Curtis Anthony Bozif, Day's End, installation view

By SUSAN GESCHEIDLE

I traveled to Door County, WI, for the first time over Memorial Day weekend to check out Curtis Anthony Bozif's exhibition, Day's End. I timed my trip perfectly to attend his artist talk on the closing day, Saturday, May 23rd. Hosted at the Peninsula School of Art in Fish Creek, the show was part of the school's Spotlight Exhibition Series, curated by Shane McAdams. The series uniquely presented concurrent, concept-driven solo exhibitions by two distinct artists.

Bozif's work was installed inside the Guenzel Gallery, a striking ten-sided space inspired by Wisconsin’s historic round barns. During his talk, Bozif explained that he created this new body of work specifically with this geometric layout in mind, utilizing the ten walls to hang seven large horizontal canvases and three small tondo paintings. The afternoon sun streamed through the windows, and the shifting light brought out the moody, atmospheric layers in the paintings. A nice touch was the way the tondos provided a subtle echo of the circular window above, playing off the room's unique architecture.

Number 11 (Vespers) (Sun Painting)

2024

oil on canvas

78 x 54 x 1.25” (198.12 x 137.16 x 3.175 cm)

From a distance, Bozif’s paintings look ethereal, almost spectral. They seem to glow from within, as if you are looking through a thin scarf of iridescent silk. This illusion gives the flat canvas a surprising three-dimensional depth, evoking the soft, radiant haze of a real sunset. The effect ties in beautifully with Bozif’s own words regarding his career-long fascination with the "atmospheric phenomena of sunsets."

Closer to the wall, that illusion of transparent silk gives way to physical brushwork. It reveals a solid surface—smooth and meticulous—with a shimmery finish. Standing at this close range, the pure lusciousness of the medium is obvious. The colors are deep and vibrant, shifting seamlessly across the canvas with a smooth, saturated depth.

Curtis Anthony Bozif, Day's End, installation view

This play of color is especially lovely in pieces like Number 11 (Vespers) (Sun Painting), with its gold, yellow, and light brown tones. Meanwhile, a personal favorite, Number 18 (Vespers), features moody violet hues. Bozif noted that this palette was a nod to fellow Chicago artist Nick Schutzenhofer's recent show, Dust Jacket, at Mickey, as he was drawn to Schutzenhofer's heavy use of purple shades. Finally, the exhibition turned to night with my favorite piece, Number 16 (Vespers). It shifted into a darker palette, feeling nocturnal and moody. There is a subtle drama to it—a bit subdued, yet gorgeous.

Addressing the crowd, Bozif shared the unique process behind these textures. Working in his Rogers Park studio, he leaned the canvases against the wall and used a precise technique to create a fine mist of paint. He constantly flicked the stiff bristles of a nylon brush, letting tiny droplets drift through the air and naturally fall downward. This paint slowly built up into misty pillars of color, shadow, and light. His physical process forced the paint to behave similarly to the floating haze he was capturing. This series was influenced by the Canadian wildfires of 2023 through 2025, which drifted over Chicago with residual ash, producing bold sunrises and blazing orange sunsets. Seeing these beautiful yet toxic skies filled Bozif with both awe and a deep unease, leading to what he described as “a kind of contemplation at a day’s end that comes close to prayer.”

While Bozif’s sunset canvases line the outside walls, Siri Stensberg’s concurrent exhibition, Constellations from Unspoken Sentences, hung in the center of the gallery as a floating sculpture of painted ribbon and salvaged plastic. Both artists pull from the same core inspiration—capturing the fleeting moods of daylight and the air around us. While Bozif’s show was the primary reason for my trip, the entire experience was well worth the long drive. Leaving the gallery, I headed out to a nearby state park, shifting my gaze from the painted sunsets on the walls to the real ones over the lake.

Number 18 (Vespers)

2026

oil on canvas

78 x 54 x 1.5” (198.12 x 137.16 x 3.81 cm)