SOFA Chicago - Sculpture, Objects, and Functional Art

Celebrating its 15th anniversary, SOFA CHICAGO 2008, the critically acclaimed Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair returns to Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, November 7–9, to present work from 100 international galleries and dealers from 16 countries.

glass, ceramic, fibers, metals, wood
Great craftsmanship is now a "given" as the issues of manipulating these materials have long been resolved. Much of the work is idea based, although some is purely about craftsmanship and decorative beauty. While the show’s focus is on contemporary sculpture, there is a significant overview of what’s happening in the world of art furniture and jewelry.

Galleries and artists from Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Korea, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom (England and Ireland) join American blue-chip galleries such as Heller Gallery and Leo Kaplan Modern of New York; Perimeter Gallery and Ann Nathan Gallery of Chicago; Holsten Galleries of Stockbridge MA and del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles to present dazzling contemporary glass art based on centuries-old Venetian traditions, sculptural Japanese ceramics, superb hollowware by Scandinavian silversmiths, contemporary furniture and wood art, and the most avant-garde American and European jewelry.

www.sofaexpo.com

BRIAN USHER

It is in the end all about ‘seeing’; looking not at the centre of a thing but at the peripherals, the edges, and sometimes not looking a ‘it’ at all, but at everything around it. Knowing that what I see today may not be what I see tomorrow. Not because the object has changed but because I have. It is also about where in the transition from ‘all too familiar’ to ‘this is my world’ do I engage with the people, places, and objects that make up my life. I use familiar shapes that need closer inspection and time. I don’t try to say ‘this is how it is’ but rather ask ‘how could it be?’

Some of my newest work deals with ‘void’, ‘hole’, ‘emptiness’, as passageway or view to ‘other’. Within this is the use of a confessional motif as a nod toward the idea of confession as story, as marker of event/time. People as well as objects contain these ‘markers’ and they serve to alter our perceptions of the world around us. If we accept the idea that we view the world through a series of ever developing and morphing filters then each perceptual event will have a bearing on any subsequent events. We can not view the world outside of these events just as we can not remove the ‘trace’ or shadow if you will of our memories of specific moments. The screen serves as a metaphor for the conscious divide that allows us to function while still having access to the necessary memory of the myriad of life events. I use the confessional motif specifically because it is one laden with separateness; both from one another and from ourselves. I choose to explore the feeling that we are connected to our past selves and others as well as the physical.

Eoin Breadon

The basic underlying thematic element of my work is the concept of light and time. An infinite universe, we are granted a finite amount of time, a set-up that seems to be designed and regimented by the amount of light (day) or lack there of (night). By trying to incorporate both elements, be it through the use of shape or color association, I'm looking to define a space that contradicts these parameters of light and dark in association with a beginning and an end. Much like life, glass operates within these same parameters of completion. The beauty of glass is its cool timelessness while the creation of it is a hot, intensive commitment of a set time in which to work the molten glass. I strive to create a classic piece that is flexible to its surroundings and light rather than defining them itself.

Alex Gabriel Bernstein

ARTIST STATEMENTI feel as if I am a explorer. With each piece I make I prepare for a journey, I have a general idea where I want to go, but I never know where the path will lead me. Each piece I work on I set out in the hopes of discovering something new and exciting. As any explorer my journeys are filed with ups and downs, disappointments and breakthroughs, however with each piece I am sure to gain knowledge and insight which is the excitement that brings me to my studio every day.

Jeff Wallin

Over the years, my exploration of the human figure has moved beyond attempting to capture the physical presence of the body. The work has evolved into my meditation on the passage of time, its effects on the body, and the unexpected ways by which an accumulation of marks can acquire new meanings outside of the experiences that created them. Part of the power of art is in its potential to bring out feelings of familiarity and ownership from anyone who views it. This claim encompasses both the subject and the memories surrounding the subject’s history. These works are not meant to convey a specific history; they simply need to be history.

Contemporary Glass

… this is not the glass your grandmother used to collect! Contemporary glass works from talented artists young and old, renowned or emerging … different techniques - cast, blown, lamp-worked … there is a lot out there to see, enjoy and learn about!!!