CURRENT AND UPCOMING EVENTS
Comin' Up: Rooms Plays the Freight Elevator Featuring the Art of Steve Juras
Thursday, June 20
8:00-10:00pm
2000 W Fulton Street, 3rd Floor
ABOUT ROOMS:
Rooms Trio is a hard-partying, straight-shooting son of a bitch that won't take no for an answer. It also plays improvised instrumental music. Come see them play songs from their forthcoming album alongside the art of Steve Juras on June 20th at the Fulton Street Collective.
ABOUT STEVE JURAS:
Steve Juras' work explores the perception and value of art objects through acts of restriction, compression and tension. The work constitutes an artistic practice for both artist and viewer, a disciplined and sustained exercise in contemplation.
The work begins with a simple formal restriction: eliminate color. This limitation focuses attention on fundamental elements of compositions, contrast, texture and pattern. It also establishes an organizing principle based on a nine value grayscale (the range of tones from white to black) that is further visulaized through the use of the nonagon, a nine-sided figure.
These decisions compress and connect the work together to reveal a dynamic tension not only between black and white bit also absence and presence. Ideally, it is with these elemental relationships that this work exercises our perception by encouraging patient evaluation of what is there and what is not.
Steve Juras lives and works in Chicago with his wife, Katie, and their 7 lb canine, Wallace. He recommends the last book he read, George Saunders’ Pastoralia, in addition to any of Werner Herzog's early films. He studied philosophy and literature before practicing visual art, an unconventional yet worthwhile path. In a former life, he helped a Presidential Administration design some logos you've likely seen in your neighborhood. Most importantly, Steve likes a good glass of lemonade.
