Holzblatt paintings at Glimer Gallery explore tension between the physical and spiritual

The Josef Glimer Gallery, in the heart of the River North gallery district, is a lovely, intimate space for viewing art. Glimer’s taste tends toward the subtly narrative, with the current show of paintings, “From Birth to Memory,” featuring the stormy works of Chicago-based artist Ellen Holtzblatt, a perfect example.

Holtzblatt’s work is fueled by an exploration of the connection between the physical and the spiritual, “the forgetfulness of the earthly body, and the memory that resides in the soul.” She examines her own identity by reaching into a collective ancestral unconscious, often blurring boundaries between dream and reality.

Holtzblatt, who holds a BFA and a Graduate Certificate in Art Therapy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, has exhibited her work nationally and internationally, including the Museum of Biblical Art in New York, Inselgalerie in Berlin, The University of Illinois at Chicago and the Harold Washington Library. She was most recently featured in the solo exhibition, “Memory and Birds,” at the Chicago Cultural Center. Her work is in key public and private collections including the Joan Flasch Artists’ Book Collection in Chicago and The Center for Book Arts in New York.

“Ellen Holtzblatt: From Birth to Memory,” will be on display through December at Josef Glimer Gallery, 207 W. Superior. For more information call (312) 787-4640 or visit http://www.josefglimergallery.com.