Eternal: New works by Chris Rummell
EMERYVILLE, CA — Join The Compound Gallery April 26th 6-9pm to launch a new solo show by Chris Rummell called Eternal, which celebrates weathered landmarks, treasured hangouts and overlooked spaces through meticulously detailed miniatures that evoke both nostalgia and discovery.
The artist’s reception will include drinks, treats, lively conversation, and fantastic new art by Rummell, who explained: “I started building miniatures as a way to preserve memories. Even minor landmarks can feel personally significant and evoke a sense of time and place. For me, miniatures are a way to be transported and immersed in these spaces, creating a moment for reflection and appreciation. Fading signs and chipping layers of paint are a kind of memory and experience; signs of life, not signs of decay. While these physical spaces are not eternal, our memories and connections to them can be.”
All of Rummell’s works are built by hand using basic materials: wood, plastic sheet and tubes, metal sheet and tubes, foam, plaster, paper, and natural materials. All are based on actual places from around the Bay Area.
Rummell’s is the second of two back-to-back solo shows at The Compound Gallery under the heading Close To Home, featuring work that highlights often-overlooked landmarks or mundane yet familiar views that define the everyday rhythm of the Bay Area. These works transform ordinary sights into moments of quiet reflection, inviting viewers to reconsider spaces they might otherwise pass by without a second glance.
Meredith Steele, whose work will be featured at the gallery until April 20, seeks to uncover and record the subtle patterns of everyday life. Her paintings are infused with her own sensibility into these common subjects and often feature familiar spaces that serve as anchors, offering relief and stability in an unpredictable world.
Rummell delights us with intricate three-dimensional dioramas depicting storefronts, homes, businesses, and neighborhood buildings. Each miniature scene is a detailed homage to the unique architectural character found throughout the region, evoking both nostalgia and discovery.Together, these exhibitions explore how place shapes memory and identity, offering a visual dialogue between flat surfaces and dimensional forms, the seen and the overlooked. Close to Home invites viewers to find beauty in the everyday and to celebrate and see the Bay Area with fresh eyes.
Exhibition Dates: April 26th -June 8th
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 26th 6-9pm
Location: The Compound Gallery, 1339 61st st. Emeryville, CA 94608
Gallery Hours: Thursday-Sunday 12-6pm
