Making Time Catalogue

Making Time

Cover Image: Sarah Bedford, Dark Hollow, 2023, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 38 inches

Making Time

June 14 - August 23, 2024

Sarah Bedford, Juan Angel Chavez, Isabella Cuglievan, Michael Dumontier & Neil Farber, Robert Heinecken, Paul Heyer, Ben Houtkamp, Kysa Johnson, Sung Jang, Tony Matelli, Kristoffer McAfee, Alessandra Norman, Carolyn Ottmers, Sterling Ruby, A.V. Ryan, Claudia Peña Salinas, and Jacqueline Surdell

Photographs by Nathan Keay

Making Time Making Time was presented in conjunction with the solo exhibition Stephen Eichhorn: Voidground at 1801 West Hubbard Street from June 14 - August 23, 2024.

SECRIST | BEACH is pleased to present Making Time, a salon presentation coorganized by artist Stephen Eichhorn.

The title of the exhibition is taken from a concept called “The Archeology of Time” which states that if we want to understand what time is, we must accept that things, or objects, do not just exist in time, they make time. Featuring seventeen artists working in a variety of media, each work on show represents an array of philosophical and metaphysical ideas about how objects exist within, and interact with, the framework of time.

The artworks in Making Time use elements of organica as a way of exploring the dichotomy between objects and time. With materials made from - or representing flowers, wood, fiber, rock, light, seeds, clay and the human figure, each work offers profound insights into the human experience. How these objects merge and exist within the framework of time oscillates between the existence of the natural world and how we interpret, utilize, ingest and embrace or reject it. If these interlocking elements of the physical world around us and the objects it produces form what we know as the macrocosm, its excavation leaves us with wonder.

Through metaphor and symbolism, the themes in Making Time revolve around ideas of ownership, transcendence, entropy, and perception. By using the earth as a starting point for understanding an object's place within the structure of time, the positive and negative elements of human interference in our complex ecosystem are revealed. In elevating these objects with their alchemic approaches, the artists here individually decipher the macrocosm through the act of slowing time and illuminating the microcosms that surround us.

SARAH BEDFORD

New York

All works courtesy the artist and Mrs. gallery

June Azure, 2023 Acrylic and oil pastel on canvas 24 x 18 inches

Little Room on Dunn Mountain, 2023 Acrylic on linen 9 x 12 inches

Buttercup, 2023 Acrylic on canvas 8 x 6 inches

Alpine Sunflowers + Firewheels, 2020 Acrylic, Pastel and Gouache on canvas 12 x 9 inches

Center Sway, 2023 Acrylic on canvas 20 x 16 inches

Dark Hollow, 2023 Acrylic on canvas 50 x 38 inches

BEN HOUTKAMP

Chicago

Stained glass as an historical form of art has long been synonymous with spiritual symbolism. Houtkamp’s artwork retains this, in addition to its specified placement within architecture, but updates in a contemporaneous manner maintaining light as the activator. Here, translucent stained glass pieces combine shapes, line and natural light to reveal enigmatic characters with an expressive nod to nostalgia.

All works courtesy the artist

Hooked on Phonics, 2024 Traditional leaded stained glass panel in steel frame 35 inches, diameter

Magic Water, 2024 Traditional leaded stained glass panel in steel frame 35 inches, diameter

The Ranch, 2024 Traditional leaded stained glass panel in steel frame 35 inches, diameter

The Discovery Center, 2024 Traditional leaded stained glass panel in walnut frame, LED lights, electrical plug 32.25 x 32.25 x 6.5 inches

MICHAEL DUMONTIER & NIEL FARBER

Winnipeg

Dumontier & Farber’s deceptively simple paintings of flowers with phrases mimic the complexity of daily life and the whimsy of nature. These delicate depictions of flora painted on monochromatic backgrounds somehow perfectly match with the accompanying lines of text, which range from melancholic to prophetic, and are often humorous. Presented in multiple, the combined artworks create an accumulative poetic discourse that is both visual and literary.

All works in the series are acrylic on board, 10 x 8 inches All works courtesy the artists

The first time I was reborn was the last time I was afraid.

I'd call in sick, but who would I call?

That spell you're under, it belongs to me.

Today, we continue our ascension.

You're welcome to be a part of my life, as long as you don't mind being seriously tangled.

I was planted where the wine was spilled, where the blood was spilled.

What looks like two flowers in one reality is in fact one flower in two realities.

Own your own now

The ground and the seed each kept their promise.

I need a question with no answer, so I'll always have something think about.

Where we were once damaged, we were now joined.

We've always been together, but I have no idea who they are.

Today was two days, so tomorrow won't be long.

Perfect, but just for this one moment.

Growing is victory

Some days require a united front.

I'm inside a bad mood, but I know there's a way out.

I believe that my birth created the universe, and that yesterday there was only nothing, but what do I know, I’m new here.

Why not tell me in the beginning that it would be fine in the end?

KRISTOFFER McAFEE

Chicago

The Universal Identity series of paintings reinterpret the third dimension by presenting the five Platonic solids: fire, air, earth, water and ether (aka “the heavens”), that connect to every living entity on the planet and the known universe as a whole. The combination of historically-based theoretical physics, the earthly elements that make up the universe and the utilization of abstract mark-making to represent it, culminate in a sublime dynamic.

Universal Identity, 2020 Acrylic paint, illustration board, gold foil 5 parts, 30 x 30 inches each Courtesy the artist

A.V. RYAN

New York

Ryan’s steel sculpture reveals the dimensional iteration of a cube being constructed, or traced, by the arc of a compass. Through this act, this arc becomes a wing, revealing a star and moon. According to Ryan, these sacred geometries bely sacred structures; the cube is a fragment of a cosmic, dynamic order — a sturdy form from forgotten wings. As these basic building blocks incorporate an organic math, a science is born of an inviolate nature.

Swing an Arc I, 2021 Steel 48 x 48 x 24 inches Courtesy the artist

ROBERT HEINECKEN

New York

Heinecken’s historically significant re-processed photographs focus on the female form, revealing conceptual links that hint at humanity's complex relation with itself and its surroundings. Here, by cutting and reassembling a photograph of a nude woman, body parts combine into an abstraction that is simultaneously familiar yet alien. Notably, 12 Figure Squares (1967), is considered to be a sculptural work by the artist, further challenging the conventions of what photography is and can be.

12 Figure Squares, 1967 12 silver gelatin prints, mounted 8.75 x 11.75 inches Courtesy artist’s estate

STERLING RUBY

Los Angeles

Cryptic and perplexing, the mixture of imagery and words in Ruby’s work purposefully blends symbols and semantics, creating a call to arms. The nebulous nature of what that proclamation is may have to do with the battle between something that is clearly defined (geometry) versus completely the opposite (amorphism). Ultimately, by denouncing form and its mathematical and aesthetic properties, Ruby’s work asks what are we left with?

Anti Print 1 (Minimalism Tried to Kill the Amorphous Law, This Won't Last), 2004 Giclee print 19 x 13 inches Courtesy private collection

CLAUDIA PEÑA SALINAS

New York

Salinas’ diptych of photographs depict displaced rocks from the archeological site at Uxmal, Yucatan, extracted by looting and tourism. One rock found its way to - and was photographed by - the American Museum of Natural History: the other via a tourist shop in Mexico (circa 1970) to the ubiquitous reseller agent Ebay. The scale of the stones is intentionally effaced to emphasize their similar materiality and migratory paths. The level of sharpness for each respective photo subtly reveals different measures of culpability, emphasizing the viewers responsibility.

Uxmal III, 2021 Inkjet prints 2 photographs at 12 x 16 inches each Courtesy the artist and Galería CURRO

KYSA JOHNSON

Los Angeles

Johnson states that her paintings explore patterns in nature that exist at the extremes of scale, using these as a way to reflect on our place in the physical universe and history.

Using the shapes of microscopic or macroscopic landscapes, such as subatomic decay patterns, maps of the universe, or the molecular structure of pollutants or of diseases and cures, Johnson depicts a physical reality that is invisible to the naked eye. Often these micro patterns are built up to form compositions that relate to these invisible landscapes conceptually.

All work courtesy the artist

Ghosts in Common – 1348/2022 (Fill Your Empty Sun With Flowers) – Subatomic Decay Patterns and Wildflowers 2, 2023 Ink, watercolor, and acrylic on linen 78 x 63 inches

Ghosts In Common - Eat the Sun - Subatomic Decay Patterns and Fall Flowers 1, 2024 Acrylic, ink and watercolor on linen 27 x 24 x 1.5 inches

Ghosts In Common - EatThe Sun - Subatomic Decay Patterns and Tangled Flowers 1, 2024 Acrylic, ink and watercolor on linen 27 x 24 x 1.5 inches

TONY MATELLI

New York

Matteli’s trompe l'oeil bronze sculpture of a dandelion weed tucked into the corner between the wall and floor of the gallery belies an exercise in contrast. An art object made from bronze in the guise of a rugged plant of dubious distinction and located in visually pristine setting. The metaphorical weight of this art object is secondary to its physical presence. Matelli states that the weed is a triumph and a failure at the same time. Weeds persevere; you can’t kill them. They are a celebration of unwantedness.

They are waste and life at the same time.

Dandelion, 2012 Painted bronze 19.25 x 8.75 x 12 inches Courtesy private collection

JUAN ANGEL CHAVEZ

Chicago

Chavez repurposes found wood, figuratively and conceptually, through controlled public burns and the use of seemingly random words - phrases and nouns - that confound and placate. Encased and presented in heavy duty plexiglass, the artworks become specimen-like in their appearance creating a dialogue between the industrial and natural worlds. This reconstitution of both materials and phrases reveal some of the mysteries contained in the world around us.

All work courtesy the artist

Drunk Tank, 2024 Burnt plywood, charcoal, bird feathers and artificial flower 36 x 36 x 6 inches

Gift Detail, 2024 Burnt plywood, bison fur, ash, mourning dove feather 36 x 36 x 6 inches

Philsophers Stone FLOR DE OASIS, 2024 Burnt plywood, charcoal, fake hair and acrylic 36 x 36 x 6 inches

SUNG JANG

Chicago

Jang’s painting and sculptures utilize natural materials such as wood, rock and sand to draw meaning from memory and explore how our recollections inform our current experiences. Inspired by the first world map of Korea made over 300 years ago, a speculative and crude amalgamation, Jang’s artworks are constructions of imagination representing the past and present - as well as a mnemonic device for the future.

All work courtesy the artist and Volume Gallery

Shape of Land, 2024 Inked sand, acrylic on linen 64 x 49.5 inches

Given, 2024 Oak and stone 72 x 15 x 20 inches

Given, 2024

ISABELLA CUGLIEVAN

Lima, Peru

Cuglievan’s paintings, from the series titled “Reaching for a leaf as it spirals down,” are dimensional, hypnotic, colorful, abstract accumulations “stitched” organically, brushstroke by brushstroke. These small works (measuring 8 inches square) are among the smallest the artist has made to date and represent an exercise in restraint, stopping right after what would usually be the beginning of a painting. The resultant artworks are potent examples of abstract mark-making: simultaneously exquisite and robust.

All works courtesy the artist

Reaching for a leaf as it spirals down I, 2024 Acrylic ink on wood panel 8 x 8 inches

Reaching for a leaf as it spirals down III, 2024

Reaching for a leaf as it spirals down II, 2024

ALESSANDRA NORMAN

Chicago

Norman’s painting investigates the space between perception and perspective by playing with reality and its landscapes, straddling the conceptual frameworks of the artwork’s medium. Here, two-dimensional imagery is at odds with the three-dimensional form of the underlying surface. This is an exploration into defining “real-life” as our current reality, or “in real life” is increasingly becoming flattened through digital experiences.

Drawing the Shades, 2024 MDF, acrylic, spray enamel 18.375 x 35.875 x 2 inches Work courtesy the artist

PAUL HEYER

Chicago

Heyer’s paintings imagine a concurrent fictive world that reveals ardent imagery with a lexicon of landscapes, flowers, humans, and skeletons. It’s through this guise of perception and illusion that the spectacle of nature appears - creating a context for illusory moments that primarily concerns itself with life and death. The symbolism that exists along this trajectory, between the beginning and ending, creates a narrative that suggests a protagonist whose fate will only be revealed after a prolonged journey.

All works courtesy the artist and Night Gallery

New Sky, 2024 Oil on linen 18 x 21 inches

Four Leaf Clover, 2024 Oil on linen 16 x 20 inches

JACQUELINE SURDELL

Chicago

Surdell’s monumental fiber-based wall sculpture is inspired by Giotto’s 14th century fresco of The Last Judgment in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy with it’s fiery depiction connecting the “present-day” world of the faithful, the world beyond time, and the finality of the Last Judgment. Surdell’s depiction of this event incorporates the element of landscape, further emphasizing a cosmic connection to the spiritual domain.

Utilizing thick ropes, woven fabrics and steel structures along with warped perspectives, voids and windows, the duality of religious morality and a sublime panorama create an enigmatic contemporary experience.

All works courtesy the artist

Our Light, 2023 Nylon cord, steel, polyester fabric, steel spool top, steel meat hooks 120 x 96 x 12 inches

Suddenly, she was hell-bent and ravenous (after Giotto), 2024 Nylon cord, steel, polyester fabric, steel spool top, steel chain and meat hooks 261 x 7 x 192 inches

CAROLYN OTTMERS

Champaign

Ottmers’ cast stainless steel sculptures of flora hanging from the ceiling call attention to the detail and beauty of the natural world by representing it in an exaggerated scale.

These Splices are dangling, root-like sculptures- an imagined hybrid species inspired by plants that survive in inhospitable, urban environments. Displayed in a gallery setting, their ominous presence further emphasizes the conceptual link between humanity and the natural world.

Splice #1 (CO), 2010 Cast stainless steel 103 x 44 x 43 inches

Splice #15 (CO10TLPV), 2010 Cast stainless steel 63 x 28 x 22.5 inches

Splice #12 (CO), 2010 Cast stainless steel 65.5 x 25 x 23 inches

Splice #19 (CO8JSANDOR), 2009 Cast stainless steel 46 x 18 x 18 inches

Splice #8 (CO10LLOYDM), 2010 Cast stainless steel 74 x 30 x 28 inches

Splice #17 (CO10KSOR), 2010 Cast stainless steel 57 x 20 x 20 inches

Splice #16 (CO8AXEI), 2010 Cast stainless steel 58 x 21 x 21 inches

Splice #13 (CO10DAVUI), 2010 Cast stainless steel 64 x 43 x 40.5 inches

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