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Abstraction & Social Critique: Kavi Gupta | 835 W. Washington Blvd. Floor 1, Chicago, IL, 60607

Past exhibition
23 October 2021 - 1 January 2022
  • Overview
  • Works
  • Installation Views
  • Press
Overview
Abstraction & Social Critique, Kavi Gupta | 835 W. Washington Blvd. Floor 1, Chicago, IL, 60607

Featuring works by Miya Ando, Abigail DeVille, Modou Dieng, Richard Hunt, James Little, Al Loving, Angel Otero, Jamaal Peterman, Rewind Collective, Clare Rojas, Raymond Saunders, Brooklin Soumahoro, Cameron Welch, and Jack Whitten.

Kavi Gupta proudly presents Abstraction and Social Critique, an intergenerational group show of artists whose aesthetic positions declare the continued relevance and influence of abstraction.

 

The artist James Little, whose masterful geometric paintings are included in the exhibition, offers this personal elucidation of why he chose to pursue abstraction in his work: “Abstraction frees me to do whatever I want.”

 

Artist Clare Rojas echoes that sentiment when asked what she is talking about when she talks about abstract art. “My main concern is creating my own sacred construct, one I have freedom to alter,” she says. “It’s about feeling that freedom and empowerment.”

 

Mimesis oppresses the artist by relegating where to begin or where to end, while abstraction serves the changing and unpredictable needs of the individual creative being.

 

It could be argued that abstract art is thus inherently political, because it is an expression of personal freedom. It could also be said that abstraction is inherently anarchic, because it invites every point of view. Yet, every point of view has not always been welcomed into the conversation about what abstraction is, and what it means to contemporary culture.

 

Voices of BIPOC artists and artists identifying as women or LGBTQ+ have been systematically quieted through their exclusion from nearly every level of the contemporary art field, particularly in the United States. Many academies and institutions have long served and upheld cultural canons that lean heavily cisgendered, straight, and white, marginalizing all other artists. Relegated to the sidelines, showing their work in galleries that are mostly ignored by the art press, these artists have largely been left out of mainstream critical conversations, rendering their efforts and achievements all but invisible to those who write, edit, and study the art historical record.

 

Kavi Gupta’s mission is to amplify the voices of diverse and underrepresented artists to expand the canon of art history. Though their approaches are varied and idiosyncratic, the artists spotlighted in Abstraction and Social Critique are connected in the sense that their practices allow for a fully actualized conception of abstraction.

 

Some works, like those of Angel Otero, Abigail DeVille, and Richard Hunt, convey social critique through their methods and materials. Others, like those of Raymond Saunders, Cameron Welch, Miya Ando, Modou Dieng, Jamaal Peterman, and Rewind Collective, introduce personal and social narratives, though in abstracted terms. Paintings by Jack Whitten, James Little, Al Loving, Brooklin Soumahoro, and Clare Rojas can be read in purely formal terms—the combination of the artist’s lived experience and their intentions infuses the works with political relevance.

 

Within the exhibition, we see artists engaged in an effort to subvert systems of aesthetic oppression and control that attempt to define and thus limit what abstract art is and can be. Their presence here testifies to the changing needs of the contemporary art field, and broadens participation in the ongoing debate about the scope and influence of abstract art.

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Works
  • James Little Recognizable Difference, 2016 Raw pigment on canvas 33 1/4 x 41 1/2 x 1 1/2 in 84.5 x 105.4 x 3.8 cm
    James Little
    Recognizable Difference, 2016
    Raw pigment on canvas
    33 1/4 x 41 1/2 x 1 1/2 in
    84.5 x 105.4 x 3.8 cm
  • James Little Checkered Past, 2017 Raw pigment on canvas 33 1/4 x 41 1/2 x 1 1/2 in 84.5 x 105.4 x 3.8 cm
    James Little
    Checkered Past, 2017
    Raw pigment on canvas
    33 1/4 x 41 1/2 x 1 1/2 in
    84.5 x 105.4 x 3.8 cm
  • Clare Rojas Background in Foreground 2, 2013 Oil on canvas 75 1/2 x 81 1/2 x 1 1/2 in 191.8 x 207 x 3.8 cm
    Clare Rojas
    Background in Foreground 2, 2013
    Oil on canvas
    75 1/2 x 81 1/2 x 1 1/2 in
    191.8 x 207 x 3.8 cm
  • Angel Otero, Untitled , 2012
    Angel Otero, Untitled , 2012
  • Miya Ando, Unkai (Sea of Clouds) New York City May 1 2021 5:51 AM, 3 Minutes Until Sunrise, 2021
    Miya Ando, Unkai (Sea of Clouds) New York City May 1 2021 5:51 AM, 3 Minutes Until Sunrise, 2021
  • Richard Hunt, Tubing Form, 1966
    Richard Hunt, Tubing Form, 1966
  • Richard Hunt Hybrid Form, 1964 Welded steel, reclaimed 50s chrome car bumpers, and found steel 20 1/2 x 12 1/2 x 9 1/2 in 52.1 x 31.8 x 24.1 cm
    Richard Hunt
    Hybrid Form, 1964
    Welded steel, reclaimed 50s chrome car bumpers, and found steel
    20 1/2 x 12 1/2 x 9 1/2 in
    52.1 x 31.8 x 24.1 cm
  • Angel Otero, Untitled (SP-HN), 2012
    Angel Otero, Untitled (SP-HN), 2012
  • James Little Gorilla, 2019 Oil and wax on linen 72 x 72 x 1 1/2 in 182.9 x 182.9 x 3.8 cm
    James Little
    Gorilla, 2019
    Oil and wax on linen
    72 x 72 x 1 1/2 in
    182.9 x 182.9 x 3.8 cm
  • Modou Dieng Esprit Noir, 2021 acrylic paint, ink, oilstick, collage on archival print, mounted on dibond. 43 x 68 in 109.2 x 172.7 cm
    Modou Dieng
    Esprit Noir, 2021
    acrylic paint, ink, oilstick, collage on archival print, mounted on dibond.
    43 x 68 in
    109.2 x 172.7 cm
  • Al Loving Memories of Midtown #14, 1991 Acrylic on rag paper mounted on plastic 36 1/2 x 32 1/2 x 3 in 92.7 x 82.5 x 7.6 cm
    Al Loving
    Memories of Midtown #14, 1991
    Acrylic on rag paper mounted on plastic
    36 1/2 x 32 1/2 x 3 in
    92.7 x 82.5 x 7.6 cm
  • Jamaal Peterman Parallel Parking , 2021 Oil, sand, vinyl glitter on canvas 38 x 48 x 2 in 96.5 x 121.9 x 5.1 cm
    Jamaal Peterman
    Parallel Parking , 2021
    Oil, sand, vinyl glitter on canvas
    38 x 48 x 2 in
    96.5 x 121.9 x 5.1 cm
  • Brooklin Soumahoro Untitled (Energy Field Painting), 2021 Oil on linen 68 x 56 x 2 in 172.7 x 142.2 x 5.1 cm
    Brooklin Soumahoro
    Untitled (Energy Field Painting), 2021
    Oil on linen
    68 x 56 x 2 in
    172.7 x 142.2 x 5.1 cm
  • Cameron Welch Untitled, 2021 Marble Rain, Marble, glass, ceramic, quartz, stones, spray enamel, oil, and acrylic on panel in walnut frame 60 x 48 in 152.4 x 121.9 cm
    Cameron Welch
    Untitled, 2021
    Marble Rain, Marble, glass, ceramic, quartz, stones, spray enamel, oil, and acrylic on panel in walnut frame
    60 x 48 in
    152.4 x 121.9 cm
  • Raymond Saunders Untitled Mixed media on board 48 1/8 x 38 5/8 in 122.2 x 98.1 cm
    Raymond Saunders
    Untitled
    Mixed media on board
    48 1/8 x 38 5/8 in
    122.2 x 98.1 cm
  • Jack Whitten Soulspace X (Black Jasmine), 1984 Oil and acrylic on canvas 20 x 20 in 50.8 x 50.8 cm
    Jack Whitten
    Soulspace X (Black Jasmine), 1984
    Oil and acrylic on canvas
    20 x 20 in
    50.8 x 50.8 cm
  • Miya Ando, Alchemy Shou Sugi Ban 4.4.1, 2018
    Miya Ando, Alchemy Shou Sugi Ban 4.4.1, 2018
  • Miya Ando, January 12, 2021 Matsu Pine Shou Sugi Ban Silver, 2021
    Miya Ando, January 12, 2021 Matsu Pine Shou Sugi Ban Silver, 2021
  • Clare Rojas Untitled, 2021 Oil on linen 30 x 24 x 2 in 76.2 x 61 x 5.1 cm
    Clare Rojas
    Untitled, 2021
    Oil on linen
    30 x 24 x 2 in
    76.2 x 61 x 5.1 cm
  • Miya Ando, January 15, 2021 Matsu Pine Shou Sugi Ban Silver, 2021
    Miya Ando, January 15, 2021 Matsu Pine Shou Sugi Ban Silver, 2021
  • Miya Ando, January 23, 2021 Matsu Pine Silver, 2021
    Miya Ando, January 23, 2021 Matsu Pine Silver, 2021
  • Rewind Collective Harriet Tubman #1, 2021 Giclée print on Hahnemühle photo rag metallic paper 11 3/4 x 8 1/4 in 30 x 21 cm (Unframed, please inquire for frame and framed dimensions) Edition of 15 plus 5 artist's proofs
    Rewind Collective
    Harriet Tubman #1, 2021
    Giclée print on Hahnemühle photo rag metallic paper
    11 3/4 x 8 1/4 in
    30 x 21 cm
    (Unframed, please inquire for frame and framed dimensions)
    Edition of 15 plus 5 artist's proofs
  • Abigail Deville Archive Wakes (Number Tree), 2021 Television, acrylic on stove, axe, mannequins, iron Christmas tree, gold wire, lotto tickets, chains, bungee cords with hooks, plant roots, water cooler, chains, panty hose, window fragments, broken bottles, chair, pool cue, walking canes, shoe sole, clay wheel, chandelier crystal prisms 114 x 45 x 33 inches
    Abigail Deville
    Archive Wakes (Number Tree), 2021
    Television, acrylic on stove, axe, mannequins, iron Christmas tree, gold wire, lotto tickets, chains, bungee cords with hooks, plant roots, water cooler, chains, panty hose, window fragments, broken bottles, chair, pool cue, walking canes, shoe sole, clay wheel, chandelier crystal prisms
    114 x 45 x 33 inches
  • James Little, Untitled, 2014
    James Little, Untitled, 2014
  • Clare Rojas Blacky, 2013 Ink on paper 20 1/2 x 16 1/2 x 1 1/2 in 52.1 x 41.9 x 3.8 cm
    Clare Rojas
    Blacky, 2013
    Ink on paper
    20 1/2 x 16 1/2 x 1 1/2 in
    52.1 x 41.9 x 3.8 cm
  • Clare Rojas New Silhouette 1, 2013 Oil on canvas 51 x 40 1/2 x 2 in 129.5 x 102.9 x 5.1 cm
    Clare Rojas
    New Silhouette 1, 2013
    Oil on canvas
    51 x 40 1/2 x 2 in
    129.5 x 102.9 x 5.1 cm
Installation Views
  • Abstractionandsocialcrit 13
  • Abstractionandsocialcrit 16
  • Abstractionandsocialcrit 2
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  • Abstractionandsocialcrit 1
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  • Abstractionandsocialcrit 11
  • Abstractionandsocialcrit 9
  • Abstractionandsocialcrit 8
  • Abstractionandsocialcrit 7
  • Abstractionandsocialcrit 14
  • Abstractionandsocialcrit 15
  • Abstractionandsocialcrit 10
  • Abstractionandsocialcrit 12
Press
  • Installation view, Abstraction & Social Critique, 2021. From left to right: Works by James Little, Jack Whitten, and Miya Ando. Sculptures by Miya Ando.

    Abstractions & Social Critique | Chicago: six must-see exhibitions

    Clare Voon, Art Basel, December 18, 2021

Related artists

  • Miya Ando

  • Richard Hunt

    Richard Hunt

  • James Little

    James Little

  • Al Loving

    Al Loving

  • Angel Otero

    Angel Otero

  • Rewind Collective

    Rewind Collective

  • Clare Rojas

    Clare Rojas

  • Brooklin Soumahoro

    Brooklin Soumahoro

  • Cameron Welch

    Cameron Welch

  • Jack Whitten

    Jack Whitten

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Kavi Gupta | Washington Blvd

835 W. Washington Blvd. Fl 1-3 Chicago, IL 60607

Hours | Tue–Fri: 11 am–6 pm, Sat: 12 pm–5 pm

Kavi Gupta | Editions

835 W. Washington Blvd. Fl 2 Chicago, IL 60607

Hours | Tue–Fri: 11 am–6 pm, Sat: 12 pm–5 pm

 

 

Kavi Gupta | Elizabeth St

219 N. Elizabeth St. Fl 1-2 Chicago, IL 60607 
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Kavi Gupta | Warehouse

2108 S. California Ave. Chicago, IL 60608

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Kavi Gupta | New Buffalo

215 E. Buffalo St. #219 New Buffalo, MI 49117

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