Image as Object, Object as Image: Graphic Abstraction by Sonnenzimmer

The Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) is pleased to be featuring the exhibition Image as Object, Object as Image: Graphic Abstraction by Sonnenzimmer, which opens January 18 in MCAD Gallery. Demonstrating the artistic range of the creative partnership of Nick Butcher and Nadine Nakanishi, the show centers on a new body of paintings, graphic textile pieces, and sound installation that examine the nature of images, image reproduction, and the object through playful juxtaposition and use of the gallery space. Taking the show title to heart, a large site-specific piece, simply titled Image as Object, Object as Image, will be created in the gallery itself, taking full advantage of MCAD’s architecture. In addition to the new work, the exhibition will also feature an overview of previously completed projects, including commissioned posters, broadsides, and self-initiated and commissioned publications. Image as Object, Object as Image: Graphic Abstraction by Sonnenzimmer aims to shed light on the exploratory nature of their contemporary graphic practice, one that doesn’t make a distinction between fine and applied art.

About Sonnenzimmer

Sonnenzimmer is the Chicago-based art, design, and print studio of Nick Butcher and Nadine Nakanishi. Merging backgrounds in typography, fine art, printmaking, and publication design, the couple’s commissioned and self-initiated work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including a recent exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Known primarily for their idiosyncratic take on printed matter, especially the screen printed poster, Sonnenzimmer has carved out a niche for their small commercial art studio, servicing an array of clients as varied as the Poetry Foundation, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sub Pop records, and numerous free jazz groups. Their work has been published by Gestalen, Rockport Publishers, and Princeton Architectural Press and is in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Design and Architecture collection and the Museum of Design Zürich’s poster collection. Founded in 2006, Sonnenzimmer sees a bright future for the graphic arts as a new generation of image-makers emerges.