Public Art in Chicago: Frizzflopsqueezepop

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Frizzflopsqueezepop - by Claire Ashley

Fizzflopsqueezepop - by Claire Ashley

at Chicago Cultural Center - First Floor

Temporary Exhibit: January 12th - March 31st, 2012.

Opening Reception: January 11, 2012.

Frizz-Flop-Squeeze-Pop!!! Whimsical, vibrant, cheerful, sprightly splash of colors on inflated canvases occupy first floor of the Chicago Cultural Center! The exhibit has an equally playful name Frizzflopsqueezepop!!!

Here are some images from the Opening Reception on Friday, January 11, 2012.

Artist Claire Ashley

From left, curator Nathan Mason, artist Claire Ashley and Commissioner Michelle Boone..

Claire Ashley is Scottish-born, Chicago based artist, with MFA from SAIC, where she currently teaches in the Comtemporary Practices and Painting & Drawing Depatment. Michelle T. Boone is Commissioner of the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and Nathan Mason is the Curator of Exhibits and Public Art at Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, City of Chicago.

From left, curator Nathan Mason, artist Claire Ashley and Commissioner Michelle Boone.

A typical meet-n-greet shot from the Opening Reception.

I had this great opportunity of meeting with Calire's family members, who were there to support her.

Claire Ashley with her family.

Claire with her kids..

And here is Claire's mom with her grandkids!

And I spotted a few members of the Project Onward team in the opening reception.

The incredible girls of Project Onwards team!

They really are INCREDIBLE!

Each one is an artist in her own right and work with artists at Project Onwards!

Below are some images of her work. As Danny Orendorff, Independent Critic describes..

Ultimately, howere, the production of the inflates comes back to Ashley's unwavering curiosity in color, paint, and the possiblities of abstraction. Like most art, the proff is in the process: in how aerated paint applied to canvas that is then, itself, aerated can produce washes, belnds, textures and composites of colors.