CHICAGO.- Dr. Seuss once said that nonsense wakes up the brain cells and the April UBS 12 x 12 New Artists/New Work artist Amy Mayfield appears to share this sentiment. Mayfield’s colorfully sinister surreal landscapes evoke Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss’s nonsensical illustrations. A massive new painting is on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Chicago, opening at First Fridays on April 6 and running through April 29.

Mayfield utilizes the canvas as a daily diary and creates a private narrative amidst a rich color palette and flurry of whimsical shapes and designs. The painting, Curdled sour marzipan and hidden leakage, created specifically for the 12 x 12 exhibition, contrasts intricate ink patterns with globs of raised paint that resemble animal figures and flora. The painting is comprised of four canvases hung sidebyside and is Mayfield’s largest painting to date, spanning twenty feet across and over four feet high.

Mayfield received her BFA from San Diego State University in 2003 and her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2006. Mayfield leads a gallery tour of her exhibition on Tuesday, April 17, at 6:30 pm.

April’s wrath theme for First Fridays is the fourth of the seven deadly sins themes for First Fridays. The MCA invites guests to watch the Wheelers roller derby women skate on the MCA plaza, create voodoo dolls, destroy photo and paper memories of old loves at the “Shred Your Ex” station, watch kickboxing demos by Equinox, listen to the sounds of DJ Megan Taylor and DJ Emily Hard, enjoy the iMac Digital Dating bar, and dine on Wolfgang Puck hors d’oeuvres. The after party takes place at Reserve, located at 858 W. Lake Street.

Tickets for First Fridays include museum admission and complimentary Puck’s hors d’oeuvres, and are available the evening of the event for $15 ($7 for MCA members). Advance tickets are $10 ($7 MCA members) available through the MCA Box Office at 312.397.4010 or www.ticketweb.com. Doors are open from 610 pm. A cash bar is open until 9:30 pm. Guests must be 21 or older to enter.