Mary Porterfield: Pushing Back the Sea
@ Ferguson Art Gallery, Kretzmann Hall, Concordia University-Chicago
7400 Augusta St, River Forest, IL 60305-1499
Opening Sunday, January 29th, from 2PM - 4PM
On view through Saturday, February 25th
This exhibition will include recent works by Chicago artist Mary Porterfield. Porterfield’s drawings are influenced by her mother’s struggle to care for her father who had Parkinsonism. The life-sized images, which are cut out and attached to the wall, represent the mounting difficulties her parents faced. She overlaps translucent layers to signify her father’s gradual evanescence before his passing, using the dimensions of the wall to represent her mother’s perseverance, hardship and love. Their struggles were made worse by the pandemic, as her mother bore the sole weight of her father’s mobility, both literally and metaphorically. As their connection to the outside world narrowed, their inside world became occluded with mountains and medical equipment and assistive devices. Their devastation was counterweighted by resilience and fortified by hope. In sharing her parents’ story, she hopes to honor the role of caretakes while simultaneously embracing the enduring memories of loved ones.
Reception: Sunday, January 29 2-4pm
Artist’s Talk: Sunday, January 29 at 3pm
Location: Ferguson Gallery is located on the east side of campus, next to the university chapel. Enter through the glass doors marked Kretzmann Hall. Plenty of street parking is available on Bonnie Brae Pl (closest cross street to the gallery is Bonnie Brae Pl and Thomas)
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Tags: Concordia University-Chicago, Ferguson Art Gallery, Kretzmann Hall, Mary Porterfield, Pushing Back the Sea, River Forest
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