Tessellations, solo exhibition at Oak Park Public Library, Maze Branch, February 4th - 29th, 2012

Tessellations
Solo Exhibition by Tom Burtonwood
February 4th – 29th, 2012

Tessellations - Composition 5.6 - animated gif

Oak Park Public Library – Maze Branch
845 Gunderson
Oak Park, IL 60304
708.386.4751

Tessellations is a series of painted constructions combining identical V-Pleated paper surfaces with different Masonite structures to create small sculptural gestures that evoke architectural forms or sails. The geometric stands are comprised of smaller parts laser cut from larger sheets of Masonite. These support structures are painted in subdued colors so as to disappear and afford the pleated surfaces lightness and grace.

Juxtaposition is an important characteristic of this series. Playing volume against mass, chromatic with monochromatic, hard-edged geometry in concert with chaotic painted rhythms. Each pleated surface is constrained to its support structure two or three times with connecting pinch points. Forced to adapt in this manner the pleated surfaces arc and bend in dynamic curves. These tessellated forms are augmented and accentuated by the different painterly approaches.

Tessellations, solo exhibition at Oak Park Public Library, Maze Branch, February 4th - 29th, 2012

Tessellations
Solo Exhibition by Tom Burtonwood
February 4th – 29th, 2012

Oak Park Public Library – Maze Branch
845 Gunderson
Oak Park, IL 60304
708.386.4751

You Are Beautiful

Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, San Francisco CA
January 14th – February 25th, 2012
Opening Reception: Wednesday, January 18, 2012, 6:30pm
Main Gallery, Cash Bar and Light Snacks/ $5 admission

You Are Beautiful is a simple, powerful statement aspiring to create moments of positive self realization. The exhibition is an anonymous collective of community based projects and interventions, using drawings, photographs, found objects, sound, and installation to engage this fundamental concept in innovative and diverse ways. Also on view, is the You Are/ I Am Book Series, a global, collaborative project from the 2005 exhibit in Chicago.

After the exhibition, select works will be (re)installed in the streets of San Francisco―a campaign of optimism, seeking to create a new methodology of unified social consciousness.

Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts

You Are Beautiful

Installation at Hinge Gallery featured on Time Out Chicago in their profile of the gallery.

Lauren Weinberg profiles Alderman Exhibitions, Hinge Gallery and The Mission in Time Out Chicago.

You Are Beautiful

Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, San Francisco CA
January 14th – February 25th, 2012
Opening Reception: Wednesday, January 18, 2012, 6:30pm
Main Gallery, Cash Bar and Light Snacks/ $5 admission

You Are Beautiful is a simple, powerful statement aspiring to create moments of positive self realization. The exhibition is an anonymous collective of community based projects and interventions, using drawings, photographs, found objects, sound, and installation to engage this fundamental concept in innovative and diverse ways. Also on view, is the You Are/ I Am Book Series, a global, collaborative project from the 2005 exhibit in Chicago.

After the exhibition, select works will be (re)installed in the streets of San Francisco―a campaign of optimism, seeking to create a new methodology of unified social consciousness.

Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts

You Are Beautiful

Geometrically Speaking II Opening Reception from Mario Contreras on Vimeo.

GeoSpeak II was curated by Angela Bryant of Abryant Galllery. The show will remain up on the near north side of Chicago from November 2011 – February 2012

River Bank Lofts
550 North Kingsbury Chicago, IL 60305

Featured Artists: Jerome Acks, Robert Burnier, Tom Burtonwood, Diana P. Gabriel, Brittney Hudgins, Sam Jaffe, Jeffrey Cote de Luna, Dominic Paul Moore, NoNora Maite Nieves, Kristina Paabus, Melody Saraniti, and Rachel Smith

Aqua Art Miami 2011

I will be exhibiting this year at the Aqua Art Miami fair with our project space What It Is. I am showing Composition 7.1.1 and a number of my Color Study / Composition 2 pieces. I will have both framed and unframed pieces from the Composition 2 series available plus a limited number of signed books too. I am exhibiting alongside my good friends and colleagues Lise Haller Baggesen, Holly Holmes, Sabina Ott, Andrew Rigsby and Stoic Swine. If you are in Miami for the fairs please drop me a line and i’ll fwd you a pdf VIP ePASS for Aqua Art Miami.

Aqua Art Miami
Booth #111
VIP Preview, November 30th: 8 – 11pm
General Admission:
December 1/2/3: 11am – 8pm
December 4: 11am – 4pm

2011 Fair Schedule

VIP Preview Opening
Wednesday, November 30: 8 – 11 pm
Sponsored by MODERN PAINTERS
Featuring Russell Mofsky and the Gold Dust Lounge.
Catering by Chef Wally Rice. Beverages courtesy of SX Liquors.

Museum Day at Aqua11
Thursday, December 1: 11am – 8pm
Free entry to the fair for members of participating art museums (see below)

General Public Hours
Thursday, December 1: 11am – 8pm
Friday, December 2: 11am – 8pm
Saturday, December 3: 11am – 8pm
Sunday, December 4: 11am – 4pm

General Admission: $10 (good for re-entry for the duration of the fair)
FREE with Aqua VIP Card or ePASS, Art Basel VIP Card & Art Basel Press Pass

Aqua Hotel
1530 Collins Ave, Miami Beach,
FL, 33139

Geometrically Speaking

Abryant Gallery presents:
Geometrically Speaking II

Opening reception Thursday November 17th, 6pm – 8pm
Exhibition continues through 02/17/12

Modern art has a rich history with geometric shapes thanks to artists like Sol LeWitt , Frank Stella, Mondrian, and many others. In Geometrically Speaking II, artwork that utilizes geometric shapes as their central theme will be exhibited. Viewers will encounter the multi-layered stripped paintings of Melody Saraniti, an original alphabet composed solely of geometric shapes by Tom Burtonwood, and an octagonal-shaped sculpture composed of sweaters by Sam Jaffe.

Tom Burtonwood, ROFLLMFAO 1.0, Gouache on paper, 18 x 17 inches, 2011

Featured Artists: Jerome Acks, Robert Burnier, Tom Burtonwood, Diana P. Gabriel, Brittney Hudgins, Sam Jaffe, Jeffrey Cote de Luna, Dominic Paul Moore, Nora Maite Nieves, Kristina Paabus, Melody Saraniti, and Rachel Smith

Curated by Angela Bryant

Tom Burtonwood, Cipher Text, laser print on paper, dims var, 2011

Cipher-text.
Laser print on paper.
Dims var.
2011

Each roll is currently 108H x 36W inches, although in the current format i can print 36 inches wide by up to 240 inches tall. There are two designs. Each design features 13 “internet acronyms” encoded and hidden in my alphabet / font: Hedgehog. There are two different QR codes embedded in the designs. The first QR links to a simple Processing image sequence that acts as a “reveal” – momentarily matching letters A – Z in both Helvetica and Hedgehog. The second QR links back to a website that lists many “internet acronyms.” Using these embedded QR codes visitors are invited to attempt to decode the wall paper.

Cipher-Text is a continuation of my interest embedding “data” in seemingly abstract or geometric shapes. The QR code uses arbitrary geometric designs to encode urls in a visual form. The Hedgehog font allows myself and others to hide text, phrases and acronyms in plain sight *AND* make nice patterns to look at. ; D

Cipher-Text: Reveal

Cipher-Text installed at Sidecar Gallery, Hammond, IN., November 2011.