Ian HYDEON Ferguson: Mass Contemplation

For Immediate Release
Hydeon: Mass Contemplation
June 20 - July 31, 2014

Opening Reception: Friday, June 20th, from 6pm - 10pm.

Chicago, IL [May 28, 2014] Maxwell Colette Gallery is proud to present Mass Contemplation, featuring new work from celebrated Chicago-based illustrator Ian “Hydeon” Ferguson. This will be the artist’s first exhibition with the gallery.

Ian Ferguson’s work blends street art, fine art, and graphic design into surreal contemporary Americana, full of metaphor, and designed to intrigue and provoke. Reacting to a world he perceives as being “dominated by the exploitation of oversized lifestyles”, Ferguson presents images of a minimized existence. It is a world of tiny houses, pointy boots, hobo shacks and mountains populated by fantastic beings called ‘herms’. Ferguson’s vision is steeped in nostalgia and punctuated by a spiritual connection with nature.

Mass Contemplation will showcase Ferguson’s new india ink drawings on paper. It will will also present a site specific installation titled ‘Terra Firma Shelter’, which will re-create one of his tiny shelters in human-scale. Ferguson says “the simple and compact design of the shelter structure is meant to embody the ethos of minimal imprint living or the act of simplifying one’s means of basic survival... [The Installation] is to be visually received like a ship in a bottle absorbed by an old west ghost town.”

In conjunction with Mass Contemplation, the gallery will be releasing Ferguson’s first book, ‘Early Morning Contemplation Over Coffee’. The book features reproductions of the india ink drawings included in the show. The signed and numbered, limited-edition books will come with a signed silk screen print and a pack of HYDEON stickers, and will be available exclusively through Maxwell Colette Gallery.

About the Artist: Ian ‘Hydeon’ Ferguson is a Chicago-based visual artist. He makes work about his life experience and is constantly inspired by his environment. Born and raised in California, he received his BS in Graphic Design from AIC-San Diego in 2006. Four years later he moved to Chicago and founded BARO Records. His art has been featured in Hi Fructose Magazine, Op Magazine, Time Out Chicago and numerous other publications. In 2012 Ferguson was selected as a Chicago Cultural Society Featured Artist for Chicago Artists Month. In 2013 he won the RedBull Canvas Cooler competition in Chicago and exhibited work with RedBull Curates at SCOPE in Miami. Most recently his custom shoe design for Converse was released at Nordstrom in March 2014.

Rodrigo Level and Gabriel Kieling mural for SITE

Rodrigo Level and Gabriel Kieling were invited to paint a mural for SITE, an outdoor mural project sponsored by the South Shore Chamber of Commerce. Level and Kieling's wall is located at 7256 S Exchange street.  It is definitely worth the trek down to South Shore to see this in person. Until then you can see more on our Instagram.

SITE was organized by Tristan Hummel and curated by Chicago street artist Don't Fret. The project will feature an eclectic lineup with murals to be completed and unveiled over the coming days.

Big shout out to our pals at Holiday Exploits! We couldn't have done this project without you!

The Brazilian Invasion Begins

The Brazilian invasion has begun with this killer mural collaboration by Brazilians Rodrigo Level and Gabriel Kieling! The mural is located in Chicago's Logan Square, and can be easily viewed from the CTA blue line, near the Milwaukee and Fullerton intersection. 

For the project, Level and Kieling sought to paint something that embodies the essence of their uniquely Brazilian street art. Utilizing a minimal palette and bold graphic sense, the two have created something that boldly stands out from the colorful characters and stylized lettering that fill the Logan Square neighborhood.

Says Level of his work, "For each day a mask, for each day equilibrio (equilibrium). We all wear masks to mold ourselves to the world. I wear a mask, you wear a mask, we all do. This, is a mask." Kieling's says of his piece "We are all living our lives, with the constant weight of carrying the burden of death." 

Level and Kieling are in Chicago for the premier of their exhibition EQUILIBRIO at Maxwell Colette Gallery.  The show is co-curated by Holiday Exploits who will be releasing prints from the artists. Muito obrigado to Logan Square, Flash and the ABC Crew, and Zore for making this happen.

GAIA: Resplendent Semblance

Maxwell Colette Gallery is pleased to announce GAIA: Resplendent Semblance, a solo show from the Baltimore based artist Gaia. The show will feature indoor and outdoor work in a variety of settings including a show of new, large scale paintings and decollage on wood art work at Maxwell Colette Gallery and a massive window installation at State Street and Adams presented in conjunction with The Chicago Loop Alliance's Pop Up Art Loop initiative.

The opening reception for GAIA:Resplendent Semblance is on Friday, March 25th from 6 - 9 pm in our space at 833 W. Chicago Ave, suite 200.  

Keep an eye on our Flickr and our Facebook page for further details and photos of the projects, the new work, and the installations.