Oak Park Artists Display ‘Multiplicity’ Exhibit in July

Tom Burtonwood and Holly Holmes present “Multiplicity,” a new exhibit based on the geometry and patterning they have found in the residential architecture of Oak Park. The exhibit will be shown from July 2 through July 30 at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake Street. This is the first two-person collaborative project between Burtonwood and Holmes since 2008.  A reception for the artists will be Sunday, July 15 from 2 to 4 pm in the library’s art gallery. The exhibit is open seven days a week during regular library hours. The reception and exhibit are free and open to the public.

The “Multiplicity” exhibit includes paintings produced individually as well as a collaborative wall covering that combines patterning produced by both artists. Holmes also presents a selection of recent ceramic works where she addresses themes relating to security and fragility.

For “Multiplicity,” Tom Burtonwood selected buildings around the village with color schemes that he found interesting and evocative. He extrapolated on the geometry contained within these structures to create two-dimensional abstract compositions. This body of work represents a new direction for Burtonwood, bringing elements of the “real world” into his previously platonic solid universe.

Holly Holmes takes a similar position to Burtonwood, looking closely at the architectural examples found Oak Park. Her watercolors are a response to the design elements found in these structures. She has selected visual elements from the fencing, shingles, windows and leading to create dynamic compositions and patterns.

Holmes’ ceramic works address theme of security and fragility. She has produced a series of “boats” – taking the idea of the vessel as a starting point. Peppered with holes each of these objects is in essence designed to fail, their brittle material quality underscoring the fragile dichotomy of the idea of security and safety. Burtonwood and Holmes worked together on a single wall covering and producing seamless tiled wallpaper that combines their two approaches.

Tom Burtonwood was born in Manchester, UK in 1974. He received a BA Hons in Fine Art from Loughborough University, UK in 1997 and an MFA from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, IL in 2001. In 2012, Burtonwood was selected by AOL to join their AOL Artists Program. Recent exhibitions include Bushwick Open Studios, Brooklyn, NY; The Southside Hub of Production, Chicago;  Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, San Francisco, CA; The Chicago Cultural Center; Sidecar Gallery, Hammond, IN; the residence of the British Consulate, Chicago; Hinge Gallery, Chicago; MDW Fair, Chicago; Gillock Gallery, Paris, France; NOISEfestival, Manchester, UK; The Center for Book and Paper Arts, Columbia College, Chicago; Fountain Studios, Brooklyn, NY; Three Walls, Chicago. Burtonwood teaches at Columbia College Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He is co-founder of WHAT IT IS, an exhibition and project space in Oak Park, IL, where he resides. Visit http://tomburtonwood.com for more about Tom Burtonwood.

Holly Holmes is an Oak Park-based artist who produces paintings, sculpture, and installations that explore systems and architecture found in both nature and technology. Working in wood and ceramics, she produces modular sculptures that mimic cell structures and organic forms. In 2012 Holmes was selected by AOL to join their AOL Artists Program. Recent exhibitions include Terrain Exhibitions, Oak Park, IL; Aqua Art Fair, Miami Beach, FL; Sidecar Gallery, Hammond, IN. Holly Holmes received her MFA in Sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) in 2011. She currently teaches at SAIC and the Hyde Park Art Center. She is co-founder of WHAT IT IS, an exhibition and project space in Oak Park, IL, where she resides. For more about Holly Holmes, visit http://hollyholmes.info.

Oak Park Public Library’s Art Gallery features a local artist or group of artists each month. The gallery is open seven days a week during regular library hours. For information on upcoming exhibits visit http://oppl.org/about/library-information/art-library/art-gallery.

Each of Oak Park Public Library’s locations has unique and beautiful art in permanent collections, and quotes from literary and local figures throughout the buildings. Find more information about the library’s permanent art collection at http://oppl.org/about/library-information/art-library/main-library.