.five x five., as the show is titled, will feature 5 modular wall installations by 5 different artists from around the country – in 5 different media (wood, metal, glass, ceramics and fiber). The concept is intended to introduce buyers of traditional fine art (i.e., paintings) to a variety of options in other media. However, it is designed to solve a common problem as well. We often fall in love with a particular painting, only to realize we haven’t enough space to hang it properly. In five x five, each installation is modular; clients will be able to purchase as much or as little of the installation as they have room for.

Moreover, the show is also about communication. “Five by five” is a radio communications expression that means 'loud and clear'. One of the fives represents the S units of reception strength. The other five is a rating of the signal clarity. “Five by five” is a good, clear signal. The radio use of this expression goes back to the 1950s. Five by five therefore means a signal which has excellent strength and perfect clarity - the most understandable signal possible. Five by five by extension has come to mean 'I understand you perfectly' in situations other than radio communication. It is our hope that each of the 5 installations featured will indeed communicate to the viewers in the clearest, if most personal, terms.
+one. 1 furniture artist with 5 benches.

.five x five...+one. will open with on Friday, July 15th, in concert with the CADA’s Vision 10 event, with a public reception from 6 to 9 pm. While the gallery will of course observe extended hours for Vision’s
closing party on July 30, .five x five...+one. will continue on exhibit through the end of August.

5 artists:

In WOOD, we will present the latest works by northern Michigan artist Larry Fox. His wood sculpture draws heavily from three areas of his background; architectural design, film set construction, and furniture making. By mixing and remixing these disciplines, Fox gives each piece a singular presence. The artist invites contemplation by blending form, texture, and color into objects that challenge traditional sculpture techniques. The surfaces of his pieces are painted, adding even more dimension to the work. Fox's multiple-piece wall installations are designed to be hung horizontally or vertically, resulting in dynamic form and presentation.

In METAL, we will feature Argentinian-born artist Carolina Sardi. Carolina’s pieces carry an organic sensibility that reflects her interest in the basic interactions of life. Her latest wall installations are created by a combination of oval or round painted steel pieces arranged over an invisible grid. The egg shapes are placed in an structured but organic composition that creates a visual effect of mathematical repetition in the space. Each element of the whole is different; they keep their individuality and they maintain their particular presence inside the totality. The embryonic forms can be seen as particles or entities of what it will be. The white stark wall becomes the background or the medium in which these atmospheric landscapes are created. The steel pieces are placed against the wall, but separated from its surface with a distance of one or two inches, creating a floating effect in the space that is enhance by lights and shadows. The color reinforces the concept of each composition, in which eggs, circles or particles are a symbol of infinity and origin and can become anything and everything when changing color, shape and placement in the space; allowing new compositions, subjects and messages. Past solo exhibitions include Free to be Captive at the Museum of Art of Fort Lauderdale, Silhouettes at Heriard -Cimino Gallery in New Orleans, and the Museum of the Americas in Washington DC. She has recently participated in shows at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington DC, the Boca Raton Museum of Art. She has most recently been featured at the Bass Museum of Art, Miami. Sardi's works are held by private, public and corporate collectors from New York, Chicago , Washington DC , Houston , New Orleans, Miami, Europe and Latin America; and they can be found in the collections of Neiman Marcus, Museum of Art of Fort Lauderdale, Miami-Dade Art in Public Places, and the Miami Seaport among others.

In GLASS, we will feature new works by Canadian Susan Edgerley. In her work, form, texture, detail, material, and more recently light and shadow all combine to create visual metaphors which explore the cyclical nature of life, spirituality, individuality, unity and multiplicity. Through her use of scale, abstraction and in her attention to detail, Susan's works strongly reflect and interpret this thoughtful vision. In this show, her sand-cast glass and copper “pods” poetically exploit the qualities of a vast range of materials with glass, to contrast, surprise or even challenge our perceptions. They possess an emotional content without being sentimental; they have organic grace without looking like an imitation of nature in glass. Each pod is a complete work, but the interaction of several pieces makes for a stronger overall composition. It is through the use of multiples that the individual character of each element is emphasized while remaining an integral and necessary part of the whole. It is within this delicate balance, of the part to the whole or the one to the many, that the essential nature of our very substance, our similarity, our originality and our interdependence is expressed. Susan’s unique work is widely exhibited in North America in both solo and group exhibitions and has been included in several international Invitationals in Europe and the US. Her sculptures are in public and private collections including the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, the Musée du Québec and the Wustum Museum.

In CERAMICS, we have the first of our two Chicago artists, Sydia Reyes. Born in Venezuela, Sydia has lived, worked and exhibited in Chicago since 1999. While she is internationally known and exhibited as a metal sculptor, for 5x5, she has created a series of porcelain and steel elements which refer to emotional expressions... of the very city which surrounds us. Sydia’s installation “What the city would like to say”: A manifestation of a personality - as seen with a zoom lens - can only be in a manner that intends to say things. Through a series of mouths, which, with each grimace, pronounce and announce day-to-day noises... mouths that with the slightest intention produce words which express complaints, pleasures, denouncements, and even silence as a sign of a witness.... mouths that swallow instantly while waiting for an dream, a mouth that lives the humidity of its surface. The energy of a corner where gestures have been seen and words have been heard... gross, cordial, frustrated, of love and life. Each of these forms (mouths) has its world to tell: the one that screams, the one that quiets, the one that kisses, the one that eats, the one that asks, the one that prays, the one that sings, the one muzzled, the one that sucks, the one that laughs and like such multiple forms and feelings according to the thought, culture or intelligence.

Finally, in FIBER, we present the work of Korean-born Hye Sun Baik. Another Chicagoan whose works have been exhibited internationally, Hye Sun uses a variety of Eastern and Western signs, symbols and found objects to express her personal commitment and boundless energy in integrating the two cultures that she lives in. The work draws from ancient Korean characters and the principles of yin and yang, focusing on the use of contrast and juxtaposition to illustrate the connection between all things and their inter-relationship. Combining the love of fiber with mixed media on hand made paper, the work is innovative, and imaginative. She begins by making her canvas with traditional Korean mulberry paper and a wide range of natural fibers, including hemp, abaca and cotton linter. This innovative technique of casting, pulp painting, printing, embroidery, and embossing method make the work highly textured and tactile. The goal of her work is to open up the possibilities within the medium of hand-made paper. Though she often also includes color, the textural contrast in her work imbues even monochromatic pieces with a quiet yet significant presence. Viewers often find hidden messages that personally connect to aspects of themselves or their history in a way that transcends one’s culture of origin or spiritual orientation. One is struck by the peacefulness, and meditative effect that draws viewers deeper inward. Hye Sun has been working professionally as a Mixed Media Artist since 1988, and is represented in galleries and collections across the United States, Korea, Switzerland, and Canada.

We really can't have a show without FURNITURE - benches from Isaac Arms A gathering of individuals in a group setting is governed by a complex system of rules and expectations that are never formally acknowledged. Specific rules apply to public spaces vs. private spaces. When a private space is intruded upon, or when a private activity intrudes into a public space there is an upset in the fragile balance of social order. Humans, like any other creature, have very specific ways of acting when they are surrounded by strangers. A bench or a chair is an inanimate object that forces interaction among strangers. As one person approaches a park bench that is occupied by another individual, how does the situation resolve itself? Facilitating circumstances that blur the boundaries between public and private, this body of work is intended to make one aware of the bizarre factors that determine our behaviors in a group setting.

---

About the Gallery

Function+Art is a nationally-recognized showcase for handcrafted Studio Furniture and the (functional) decorative object located in Chicago’s exciting West Loop. We believe that William Morris was correct but stopped halfway when he said: "have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful". We passionately promote the coexistence of usefulness and beauty, and seek to obliterate the distinction between fine craft and fine art by featuring the work of artisans possessing a painter’s eye and a sculptor’s hands - primarily in wood, metal and ceramics. When struck by a particular talent, we occasionally feature non-functional works if they fit a particular exhibition theme. We also operate a sister gallery next door dedicated to contemporary studio glass: PRISM Contemporary Glass. We are open Tu-SA from 10 am – 6pm ; other times by chance or appointment. For more information, directions, or to view our extensive roster of talent, visit: www.functionart.com.

FUNCTION+ART
1046 W. Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607
E-MAIL | phone 312.243.2780