COLLECTION Opening Reception

image from "Case Studies" series; medium: photograph on vinyl

Collection

Sculpture. Drawing and Photography by Abby Ferguson and Joanna Schuman.

The objects we gather and create are steeped in our personal and collective history. Collection explores the sculptural works and photographs of Abby Ferguson and Joanna Lynn Schuman as they examine the roles these historical narratives play in collections and how setting and sentiment can affect their inherent and perceived value.

Joanna Schuman spent the last year collecting objects that she was drawn to and that would later be arranged and photographed. Before they reach this stage the objects are evaluated through a series of self-imposed rules that Schuman has set up. These rules lay the groundwork for determining the value of the object. Collection in this sense is a highly personal one and what unfolds is a beautiful display of quirky objects, insights into an individuals taste and the places/things they cherish.  Schuman studied film, photography and the visual arts at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York.  She currently lives in Chicago and will be pursuing a masters degree in art therapy. She likes cats.

Abby Ferguson creates a world where her sculptural objects and meticulous drawings exist on the edge of scientific imagination. Ferguson bends the truth with her use of “taxidermy”, scientific illustrations and butterfly collection boxes. Here the collection is catalogued and labeled. We can digest it as a selection of objects that inform us of their value by their orderly arrangement, presentation and perceived / actual existence. Ferguson attended the Columbus College of Art and Design where she graduated with a BFA in Fine Art. She currently resides in Chicago and is a freelance artist. She likes dogs.