CHICO HARKRADER

Chico Harkrader - OMG-WTF - Alexander/Heath Contemporary, Roanoke VA - October 2022

Alexander/Heath Contemporary
is pleased to announce
an exhibition by international artist

Chico Harkrader

“Now and Then”

October 7 through October 28, 2022

CLOSING RECEPTION:
Saturday, October 22nd, 2022, 6-8 pm

OPENING RECEPTION:
Art-by-Night Friday, October 7th, 2022, 5-9 pm

New Downtown Location:
109 Campbell Avenue SW, Roanoke, Virginia

Opening Night – October 6th, 2022
Photos by Rachel Markwood and Katherine Devine


A Harkrader exhibit of Art Diversity

From Retrospect to the Unprecedented Present 

Past experience, present environment, tragedy, imagination, and experimentation with mixed-mediums allow Harkrader to echo his passions, pain, peace, and pleasure. Creations from impressions encountered in urban, rural, or figurative life evolve—an exploratory journey of diversity—moving in and out of his compound series.

Unlike having a blue period or action period, all Harkrader series never end, resulting in multiple paintings and sculptures of any given series (floral, abstract, political, etc).

Occupying space upon his canvas or sculpture may reside copper, sand, 24k gold leaf, coal, crystal, sand, fibers, leather, collage, wood, currency, pumice, etc. Three-dimensional interior and/or exterior attachments are explored. Per a studio conversation with Sam Gilliam in 2008, he said, “What’s next?”

Harkrader participated in the now historic Mountain Lake Workshops and Symposiums, during the 80s decade. His drawings from life are included in the 2018 publication, The Mountain Lake Symposium and Workshop, authored by Ray Kass and Howard Risatti, published by University of Virginia Press. The same drawings were mentioned in the NewArt Examiner, 2018.

In 2011 Harkrader was invited in to participate in the Opole, Poland Artist Residency with a dozen artists from Eastern and Western Europe. His work is in the collections of the Jana Pawla II Miejska Publiczka Biblioteka, the Centralnego Muzeum Jencow Wojennych, Opole Poland City Hall Opole, Galeria Pierwsze Pietro, and private collections.

After the residency, Suzi Gablik suggested Harkrader visit the painting, the Black Madonna of Czestochowa, at the Jasna Gora Monestery in Poland. Chico and Ellen made the trip by train and joined in the annual pilgrimage of the faithful, to celebrate this ‘Queen of Poland’, a fourteenth century legendary work of art.

In 2015, Chico and Ellen transported a painting to Panama with plans to abandon it on the street—if all else failed. However, Harkrader’s large contemporary version of the Crucifix was warmly received by Father Louis, rector of the 17th Century Cathedral, Inglesia de Santa Ana, where Chico’s father was baptized and where his grandmother, Petronila, lived.

In 2017, Chico and Ellen delivered a painting to the Area General Manager of Marriott in Hong Kong, in exchange for exclusive Renaissance Harbour View Hotel arrangements.

Over the past nine years Harkrader was invited to participate in three New York City International Digital Exhibitions: ‘ChaShaMa’ @ One World Trade Center / American Eagle Digital Board @ Time Square / ‘Story of the Creative’ @ Angel Orensanz Foundation

Duing Covid 19, Harkrader took Master Class online and completed courses led by Anna Wintour, Jeff Koons, Annie Liebovitz, and Chris Voss. During this coronavirus period, Harkrader created a new sculpture (this exhibit), “Framework”, to the culture of C-19.

Above
“OMG-WTF” / 2022
12” x 12” / Mixed on Board


The exhibition is on display through October.
By special exhibition hours or by appointment Only:
Contact Ed Hettig for an appointment
hettig@alexander-heath.com or call 607.226.2473 to arrange a visit.