Gallery  February 26, 2018  Megan D Robinson

Beverly Fishman conjures the 'Chemical Sublime' at Kavi Gupta

Courtesy Kavi Gupta

Beverly Fishman, Untitled (Sleepiness, Antipsychotic, Pain), 2017, urethane paint on wood, 93” x 48” x 2”

Now at Kavi Gupta’s Chicago venue, Beverly Fishman’s Chemical Sublime uses vibrant colors and iconic pharmaceutical shapes to explore how technology alters our perception and reality. Using cast resin, mirrored Plexiglass, powder-coated metal and phosphorescent pigments, Fishman has created visually stunning work. Her polychrome reliefs and paintings mimic commonly prescribed medications as well as medical imaging technologies such as EEG and EKG machines. Stacked multiple shapes represent prescription combinations or multiple diagnoses, creating a visual conversation about society's increasing dependence on pharmaceuticals and how our multiple prescriptions are changing our lived experiences. The carefully crafted forms and brilliant, neon-edged colors are both soothing and unsettling, reflecting the double-edged relationship we have with technology: it can both harm and heal.

Beverly Fishman, Untitled (Digestive Problems), 2017
Courtesy Kavi Gupta

 

Beverly Fishman, Untitled (Digestive Problems), 2017Urethane Paint on wood, 42.5” x 40”

Beverly Fishman, Untitled (Depression, High Blood Pressure, Bipolar Disorder, Opioid Addiction), 2017
Courtesy Kavi Gupta

Beverly Fishman, Untitled (Depression, High Blood Pressure, Bipolar Disorder, Opioid Addiction), 2017Urethane Paint on wood, 91.2” x 105.75” x 2”

Beverly Fishman, Untitled (Insomnia, Opioid Addiction, ADHD), 2017
Courtesy Kavi Gupta

Beverly Fishman, Untitled (Insomnia, Opioid Addiction, ADHD), 2017Urethane Paint on wood, 38” x 38” x 2”

Chemical Sublime runs February 24 through April 28, 2018 at Kavi Gupta, 219 N. Elizabeth St., Chicago, IL 60607. For more information, visit http://kavigupta.com/exhibition/beverly-fishman/

About the Author

Megan D Robinson

Megan D Robinson writes for Art & Object and the Iowa Source.

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