Heidi Norton: Not to See the Sun
@ ebersmoore
213 N Morgan St, 3C, Chicago, IL 60607
Opening Friday, April 8th, from 6PM - 9PM
On view through Saturday, May 14th
Working in photography, sculpture and installation, Norton reorients traditional methods by incorporating new processes and materials, such as live plants, layered wax and other objects. Interested in the nature of visual perception and the trailing legacies of psychedelia, Norton finds inspiration in the Light and Space movement of the 1960’s. Her works in various media, while gently anchored by objects from everyday life, play with color and shape, scale and depth. They invite the eye to spend time trying to understand what it is seeing. Meanwhile, Norton circles around various notions of beauty and vitality, exploring factors that shape them. The use of color, visual rhythms, and spatial arrangements play a role, but so do the timeless models of the natural world and the subtle remnants of different cultural belief systems.
Among the works on view, Not to See the Sun includes a selection of recent sculptures. This is a new direction in the artist’s practice since 2010. While they relate indirectly to her photographic works, the sculptures extend her investigations into perception and spatial effects into a more palpable form. Succulents or cacti are embedded in layers of colored wax. In another sculpture, a plant is pressed against a large sheet of glass; from one side it takes on the guise of a flat image, while from other perspectives it retains a more substantial, three-dimensional appearance.
Heidi is also collaborating on a related book project with Karsten Lund. One version, using appropriated books, will be part of the exhibition. A second variation will be available as a limited edition artist book.
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