Super Surface Art Show
Oh what a night! I've been making lots of art lately, and the culmination of my efforts from the past several months was a pop-up show at Kimball Arts Center on Sat. Nov 4th.
Why Super Surface?
The name I chose for the show comes from misunderstanding a reference to the “supports/surface” art movement of the 1960-70s pronounced with a French accent. I heard super surface, and adopted it as a fitting name for my first art show, where the work spans boundaries and extends beyond the surface in many cases, featuring non-traditional elements such as rope and string or even unraveled canvas itself.
Artist Statement
I began art making in earnest in 2023 as an outlet for social commentary and material experimentation. My ambition going forward is to do big art in broadly accessible settings such as airports and public spaces.
My work reflects my love of materiality and celebrates the act of making itself.
This show featured commentary on current topics such as the erosion of women’s rights with regard to bodily autonomy and frustration with the lack of female representation in publicly lauded art and design and positions of power in general.
I taught him to laser cut. He taught me to paint. Pam Daniels with David Gista.
Artist Bio
Pam Daniels studies art with David Gista. She trained as an industrial designer with Walter Herbst, Hemmant Jha, and Greg Holderfield. She learned to sew as a child (thanks, Mom!) and has studied textile arts with Lisa Reich. Pam holds a MS in Product Design and BA in French. Her arts education has been enhanced by her travels and opportunities to live and work in Chicago, Mexico City, Paris, London, and San Francisco.
She currently teaches design full time at Northwestern University and splits her time between Evanston and San Francisco. Her ambition going forward is to do big art in broadly accessible settings such as airports and public spaces.
Inspiration and Gratitude to these Artists
Inspiration for this show in particular came from:
Melissa Blount
Eva Ziesel
The Work
Twenty-seven pieces were included in the show; check back for links with more info on each piece as I catch up on posting them. Meanwhile, here's a video from my Instagram feed recapping the overall experience.
Individual works featured in the Super Surface Art show:
1.
Color Bars
2023, 23.5” acrylic on plywood
2.
Chop Chop
2023, 23.5” mixed media
3.
Unwound
2023, 23.5”
india ink and canvas on plywood
4.
(A Woman is More Than) A Vase with a Face
2023, 321⁄4” x 48”
paper and acrylic on plywood
5.
Yes Milano
2023, 48 “x 35.5”
found object on india-inked plywood
6.
Like a Girl
2023, diptych 53” x 881⁄2” (351⁄2“ x 53” + 53” x 351⁄2”) acrylic and oil pastel on canvas
7.
2023, 24” x 451⁄2”
paper on india-inked plywood
2023, 9 1/4 x 6 1/8” paper and vellum
8.
Extra
2023, 48” x 37.5”
vinyl and acrylic on MDF
9.
2023, 30” x 72” india ink on MDF
10.
A Wrinkled Attempt at Beauty
2023, installation
paper and reinforced gummed tape
11.
Under After
2023, 48” x 96” ink on plywood
12.
Use What You’ve Got
2023, 24” x 24” canvas, gold thread
13.
It’s a String Thing
2023, 30” x 24”
acrylic and cotton twine on canvas
14.
Ain’t No Humpty Dumpty
2023, 34” x 34”
MDF and acrylic on plywood
15.
For Pope.L
2023, 32” x 23” mixed media
16.
Nuthin’ to Hide
2023, 24” x 18” mixed media
17.
Let’s C M Y , K?
2023, 22” x 22” mixed media
18.
Above and Beyond
2023, 18” x 18” mixed media
19.
It’s a Ring Thing
2023, 151⁄2” x 14 1⁄4” mixed media
20.
Away We Go
2023, 30 x 20”
brass, acrylic, cotton rope on canvas
21.
Says Who?
2023, 42” x 30”
canvas and acrylic on textile
22.
Man
2012, 24 x 18” acrylic on canvas
23.
Go Big
2023, 48” x 491⁄2” acrylic on canvas
24.
Oval Sconce
2016
walnut
25.
Walnut End Table
2018
walnut, aluminum, steel, polycarbonate
26.
2019
Tritan
27.
2021
Tritan
Zut, alors! I have missed one!
A twenty-eighth piece was simultaneously on exhibit at the Evanston Art Center which meant it wasn't included in the Super Surface show, though conceptually it fits right in. I milled MDF to achieve the rounded corners, and applied Flashe vinyl for the blue and heavy gel plus tar gel to achieve the orangey-red stripe. Mesh was used on the blue to achieve some textural interest and a string was fastened and then removed and then used to “ink” the canvas with the residue in the contrast color.
Just a Touch. 2023, 20” x 20” vinyl and acrylic on MDF
Phew!
Many thanks to everyone who came to experience the show, and to those of you viewing now. To get the full experience, I recommend putting on some good tunes and dancing a little. IMHO, more things in life should wrap up the way the Super Surface Art Show did— with a dance party.
The takeaway? Pop-up shows are a lot of work, but it was thrilling to pull it off! It was even fun to operate the old-timey freight elevator.
Pam Daniels operating the vintage freight elevator at Kimball Arts Center in Chicago.
Here's to Making!
Here's to making art, making change, and busting a move together to celebrate our milestones along the way.