MODEST commons is proud to present Dissolution of Allusion, featuring the work of Katie Hector, Mike Chattem, Jess Goehring and Nathan See. Katie Hector transports us into an alluring world of ghostly contemplation with her ethereal portraits of friends, family and lovers. Her paintings evoke an unsettling sense of familiarity while simultaneously disorienting our understanding of the subjects. Hector creates her work using an airbrush and a unique combination of fabric dyes and bleach. Luminous, unearthly hues are infused into her compositions blurring the lines between reality and illusion, challenging viewers to question the authenticity of the portrayed personas and the nature of visual representation itself. Mike Chattem’s multimedia sculptures are an arresting commentary on the allure of consumerist American imagery. With a meticulous assembly of found and invented imagery and cultural iconography, Chattem explores idiosyncratic narratives and contradictions in a tactile extravaganza fueled by desire and material culture. By deconstructing and recontextualizing these symbols, they probe the allusions of prosperity perpetuated by consumerism, leaving us with a raw, fragmented reflection of our society. Nathan See’s sculptures create a dialogue that challenges modernist paradigms of form, structure and idealized society. See’s creations stand in stark defiance of the sleek, polished surfaces associated with modernism. Instead, they embrace rough textures, jagged edges, and a sense of discord. By dismantling the idealized notions of harmony and unity, See challenges us to confront the complexities, contradictions and dissatisfaction inherent in our lives. Jess Goehring’s works act as a transformative medium creating veiled holograms that play with conventional visual perceptions. These kinetic, translucent artworks blur the boundaries between the tangible and the intangible, the seen and the unseen. The work employs layers consisting of screenshots acquired from her iPhone photos, text messages, memes, Tik-Tok videos and AI assisted text-to image generators. Ultimately creating a dialogue about our contemporary experience with personalized technologies and the intimacy of these fleeting moments. In a world saturated with images and ideas, these four artists compel us to examine the dissolution of allusion. They challenge us to deconstruct the familiar, question established narratives, and rediscover the enigmatic beauty that emerges when boundaries are blurred and illusions are shattered. Through their work, they beckon us to engage with art as a powerful tool for critical reflection, inviting us to redefine our perceptions and examine the ever-shifting landscape of contemporary society. Image: Nathan See "Portrait"