At Zolla/Lieberman Gallery

Chicago, IL

July 15th-August 26th, 2015

Curated by Liz Nielsen and Carolina Wheat of Elijah Wheat Showroom

What does one need to operate, make and maintain a studio in NYC? What is sacrificed? The materials for making, in a community of makers, vary. The density of talent is unequal. When the price for a slice of cheese pizza is the same cost as a single subway ride in the city we recognize that there’s affordability, yet finding space to work and live is compromised by the density of the population. The ante is up. Living in NYC takes an unrivaled work-ethic to thrive.

Living in NYC is money. Culture is worthy of our time. Any cultural lifestyle is a luxury. NYC epitomizes culture. Is working and making art in NYC worth the time and money? What is the return on investment? Are there specific locations that foster specializations or subcultures, inside a larger demographic? We present, a slice of New York City’s actively engaged artists practicing in: Bushwick, BedStuy, CrownHeights, ChinaTown, Williamsburg & LES.

This assemblage of artists’ studio locations highlights a minor architecture of a larger community. We bring to Chicago a group of visual examples containing hott and sexy collective-thoughts trending in NYC, 2015, fresh from the summer studio.

Using ingenious atypical making materials, these artists create unconventional ways to share their vision of contemporary metropolitan society. Just like grabbing a slice, greasy and hot: taste is secondary.

featuring works by:

Aaron Johnson
Alyse Ronayne
Angelina Gualdoni
Annie Ewaskio
April Childers
Brian Andrew Whiteley
Christian Sampson
Clive Murphy
Jeremy Couillard
Justin Davis Anderson
Livia Corona Benjamin
Liz Nielsen
Mike Schreiber
Monica Lorraine Bernal
Stacie Johnson
Yevgenia S. Baras

Enjoy,
Lina & Liz