallery 400, Chicago 1995
  • Flora Exhibit, , IL Gallery Ten, Rockford 1994
  • Bearing Witness, Suburban Fine Arts Center, Highland Park, IL 1995
  • Noyes Gallery, Evanston, IL 1995
  • The Drawing Center, NY, NY 1994
  • The Other, Chicago Peace Museum, collaborative installation, catalog documentation, Chicago 1990
  • Trumbull Art Gallery, Warren OH 1986
  • Chicago Paper Group, City of Carlsbad, NM 1984
  • Obras de Paper,( Chicago Paper) Las Escuela Nacional de Artes Plasticas, Academica 22, Mexico, D.F. 1983
  • Pulp, traveling exhibition throughout New Zealand including; Wellington Art Gallery, Wellington; Robert McDougall Gallery, Christchurch; Sargent Gallery, Waguni; Waikato Art Museum, Napier, catalog documentation, 1981
  • American Women Artists, Museu De Arte Contemporanea da Universidade Sao Paulo, Brazil, catalog documentation, 1980
  • Neill Gallery, NY, NY, Solo, 1980
  • Illinois Arts Council Gallery, Chicago, Solo, 1977

Selected Biography

  • Instructor, School of the Art Institute Chicago, 1997-2001
  • Visiting Artist, University of Chicago, 1995, 1997, 1999
  • Illinois Arts Council, Visual Artists Grant, 1995
  • Established Panache Painting, rendering decorative painting, faux finishes and murals, 1984
  • ABC-TV, Chicago, Generated weather graphics for Good Morning America, 1979-1984
  • B.F.A., School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Awarded Raymond Nelson scholarships, 1964
  • Illinois Institute of Technology, Institute of Design, Awarded competitive scholarship during High School for non-credit study in sculpture with Cosmo Campoli.


Selected Bibliography

  • Village Voice, Exploring Encaustics, written by Tony Safir, 2005
  • Chicago Tribune, Finders Keepers, 5 pages color photos, written by Victoria Lautman, 1995
  • Video By Shuli Eshel of Perception of the Other, Exploring Culture Diversity, an installation piece at the Peace Museum, Chicago 1990
  • Chicago Paper, Fiber Arts, Arts Magazine, pgs. 54-55, March-April, 1984
  • American Women Artists, Museu de Arte Contemporanea, Sao Paulo, Brazil, introduction Glenna Park, Curator. Written by Wolfgang Pfeiffer, Director of Museum, Illustrations, 1980
  • Pulp, City Art Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand. Written By Dr. Seddon Bennington,1981
  • A Arte Segundo As Norte-Americans, reviewed in O Estado De
  • Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1980
  • Visiting Artist, University of Illinois at Macomb, Illinois. October 1979
  • Artist-in-Residence, Chicago Council of Fine Arts, Chicago, 1978-81 catalog
  • CETA program (Comprehensive Employment Training Act), 1980-82  
  • A Seductive Showing, Reviews and Preview in Chicago, by Alan G. Artner, 1998


Collections:

  • Grand Valley State University, MI. Art Gallery, Henry Matthews, curator
  • Encaustic Art Institute, Santa Fe, NM
  • National Czech, Slovak Museum + Library, Cedar Rapids,
  • Indianapolis Art Museum, Collection. Indianapolis, Indiana
  • Leonard and Ruth Horwich, Collection, Chicago
  • Dr. Riet van der Linden, Collection Amsterdam, Holland
  • Tom and Jeanne Kane, Collection, Chicago
  • Any Buckingham-Flammang, Collection, Elko, Nevada
  • Michael Stewart, Collection, New York, New York
  • Jane Wenger, Collection, Chicago
  • Hattie Weinstein, New York, New York
  • Stephen Albair, Collection, San Francisco, CA
  • Mr. John Jones, Chicago
  • Maxine + Michael Bonn, Highland Park, IL
  • David [aka Buzz] Ruttenberg, Chicago + Indiana
  • Ricky Conner, Chicago IL