Collage artist exhibits work at Elmhurst College

Elmhurst College presents an exhibit of collaged paintings by artist Mary Lou Zelazny as part of its annual celebration of Women’s History Month.

The exhibit, titled “Flags and Swags (1996-2008),” is open through March 25 in Founders Lounge of the college’s Frick Center, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst. A public reception with Zelazny will be from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, including a gallery talk at 5 p.m. Both the exhibit and reception are free.

Zelazny is a Chicago-born artist whose art combines the rigors of painting and drawing with the spontaneity of collage. Her works fuse photographic imagery and paint, conjuring improvisational narratives with multiple meanings. Among the recurring themes that appear in her work are mythology, fashion, portraiture, and still life.

Zelazny’s art explores the complexity of human relationships, and she is often grouped with Chicago Imagist artists.

“These works are fantastic. They combine an extraordinary use of painting and collage with a very surreal approach to imagery,” said Suellen Rocca, curator and director of exhibits at Elmhurst College.

The exhibit is one of a dozen shows that Elmhurst College will present this academic year, in three different on-campus venues. The college also has a collection of Chicago Imagist Art on display in the A.C. Buehler Library.

For details, contact (630) 617-3390 or elmhurst.edu.