'UNSURFACING' by Thaddeus Wolfe at Volume Gallery

31 January '14

I’m more analog than digital. I practice simple, non-computer-assisted processes.” – Thaddeus Wolfe

Chicago

Volume gallery is pleased to announce its second solo exhibition with Thaddeus Wolfe, Unsurfacing, opening January 31st with a reception from 6-8PM at 845 West Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607.

In this exhibition of new works, Wolfe expands on his unique “Assemblages” in glass and introduces complex relief patterning on their facade. His exploration continues, pushing new typologies, creating lighting totems – a maturation of his Assemblage lamps.

Continuously inspired by mineral and crystalline formation, Wolfe uses naturally occurring shapes as a foundation for his forms. “That was the starting point” Wolfe explains, “but my forms don’t actually follow any of the rules by which minerals form. I’ve come up with systems for building the pieces such as staking or cutting things apart and reassembling them. I like the idea that the pieces are being built up but also appear to be fractured and coming apart.”

Wolfe’s system of stacking, cutting, and reassembling pieces begins with the construction of each form in polystyrene foam. This is a time intensive additive and subtractive process in order to achieve the final form, from which a mold is taken. The mold must be broken apart to remove the glass, which has been blown into it. This means each mold is used only once, and thus is piece is individually unique. The final surfaces of the glass are achieved through laborious grinding, sanding and polishing. In the current work many surfaces are ground and polished to cut through the various layers of color, revealing patterns inherent in the forms.

A material driven exploration in fabrication to mimic natural phenomenon of minerals and naturally occurring patterns, Wolfe’s assemblages are far greater than the sum of their parts. With a stunning visual complexity and an organic subtleness, Wolfe’s work is the sophisticated product of a demanding one-shot process where no two results are ever the same are “seriously low-tech but effective.”