Hot Wheels

This summer, Tall Grass Gallery will reopen with an exciting new exhibit,

HOT WHEELS, filled with dozens of images of antique, vintage, classic, and contemporary cars and motorcycles.

The works in the show of wonderfully designed and often beautifully restored autos and bikes, as well as the people and environments associated with them, range from super-real to richly expressive, from abstracted closeups to collaged interpretations.

Twenty-four artists will present drawings, paintings, photographs, mixed media, sculpture and glass pieces. They share with us their love of the visually addictive beauty – the forms, textures, reflections, patinas, and intricate details – of cars and motorcycles from decades ago as well as today. At the same time, they stir personal memories for each of us of family trips, the joy of owning first cars, musings on sitting inside a movie star’s luxury roadster, games of identifying brands by their logos or hood ornaments, the longing for earlier days when sighting a rusty truck abandoned in a field.

At times joyously vibrant, gaudy, playful, and at others, quietly respectful and nostalgic, some of the works in the exhibit were inspired by travels all around America, or to Cuba and to Italy. Some pieces began after artists experienced

the abundance of inventive design on display at classic car shows. And still others came about through unplanned drives down country roads, discovering by chance the charm and appeal of a vintage ride.

Artists included in HOT WHEELS are: Anthony Abboreno, Jay Anderson, Mike Buchan, Richard Burd, Bill Dixon, Irene Ganas, Janet Glazar, Ken Hall, Dave Hanson, Fran Hollander, Pat Huss, Susan Johnson, Sandi Kozlowski, Dennis McDonough, Chuck Michaels, Bob Nardi, Gloria Payne, Stuart Pearson, Joan Quirke, Bill Schahfer, Ann Socha, Carol Thorner, Nance Tucker, and Christopher Tuscan.

We hope everyone visiting the show will gain new appreciation for not only these artists’ great skill at selecting and portraying their views and visions, but also for the artists and designers of automobiles and motorcycles through more than a century – for their original ideas, attention to detail, and long history of creating so many powerful objects of useful beauty.

Curators for HOT WHEELS are Deborah Craemer and Claudia Craemer, and jurors are Deborah, Claudia and Richard Schmidt. The exhibit will run from June 20-July 25, 2020.

> The gallery will provide face masks for all visitors who might feel more comfortable viewing the show with this layer of protection.

Tall Grass Arts Association, 367 Artists Walk, Park Forest, IL www.tallgrassarts.org 708 748 3377