Epiphany Center for the Arts | Sanctuary Hall Gallery
201 S. Ashland Avenue, Chicago
Mar 28, 2025 – May 17, 2025
Opening: Friday, Mar 28, 2025 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Musical instruments can often be seen as objects of exquisite complexity and beauty. Aesthetically, they are beautiful objects in themselves, but it is when they are played that instruments become mesmerizing and transformative. Inspired by the vivid colors and playful motifs in Henri Matisse’s 1939 painting La Musique (The Music), Jonathan Franklin’s exhibition The Yellow Guitar pays homage to Matisse’s masterwork, while presenting a whimsical array of musical instruments and performers in perfect harmony with Epiphany Center for the Arts’ historic Sanctuary space and intimate music venue.
For Franklin, the guitar has always represented something accessible and romantic. Unlike a piano, the guitar is portable, and its six strings open to a world of acoustic and vocal possibilities. He credits Elvis Presley and the Beatles for sparking his first inclination to play the guitar. As a teenager, Franklin belonged to a group called The Insex, which was the best (and only) American rock band between Calcutta and Bangkok. Since those halcyon days from decades ago, his love for music in all its shapes and forms has never ebbed.
In this series of paintings, the characters showcase a variety of instruments, from guitars to drums, violins, and saxophones, among others. All that is left for the viewer is to imagine the music.
For more information, go to: www.epiphanychi.com