Margie Criner & David Richards: Hidden Agenda
@ Firecat Projects
2124 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
Opening Friday, June 29th, from 7PM - 10PM
On view through Saturday, July 21st
Firecat Projects presents Hidden Agenda, a two-person exhibition featuring sculptures and reliefs by Margie Criner and David Richards. Both artists create pieces that have exterior and interior aspects. They also share an interest in science and geometry and a desire to draw the viewer in for a closer look at their work.
Criner’s sculptures feature an outer structure made of wood and other materials. These cabinets, shells, or houses suggest architecture, furniture and antique scientific equipment. A viewing aperture with a lens reveals an illuminated view of miniature scenes: landscapes, cityscapes and interiors displaying narratives from the everyday world of commuting, waiting and dreaming. These magic boxes evoke museum dioramas, “View-Master” scenes and arcade peep shows. “By having an exterior and interior, my work offers the viewer an opportunity to shift perspective, to examine from a distance, then move closer for a more intimate understanding.”
Richards’ painted relief sculptures are multi-layered. They often have interior spaces – layers of collage, drawing and text that are partly visible, partly hidden as a way to engage the viewer’s interest and imagination. He sometimes uses mirrors, so that, in a way, the piece “looks back” at the viewer, animating the work with movement and changing light, catching the looker in the act of looking. He draws inspiration from biomorphic and mechanical forms, scientific illustrations, games and toys. “I am interested in evoking memories of childhood, but not as mere nostalgia. My intention is to use the worldview of a child as a symbol for the helplessness we often feel as adults in the face of the terrors and absurdities of the world: historical, political and biological forces that are beyond our control.”
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Tags: Chicago, David Richards, Firecat Projects, Hidden Agenda, Illinois, Margie Criner, Margie Criner & David Richards: Hidden Agenda, West Town
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