July 11 – August 8, 2023
A Vessel GAllery Group Show included in ARtsy’s Foundations Art Fair
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Cherisse Alcantara, Chantal Hildebrand, Michael Hyun Gu Kang, Christy Kovacs, Cyrus Tilton
< Vessel Gallery at Foundations | Artsy >
WOKE WOMEN I (2021) BY CHANTAL HILDEBRAND, 18 x 24 IN., LINOCUT, HANDPRINTED INK ON WATERCOLOR PAPER < Click to collect this artwork >
“This piece exhibits with patterns from fabrics Chantal has come across in her travels, plants that she grows in her own home, and books that she wants to read or already has read, all surrounding three Black women in different moments of rest and peace.” — Chantal Hildebrand
HERE AND NOW (2023) BY CHANTAL HILDEBRAND, 16 X 20 IN., LINOCUT, HANDPRINTED INK ON WATERCOLOR PAPER < Click to collect this artwork >
“Here and Now celebrates presence.” — Chantal Hildebrand
LAZY SUNDAY (2021) BY CHANTAL HILDEBRAND, 16 X 20 IN., LINOCUT, HANDPRINTED INK ON WATERCOLOR PAPER < Click to collect this artwork >
“One of Chantal's best selling pieces, Lazy Sunday is an homage to bath time and the act of melting into a tub.” — Chantal Hildebrand
WOKE WOMEN II (2022) BY CHANTAL HILDEBRAND, 18 X 24 IN., LINOCUT, HANDPRINTED INK ON WATERCOLOR PAPER < Click to collect this artwork >
“A part two to the original "Woke Women" piece, Woke Women II continues the imagery of Black women at rest.” — Chantal Hildebrand
ENTER THE DRAGON (2023) BY MICHAEL KANG, 36 X 34 X 1.5 IN., ACRYLIC PAINT, COLORED PENCIL, PAINT MARKER, PAINT TUBES, PAINT BRUSHES, SHOW CARDS, AND STUDIO REFUSE GLUED TOGETHER WITH ACRYLIC PAINT ON A CANVAS STRETCHER BAR < Click to collect this artwork >
“The year of the wood dragon is coming. I've been feeling the looming nature of the future and I've been hoping to prepare for it mentally and physically. My hope is that I can cement myself in the present by acknowledging the year to come. I plan and hope for a year of growth, nourishment, and energy.” — Michael Kang
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A LEAP, (2023) BY MICHAEL KANG, 40 X 30 X 1.5 IN., ACRYLIC, HANBOK FABRIC, PAINT MARKER, COLORED PENCIL, AND OIL PASTEL ON CANVAS < Click to collect this artwork >
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NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT (2023) BY MICHAEL KANG, 40 X 30 X 1.5 IN., ACRYLIC, COLORED PENCIL, PAINT MARKER, AND OIL PASTEL ON CANVAS < Click to collect this artwork >
“I present myself riding a tiger like a cowboy. The tiger is smoking a cigarette which is a Korean saying. "When tigers smoked", is like saying, "back in the day" or, "in the past".
— Michael Kang
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SIRI, PLAY TOKYO DRIFT (2022) BY MICHAEL KANG, 41 X 41 X 3 IN., ACRYLIC, HANBOK FABRIC, ABALONE, COLORED PENCIL, OIL PASTEL, ASTRO TURF, AND PAINT MARKER ON A FOUND FRAMED CANVAS < Click to collect this artwork >
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VESUVIUS (2013) BY CYRUS TILTON, 20 X 32 X 20 in., PAPER MACHE < Available to collect, click to inquire about pricing >
"I had been left with a quieting of the loud and direct inspirational cues that I had been accustomed to. It seems the more I try to focus my mind on the present, the more abstract and loose that focus becomes. This detachment from my foundation has left me with the unsettling feeling of absence. My latest works are an attempt at working with and making peace with absence." — Cyrus Tilton, 2013
The artist sculpted a woman figure of paper mache upholding a sheath, seemingly taking cover, and that sheath is a sculpted mountain - Mount Vesuvius of Pompeii, Italy. The idea of an entire city covered in ash from the volcanic eruption, frozen in time, inspired this piece.
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SIREN (2014) BY CYRUS TILTON, 36 X 9 X 9 IN., PLASTER, PAPIER-MÂCHÉ, HYDRATED ALUMINA, STEEL, BRONZE < Available to collect, click to inquire about pricing >
"I had been left with a quieting of the loud and direct inspirational cues that I had been accustomed to. It seems the more I try to focus my mind on the present, the more abstract and loose that focus becomes. This detachment from my foundation has left me with the unsettling feeling of absence. My latest works are an attempt at working with and making peace with absence." — Cyrus Tilton, 2013
In this figurative work, Siren, we see a convergence of the abstract with representation, as well as a convergence of all mediums the artist used to date, including an exciting newfound discovery and masterful handling of hydrated alumina.
ABSENCE MANDALA 2 (2013) BY CYRUS TILTON, 12 X 12 X 2 IN., CONCRETE, PLASTER, ACID STAIN, INK < Click to collect this artwork >
"I had been left with a quieting of the loud and direct inspirational cues that I had been accustomed to. It seems the more I try to focus my mind on the present, the more abstract and loose that focus becomes. This detachment from my foundation has left me with the unsettling feeling of absence. My latest works are an attempt at working with and making peace with absence." — Cyrus Tilton, 2013
The artist sculpted a figurative clay form, then created, studied, and utilized the direction of light as his subject for this wall sculpture.
ABSENCE MANDALA 3 (2013) BY CYRUS TILTON, 12 X 20 X 2 IN., CONCRETE, PLASTER, ACID STAIN, INK < Click to collect this artwork >
"I had been left with a quieting of the loud and direct inspirational cues that I had been accustomed to. It seems the more I try to focus my mind on the present, the more abstract and loose that focus becomes. This detachment from my foundation has left me with the unsettling feeling of absence. My latest works are an attempt at working with and making peace with absence." — Cyrus Tilton, 2013
The artist sculpted a figurative clay form, then created, studied, and utilized the direction of light as his subject for this wall sculpture.
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* When viewing on a mobile device, click on the white dot in the bottom right corner for details.
PORTAL 2 (2020) BY CHERISSE ALCANTARA, 40 X 30 IN., OIL ON CANVAS < Click to collect this artwork >
“I seek to spend time with and hold on to places a little longer through my practice; to be home is to feel connected to the world rather than merely pass by or pass time. Living in our hyperactive society, I feel estranged from space and time. Additionally, having come from a fragmented personal and cultural background, my experiences of home and place are of loss and disconnect.
My paintings are anchored in the familiar and reimagine the spaces of the everyday. While engaging with the observed world and the formal language of painting, I conjure imaginary abstract spaces. The identities and specificities within my subjects, their underlying structure, abstract design, and positive and negative spaces within shapes and colors are captivating to me. Drawn to light, luminosity and vivid colors, I work with thinly layered paint and iridescent pigments to evoke depth and luminous surfaces.
The objects and areas where I lived or frequented, such as my home and neighborhood, the urban environment, and nearby landscapes are sources of inspiration. Light and shadow, and construction and deconstruction within the natural and built environment are recurring themes that remind me of the presence of time.” — Cherisse Alcantara
LIMINAL SPACE I (2021) BY CHERISSE ALCANTARA, 60 X 48 IN., OIL ON CANVAS < Click to collect this artwork >
“I seek to spend time with and hold on to places a little longer through my practice; to be home is to feel connected to the world rather than merely pass by or pass time. Living in our hyperactive society, I feel estranged from space and time. Additionally, having come from a fragmented personal and cultural background, my experiences of home and place are of loss and disconnect.
My paintings are anchored in the familiar and reimagine the spaces of the everyday. While engaging with the observed world and the formal language of painting, I conjure imaginary abstract spaces. The identities and specificities within my subjects, their underlying structure, abstract design, and positive and negative spaces within shapes and colors are captivating to me. Drawn to light, luminosity and vivid colors, I work with thinly layered paint and iridescent pigments to evoke depth and luminous surfaces.
The objects and areas where I lived or frequented, such as my home and neighborhood, the urban environment, and nearby landscapes are sources of inspiration. Light and shadow, and construction and deconstruction within the natural and built environment are recurring themes that remind me of the presence of time.” — Cherisse Alcantara
THE BORDERSPACES: SPACES I INHABIT NO.2 (2020) BY CHERISSE ALCANTARA, 30 X 40 IN., OIL ON CANVAS < Click to collect this artwork >
“I seek to spend time with and hold on to places a little longer through my practice; to be home is to feel connected to the world rather than merely pass by or pass time. Living in our hyperactive society, I feel estranged from space and time. Additionally, having come from a fragmented personal and cultural background, my experiences of home and place are of loss and disconnect.
My paintings are anchored in the familiar and reimagine the spaces of the everyday. While engaging with the observed world and the formal language of painting, I conjure imaginary abstract spaces. The identities and specificities within my subjects, their underlying structure, abstract design, and positive and negative spaces within shapes and colors are captivating to me. Drawn to light, luminosity and vivid colors, I work with thinly layered paint and iridescent pigments to evoke depth and luminous surfaces.
The objects and areas where I lived or frequented, such as my home and neighborhood, the urban environment, and nearby landscapes are sources of inspiration. Light and shadow, and construction and deconstruction within the natural and built environment are recurring themes that remind me of the presence of time.” — Cherisse Alcantara
EVENFALL (REDUX) (2020-23) BY CHRISTY KOVACS, 23 X 54.5 IN. | 28.50 X 60.25 X 2.25 IN. (FRAMED DIMENSION), WOVEN PHOTOGRAPHS & LINEN TAPE, (CUSTOM FRAME WITH MUSEUM GLASS)
< Click to collect this artwork >
“This photo weaving consists of two photographs that I took at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. Each photo is hand-cut, into strips, using scissors. The title, "Evenfall", is a gorgeous word that means the onset of evening; dusk. Transitions are often difficult for us humans, and we often fight or resist them, but in my meditation practice I have become increasingly inspired by the graceful transitions in nature and how they teach us to "fall evenly" into the next phase and have a graceful Evenfall of our own as every moment unfolds into the next.” — Christy Kovacs
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ADA LOVELACE: PROPHET OF THE COMPUTER AGE (2023) BY CHRISTY KOVACS, 40 X 25 IN. WOVEN PHOTOGRAPHS & LINEN TAPE
“This weaving is very dear to my heart because it is a culmination of many threads of thought that have woven through all my past work: weaving, computers, and women. In this work, images of steam-powered loom factories (and the women who worked in them) are woven together with imagery of computer circuit boards. While this may appear like an odd pairing of ideas, the two are intimately tied to one another and it is a hidden story I have been yearning to tell but was never sure how until now.
The steam-powered Jacquard loom of the 1800’s is considered the predecessor to the modern computer. These looms were automated using punch cards to “program” the weaving patterns, just as the first computers would come to use similar punch cards to give instructions in binary code (a punched hole meant 0 and no punched hole meant 1). Toward the bottom left of the weaving, you can see a woman from World War II feeding punch cards into a computer.
Ada Lovelace, mathematician and daughter of poet Lord Byron, was greatly inspired by her visit to a steam-powered loom factory. She was also deeply interested in Charles Babbage's "Analytical Engine," a theoretical machine that was never built but was designed to calculate algebraic equations utilizing steam-power and punch cards. Lovelace and Babbage corresponded for years around the capabilities/limitations of such a machine. Lovelace is famous for her quote, “the Analytical Engine weaves algebraic patterns, just as the Jacquard loom weaves flowers and leaves.”
With a mind highly developed in math, poetry, and music, Lovelace took the concept of the Analytical Engine a step further than Babbage when she stated that such a machine could even be used to create text, pictures, and sound if given input that the machine could interpret. That was incredibly radical and creative thinking for her time and is why she is credited as the “prophet of the computer age.”
Lovelace also described how the machine could repeat a series of instructions, a concept called looping, which is used in programming today. She also wrote the first “computer program” with an algorithm using a Bernoulli number. While Lovelace speculated that a machine could create “art” beyond just mathematics, she was also clear that it could never create its own original ideas, only output based on human-generated instructions. This statement was an incredibly important contribution to the earliest conversations around artificial intelligence.” — Christy Kovacs
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DOWNSTREAM (2019) BY CHRISTY KOVACS, 58 X 28.625 IN. (FRAMED), ARCHIVAL DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHS, WOVEN BY HAND < Click to collect this artwork >
“Photograph of a freeway interchange in Walnut Creek woven with a photograph of printed computer circuitboards. This piece is an exploration of the digital technology we are creating today, where it is taking us, and what may lay downstream as it slowly shapes us in the way water transforms a landscape as it flows over it through time.” — Christy Kovacs
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Click to Watch the DOWNSTREAM Video
DOWNSTREAM VIDEO
Passages | Curator Statement by Lonnie Lee
Cherisse Alcantara, Chantal Hildebrand, Michael Hyun Gu Kang, Christy Kovacs, and Cyrus Tilton are presented together in an exploration of the expansive concept of passages. This collection of paintings, photography weavings, linocuts, and sculptures invites the viewer to enter a vestibule of conceptual recreation.
Cherisse Alcantara’s nature visits inspire painted memories of bodies of water with imaginative acid-like colors, requiring pause to digest the rich and strange forms that reveal remarkable portals to altered, surreal landscapes.
Chantal Hildebrand invites the viewer into her linocut prints of intimate scenes where figures are rendered at rest; whether on a couch, in a tub, on a dock by the water’s edge, reflecting, in conversation, or reading passages, these black bodies exude a warmth and beauty of simply being. Lush in both fauna and textile patterns, the settings further accentuate the graceful beauty of Hildebrand’s empowered figuration and contemplate the switch from busy public life to quiet, private moments.
Michael Kang documents the passages of time and life through the motion in his expressively painted subjects, often self-portraits. Kang traverses cityscapes of San Francisco, rides tigers, confronts anxieties of the day and faces of the coming of the wood dragon in 2024. No matter where the artist takes the viewer it is guaranteed we are promised explosions of color and feelings of dynamic movement and adventurous travels through life’s psyche.
Christy Kovacs weaves photographs in patterns that suggest human movement through urban, coastal, and suburban landscapes, juxtaposing technology and portraits to tell stories with a new dialogue from an anthropological sociologic perspective. Evenfall contains the magical light of a fleeting moment, while above in the dusky sunset, puffy cumulus wait to meet the shifting colors and disappearing sun. Kovacs weaves a computer circuit board with a topical view of a California freeway and asks the viewer to consider: what lays downstream amidst the technological and environmental passages we create today? In Ana Lovelace: Prophet of the Computer Age, Kovacs calls attention to a radical, creative woman mathematician who wrote the first “computer program,” speculated that a machine could create “art” beyond just mathematics.
Cyrus Tilton focuses on articulating the feeling of absence through his figurative sculptures in a range of materials. Tilton chooses to render shadows of his clay figurative sculpture that are ever changing and painted on plaster concrete slabs of Absence Mandala II and III. In Siren, he uses the symbol of the megaphone as a metaphor to call attention to the subject experiencing absence through the passage of time. With Vesuvius, the artist provokes thinking about a passage as a moment frozen in time.
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