Heather Gaudio Fine Art is pleased to present Notions of Time a four-person exhibition featuring new works by Jessica Drenk, Yoona Hur, Amy Kirchner and Simona Prives. The show will open with a public reception on March 14th, 4-6pm, and runs through April 25th.

The artists featured in the exhibition possess distinct visual languages that are heavily influenced by the concept of time, permanence, impermanence, nature and the man-made. Their evocative investigations with the medium and materials will take visitors into contemplative visual journeys that allude to origins, life, stillness, and the cyclical nature of existence.

Jessica Drenk’s works repurpose everyday materials to mimic the structures and forms of nature. In her exploration of materiality, Drenk’s process subverts the meaning and original function of the material, cleverly referencing the life cycle of objects over time. Among the works featured in the exhibition, Drenk will present new wall-mounted sculptural works from the Aggregate series called Agates. Used paper and junk mail are transformed conceptually to reference geology, with contrasting colors and voids that suggest complex layers of crystallized minerals and other sediments. Taking on the appearance of geodes that have accumulated over millennia, formed, and eroded, Drenk’s stunning three-dimensional objects relate to the passage of time and our role in the transformation of the Earth as participants and consumers. Drenk holds an MFA from the University of Arizona and BFA from Pomona College and has exhibited widely across the United States. Her works are in many notable private, institutional and corporate collections.

Exhibiting for the second time at the gallery, Yoona Hur will present beautiful ceramic Moon Jar sculptures for which she is known. Shaped by her Korean upbringing, Hur’s approach to artmaking is a nod to a slower-paced, more meditative way of life that opens spaces for contemplation and spiritual transformation. Eastern philosophies of timelessness and impermanence are associated in the Moon Jars, which embody the notion of emptying oneself as a simultaneous act of release and change. Balance and transition are prioritized over perfection. The jars show evidence of being handmade and are finished with deep, smoky cobalt blue patinas. Hur earned her BA in architecture from The Cooper Union before receiving her BFA from The School of Art Institute of Chicago. Her works have been widely exhibited in the United States and abroad and are in many important private and corporate collections.

Amy Kirchner uses graphite and acrylic on large-scale canvases to explore painting and abstraction purely for what it is. In the quietness of her studio, the artist articulates shapes, color, line and gestures that come to her, with intuition and spontaneity taking over her process. In this fast-paced world, the artist seeks to slow down time for herself and the viewer. Soft, muted palettes express expansive spaces that are not only visual respites but also allow the mind to engage more deeply with the works. Countered with larger, darker brushstrokes that give weight to the composition, the artist manages a balance between the ephemeral and the permanent. Kirchner grew up in Western Nebraska, and her works allude to the wide landscapes of the Great Plains, with sweeping skies and canyons, which she dubs “the unchanging recorders of time.” This is Kirchner’s debut exhibition at the gallery, which is made possible thanks to the generous collaboration of Long-Sharp Gallery in Indianapolis.
Simona Prives’ artistic practice includes painting, drawing and time-based media that bridge the organic and man-made. Her visual lexicon consists of amalgamations from various sources, including maps, topographical patterns, and references to current and historical locations. These intertwine and dissolve into each other to form intricate new terrains rendered in nebulous, atmospheric compositions. For this exhibition, Prives will present dreamlike landscapes, imbued with elusive open-ended narratives she created in collaboration with pioneering master printmaker Dan Welden and print studio Brooklyn Editions. The works merge analog printmaking with innovative hybrid-printing techniques to create a dynamic dialogue between traditional and contemporary processes. Prives holds an MFA from Pratt Institute and currently serves as an Associate Professor at City University of New York. The artist has also exhibited widely in the United States, and her works are in many important collections.