“That”__ is a lot different than “This:” A second opening for artists-in-residence Alberto Aguilar and Alex Bradley Cohen at Compound Yellow

Following Alberto Aguilar and Alex Bradley Cohen’s exhibition entitled “This” is “That”__, which is comprised of works of art made during the second month of their three-month residency at Compound Yellow. Whereas “This” brings together works from throughout the collaboration of the artists during their friendship together, “That”__ is a sort of series of new work all made at once.

I preface “That”__ with “This” because the two are shown together in Compound Yellow’s two galleries and because the first show offers a display that gives good and maybe necessary context to the second. Shown in the YZ Galleries, the art in “This” is playful and sprawls or cartwheels across the walls and over the door. There are faces, stickers, found objects, and recorded dialogue. It’s an active, friendly space.

In their statement for “That”__, which is installed in the smaller XGallery, Alberto and Alex wrote that they wanted to try and create a sanctuary of rest. Whether you’re stepping in from Lake Street or walking over from “This,” “That”__ feels not just like a sanctuary but like a chapel: the gallery is small and private in a way that encourages reflection. Hung at human-ish height and size evenly along the walls are large panels painted in calm, monochromatic gray shades.

One of the first realizations you might make is that each of the panels has undergone a drastic transformation from what it was. When you step close to each one, you’ll see the swirls and painted texture of previous brush strokes beneath the gray paint. There’s a small window on each panel where the gray was left off, giving a small glimpse of bright, warm color and playful line. Nailed to each piece is a framed photograph documenting its previous “life” as a vibrant, colorful work.

The quiet pieces of “That”__ are a strong, intentional contrast from the playful curation and subject matter of “This.” According to Alberto, the decision to paint over the play in those panels came after both of the artists had a disagreement and then a breakthrough in their personal friendship. What was playful decidedly became something else, setting it apart from their previous work. 

The initial feeling of “That”__ is one of rest, but the next, for me, is one of memorial: these pieces seem quiet but also like monoliths or shadows of a previous self. The framed photos of the colorful versions of each panel look like memories that are still important to the art’s identity, like framed family photos that hang on a wall in a childhood home. The sanctuary of rest has also become one of memory, and if the monochrome brought a sense of quiet and peace, it was primarily through the act of covering up the playful unrest that had been there before. 

I’m partially disappointed that whatever relationships were happening between the colorful panels of “That”__ are obscured under gray coats of paint. However, each muted tone keeps itself peaceful and active, and the panels have become both memorials and places of promise. In the quiet moments spent alone in the small, hushed space, each work can act as a sounding board, with a glimpse of what was there and space to meditate on the potential of what comes next.

“This” and “That”__ will be on display at Compound Yellow in Oak Park until May 31, 2021.