Never was more of a fuss made over illusionistic perspectival space than in 20th century America. Clement Greenberg and his formalists endorsed it as the fundamental quality of Good Art. Minimalists like Donald Judd and Richard Serra denounced it as false and deceitful. I would’ve liked to see how these two factions tore into each other over Christy Matson’s current show at Volume Gallery, because Matson’s rigorous interrogation of perspectival space knows no parallel throughout art history. Read the full review here.

Sung Jang at Volume Gallery

Exhibiting monochromatic paintings of fragmented map-like forms and functional sculptures that mix found stones with sophisticated, handmade wooden bases, Sung Jang investigates his inherited Korean culture in response to the industry of production and consumption, process of design, fabrication and labor and individual experience related to artifacts. An award-winning Chicago-based designer and artist, he blurs the boundaries between the two ways of working—creating design objects that aim at improving the quality of life and artworks that express a personal vision. His Shape of Land paintings at the fair presented textured, black, mental maps of past places he has visited, while his Given sculptures joined specifically selected rocks with geometrically crafted bases to construct sublime combinations, which can delightfully be used as either a chair, stool, or small table. Read the full article here.

This is Ambos’s third time at the fair, and this year it is raising funds for its Ambos Ceramics programme, taught at two LGBTQ+ migrant shelters in Tijuana. On display are ceramics made by students—presented on a striking blue “tree of life” sculpture and on sale for prices ranging from $50 to $250—as well as other works created in collaboration with professional ceramicists. Clothing racks, meanwhile, are filled with colourful sweaters and tops, embroidered by residents of 14 other shelters and dyed by the Ambos founder Tanya Aguiñiga in her studio. Read the full article here.

Which piece in the exhibit do you connect with the most?
If I had to choose one piece that exemplifies the spirit of the studio and my own personal interest in bringing more diverse voices to bear on design, it would be the “Traveler” produced by Roche Bobois. The 40th-anniversary version in wrapped leather cord is a limited edition, but the outdoor collection is available at all Roche Bobois stores.

Why do you think it’s important to collaborate with artisans of various cultures and backgrounds?
Unfortunately, design is still perceived as a Western project. In the rest of the world or the majority world, people have been making things by hand for generations regardless of their level of canonical education. Everyone is capable of dreaming and everyone is capable of creativity, therefore, everyone is capable of design. No one culture has the right to dictate taste. Read the full interview here.

At Chicago’s Volume Gallery, a multi-generational group show curated by former Phillips design expert and craft specialist Meaghan Roddy brings together nine American fiber artists – Tanya Aguiñiga, Lia Cook, Ricki Dwyer, Josh Faught, Terri Friedman, Ferne Jacobs, Michael Rohde, SHENEQUA, and Jana Vander Lee. Placing these textile works in conversation with each other, Apex creates new contexts and connections. Through February 17th. Read the full article here.