Art Exhibit: "Liminal Threshold" by Rick Sullivan

Liminal Threshold explores the raw and unstable terrain between dissolution and emergence. Nothing is really fixed here: colors pulse, gestures fragment, and structure flickers in and out of coherence. Each piece exists as a moment suspended between chaos and formation—a threshold not yet crossed, or maybe just barely.

These are visual meditations on emotional rupture, personal transformation, and the uneasy beauty found in flux. They invite viewers not to seek resolution, but to linger in the in-between—where everything might still change.

Liminal Threshold will be on view from October 1 through November 1 in the Main Library Gallery.

Artist statement
"My work examines the interplay of emotion and thought, expressed through the language of non-objective abstract expressionism. Each piece is a vivid capture of a moment—where light and shadow, connection and separation, all constantly interact. Through layered textures, dynamic lines and dense color, I explore themes of inner struggle, tension and release, creating visual landscapes that resist easy interpretation.

"I don’t aim to offer familiar constructs; instead, my work invites viewers into a space where they can pause, reflect and discover their own meanings. What drives me is the dialogue that happens between the viewer and the art—their individual interpretations becoming part of the piece itself. Each canvas exists not only as my expression but as a bridge for personal connection and an opportunity for others to see themselves in abstract." 
—Rick Sullivan

Artist bio
"I grew up in a small town in northern Iowa and moved to Chicago after graduating from Drake University.  I discovered my passion for art in my youth but my true calling to paint came much later in life.  It began in 2018 as a way to deal with complex thoughts and emotions related to caring for a parent being brutalized by Alzheimer’s.  I found inspiration in the oddly comforting works of de Kooning, Kandinsky and Pollock as I eventually began to find my own voice.  My home and studio is located in Oak Park, IL." 
—Rick Sullivan