September 9 - October 22, 2011
opening reception: September 9th, 6-8 pm

Artist in attendance
Free and open to the public

The EC Gallery (Chicago) is pleased to present a solo exhibition of new works by Robert Hardgrave in "The Apple Doesn't Fall too Far from the Tree". His new body of work will be on display at the Gallery from September 9th through October 22nd. Please join us for the opening with Robert Hardgrave on Friday, September 9th, 6 pm – 8pm.

For his exhibition at the EC Gallery Hardgrave will present a selection of new works, including large 7 x 9 foot acrylic paintings, eleven acrylic and thread paintings on burlap and a work on paper. With a foundation on the simple idea of the still life, each piece in this collection represents an idea, a memory, a statement or a discomfort in the commemoration of Hardgrave's father, nearly a decade after his conclusion. The collection is a continuation from his last exhibit, where Hardgrave discovered a need to express himself beyond the realm of painting. More recently, sewing has become a large part of his motif. Through his new work, he suggests that his father's penchant for needle and thread have opened up a rich fabric of connections with him that Hardgrave might have otherwise overlooked. Hardgrave's work can be considered as deconstructed, resulting in a development through a recongifuration of space. This parallels his father's recreational tendencies. By transferring these ideas into "objects", he began unravelling their meanings and exposing a complex relationship. In the presentation, the presence of negative space between the paintings reveals the importance of the space in our relationships, where we allow or are able to maintain connections without contact with the "objects" that have the ability to create unrest.

Robert Hardgrave (b. 1969, Oxnard, CA), a Seattle resident for the past 18 years, is an improvisational painter and mixed media enthusiast. Hardgrave was recently featured in "Further", a book featuring 7 artists with their varied takes on contemporary abstraction, mysticism, futurism, and surrealism, "The Upset Young Contemporary Art", a current survey of contemporary artists and "Magic Beans" , a small monograph of his work, published through ROJO Magazine. Hardgrave's recent solo exhibitions include Momentous (2010) at Joshua Liner Gallery, New York, NY; Robert hardgrave (2010) at David B Smith Gallery, Denver, CO and Xenoglossy (2007) at Kinsey/Des Forges Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. Selected group exhibitions include: Further Group Show, Joshua Liner Gallery (2010); WHAMMY! The Art Show, VASF Gallery, San Francisco (2009); Matt Curry and Robert Hardgrave, Limited Addiction Gallery, Denver (2008); Green, Robert Berman Gallery, Los Angeles (2007); and Hardlight, BLVD Gallery, Seattle (2006).

For more information on Robert Hardgrave "The Apple Doesn't Fall too Far from the Tree" please contact Ewa Czeremuszkin at info@ec-gallery.com or call 312.850.0924