Joseph Hronek

"Blinking Nude"

2007
oil on panel
7"x 7"

Chicago artist Joseph Hronek creates small-scale, hyper-real paintings that comment on ideas about perception, reality and artifice. Hronek's figurative and "minimalist still-life" paintings draw the viewer close through their intimate associations and extreme level of detail, encouraging a visual re-examination of the quiet and commonplace.

Hronek is known for his fastidious attention to detail, which begins before the painting is actually started. A series of compositional studies on graph paper comprise the first step of a painting’s development, followed by further color and value studies on paper. Once the composition has been fully considered, and color relationships have been worked out, Hronek begins the final process of making the painting. This is also accomplished in stages: an imprimatura layer, followed by subsequent passages of ala-prima painting, scumbling, and glazing. The surface of the paintings are lovingly and carefully crafted into being, and this committed approach breathes a sense of life into the objects and figures depicted in the works.

Says Hronek:

“I believe the act of observational painting is an act of fiction because the painter is taking many separate moments and combining them into one unified moment. While this may seem more apparent when using a model who is constantly in a state of flux (blinking, shifting weight, etc.), the same holds true when observing a still life object. In this case, it’s the artist who’s psychological makeup and perceptual abilities change from day-to-day. One could take a single object with set lighting and do painting after painting for the rest of one’s life and never come up with the same painting. I think all painting rooted in observation has a truly conceptual componant. It all starts in our heads. This is why I have remained fascinated with representational painting over many years. You can never get a complete answer to what human perception is all about.”

"Leaning Nude"

2007
oil on panel
10.5"x 6.5"

"Back of CD Cover"

2007
oil on panel
9"x 9"

Review: CHICAGO TRIBUNE


Friday, March 23, 2007


Humble subjects, major accomplishment


By Alan Artner, Tribune art critic

Joseph Hronek has exhibited and taught for 20 years, and his representational oil paintings at the Gwenda Jay / Addington Gallery are a thrilling fulfillment of his experience.

Nothing is left to chance in these nudes and still lifes. The artist’s planning is as rigorous and time consuming as his execution. He works from the Fibonacci sequence in mathematics and the Golden Section in the fine arts. The results are modest in scale, humble in subject, and diamond hard in accomplishment.

The piece titled “Shifting Nude,” for example, depicts a female model from the rear from the shoulders up. Her hair and skin and painstakingly rendered. But the excitement of the picture comes from the contour of the shoulders and neck that registers movement from her center of gravity – a small thing but, in terms of the painting, of seismic importance.

Similarly, the creases, wrinkles and indentations in the three-panel still life “Folded Post-It Notes” are calculated for maximum effect, and Hronek’s calculations prove unerring.

Perhaps because he is a teacher, Hronek also shows a compositional and chromatic study for one of the paintings to reveal something of his process. The gallery has written statements as well that indicate the same clarity. In our conservative artistic times, one can scarcely do better.

Joseph Hronek: Nudes and Still Lifes, at Gwenda Jay / Addington Gallery, 704 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60610 phone 312.664.3406

Bio

 

Selected Exhibitions:

2007

~Solo Exhibition, The Gwenda Jay/Addington Gallery, Chicago, Illinois

2006

~Transfigured, The Gwenda Jay/Addington Gallery, Chicago, Illinois

2005

~The Ever-Changing Landscape, Kentucky Museum of Art & Design, Louisville, Kentucky

2004

~Solo Exhibition, The Gwenda Jay/Addington Gallery, Chicago, Illinois

2002

~The New Realism: 4th Annual National Realism Invitational, Center of the Earth Gallery, Charlotte, North Carolina

2001

~The Object Considered: Contemporary Still Life in Ohio, Illinois and Indiana, Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center, Portsmouth, Ohio

~The Object Considered, The Southbend Regional Museum of Art, Southbend, Indiana

2000

~The Object Considered, Columbus College of Art and Design, Columbus, Ohio

~Solo Exhibition, Visiting Artists Series, The University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh

~Solo Exhibition, The Gwenda Jay/Addington Gallery, Chicago, Illinois

1999

~60th Annual National Exhibition of Contemporary American Paintings, The Society of the Four Arts, Palm Beach, Florida

1998

~Spiva Biennial 98, George A. Spiva Center for the Arts, Joplin, Missouri

~Absolut Vision 3-Chicago, Gwenda Jay Gallery, Chicago, Illinois

~Texas National '98, SFA Gallery, Stephan A. Austin University, Nacogdohes, Texas

~Second Annual Derriere Guard Festival: Millenium Art and Architecture, The Graham Foundation, Chicago, Illinois

1997

~Northern National, L.R.C. Gallery, Nicolet College, Rhinelander, Wisconsin

~Milwaukee Art Expo, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

~Solo Exhibition, Gwenda Jay Gallery, Chicago, Illinois

~Two Person Exhibition, Saint Francis College, Fort Wayne, Indiana

1996

~58th Annual National Exhibition of Contemporary American Paintings, Four Arts Plaza, Palm Beach, Florida

~Small Wonders, Gwenda Jay Gallery, Chicago, Illinois

~Inside Outside In, Carlson Tower Gallery, North Park College, Chicago, Illinois

~Contemporary Realism, Community Cultural Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

~Chicago Dealer's Choice Exhibition, The Northern Indiana Arts Association Center for Visual and Performing Arts, Munster, Indiana

~46th Spiva Biennial '96, George A. Spiva Center for the Arts, Joplin, Missouri

~A New Leaf, Gwenda Jay Gallery, Chicago, Illinois

~National Art Exhibition: Form and Metaphor, Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, New Mexico

~Flora '96, Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois

1995

~Solo Exhibition, Union League Club of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

~32nd Annual Patron Purchase Juried Competion, Creative Arts Guild, Dalton, Georgia

~Westmoreland Nationals, Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival, Greensburg, Pennsylvania

~Westmoreland Nationals, Westmoreland Community College Exhibition, Westmoreland Community College, Youngblood, Pennsylvania

~The Armory Art Center Annual Figurative Small Works Exhibition, Alfred K. Colaciello Gallery, Armory Art Center, West Palm Beach, Florida

~8th Annual Artstravaganza, Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga, Tennessee

~12x12x12x95 International Small Painting and Sculpture Competition, San Jacinto College, Houston, Texas

1994

~56th Annual National Exhibition of Contemporary American Paintings, Four Arts Plaza, Palm Beach, Florida

~Contemporary Drawing, The David Adler Cultural Center, Libertyville, Illinois

~7th Annual Northern National Art Competition, L.R.C. Gallery, Nicolet College, Rhinelander, Wisconsin

~Open Spectrum, The David Adler Cultural Center, Libertyville, Illinois

~The Illinois Landscape: Selected Views, Community Gallery of Art, College of Lake County, Grayslake, Illinois

1993

~Cheekwood National Painting Competition, Cheekwood Museum of Art, Nashville, Tennessee

~The Halpert Biennial, Catherine J. Smith Gallery, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina

~Small/Large Works, Limner Gallery, New York, New York

~Open Spectrum, The David Adler Cultural Center, Libertyville, Illinois

~LaPrimavera, Community Gallery of Art, College of Lake County, Grayslake, Illinois

~54th Annual National Exhibition of Contemporary American Paintings, Four Arts Plaza, Palm Beach Florida

~Contrasts, The David Adler Cultural Center, Libertyville, Illinois

1992

~Variations on the Landscape: Paintings from the Neville-Sargent Gallery, Rahr-West Art Museum, Manitowoc, Wisconsin

~Anderson Art Center Invitational, Anderson Art Center, Kenosha, Wisconsin

~Open Spectrum, The David Adler Cultural Center, Libertyville, Illinois

~The Best of Illinois, Neville-Sargent Gallery, Chicago, Illinois

~Flora '92, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois

1991

~Cheekwood National Contemporary Painting Competition, Cheekwood Museum of Art, Nashville, Tennessee

~Open Spectrum, The David Adler Cultural Center, Libertyville, Illinois

~Illinois Landscapes - Large and Small: Bell, Hronek, Lake, Neville-Sargent Gallery, Chicago, Illinois

~Introspections - A Self-Portrait Invitational, Community Gallery of Art, College of Lake County, Grayslake, Illinois

~52nd Annual National Exhibition of Contemporary American Paintings, Four Arts Plaza, Palm Beach, Florida

1990

~Open Spectrum, The David Adler Cultural Center, Libertyville, Illinois

1989

~Realism to Trompe-L'oeil, Community Gallery of Art, College of Lake County, Grayslake, Illinois

1987

~Solo Exhibition, Summer Space Gallery, Indianapolis, Indiana

SELECTED AWARDS AND HONORS:

2000

~Visiting Artist, The University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh

1998

~Houser Award of Excellence, 60th Annual Exhibition of Contemporary American Paintings, JUROR: James T. Demetrion, Director, Hirshorn Museum

~Second Place, Spiva Biennial 98, JUROR: Benito Huerta, Independent Curator

1997

~Northern Bank Doner Award, Northern National Art Competition, JUROR: Philip Pearlstein, Artist

1996

~Award of Merit, Flora '96, JURORS: Kathryn Hixon, Associate Editor, New Arts Examiner; Gwenda Jay, President, Gwenda Jay Gallery, Chicago,

Illinois, Michael Paha, Installation Artist

1995

~Third Place, 3rd Annual Patron Purchase Juried Competition, JUROR: Larry Walker, Former Director, School for Art and Design, Georgia

State University

1994

~Philip Hulitar Award of Excellence, 56th Annual National Exhibition of Contemporary American Paintings, JUROR: Dr. Joram Deutsch, Director,

The Deutsch Foundation, Lausanne, Switzerland

~Best of Show, Open Spectrum, JURORS: Kay Garvey, Director, Kay Garvey Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, Dennis Loy, Curator, Union League

Club of Chicago

1993

~Honorable Mention, Cheekwood National Contemporary Painting Competition, JUROR: Charles S. Moffet, Director of the Phillips Collection

~Award of Excellence, Open Spectrum

1992

~Award of Excellence, Open Spectrum

1991

~Award of Merit, Cheekwood National Contemporary Painting Competition, JUROR: Neal Benezra, Chief Curator, Hirshorn Museum

1990

~Bernis Gold Award of Merit, 52nd Annual National Exhibition of Contemporary American Paintings, JUROR: Hugh M. Davies, Director,

San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art

~Award of Excellence, Kemper Insurance Purchase Award, Open Specturm

SELECTED REVIEWS AND ARTICLES:

2002

~April, New Art, Linda Luise Brown

2000

~October, Chicago Reader, Fred Camper

1997

~August, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, James Auer

~May, Art News, Garrett Holg

1996

~December, Chicago Tribune, Barbara B. Buchholz

1994

~May, Pioneer Press, Michael Bonesteel

~March, Pioneer Press, Michael Bonesteel

1993

~November, The Tennessean, Alan Bostick

~November, Nashville Scene, Susan Knowles

~April, Pioneer Press, Michael Bonesteel

~April, Waukegan News-Sun, Garrett Holg

~March, Pioneer Press, Michael Bonesteel

1992

~August, Milwaukee Journal, James Aver

~January, Pioneer Press, Michael Bonesteel

1991

~June, Where/Chicago, Ann Hunter Green

~March, Pioneer Bress, Michael Bonesteel

 

 

1989

~August, Waukegan News-Sun, Garrett Holg

~August, Pioneer Press, Michael Bonesteel

~August, Milwaukee Journal, James Aver

1986

~May, Arizona Daily Star, Robert Cawthorn

SELECTED CATALOGUES:

2000

~The Object Considered: Contemporary Still Life in Ohio, Illinois and Indiana

1998

~60th National Exhibition of Contemporary American Paintings

~Spiva Biennial '98

~Texas National '98

~58th National Exhibition of Contemporary American Paintings

1996

~Chicago Dealer's Choice Exhibit

~Form and Metaphor

~46th Spiva Biennial

1995

~Westmoreland Nationals

~12x12x12x95 International Small Paintings and Sculpture Competition

1994

~The Illinois Landscape: Selected Views

1993

~Cheekwood National Painting Competition

~The Hapert Biennial

~La Primavera

~54th National Exhibition of Contemporary American Paintings

1992

~Cheekwood National Painting Competition

~Variations on the Landscape: Paintings from the Neville-Sargent Gallery

1991

~Cheekwood National Painting Competition

~Introspections: A Self-Portrait Invitational Exhibition

1990

~52nd National Exhibition of Contemporary American Paintings

TEACHING POSITIONS:

~Art Instructor, College of Lake County, Grayslake, Illinois

1998 to Present

Courses taught: Beginning Painting, Advanced Painting, Basic Drawing, Basic Design, Figure Drawing, Intermediate Drawing

~Art Instructor, William Rainey Harper College, Palatine, Illinois

1987 to Present

Courses taught: Drawing I, Drawing II, Figure Drawing, Painting Studio, Design I, Art Seminar

EDUCATION:

~M.F.A., University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 1986

~B.A., Silver Lake College, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, 1981

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