Show Statement
In the studio of Steven Tritt, as spring went into summer, the work of two series began to solidify. A show emerges as material diversity, deliberate, subdued mark-making, and naturalistic color blends with an outlet for immediate, emotional gestures in black and white.
For immediate release: the group exhibition “Intimate Abstracts” opens today on Artsy.net. Featuring five contemporary artists represented by The Art House Gallery, this curated collection shares recent work created while sheltering in place.
Image from “Levels”, 2020, by Ken Hogrefe
Participating artists:
Rebecca George
Sarah J. Berman
Ken Hogrefe
Steve Tritt
Daniel Sullivan
Exclusively online for the month of May, 2020: VIEW INTIMATE ABSTRACTS SHOW
Posted on May 2, 2020 by Rebecca George.
Collectible, BREAKTHROUGH works by contemporary abstract painters in America.
Sarah Berman
Stasi Bobo-Ligon
Rebecca George
Ken Hogrefe
Daniel Martin Sullivan
Steven Tritt
EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE OCTOBER 2019
Steven Tritt Solo Exhibition
The fifth solo show by Steven Tritt, this exhibit reveals a collection of work by a mid-career artist spanning two years of risky moves focused on abstracting living forms. Tritt has a long history of rendering imagery, prioritizing a loose approach to material and application. This recent body of work represents a transformation.
Curated by Rebecca George
Online Exclusive on Artsy.net through the month of September 2019
About the artist: Steven Tritt is a contemporary American artist born in Aurora, Illinois in 1964. He mixes materials which include many traditional drawing and painting medias as well as nontraditional ones. Collage has figured heavily throughout his career. Shortly after being accepted into the Contemporary Gallery Representation Program at The Art House Gallery in 2017, Tritt’s loosely rendered imagery took a turn towards abstraction. “I feel as if I’m striking a balance between recognizable imagery and abstraction in my work.” This is a direct result of working with Rebecca George and Tritt’s willingness to explore new materials. “While I use imagery as a starting point, there is no obligation on my part to save the integrity of the image, as I would have in the past, to complete a work.” For Tritt there isn’t a preconceived destination on any painting but a commitment to an honest and intuitive approach to art making. His influences include Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, Max Beckmann. He holds a BFA (1986) and MFA (1990) from Northern Illinois University.
Selection from “Theme” (Now I Understand), 2018 by Ken Hogrefe
A retrospective to highlight a curated selection of strong, breakthrough diptychs from six contemporary artists. Spanning work completed during the last two years, this exhibition reflects an innovation on the ancient practice of physically and/or visually "hinging" two pieces together.
Exhibit exclusively on Artsy through the month of September, 2019.
Participating Artists:
Sarah Berman Stasi Bobo-Ligon Rebecca George Ken Hogrefe Daniel Martin Sullivan Steven Tritt
Curated by Rebecca George.
An Artsy Exclusive Curated Exhibition of work by six American artists delving deeper into ways to apply the techniques and skills they have mastered by exploring alternate application methods of material, composing, and building surface and palette.
Work by artists:
Sarah Berman
Stasi Bobo-Ligon
Rebecca George
Ken Hogrefe
Daniel Martin Sullivan
Steven Tritt
Available for view through the month of August, 2019: METHOD AND MASTERY
Sarah Johnson Berman, “Vitality”, Oil on Untreated Canvas
July 1-31, 2019
Raw/Refined is a curated selection of pieces by emerging and mid-career artists who are intensely working in the realms of color, material and the impact of application methods to either limit manipulation or maximize the effects of a multi-media approach.
Featuring work by Stasi Bobo-Ligon, Sarah Johnson Berman, Jan Fayhee, Rebecca George, Ken Hogrefe, Daniel Martin Sullivan and Steven Tritt.
For immediate release: Curated Online Exclusive Exhibition
June 1-30, 2019
An epiphenomenon is a secondary phenomenon that occurs alongside or in parallel to a primary phenomenon. The word has two senses: one that connotes known causation and one that connotes absence of causation or reservation of judgment about it.
Featuring abstract, figurative and mixed-media work by artists Sarah Berman, Stasi Bobo-Ligon, Jan Fayhee, Rebecca George, Ken Hogrefe, Daniel Martin Sullivan and Steven Tritt.
Counterbalance features abstract works by 7 artists exploring visual weight in their compositions, layering of material and color palettes. Much of the work is large scale, mixed-media and very revealing of the artist's movements and interest in the nature of the materials used.
Work by Sarah Berman, Stasi Bobo-Ligon, Jan Fayhee, Rebecca George, Ken Hogrefe, Daniel Martin Sullivan and Steven Tritt.
Online exclusive exhibition was curated by Rebecca George on Artsy.net and are on display from May 1-May 31, 2019.
The Autoportrait wall of the exhibition
PRESS RELEASE
“Gestural Abstractions”, an exhibition of paintings by Steven Tritt, Northern Illinois University alum and local artist, will be on display at THE ART BOX, 308 East Lincoln Highway in downtown DeKalb, from October 1 – 27, 2018.
Tritt is a non-traditional painter who uses a variety of media and materials to create expressive images from his inner experiences. He has several series of expressive abstractions that will eventually emerge from a two-dimensional plane with not exactly beginning a painting with a pre-conceived idea. They eventually are gestural images of portraits, African masks, figure studies, and guitars to name a few that are either separate images or somehow as overlaying compositions.
Different surfaces like watercolor paper, Yupo paper, reclaimed wood, various artist boards, canvas, and Styrofoam will vary the results from mixing the physical aspects of his wet media and dry materials. Any particular surface will create unique resists, textures and unexpected color relationships that will dictate the outcome of his painting. The media and materials he typically uses are latex, tempera, acrylics, pastels, charcoal, graphite, ink, tobacco, sand, and sawdust that will eventually pursue a likely polar theme for a image in regard to relationship and alienation, humor and guilt, beauteousness and ugliness, order and chaos.
Tritt is a 1990 graduate from Northern Illinois University with a Masters of Fine Art degree in painting. His graduate committee was with the auspice of fine art professors Gordon Dorn, John Rooney and David Driesbach; and was also influenced by fine art professors Robert Bornhuetter, Dorothea Bilder and Jack Olson. In 2018 he was accepted into the Contemporary Gallery Program at The Art House in Chicago whose director, Rebecca George, instruct artists how to market themselves and their work; and also encourages a variety of art making techniques.
A reception for the artist is scheduled for Sunday, October 7th from 2 – 4 pm.
Review: Formation
By Colin S. Smith
July 28, 2018
On a Saturday afternoon, Alderman John Arena of the 45th Ward cut a big blue ribbon to celebrate The Art House’s first show at their new home in Portage Park. The seven-year-old gallery, studio, and classroom was founded to give emerging artists a foundation, and now it is casting an anchor in the six corners community.
Founder/Director Rebecca George accompanied by Artists in Residence Jan Fayhee, Ken Hogrefe and Sarah Berman
The Art House Studio Gallery Located at 4910 W Irving Park Rd in Chicago
Each of the artists behind “Formation” obsesses over color. From Jan Fayhee’s abstract landscapes to Ken Hogrefe’s explaining the five different blacks he used for “Theme (Now I Understand)” or Steven Tritt purposely exploring the colors he had previously ignored — like green, on styrofoam.
Daniel Martin Sullivan likes to see a color vibrate. When talking about his piece “Defenestration,” he said Rebecca George’s love of color has him focused on the energy of the pigments.
"This exhibition showcased the individuality of each artist; the challenge to successfully curate this outcome with so many strong, large works is always a welcome one. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with this group of artists." --Rebecca George
After overhauling a closed down liquor for store over a month, The Art House StudioGallery’s new location gives the community its own bona fide arts gallery. Given Alderman Arena’s blessing into the community and scores of visitors from the neighborhood, The Art House’s future in the community is just as exciting as the art itself.
Colin S. Smith is a freelance writer and communications specialist in Chicago. His recent projects include working with The Clyde Fitch Report, Twisted Oyster Film Festival, and music artist Cole DeGenova.
The painting White Guitar alongside two paintings by Ken Hogrefe.
For immediate release: April 16, 2018
In late 2017 The Art House Gallery announced the Contemporary Gallery Program, an opportunity for artists to apply for a one year professional development appointment that supports their career and business goals. The Art House received numerous applications and worked closely with the Artists in Residence to conduct individual application material reviews and interviews.
After careful consideration, The Art House has awarded the following four artists with the one year Contemporary Gallery Program representation:
John Collins: John Collins is an American painter working mid-to-large scale on canvas, wood and paper. Collins' approach is abstract, combining gestural and geometric compositional elements with an instinctual application of color theory. John Collins' work is influenced by Wassily Kandinsky, Francis Picabia and Mark Rothko, among others. Follow John Collins on Artsy.net.
Steven Thayer Graham: Steven Thayer Graham is a contemporary American painter working mid to large scale in oil and mixed media. Primarily composed of geometric and gestural abstraction, Graham combines bold shapes with intricate line work. Influences include Arshile Gorky, Wasily Kandinsky and Paul Klee. Follow Steven Thayer Graham on Artsy.net and @steven.thayer.graham.
Steve Tritt: Steven Tritt is a contemporary mixed-media painter working in Sycamore, IL. Born in 1964 in Aurora, IL, Tritt attended Northern Illinois University where he earned a BFA and a MFA. Steven Tritt's current influences include Bernard Buffet, Pablo Picasso and Max Beckmann. Follow Steven Tritt on Artsy.net and @steventritt.
Daniel Martin Sullivan: Daniel Martin Sullivan is an emerging contemporary painter based in Chicago working primarily on abstract, mid to large scale canvases. Born in NY, NY, Sullivan earned a BFA in Philadelphia from Tyler School of Art. Sullivan maintains a professional studio in Chicago, currently exploring the relationship between figural and abstract painting. Daniel Martin Sullivan's influences include Cecily Brown, Gerhard Richter and Ad Reinhardt. Follow Daniel Martin Sullivan on Artsy.net.
Check in with @thearthousegallery on Instagram and The Art House Gallery on Facebook for an invitation to the exhibition featuring these artists scheduled for the summer of 2018 in Chicago, IL. Stay up to date on artists represented by The Art House Gallery.
