Only Two More Weekends to Catch Dont Fret's OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT

Chicagoans have only two more weeks to catch Dont Fret OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT, running through Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1412 W. Belmont in Chicago's Lake View neighborhood. The exhibition features new works exploring the tropes, idiosyncrasies and subtle politics of office life. Free and open to the public, visitors can make reservations via Tock at https://www.exploretock.com/dontfret. Capacity is limited to 6 visitors at a time. Viewing hours run 12 – 6 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Advanced registration, timed entry, face masks and observance of social distancing measures is required of all visitors to the exhibition.

The absurdities of life in 2020 are rich fodder for Dont Fret’s new body of work, which spans works on canvas to painted planters. The space that the exhibition inhabits, a for-the-moment unoccupied office while it’s former daily inhabitants work from home indefinitely, is its own commentary on the seemingly endless experience of limbo and uncertainty during a global pandemic. The artist’s prophetic style and wit shines through in the interactions of the characters he creates, whose unspoken thoughts become speech bubbles above their heads that no one would ever say aloud. The office’s storefront windows is filled with a full-size painting of the erstwhile office workers, and those interested in leasing the modernized space can call 872-216-6781 for more details.

“This isn’t the office as it once was, but I think we are all yearning for something akin to a normal experience at this point,” said Dont Fret. “Given the current political and social climate I suggest you do not fret, and consider the opportunity for calmness and clarity inside this space.”

Dont Fret’s unpolished aesthetics paired with pithy one-liners are recognizable features of Chicago’s built environment, and also recently became a feature of Chicago’s Riverwalk with the installation The People in Your Neighborhood which includes 55 portraits of Chicagoans by the artist. Dont Fret’s work has also been painted and wheat-pasted on buildings around the world, from New York to Berlin, Miami, São Paulo, London and Helsinki. Don’t Fret: Life Thus Far, the first comprehensive survey of the artist’s work, showcases a decade of his street and gallery work and features memories and anecdotes from fellow artists and friends including Louder Than A Bomb founder Kevin Coval, artist Cody Hudson and rapper Vic Mensa.

Dont Fret is an artist born, raised, and currently working in Chicago. In addition to his wheat pasting, his practice includes drawing, painting, sculpture, performance, and installation-based work both on the street and in the gallery. He has produced large-scale public murals in a number of American cities, including Chicago, New York City, Miami, San Francisco, Grand Rapids, and Denver, as well as internationally in such cities as São Paulo, London, and Helsinki. His work has been in a number of galleries nationally and internationally, with shows in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and London. Dont Fret’s work was also featured prominently in the Netflix original series Easy.