Beverly Fishman conjures the 'Chemical Sublime' at Kavi Gupta

Now at Kavi Gupta’s Chicago venue, Beverly Fishman’s Chemical Sublime uses vibrant colors and iconic pharmaceutical shapes to explore how technology alters our perception and reality. Using cast resin, mirrored Plexiglass, powder-coated metal and phosphorescent pigments, Fishman has created visually stunning work. Her polychrome reliefs and paintings mimic commonly prescribed medications as well as medical imaging technologies such as EEG and EKG machines. Stacked multiple shapes represent prescription combinations or multiple diagnoses, creating a visual conversation about society’s increasing dependence on pharmaceuticals and how our multiple prescriptions are changing our lived experiences. The carefully crafted forms and brilliant, neon-edged colors are both soothing and unsettling, reflecting the double-edged relationship we have with technology: it can both harm and heal.