Mae Lombardi is pleased to present our inaugural exhibition Mertensia presenting works by Laura Davis, Jonah Koppel, and Tyler Macko. The exhibition inaugurates the storefront location at 342 Park Avenue in Glencoe, Illinois. Bringing together three artists from the Midwest who continue to live and work in the region. The exhibition draws inspiration from recent histories of decorative art, craft, design, and midwestern sensibilities. Mertensia, named after the spring ephemeral plant with bell-shaped sky-blue flowers that populates the surrounding hills and plains, the works in the exhibition reflect on the region of the Midwest.

Laura Davis’ work utilizes a variety of materials both fabricated and repurposed which reflect on forms of exchange, whether domesticated, psychological, or transactional. By combining found and constructed materials, Davis’ objects seek to merge histories, obfuscate ownership, and disrupt notions of value.

Jonah Koppel, inspired by traditions of improvisation, creates dynamic and free paintings as quickly and accurately as possible. The artist uses oil loaded with leaded crystal powder and wax onto a burlap base—a technique drawn from the works of ancient Venetian painters. Koppel combines disparate elements from the imagination to produce cohesive works that deftly play with the mechanics of image-making and visual perception.

Tyler Macko draws aesthetic inspiration from recent American histories of decorative art, Macko repurposes visual domestic motifs. Visually sampling and manipulating imagery from things such as rugs, consumer goods, and tile patterns, Macko builds art objects that function as humble registers of legacy, decor, and identity.

Laura Davis (b. 1971) is a Chicago-based artist. Born in Holland, Michigan, Davis received a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art and an MFA from the University of Chicago. Recently she has had solo exhibitions at Hans Gallery (Chicago, IL), Threewalls (Chicago, IL), Chicago Cultural Center (Chicago, IL), Elmhurst Art Museum (Elmhurst, IL), and the Chicago Artists Coalition (Chicago, IL). She has been in group shows at the Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago, IL), Hyde Park Art Center (Chicago, IL), Garfield Park Conservatory (Chicago, IL), and Columbia College (Chicago, IL). Her work has been written about in Art in America, the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Art 21 Blog, Art Slant, and Newcity. Davis received her MFA from the University of Chicago in 2004, her BFA from The Cleveland Institute of Art in 1996, and teaches in the department of Contemporary Practices at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Jonah Koppel (b. 1978) lives and works in Chicago. Past exhibitions of Koppel’s work include Metaphysical Paintings (2021) at James Fuentes in New York, Jonah Koppel (2020) at M. LeBlanc in Chicago, Jonah Koppel (2013) at Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery in New York, Towards a New Impending Idiot Utopia (2011) at Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery in New York, NeoCon (2005) at Gavin Brown’s Enterprise in New York, and Time and Ebb (2004) at Rivington Arms in New York. His work has been written about in the New York Observer, The Brooklyn Rail, The New York Times, and others. Koppel received a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2001.

Tyler Macko (b. 1989) was born in Dayton, OH and resides in Montana. Recent solo exhibitions include The Contemporary Dayton Art Museum (Dayton, OH), Simchowitz Gallery (Los Angeles, CA), HG (Chicago, IL), Brackett Creek Editions (New York, NY), and No Place Gallery (Columbus, OH). Macko has participated in group exhibitions at Mae Lombardi (Glencoe, IL), No Place Gallery (Columbus, OH), Brackett Creek (Bozeman, MT), Johannes Vogt (East Hampton, NY), and Stephen Mcclintock (Detroit, MI).