c1993/Hide n Seek delves into the multifaceted nature of concealment and discovery. This recent body of work is predominantly paintings derived from photographs of forgotten and neglected sites in Chicago much like those navigated during my “side quests” in addiction. My undirected exploration revealed a fascination that carried through into sobriety with the parts of the city where the refuse of life is funneled, the alleys and empty lots where the boundary between the abandoned and the claimed is weakened. From the skeletal remains of industrial architecture to abandoned trucks and repurposed plywood, these seemingly insignificant remnants of human activity became the focal point of my artistic exploration and have been brought into the space through the installation of tarps. Typically used for obscuring materials or unfinished construction from view, tarps are often symbols of ownership and worthiness, materials or objects to be protected or made inconspicuous, but they are also used to hide things unfinished, or that have fallen into unsightly disrepair. It is this dichotomy between covering to denote value and covering to forget that these works investigate.

Live Sounds by MYSKA and NANCY POPULAR.

Image: “In Good Hands” 2024, 36in x 60in, Mixed Media