Focus 4: Four Solo Exhibitions - ISM Museums and Galleries

Focus 4: Four Solo Exhibitions

Focus 4: Four Solo Exhibitions

Focus 4: Four Solo Exhibitions, features the work of four Illinois artists: Preston Jackson (Peoria and Chicago), Michael Onken (Carbondale), Steven Robnett (Elgin), and Suellen Rocca (Romeoville), all of whom explore human relationships in their distinctive artistic voice. The exhibition runs from July 15 through October 20, 2013.

Preston Jackson's exhibition, curated by ISM Assistant Director of Art Robert Sill, features recent sculptures and paintings. Jackson tells poignant and sometimes personal narratives of African American experience—both past and present—in a distinctively bold and expressive realist style.

Michael Onken's exhibition, curated by ISM Associate Curator Debra Tayes, features a selection of paintings and several wood cut prints, created mostly in the last five years. Onken creates narratives that reflect the quiet and sometimes isolated mysteries of our day to day lives—rendered in delicate, jewel-like images.

Steven Robnett’s exhibition, curated by ISM Director of Art Jim Zimmer, features paintings and drawings that tell ambiguous stories of our human existence. Inspiration for Robnett’s work comes from personal observations, news photos, and art historical references. His subjects range from the whimsical to the unsettling and skillfully rendered in his distinctive style.

Suellen Rocca's exhibition, curated by ISM Assistant Curator Doug Stapleton, features a selection of drawings and paintings that explore the symbolic realm of dreams where abstracted figures become entwined with trees, boats and birds. Rocca's images are codes with metaphoric relationships, rendered with delicate precision.

Focus 4 is an ongoing program that highlights the work of accomplished Illinois artists in four separate exhibitions. The artists are selected by four fine arts curators from various sites of the state-wide Illinois State Museum system.

Learn about other exhibitions currently at the ISM Museums and Galleries.