Truth as a Contested Concept

“We used to think of 'truth' as being absolute, says Johnson. "That our choices were binary. But today 'truth' is a contested concept. One of the many questions that come up is whether truth is subject to human interpretation. Does truth change according to circumstances so that what is true for a particular time is not true at a different time?  Does this mean that truth for one person may not necessarily be the same for everyone? If this is the case then can anyone really know the truth?" Artists in this exhibition are wrestling with the concept of truth looking outward at the world around us and inward toward one’s personal truth.

Exhibiting Artists: Mia Adams, Rossella Agostini, Giovanna Aguirre-Peresson, Jenny E. Balisle, Colby Parker Beutel, Melissa Blount, Michael Borowski,  Anko Chang, Mahwish Chishty, Jeanne Ciravolo, Suzanne Scott Constantine, Briar Craig, Katya Fedotova, Vanessa Filley, Michael Gallagher, Nina Ghanbarzadeh, Joyce Goodman, Kelly Hensen, Judith Hladik-Voss, Stephanie Holliger, Linda R. James, Judith Joseph, Cynthia Kerby, Venise Keys, Betty Jane Lau, Léo Lee, Carron Little, Lizzy Martinez, Kelsey Miller, Cristin Millett, Nina Moyer, Darren Oberto, Natalie Jackson O’Neal, Jaye Schlesinger, Catherine Schwalbe, Samuel Schwindt, Anne Stamats, Dorothy Straughter, Laura Travnicek, Nancy VanKanegan, Margaret Rose Vendryes, Mariko Ventura + Bert Menco, Lisa Whiting, Jeanne Wilkinson.

Juror | Curator: Indira Freitas Johnson
Award winning artist and educator, Indira Freitas Johnson’s passion to make art part of everyday life and to involve local communities in the art process is evident in all her work. Influenced by an artist father and a mother who was a social activist, Johnson believes strongly that art and activism are a powerful combination for social change.

Born in Mumbai, India, Johnson received her undergraduate degree from the University of Bombay and the Sir JJ Institute of Art and her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including the prestigious Illinois Governors Award for the Arts and Chicago Magazine named her the 2013 Chicagoan of the Year. Johnson’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is represented in numerous private and public collections including the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago Transit Authority, Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence, RI.

Image: Indira Freitas Johnson