Dolby Chadwick Gallery is delighted to announce Shimmering Tale, an exhibition of recent work by Chris Cosnowski, on view from July 10 to August 30, 2025.
Cosnowski has gained recognition for his signature photorealistic still lifes featuring inexpensive, often nostalgic, children's toys, mass-produced trophies, and other novelty trinkets, finely rendered in luscious color. With extraordinary technical finesse, the artist elevates these unassuming objects into icons, often imbuing them with layered commentary on power, morality, and identity. As the late art critic James Yood observed: "Just as Warhol did with cans of soup or Hollywood celebrities, sensing redolent signs of our civilization embedded within mass culture, so Cosnowski does within his specialized niche of popular culture."
This newest body of work expands upon themes and questions explored in prior series, offering a humorous yet deeply reflective and thoughtful meditation on the "stories, myths, and beliefs" that shape American identity. Several works feature trophies--including Shimmering Tale (a pale gold cowboy riding a rearing horse), American Might (a silver bodybuilder atop a globe, a pair of American flags below), and Victory in Sunlight (a gold Nike holding aloft a laurel wreath)--two of which are set against a radiant blue sky laced with clouds. The paintings subtly and expertly capture the exhibition's central tensions: the push and pull of nostalgia and regression, reverence and absurdity, power and skepticism. As Cosnowski puts it, they are about the "American mythology and self-image," in which ideals of heroism, virtue, and power shimmer with symbolic weight--but also with the gleam of artifice. A related work, Old Mold wryly considers the replication of power across time, reminding us of the ease with which history repeats itself.
Other paintings examine the enduring influence of religious and moral narratives. Last Judgment Roundel (Giotto Blue) and the Eden triptych invoke classic biblical tales whose themes continue to shape individual and collective psychology. Works depicting creamy, almost seductive bars of soap--titled Spirit Pour Homme, 72% Blank, and Milk and Honey--extend this inquiry into the realm of personal purification and belief, and underscore how moral systems are often aestheticized and commodified.
These works are not by an artist looking down on the world from above, distanced and disdainful. Quite the opposite. In fact, Cosnowski even implicates himself "in a system I purport to critique" by capturing his reflection in the shiny surfaces that fill his scenes, a tradition going back to seventeenth-century Dutch still-life breakfast painting. (Such works maintain another parallel with his own: in addition to displaying the extraordinary skill of the artist, they prompt deeper moral reflection). Cosnowski also endeavors to humanize his critiques and to consider why we create these tales and social structures in the first place. As All Alone in the Dark reveals, we may need them to keep us from feeling lost, even as they sometimes lead us back into shadow.
Cosnowski's works are meant to inspire reflection on the broad themes that shape our day-to-day lives, juxtaposing ideas, objects, forms, and colors to facilitate connections and open up new ways of thinking. Ultimately, they invite us into deeply satisfying spaces that are both playful and profound, and that compel us to stay and linger a while.
Chris Cosnowski was born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1968. He earned a BFA from Columbus College of Art and Design in 1992 and a MFA in painting from Northwestern University in 2000. Since 2003, he has been a faculty member at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Cosnowski has been included in numerous group exhibitions and has had more than a dozen solo exhibitions in cities throughout the United States, including New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco, as well as a ten-year retrospective at South Shore Arts in Munster, Indiana.
show less
Cosnowski has gained recognition for his signature photorealistic still lifes featuring inexpensive, often nostalgic, children's toys, mass-produced trophies, and other novelty trinkets, finely rendered in luscious color. With extraordinary technical finesse, the artist elevates these unassuming objects into icons, often imbuing them with layered commentary on power, morality, and identity. As the late art critic James Yood observed: "Just as Warhol did with cans of soup or Hollywood celebrities, sensing redolent signs of our civilization embedded within mass culture, so Cosnowski does within his specialized niche of popular culture."
This newest body of work expands upon themes and questions explored in prior series, offering a humorous yet deeply reflective and thoughtful meditation on the "stories, myths, and beliefs" that shape American identity. Several works feature trophies--including Shimmering Tale (a pale gold cowboy riding a rearing horse), American Might (a silver bodybuilder atop a globe, a pair of American flags below), and Victory in Sunlight (a gold Nike holding aloft a laurel wreath)--two of which are set against a radiant blue sky laced with clouds. The paintings subtly and expertly capture the exhibition's central tensions: the push and pull of nostalgia and regression, reverence and absurdity, power and skepticism. As Cosnowski puts it, they are about the "American mythology and self-image," in which ideals of heroism, virtue, and power shimmer with symbolic weight--but also with the gleam of artifice. A related work, Old Mold wryly considers the replication of power across time, reminding us of the ease with which history repeats itself.
Other paintings examine the enduring influence of religious and moral narratives. Last Judgment Roundel (Giotto Blue) and the Eden triptych invoke classic biblical tales whose themes continue to shape individual and collective psychology. Works depicting creamy, almost seductive bars of soap--titled Spirit Pour Homme, 72% Blank, and Milk and Honey--extend this inquiry into the realm of personal purification and belief, and underscore how moral systems are often aestheticized and commodified.
These works are not by an artist looking down on the world from above, distanced and disdainful. Quite the opposite. In fact, Cosnowski even implicates himself "in a system I purport to critique" by capturing his reflection in the shiny surfaces that fill his scenes, a tradition going back to seventeenth-century Dutch still-life breakfast painting. (Such works maintain another parallel with his own: in addition to displaying the extraordinary skill of the artist, they prompt deeper moral reflection). Cosnowski also endeavors to humanize his critiques and to consider why we create these tales and social structures in the first place. As All Alone in the Dark reveals, we may need them to keep us from feeling lost, even as they sometimes lead us back into shadow.
Cosnowski's works are meant to inspire reflection on the broad themes that shape our day-to-day lives, juxtaposing ideas, objects, forms, and colors to facilitate connections and open up new ways of thinking. Ultimately, they invite us into deeply satisfying spaces that are both playful and profound, and that compel us to stay and linger a while.
Chris Cosnowski was born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1968. He earned a BFA from Columbus College of Art and Design in 1992 and a MFA in painting from Northwestern University in 2000. Since 2003, he has been a faculty member at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Cosnowski has been included in numerous group exhibitions and has had more than a dozen solo exhibitions in cities throughout the United States, including New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco, as well as a ten-year retrospective at South Shore Arts in Munster, Indiana.
Dolby Chadwick Gallery is delighted to announce Shimmering Tale, an exhibition of recent work by Chris Cosnowski, on view from July 10 to August 30, 2025.
Cosnowski has gained recognition for his signature photorealistic still lifes featuring inexpensive, often nostalgic, children's toys, mass-produced trophies, and other novelty trinkets, finely rendered in luscious color. With extraordinary technical finesse, the artist elevates these unassuming objects into icons, often imbuing them with layered commentary on power, morality, and identity. As the late art critic James Yood observed: "Just as Warhol did with cans of soup or Hollywood celebrities, sensing redolent signs of our civilization embedded within mass culture, so Cosnowski does within his specialized niche of popular culture."
This newest body of work expands upon themes and questions explored in prior series, offering a humorous yet deeply reflective and thoughtful meditation on the "stories, myths, and beliefs" that shape American identity. Several works feature trophies--including Shimmering Tale (a pale gold cowboy riding a rearing horse), American Might (a silver bodybuilder atop a globe, a pair of American flags below), and Victory in Sunlight (a gold Nike holding aloft a laurel wreath)--two of which are set against a radiant blue sky laced with clouds. The paintings subtly and expertly capture the exhibition's central tensions: the push and pull of nostalgia and regression, reverence and absurdity, power and skepticism. As Cosnowski puts it, they are about the "American mythology and self-image," in which ideals of heroism, virtue, and power shimmer with symbolic weight--but also with the gleam of artifice. A related work, Old Mold wryly considers the replication of power across time, reminding us of the ease with which history repeats itself.
Other paintings examine the enduring influence of religious and moral narratives. Last Judgment Roundel (Giotto Blue) and the Eden triptych invoke classic biblical tales whose themes continue to shape individual and collective psychology. Works depicting creamy, almost seductive bars of soap--titled Spirit Pour Homme, 72% Blank, and Milk and Honey--extend this inquiry into the realm of personal purification and belief, and underscore how moral systems are often aestheticized and commodified.
These works are not by an artist looking down on the world from above, distanced and disdainful. Quite the opposite. In fact, Cosnowski even implicates himself "in a system I purport to critique" by capturing his reflection in the shiny surfaces that fill his scenes, a tradition going back to seventeenth-century Dutch still-life breakfast painting. (Such works maintain another parallel with his own: in addition to displaying the extraordinary skill of the artist, they prompt deeper moral reflection). Cosnowski also endeavors to humanize his critiques and to consider why we create these tales and social structures in the first place. As All Alone in the Dark reveals, we may need them to keep us from feeling lost, even as they sometimes lead us back into shadow.
Cosnowski's works are meant to inspire reflection on the broad themes that shape our day-to-day lives, juxtaposing ideas, objects, forms, and colors to facilitate connections and open up new ways of thinking. Ultimately, they invite us into deeply satisfying spaces that are both playful and profound, and that compel us to stay and linger a while.
Chris Cosnowski was born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1968. He earned a BFA from Columbus College of Art and Design in 1992 and a MFA in painting from Northwestern University in 2000. Since 2003, he has been a faculty member at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Cosnowski has been included in numerous group exhibitions and has had more than a dozen solo exhibitions in cities throughout the United States, including New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco, as well as a ten-year retrospective at South Shore Arts in Munster, Indiana.
read more
Cosnowski has gained recognition for his signature photorealistic still lifes featuring inexpensive, often nostalgic, children's toys, mass-produced trophies, and other novelty trinkets, finely rendered in luscious color. With extraordinary technical finesse, the artist elevates these unassuming objects into icons, often imbuing them with layered commentary on power, morality, and identity. As the late art critic James Yood observed: "Just as Warhol did with cans of soup or Hollywood celebrities, sensing redolent signs of our civilization embedded within mass culture, so Cosnowski does within his specialized niche of popular culture."
This newest body of work expands upon themes and questions explored in prior series, offering a humorous yet deeply reflective and thoughtful meditation on the "stories, myths, and beliefs" that shape American identity. Several works feature trophies--including Shimmering Tale (a pale gold cowboy riding a rearing horse), American Might (a silver bodybuilder atop a globe, a pair of American flags below), and Victory in Sunlight (a gold Nike holding aloft a laurel wreath)--two of which are set against a radiant blue sky laced with clouds. The paintings subtly and expertly capture the exhibition's central tensions: the push and pull of nostalgia and regression, reverence and absurdity, power and skepticism. As Cosnowski puts it, they are about the "American mythology and self-image," in which ideals of heroism, virtue, and power shimmer with symbolic weight--but also with the gleam of artifice. A related work, Old Mold wryly considers the replication of power across time, reminding us of the ease with which history repeats itself.
Other paintings examine the enduring influence of religious and moral narratives. Last Judgment Roundel (Giotto Blue) and the Eden triptych invoke classic biblical tales whose themes continue to shape individual and collective psychology. Works depicting creamy, almost seductive bars of soap--titled Spirit Pour Homme, 72% Blank, and Milk and Honey--extend this inquiry into the realm of personal purification and belief, and underscore how moral systems are often aestheticized and commodified.
These works are not by an artist looking down on the world from above, distanced and disdainful. Quite the opposite. In fact, Cosnowski even implicates himself "in a system I purport to critique" by capturing his reflection in the shiny surfaces that fill his scenes, a tradition going back to seventeenth-century Dutch still-life breakfast painting. (Such works maintain another parallel with his own: in addition to displaying the extraordinary skill of the artist, they prompt deeper moral reflection). Cosnowski also endeavors to humanize his critiques and to consider why we create these tales and social structures in the first place. As All Alone in the Dark reveals, we may need them to keep us from feeling lost, even as they sometimes lead us back into shadow.
Cosnowski's works are meant to inspire reflection on the broad themes that shape our day-to-day lives, juxtaposing ideas, objects, forms, and colors to facilitate connections and open up new ways of thinking. Ultimately, they invite us into deeply satisfying spaces that are both playful and profound, and that compel us to stay and linger a while.
Chris Cosnowski was born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1968. He earned a BFA from Columbus College of Art and Design in 1992 and a MFA in painting from Northwestern University in 2000. Since 2003, he has been a faculty member at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Cosnowski has been included in numerous group exhibitions and has had more than a dozen solo exhibitions in cities throughout the United States, including New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco, as well as a ten-year retrospective at South Shore Arts in Munster, Indiana.
show less
Date/Times:
The Best Events
Every Week in Your Inbox
From Our Sponsors
UPCOMING EVENTS
Great suggestion! We'll be in touch.
Event reviewed successfully.