The Body Re-Formed

Juried by Christopher Ganz

October 23 - November 16, 2025

The Body Re-Formed

Juror Statement, Christopher Ganz

This exhibition is foremost a thank you to the artists, models, and organizations who make figure drawing possible and are committed to keeping its rich tradition alive and as strong as ever.

Due to my experiences as an artist working with the human figure and especially during and post-pandemic, I thought it was time to feature what contemporary figure drawing looks like across the nation. What better place to do this than here at Artlink, which has been offering figure drawing sessions since its existence and is a vital resource for artists of all levels and aspirations. 

I chose works that fit into a canon of figure drawing in the sense of observing from a nude or partially clothed model. There is an intensity of working from observation that creates a presence that is unmistakable. Work that also captured the entire figure on the page was favored as part of this. I also looked for work that exhibited an approach that offered insight into the ‘how’ of the drawing and was not necessarily clean or polished. I am intrigued by the variety of approaches and media that I have seen recently and how artists find their own method of understanding the figure. This process takes rigorous practice where each artist is re-forming the human figure on the page in a unique way. Immediacy and decisiveness are the hallmarks of experience. This show thus evinces artists who are dedicated and are always searching for something new in capturing the human form.

Artists: Chelsea Baumgartner, Alexandra Bloch, Victoria Bradley, Nell Breyer, Wes Bulla, Andrea Clarkson, Ashton Dunham, Rita Duris, Jason Franz, Alexandra Franz, David Hicks, John Hrehov, Ryan Kerr, Al Mcluckie, Michelle Paine, Michael Pfirrman, Leeann Rae, Andi Ritter, Steven Rushefsky, Kevin Schroeder, Mariam Shamilian, and Cynthia Taylor

About the Juror

Christopher Ganz is a professor of drawing and printmaking at Purdue University Fort Wayne. Ganz received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1995, and a Master of Fine Arts from Indiana University-Bloomington in 2001. His work has been displayed across the nation and at international art fairs, and his work is represented by Gallery Victor Armendariz in Chicago.