Featured Artist
Toby Zallman
USA
Grand Prize Award Recipient
Purchase Award Recipient
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Toby Zallman
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About
Toby Zallman
Toby Zallman is a Chicago based artist whose art practice focuses on sculpture and drawing. In 2005, after becoming aware of how damaging our plastic and e-waste is to the environment, Toby began to incorporate recycled/re-purposed materials into her sculpture and use those materials as a source of visual inspiration for both the sculptures and drawings. Computer detritus, plastic bottles, plastic bags, and solid plastic trash are used to create unique art works that shed light on the environmental devastation cause by our culture of consumerism. Zallman shows her work in Chicago and nationally. She is the recipient of several Illinois Arts Council grants, an Individual Artist Program Grant, City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and has participated in artist residencies at the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo and Ragdale.
Artist Statement
My art transforms toxic refuse into evocative objects of abstract seduction, that bring a sense of beauty to environmentally devastating situations and arouse cognitive dissonance in viewers. Since 2005, I have made sculptures and drawings which respond to the by-products of our society’s rampant consumerism. My aim is for the work to incite both a sense of pleasure and a disturbing awareness of the degradation of our oceans, land and bodies. This engaging visual experience will support change in viewers' behaviors. My involvement with the group, Organizing for Plastic Alternatives, has both channelled some energy towards finding practical solutions to these problems, as well as increased awareness of my own problematic behaviors and how to change them.
Since 1992, I have worked primarily as a materials-based sculptor, combining natural and manufactured materials to represent dualities such as hard/soft, masculine/feminine or ephemeral/enduring. In recent years my art practice has evolved to include drawing, utilizing processes that are both digital and analog, incorporating conventional drawing materials with computer-manipulated images. The drawings also contrast figuration and abstraction.
By using mundane and utilitarian materials, images of plastic products or computer detritus, I show viewers my, and their complicity in contributing to climate change, while making visually intriguing works. I am attracted to the physical qualities embodied in this waste, which provide a rich range of possibilities for transformation into both 2-D and 3-D forms. I am excited by the work of artists like Diana Cohen, Aaditi Joshi and El Anatsui in the way they bring a strong formal sense to their use of repurposed materials.
A recent work, Plastic Bags In Water 5, combines my drawing and sculpture into a single work, and occupies a space somewhere between drawing, sculpture and installation. Untitled installation is a work in progress that I built from plastic packaging that imagines fantastic coral forms and it will be much larger in scale than it now is. The installation will be combined with a 2-dimensional wall element. Complicit 6 Months and Complicit 8 Months are 2 completed columns of the five planned. The two completed columns are made from my household’s discarded plastic trash. Completion is dependent on the volume of my plastic waste. My goal is to have each column take longer to create as I reduce my plastic consumption.
Education
TYLER SCHOOL OF ART OF TEMPLE UNIVERSITY Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
B.F.A.; Major Areas: Painting and Drawing
Selected Exhibitions
2021
ENVISION ARTS; Denton, Texas; "Black + White IV" Group on-line Exhibition AL•TER•WORK STUDIOS, Long Island City, NY; "Ecological: Healing Nature" Group on-line Exhibition
202O
UKRAINIAN INSTITUTE OF MODERN ART; "Chicago Sculpture International Biennial 2020' Chicago; Group Exhibition
GOVERNOR STATE UNIVERSITY; University Park, IL; “In Dialogue;” Group Exhibition
2019
VEECK GALLERY AT CATHOLIC THEOLOGICAL UNION; Chicago, IL; "The Global Village," Group Exhibition
2018
MORRAINE VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Palos Hills, IL; “Complicit” One-person exhibition
HYDE PARK ART CENTER, Chicago, IL: “The Art of Being Dangerous” Group Exhibition
2017
UKRAINIAN INSTITUTE OF MODERN ART, Chicago, IL; “Sedimented” Four-person Exhibition; Catalog
2015
ZHOU B. ART CENTER, Chicago IL; “Seductive Material” Group Exhibition KOEHNLINE MUSEUM OF ART, OAKTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE; Des Plaines, IL; “Sculpture Invasion” Group Exhibition; Catalog
BLOOMINGDALE PARK DISTRICT MUSEUM, Bloomingdale, IL; “Landfills” Group Exhibition
2014
THE ELKS HEADQUARTERS; “Invoking the Absence” Group Show; Catalog
2012–15
ILLINOIS STATE MUSEUM AT THE THOMPSON CENTER, Chicago, IL;
Traveling to Lockport, Rendlake, and Springfield, IL;
“Fragile Relations, Art + Nature + Environment” Group Show; Catalog
2012
EVANSTON ART CENTER, Evanston, IL; “Crossing Wires: Technology and Play” Group Show
2011
ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY AND THE COLLEGE OF SAINT BENEDICT GALLERIES; St. Joseph, MN; “Eco Byway” Group Show
2010
KOEHNLINE ART MUSEUM, OAKTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Des Plaines, IL; “Sculpture Invasion” Group Show
2009
INDIANA UNIVERSITY NORTHWEST; “R We Connctd?” Sculpture by Toby Zallman MID-SOUTH SCULPTURE ALLIANCE; Chattanooga, TN; Conference Group Exhibition
2008
FLATFILE GALLERY; Chicago Sculpture International Biennial; Catalog
2007 KOEHNLINE ART MUSEUM, OAKTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Des Plaines, IL, “Sculpture Invasion” Group Show; Catalog
2006
PERIMETER GALLERY; Chicago, IL; Group Show
JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER ARTS CENTER, Sheboygan, WI “Rebooted: Life After E-Junk”
ROCKFORD ART MUSEUM, “Rockford Midwestern Exhibition”
2002
ELMHURST ART MUSEUM, Elmhurst, IL, “Beyond the Surface” Toby Zallman and Barbara Cooper, Sculpture
2000
GWENDA JAY GALLERY; Chicago, IL; “End of the Rainbow: Following the Ragdale Experience” Group Show
1999
PERIMETER GALLERY; Chicago, IL; “Masters of Craft” Group Show
UKRAINIAN INSTITUTE OF MODERN ART; Chicago, IL; “Devotions” 3-Person Show
1998–99
ILLINOIS STATE MUSEUM AT LOCKPORT, Lockport, IL; “From Limb to Limb” Traveling Group Exhibition; Catalog
1997
CHICAGO CULTURAL CENTER; Chicago, IL; “Heart of the Matter: Sculpture by Toby Zallman”
PERIMETER GALLERY, Chicago, IL; Two-Person Exhibition
1996
EVANSTON ART CENTER, Evanston, IL; “Evanston & Vicinity Show”
DE PAUL UNIVERSITY, Chicago, IL.; “Why is This Night Different?” Group Show
1994
GALLERY 312, Chicago, IL; “Unknown Chicago”
1993
ARTEMISIA GALLERY, Chicago, “Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition” Group Show
1991
QUINCY ARTS CENTER, Quincy, IL; “Sculpture Invitational” Group Show
ARTEMISIA GALLERY, Chicago, “Mothers and Daughters’ Group Show
1990
ERIE STREET GALLERY, Chicago; “Media Survey”
1989
PAPER PRESS, Chicago; “Toby Zallman–Constructed Paintings & Drawings”
1988
ARTEMISIA GALLERY, Chicago; “Fifteenth Anniversary Exhibition”
EVANSTON ART CENTER, Evanston, IL; “Toby Zallman–New Work”
1987
BEACON STREET GALLERY, Chicago; “Nine on Nature”
ARTEMISIA GALLERY, Chicago; “Toby Zallman–‘Troubled Terrain’”
1985
EVANSTON ART CENTER, Evanston, IL; “Between Painting and Sculpture”
HALLWALLS, Buffalo, NY; “Group Show”
1984
ARTEMISIA GALLERY, Chicago; “Toby Zallman–‘Fears and Longings’”
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, Chicago; “Alternative Spaces: A History in Chicago”
ARTEMISIA GALLERY, Chicago; “Tenth Anniversary Exhibition”
1983
CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY, Chicago; “Artemisia Members”
ARTEMISIA GALLERY, Chicago; “Artemisia Members, A Group Show”
1982
ARTEMISIA GALLERY, Chicago; “Toby Zallman–New Paintings”
1981
DART GALLERY, Chicago; “Group Show”
ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE–FOREST PARK, St. Louis, MO; “(4) Young Chicago Artists”
ARTEMISIA GALLERY, Chicago; “Toby Zallman–‘Icarus Series’”
THE ALTERNATIVE MUSEUM, New York; “Emerging Artists”; Catalog
1980
CHICAGO COOPERATIVE GALLERIES, Chicago; “6/6 Invitational”
NAME GALLERY, Chicago; “Four Painters”
1977
SUBURBAN FINE ARTS CENTER, Highland Park, IL; “Toby Zallman/Kathy Lehar”
MOMING COLLECTION, Chicago; “All Over the Place” Installation Show
CHICAGO COOPERATIVE GALLERIES, Chicago; “3/3 Invitational”
Lectures
2016 Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL; “Detours, Dead Ends and the Motherlode”
Awards and Fellowships
2019
INDIVIDUAL ARTIST PROGRAM GRANT, City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)
ARTSCAPE GIBRALTER POINT, Toronto Island; Residency
2012
INDIVIDUAL ARTIST GRANT, Illinois Arts Council
2009, 2005, 2003, 2001, 1999, 1997, 1996, 1994
RAGDALE FELLOWSHIP, The Ragdale Foundation Art Colony
1995, 1990, 1989
COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE GRANT, Chicago Office of Fine Arts
1985
YADDO FELLOWSHIP, The Yaddo Art Colony
CHAIRMAN’S GRANT, Illinois Arts Council
1982, 1980
PROJECT COMPLETION GRANT, Illinois Arts Council
1979
MACDOWELL FELLOWSHIP, The MacDowell Colony
Commissions
1983
NATIONAL BOULEVARD BANK, Chicago; “Crane’s Dance” Four large-scale pieces on a 40-foot wall
Bibliography
2017
UKRAINIAN INSTITUTE OF MODERN ART, Chicago, IL; "Sedimented" Catalog
2015
KOEHNLINE MUSEUM OF ART, OAKTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE; Des Plaines, IL; “Sculpture Invasion”; Catalog
2014
ILLINOIS ISSUES, http://wuis.org/topic/illinois-issues-0#stream/0, ART SHOW GLORIFIES THE ENVIRONMENT
2012
ILLINOIS STATE MUSEUM, Chicago, IL; “Fragile Relations, Art + Nature + Environment”; Catalog
THE ELKS HEADQUARTERS; “Invoking the Absence” Catalog
2008
FLATFILE GALLERY; Chicago Sculpture International Biennial; Catalog
2007
KOEHNLINE MUSEUM OF ART, OAKTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE; Des Plaines, IL; “Sculpture Invasion”; Catalog
1998
ILLINOIS STATE MUSEUM, Lockport, IL; “From Limb to Limb”; Catalog
1981
THE ALTERNATIVE MUSEUM, New York; “Emerging Artists”; Catalog
Corporate Collections
AKZO CHEMIE, Chicago
ARAPAHOE JUSTICE CENTER, Denver, CO
BAKER, KNAPP & TUBBS CO., Chicago
FORSYTHE, McARTHUR ASSOC., INC., Skokie
HOME INSURANCE COMPANY, New York
JOVAN CORP., Chicago
MAC NEIL MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, Berwyn
MACY’S, Chicago
MICHAEL REESE HOSPITAL, Chicago
RICHARD MORTON COMPANY, Lisle
NORTH SHORE OUTPATIENT TREATMENT CENTER, Evanston WESTERN NATIONAL BANK, Cicero
Private Collections
GUNTHER ALBERTS, Chicago
EDITH ALTMAN, Chicago
MARIEL and BEN GOLDENSTEIN, Oakland, CA
ERIC JOHNSON, Madison, WI
LINDSAY LOCHMAN, Milwaukee, WI
JUDITH COHN, New York
DARCY CUMMINGS, Cherry Hill, NJ
JOANNE and JAMES HELLER, Chicago
PETER HESSEMER, Chicago
RONNA and DONALD HONIGMAN, Albany, CA
MARCUS JARRETT, Chicago
ELLEN MAZER and ANDREW SEGAL, Atlanta, GA
JAN JEWITT and RICK NITTI, Portland, Oregon
DIANE MARGOLIS, London, England
MARILYN MORRIS, Highland Park, IL
GEORGE REIMAN, New York
EDA WARREN, Northbrook
DEBRA WEISBERG and RAMON BUENO, Somerville, MA
PAT WYZBINSKI, Chicago
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