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No End in Sight From December 13, 2008 to January 10, 2009 Exhibition Reception: Friday, December 12, 4:30 p.m. Performance of ks rives and Nicole Kenney’s Before I Die I Want To… Public Event: Saturday, December 13, 2 p.m. Folding party and “Infinite Change” panel discussion Sullivan Galleries Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sullivan Galleries, 33 S. State Street, 7th Floor 312.629.6635 |
Artist Statement Burtonwood and Holmes is a collaborative project by artists Tom Burtonwood and Holly Holmes. Begun in late 2002 our collaboration started as a protest to the impending invasion of Iraq. Initially the images we produced were painted life size on gallery walls, then later on aluminum and other mirrored surfaces. Each iteration sought to further include the viewer in the work, to protest the war by bringing it home. At first it was the scale of the paintings that accomplished this aim, then the mirrored surface literally included the viewer in the image. "… the real business of the War is buying and selling. The murdering and the violence are self-policing, and can be entrusted to non-professionals... True war is a celebration of markets." --Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow In 2005 - borrowing a line from Warhol -we started using sales flyers and junk mail from grocery stores and retailers to represent society as reflected in images of everyday goods. Products are not who we are but can signify how we approach our daily lives. As this line of inquiry developed two clear goals emerged. First to illustrate that consumer culture is used as camouflage to divert public attention away important issues like the Iraq war. Second to show that war is a profitable venture for big business and keeping the shareholders happy means moving inventory and encouraging new conflicts. Our interests also include the logistics of warfare contrasted with the supply chain and delivery systems of big box retail and freight forwarding. Considerations of "turn key" systems have led us to start developing inflatable installations that can be easily transported and set up. These projects will mimic the inflatable decoys that are currently deployed by armed forces worldwide. About A Celebration of Markets The bottom line is that in terms of war there is literally no end in sight. The social imperative for peace is less profitable than the profiteering from war. Our intention is a to show a historical survey of weapons and war fighting seen through the lens of consumer culture and market forces. Our installation will include a timeline of historical images of weapons juxtaposed with their contemporary versions. The Thomas Pynchon quote (above) will be used as a wall text situated below two balloon sculptures that depict JDAM smart bombs. In front of these pieces we’ll present the diorama “contested ground.” All these elements will in turn be surround on the walls, floor and possibly ceiling by an immersive wallpapering of conspicuous consumption. CV.
TB MFA Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, IL. (2001) BA (Hons) Fine Art Loughborough University School of Art, UK (1997) HH BFA Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, IL. (2000) Solo Exhibitions 2008 I Support the War the War Supports Me, GARDENfresh, Chicago, IL 2005 J’Accuse, Gescheidle. Chicago, IL. Materiel World, Union league Club, Chicago, IL Two Person Exhibitions 2007 Subtle Combat, with Robert Burnier, Around the Coyote Gallery, Chicago, IL Selected Group Exhibitions 2009 The Art Institute of Boston Beyond the Fluff & Fold: Contemporary Artists and the T-Shirt, Boston, MA. (upcoming) Orleans Street Gallery, St Charles, IL (upcoming) 2008 GARDENfresh Gallery Artists, Florida Gulf Coast University Art Gallery, Fort Myers, FL. artXposium, West Chicago, IL. Reuse 2, Joint Effort Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel. Home of the Brave: Politics, Propaganda and Patriotism, Florida Gulf Coast University Art Gallery, Fort Myers, FL. Preview Year Five, Capla Kesting Fine Art, Brooklyn, NY. 2007 Consuming War, curated by Barbara Koenen, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL. Emergent Divergence, Open Studio Project, Evanston, IL. Art WALKerville, Refine Fitness Studio, Winsor ON, J-Walking, Polish Museum of America, Chicago, IL. ietsmooisaandemuur Gallery, 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands. We’ll Meet Again, GARDENfresh, Chicago, IL. Influen-zca, Allrise Gallery, Chicago, IL. 2006 My Apocalyptic Playground, South Union Arts, Chicago, IL Something to do with Failure curated by Chester Costello, Moser Fine Arts Center Gallery, University of St. Francis, Joliet, IL. 18th Evanston and Vicinity Biennial, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL. ArtChicago, Chicago, IL. Nova Art Fair, Chicago, IL Mix Art at the James Hotel curated by Monique Meloche and Andrew Rafacz, Chicago, IL. 2005 Members Only, GARDENfresh. Chicago IL Two Steps Back, Spin Gallery, Toronto Canada 2004 Frisbee Art Fair, Miami, FL. Two Steps Back, Superstudio Piu, Milan, Italy Winter Group Show, Bucket Rider Gallery Two Steps Back, Kinzo Gallery, Berlin, Germany Collaborations, Northern Illinois University Chicago Gallery, curated by Heather Weber, Chicago IL Organically grown in the Midwest, curated by Luis Maldonado, Purchase College Dolly Maas Gallery, Purchase, NY. ArtChicago, Chicago, IL. 2003 1+1=3, Gescheidle Gallery, Chicago, IL 2002 Gun and Wound, The Annex, New York, NY. Curated by Alisoun Meehan. Residencies 2006 Open Studio Program, Public Art Program, Dept. of Cultural Affairs, City of Chicago, IL. Selected Projects 2008 Bridge Art Fair Berlin 2006 PRODUCT placement. Open Studio Program, Dept. of Cultural Affairs, City of Chicago, IL. How We Get To Where Were Going Written by Theresa Rebeck Directed by Bea Bosco, designed and produced props for theater production, Sketchbook 6, Collaboraction, Chicago, IL The Negative Horizon. Around the Coyote, Winter Arts Festival, curated by Allison Stites Chicago, IL Publications 2008 Prompt, Issue 1, pub. October 2008, Chicago, IL. (upcoming) Proximity, Issue 2, pub. September 2008, Chicago, IL. 2007 Artworld Digest, Issue 2, pub. March 2007, New York, NY. 2005 New American Paintings #59, pub. Open Studio Press 2005, Boston MA. 2 Steps Back catalogue, pub. 55DSL 2005, New York, NY. 2003 New American Paintings #47, pub Open Studio Press 2003 Boston MA. Awards Illinois Arts Council, Special Assistant Grant, 2007. Talk Back: Buyer Beware Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, December 2007 2008 Apple, Lauri, Chicagoist.com 09/25/08 Museum of Contemporary Art, Artists Books Collection, Chicago, IL Slide Registries Irving Sandler Artists File, Artists Space, New York, NY. Public Art Program, City of Chicago, Dept of Cultural Affairs, Chicago, IL. Related Professional Activities TB Bridge Art Fair, Director of Operations. GARDENfresh, co-director, Chicago. HH Hyde Park Art Center, Painting Faculty GARDENfresh, co-director, Chicago. |
Thank you to the Sullivan Galleries, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Department of Exhibitions