Posts tagged Chicago Art Openings
OUR YEAR IN REVIEW

Happy New Year from Matthew Rachman Gallery!

This year we continued to bring in newly restored modern furniture and breathtaking works by our artists. Although we were unable to present any curated shows, we are grateful to continue to bring forward new and exciting work. In the early few months of the year, we featured work that had not been seen before, such as Ted Stanuga’s “Humbold” which drew sidewalk onlookers with its grand scale, or a triptych of Slater Sousley’s quietly vibrating plein air paintings.

This year we have also begun creating our own bespoke furniture. Our first piece is the MR Sofa, featuring bold, curving lines and beautiful blue mohair.

We continue to be available via appointment to anyone interested in seeing work in person and look forward to all the great work that will come in 2021. Thank you to all for your continued to support.

FEATURED IN MAY

ISAMU NOGUCHI IN-50 COFFEE TABLE

"In art, one does not aim for simplicity. One achieves it unintentionally as one gets closer to the real meaning of things." -Constantin Brancusi

Isamu Noguchi’s iconic coffee table is comprised of two pieces of solid wood, interlocking into each other to form a tripod base for the glass above. Constantin Brancusi’s influence is apparent in this work, through Noguchi’s time as Brancusi’s apprentice, with the use of organic shapes and assemblage. This sculptural design has proven the test of time through its unity of harmony, balance, and durability.

EDWARD WORMLEY PYRAMID FLOATING BOOKCASE

Edward Wormley was a longtime director of the Dunbar furniture company, and brought modern design into midcentury residential homes. He had a deep appreciation for traditional design and impeccable craftsmanship. The Pyramid Floating Bookcase can be utilized against a wall or floating in a room to add more dimensionality to put your collection of books and objects on display.

UNTITLED BY SHINNOSUKE MIYAKE

Untitled beautifully captures an instantaneous moment and invites the viewer to be immersed in Miyake’s brushstrokes. The artist’s trust in his impulsive decisions is definite, bringing concrete yet fluid motions to the surface. Read Japanese artist Shinnosuke Miyake’s bio and view his other works here.

FEATURED IN DECEMBER

MILO BAUGHMAN MID-CENTURY MODERN CANTILEVER CURVED CHROME SOFA

This cantilever sofa by Milo Baughman, produced in the 1960s, has been freshly reupholstered with a plush poly blend that catches light in its weave. Contrasting soft, rounded edges with its clean-edged chrome, this design combines the organic shapes of contemporary furniture with MCM rectilinearity.

AZURE BY MAURA SEGAL

Azure has an entrancing washed blue background that underscores the sharp lines of its collaged paper. These thin lines that appear hand drawn, reveal themselves to be meticulously cut from strands of paper. Their craft gives them a wavering width and kinked bends that so well articulate Segal’s sensibility. Rigid like wire and sharp like the edges of tape, Segal places these lines to activate the borders of her paintings. Shadowy polygons hover beneath the artwork’s monochromatic background to highlight the negative space left by the foreground’s lines.

CURTIS JERÉ RAINDROPS WALL SCULPTURE MIRROR

Curtis Jeré, known for producing elegant brass and glass sculptures under Artisan House, made some of the most iconic wall pieces of the 60s & 70s. This mirror comes from one of Jeré’s most recognizable series: Raindrops. Characterized by its emphasis on circularity and reflection, Raindrops possess warm patinas and luminescent form.

FEATURED IN NOVEMBER

STILL PHOTOGRAPH FROM BATTLE ROYALE

The first work you see when you walk through the door is this still photograph from Battle Royale by Katya Bankowsky with Michele Lamy. This provides a perfect entryway into the world of this show. Click the image to read more about the show, On Guard.

SET OF MID-CENTURY MODERN BRONZE PLATNER LOUNGE CHAIRS FOR KNOLL

Reupholstered in rich mohair, these Bronze Platner Lounge Chairs add a little bit of playful elegance to your interior. Their slim, curvy profile with a wide seat means they are as comfortable as they are stylish.

WILLIAM ECKHARDT KOHLER POLLET’S LOVE

William Eckhardt Kohler’s saturated and harmonious landscapes are comprised of relaxed, brushy paint and remarkable color. Resting his composition on the edges of the frame, Kohler lends an air of romanticism to the hollowed out building in the foreground. With perspective that nods to Cubism and colors reminiscent of the Fauves, William Eckhardt Kohler produces luminescent work well aware of its predecessors, yet altogether new.

FEATURED IN OCTOBER

KATE MCCARTHY MIDDLE ENGLISH

Kate McCarthy’s playful canvases stitch bright hues and soft contours into everyday scenes. Mixing acrylic paint and thread, the artist organizes a harmony of texture and chroma.

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VLADIMIR KAGAN FOR DIRECTIONAL CLOUD SOFA

This Vladimir Kagan sofa has been freshly reupholstered with a forest green mohair fabric to compliment its rich walnut pedestal legs. The sofa’s fluid shapes possess a refined delicacy that only Kagan can offer.

SLATER SOUSLEY UNTITLED

Breaking form down into rhythm and pattern, while working quickly to capture light, Slater Sousley manages to achieve a vibrant serenity in his paintings. The way something emerges from the background of foliage questions how one technically and mentally renders an image. Painted against the setting sun, in the woods that Sousley knows from his childhood, the works reveal themselves as a merger of plein air painting and recitations of his past.