Blake Ward "Phantom Sky"
From the masters of the Renaissance such as Michelangelo and Botticelli to the Romantic painters of the 19th century, the art of ancient Greece and Rome has inspired artists for over 2,500 years. As Picasso painted the Minotaur repeatedly and modern artist Cy Twombly inserted ancient Greek words into his paintings, antiquity continues to act as a key impetus for contemporary artists.
Hilton | Asmus Contemporary opens the winter season with "Inspired by Antiquity," a group exhibition presenting the work of three sculptors, Jyl Bonaguro, Terry Poulos and Blake Ward; and painters, Eve Ozer and Manolis Tzortzakakis, representing five countries. The gallery will host AN EVENING WITH THE ARTIST each month through April 2016.
“Inspired by Antiquity” will parallel the Field Museum’s groundbreaking exhibition "The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander." While “The Greeks” sheds light on the fascinating history of ancient Greece and Rome, Inspired by Antiquity will illustrate the unbroken line of inspiration in art from ancient times to the present.
TERRY POULOS: January 27, 2016
Artist, writer, inventor and historian Terry Poulos will be presenting his modern rendition of the world's oldest computer based on the Antikythera Mechanism, a hand-powered astronomical calculator dating back to 205 BC.
Art-ikythera" pays homage to an ancient example of ingenuity and technological innovation. On display at Hilton-Asmus Contemporary is the world's first sculpture of what is considered the world's oldest computer, the Antikythera Mechanism (est. 205 BC). The ancient device, strongly connected to the workshop of artisans directly working with the legendary inventor/polymath Archimedes of Syracuse (215 BC), had a complexity not equaled for 1500 years after its inception. The hand-cranked, bronze-geared device, confirmed by the construction of three separate working models post-2005, was an astronomical calculator consisting of 20 to 40 gears, cogs, and other accoutrements. Among other functions, it tracked motions of the five known planets of that era, predicted lunar and solar eclipses to the precise day and hour thousands of years in advance in accordance with its 18,000-year Saros calendar, and informed of various cultural events including when to host the ancient Olympic games every four years.
Artist, writer, inventor and historian Terry Poulos will be presenting his modern rendition of the world's oldest computer based on the Antikythera Mechanism, a hand-powered astronomical calculator dating back to 205 BC.
Art-ikythera" pays homage to an ancient example of ingenuity and technological innovation. On display at Hilton-Asmus Contemporary is the world's first sculpture of what is considered the world's oldest computer, the Antikythera Mechanism (est. 205 BC). The ancient device, strongly connected to the workshop of artisans directly working with the legendary inventor/polymath Archimedes of Syracuse (215 BC), had a complexity not equaled for 1500 years after its inception. The hand-cranked, bronze-geared device, confirmed by the construction of three separate working models post-2005, was an astronomical calculator consisting of 20 to 40 gears, cogs, and other accoutrements. Among other functions, it tracked motions of the five known planets of that era, predicted lunar and solar eclipses to the precise day and hour thousands of years in advance in accordance with its 18,000-year Saros calendar, and informed of various cultural events including when to host the ancient Olympic games every four years.
JYL BONAGURO: February 18, 2016
From the perfectly defined torsos of gods and goddesses to stylized busts of emperors and generals, sculpture was one of the most widely practiced art forms in ancient Greece and Rome. Artist and playwright, Jyl Bonaguro carries on the tradition with her marble and alabaster sculptures. Using the same tools used by ancient Greek and Romans, a hammer and chisel, she carves images that resemble broken pieces of ancient statues. These beautiful figures are purposefully fragmented with parts left unfinished in order to expose the fallacy of immortality.
EVE OZER: March 18, 2016
From frescos to panel portraits, paintings adorned the temples of ancient Greece and Rome. German born Chicago resident, Eve Ozer revives an ancient method used by Greeks, encaustic (wax) painting. Using non-traditional materials such as loofa, net, music sheets and newspapers, she creates a surface that is composed of layers of colors and textures.
Horses are an important symbol for Ozer, and Bucephalus, the steed of Alexander the Great, and Pegasus, the flying horse flow from her canvas. A painting of Terpischore the muse of dance appears in Ozer’s modern abstract language.
BLAKE WARD: April 7, 2016
A longtime resident of Monte Carlo, Canadian Blake Ward’s new works from his Spirits Collection provoke introspection, illustrating his contemporary approach to classical figurative sculpture and his development from firm academicism to a new liberating metallic expressionism. Building on the techniques of figurative sculpture developed in antiquity, his newest pieces challenge the classical figure by opening up the interior space of the human form as a way to search our inner selves.
While the 59-year-old Ward remains true to the representational quality and the realistic proportions of traditional sculpture, Spirits crosses over into abstract and ethereal realms where he aims for provocative figures that expand the consciousness of our inner realities. Ward’s 1⁄4 scale, partial figures break away from all the fundamental rules of bronze sculpture.
MANOLIS: To Be Announced
A native of Greece, emerging artist Manolis Tzortzakakis' abstract paintings are infused with the myths of ancient Greece. Moving to Chicago in 2014, he incorporates the light and atmosphere of his new home into his work. His "Nike of Samothrace" eludes the shape of that ancient statue which is housed at the top of the grand staircase at the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Manolis’ interest is not in depicting an accurate image of a natural pattern or an artificial reproduction, but he attempts, by removing individual and temporal features to convey a direct “view” of the sense or essence of the world.
A native of Greece, emerging artist Manolis Tzortzakakis' abstract paintings are infused with the myths of ancient Greece. Moving to Chicago in 2014, he incorporates the light and atmosphere of his new home into his work. His "Nike of Samothrace" eludes the shape of that ancient statue which is housed at the top of the grand staircase at the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Manolis’ interest is not in depicting an accurate image of a natural pattern or an artificial reproduction, but he attempts, by removing individual and temporal features to convey a direct “view” of the sense or essence of the world.
