“Hereafter: A Tribute to Timothy S. Brower” curated by Holly Greenberg

Please note: gallery capacity will be 10 masked visitors at a time. No appointments will be necessary for the reception. Weather permitting, we hope to socialize on the sidewalk in front of the gallery! Gallery hours on dates after the reception will be appointment-only.

Hereafter features the work of 25 artists who have been influenced by the life and work of the late Timothy S. Brower (1964 – 2017.) In his multiple roles as co-founder of the Bodybuilder and Sportsman Gallery and educator at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Syracuse University, Tim was involved in teaching and guiding a generation of budding artists. He was ubiquitous in the 90’s Wicker Park art and music community, exhibiting his own kinetic interactive sculptures in the Uncomfortable Spaces and hosting crowds at his Division Street gallery. The artists in this collection, many of whom are now scattered across the country, embody a time and place when a DIY spirit of artist collectives took root in Chicago.

Holly Greenberg’s contribution to Hereafter are four drawings from the series entitled Remains. Drawn life-sized with India Ink on paper, the drawings depict items left behind in the studio of Timothy S. Brower. Their scale and precision become a stand-in for the body itself and evoke the palpable absence of the owner.

With:

Claire Ashley, Jim Brenner, John Bryant, Rob Davis, Lora Fosberg, Christopher Furman, Kitty Hubbard, Michael Jackson, Chuck Jones, Seth Kim Cohen, Damon Locks, Tiesha McNeal, Wayne Montana, Laura Mosquera, David Nelson, Peter Power, Chris Prior, Jennifer Reeder, Gabrielle Shelton, Greg Shultz, Jeff Weisfeld, Tony Wight, Molly Wretzky, and Shannon Wright

State of Flux

We’ve been in a state of unrest as a collective body moving through circumstances outside of our control. Edebiri questions what this “normal” many speak of was and if that’s the state of rest we should go back to. For so many, their sense of “normal” was a construct to get out of. These rugs are a push and pull in ways from color or lack thereof, to texture, and form. They’re in a constant state of movement, showing a potential for growth as we all should, as we try to see ourselves out of this pandemic as well as other moments in the world such as this.

Eseosa Edebiri was born and raised in Northern California. She received her BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and now resides in the city. Her work reflects an interest in autonomy and thoughts on intergenerational trauma while having a slight cheeky playfulness to it. She has a very tactile side to her practice exploring touch and accessibility, aiming to create worlds and build settings as well. Giving representation to BIPOC and conversations on ability/disability are often present, all too often these stories are told after we’ve passed. We continue to see instances of police brutality and she aims to touch on those losses without desensitizing us to the trauma of it all, sharing sparks of joy and fleeting happiness that we experience while we’re alive.