Seeing Connections: The Art of Richard Penn

Inspiration for art can come from many sources. Retired University of Chicago Medicine neurosurgeon and artist Richard Penn finds inspiration in nature, philosophy, science, and the images of other artists. Penn combines details of artworks, images from nature, book pages, and other source materials through digital manipulation, playing with scale and texture to create layered abstract compositions. His works highlight unexpected relationships between disparate images, and he invites the viewer to tease out connections, dissonances, and even humor in his pieces.

On view in this exhibition are examples of Penn’s work selected to demonstrate the ways he explores these sources of inspiration to create new ideas and art, along with related materials from the University of Chicago Library’s rare book, science, and art collections.

Exhibition Gallery Hours: Weekdays, 9 am to 4:45 pm.