Perry Pollock: Interplay
@ McHenry County College | Galleries One & Two
8900 U.S. Highway 14, Crystal Lake, IL 60012
Opening Wednesday, February 18th, from 3:30PM - 4:30PM
On view through Friday, February 20th
McHenry County College is thrilled to host Perry Pollock’s solo exhibition, “Interplay.”
Artist Reception: Wednesday, February 18
3:30-4:30 p.m. — Gallery One, A212
January 20 – February 20, 2026
McHenry County College | Galleries One & Two
8900 U.S. Highway 14, Crystal Lake, IL 60012
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ARTIST STATEMENT
The painted wood constructions in this exhibition focus on the interplay of shape, color, and edge. Some works reference objects of childhood play – gameboards, blocks, or candy – but fundamentally they explore visual and tactile qualities within a geometric framework.
My process usually begins with small sketches that generate variations of an idea. I then select those that resonate most strongly and then work through the technical problems required to translate them into physical objects. Gestures, including sanding, fitting, and painting, keep the process alive until the objects achieve a strong presence.
My interest in formalism is rooted in the principle that the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts. When this kind of order is encountered, it can create an experience that disrupts or transcends our usual thought patterns. In these moments, we can let go of our fixed notions and connect more deeply with our capacity for openness and possibility.
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BIO
Perry Pollock is a practicing artist and professor of drawing and painting at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, where he has been a devoted educator since 1990. He received his B.F.A. from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 1985, and his M.F.A from Bradley University in 1987.
His work has been exhibited predominantly in the Chicagoland area at venues including the Beverly Arts Center, Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, Loyola University Crown Center Gallery, and Rockford University Gallery. In 2024, he had a two-person show at Western Illinois University. His work is included in the Rockford Art Museum collection as well as several private collections.
In addition to exhibiting and teaching, Pollock founded the Harper College Art Exhibition and Visiting Artist Program and was its first curator from 2001-2006. He has routinely chaired the Harper College Art Collection Committee, which oversees the college’s prominent public art collection. He has two children and lives in Elgin, Illinois, with his wife. For more details about Pollock, visit www.perrypollock.com and his Instagram @perrypollock.art.
IMAGE CREDIT: Perry Pollock, “Arch,” 2025, Painted wood construction
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Tags: Crystal Lake, Galleries One & Two, Interplay, McHenry County, McHenry County College, Perry Pollock
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