Painting > Present Paintings

Gwendolyn Zabicki painting Chicago artist candy
oil on canvas
14in x 16in
2014
Polka Dots and Fur, gift painting, present painting, Gwendolyn Zabicki
oil on canvas
14in x 18in
2014
Gwendolyn Zabicki painting Chicago artist presents gifts
oil on canvas
16in x 22in
2014
Gwendolyn Zabicki painting Chicago artist gifts presents
oil on canvas
22in x 16in
2014
Gwendolyn Zabicki, Gwen Zabicki, Gwendolyn Zabicki artist, Gwen Zabicki artist, Gwendolyn Zabicki Chicago artist, Gwen Zabicki Chicago artist, Gwendolyn Zabicki painter,  Gwen Zabicki painter, present paintings
oil on canvas
varied
2015
gold box painting, gold gift, oil painting, Chicago artist, Gwendolyn Zabicki
oil on canvas
16in x 20in
2014
Gwendolyn Zabicki, Gwen Zabicki, artist, painting, Chicago artist, gifts presents
oil on canvas
17in x 21in
2014
gold box painting, gold gift, oil painting, Chicago artist, Gwendolyn Zabicki
oil on panel
15in x 15in x 4in
2014
All The Good Ones Are Gone
oil on canvas
16in x 12in
2014

A present is brought to a party as a gesture of goodwill. It represents the invisible value of relationships between people. At the core of all my work is the fear that plagues many Millennials, the fear of missing out (on potential friends, on experiences). A party is celebration between friends of what we do have, of our time together. These paintings are an experiment with the radical gift economy, as outlined by Lewis Hyde in his book, “The Gift.” This means that none of these paintings are for sale, instead they are meant to be given away as gifts to strangers. According to Hyde, “When a part of the self is given away, community appears.” My hope is that this act will allow us, the artist and the viewer, to bypass the transactional, commercial nature of art and instead connect in a more personal way.