Nick Schutzenhofer’s solo exhibition at MICKEY in West Loop has all the character of long-forgotten children’s drawings pinned to the refrigerator door—in the best way possible. The work is deceivingly clumsy at first glance, adorned with splashes and swoops of color akin to fingerpainting and chunky shapes reminiscent of wooden toy blocks. However, closer inspection reveals levels of complexity to the works that insist on intentionality rather than haphazard construction, reorienting viewers to welcome the same feelings that urged their creation.

The aptly titled drawing of a heart exhibition is composed entirely of small to medium-sized mixed-media drawings made with an earnest sincerity that rouses dormant souls. The pictures radiate energy with their child-like gestures, magnetizing viewers forward into a companionable proximity. This intimacy reveals a surface of pooling layered wax, creating a thick outer coating that emphasizes negative geometric cuts where painted linen is revealed underneath. Charmingly ordinary inclusions such as a thumbnail sketch of a house or the figure of a woman with her eyes closed blissfully are also evident only from this perspective, yet central to the affection of the drawings. These tender details allow the eye to rest on recognizable images that are familiar and comforting before being swept back into an esoteric dreamscape of swirling blues, purples, and greens.

Schutzenhofer draws from all of art history to make a body of work that is rich with references to different artistic styles. Many of the drawings adopt a Fauvist palette, with wild streaks of bold colors surrounding highly abstracted forms and blocky cutout shapes. Other works see an application of pigments that is more similar to action painting, with splatters of colored wax erratically scattered across the picture plane. Schutzenhofer’s decision to work with hot wax is also art historically informed; the encaustic technique dates back to the first century AD with Romano-Egyptian mummy portraits. A recurring image of a woman with her eyes drawn shut is depicted often in a post-impressionist manner, many times in positions that bring to mind other strong images in the art historical canon. In one piece, she rests with a child—the Madonna and Child icon resurfaces again. In two others, she reclines picking flowers—Renoir’s dreamy landscape revisited. The variety and abundance of reference ensures that every piece offers something new and provocative, tapping into traditions of passionate picture-making to touch viewers’ hearts.

Taken as a whole, the works comprising drawing of a heart evoke the sensation of retrieving memories long past. Chaotic brushstrokes embody the fuzziness surrounding distant memories, while bright colors and heartfelt sketches summon the strongest feelings of the process of recollection. Schutzenhofer’s ability to elicit both the affect of action painting and the sentiment of post-impressionism is rare; what’s more, the strength of such abstract works to draw such specific emotions from viewers is remarkable. Chicagoans seeking warmth from the blustery cold of the looming winter should seek refuge in drawing of a heart at MICKEY.

Natalie Jenkins