By Michael Workman

Perfect investigates the relationship between real and ideal, offering abstract explorations of the many incommensurate points of comparison in between. More process of elaboration than impulsive realization, each piece shows signs of the struggle to achieve acceptable independence from its own making. The ultimate goal held by all is to reduce the dependence on outside influences to nothing; to exist, whole and accurate, within its own structured sense of identity. Yet each piece remains firmly rooted in time, functioning not only as an artifact of particular processes but, equally, of the change in perception for its viewers.

Ben Butler, Amy Honchell, Marci Rae McDade and Michael x. Ryan each cleverly explore the conceptual circumstances of movement through time and physical space. In Ant Farm - self portrait. Chicago Ryan draws layers of cartographic marks on paper to chart his own daily existence in the world. Beginning with a traditional map of his environment, Ryan meticulously records corresponding graphs of time and activity, then removes the grid to unhinge any sense of motion or direction. The result is an elegant structural record of wandering.

The influence of icons in contemporary society connects the works of Chris Uphues, Mark Murphy and Timothy Ripley. Ripley's graphite drawing on paper Energy Bar Insurance Freezer riddles viewers with their recognition of corporate logos. Mixing and modifying unique aspects of known brand imagery, Ripley isolates essential elements of each design to differentiate them from the glut of commercial culture. The artist then renders a scaly, organic surface for his hybridized glyph to create a reptilian characterization of corporate identity.

The challenging discoveries of replication are taken on in the work of Vincent Como, Matt Irie, Teo Gonzalez and Anoka Faruqee. In the diptych Color/Black and White Twins, Faruqee juxtaposes two identical paintings: one rendered using a range of gaunt black and whites, one in vibrant color. Upon close inspection, the thousands of identical, asterik-shaped marks comprising each painting become clear. When observed from a distance, these meld in accumulation to form a dazzling, atmospheric blur. From either perspective, a sprawling constellation of marks delimiting this shift in perception remains at the visual fore.

Taken as a seamless whole, these works pin point numerous plotted paths to the same genuine sense of artistic ideals. Whether it begins with a personal action, an experience of culture, or an intellectual exploration, each artist moves with purpose, as Andy Warhol put it, from point A to point B and back again. Through this process of leaving and returning, each piece accumulates ample evidence of an ardent search for a complex balance between real and ideal aspiring to offer a vision of perfection. .

Mr. Workman's e-mail: mworkman@bridgemagazine.org

Mr. Workman's online magazines: http://www.newcitychicago.com & http://www.bridgemagazine.org