Chicago Arts

First of all, it scores as an acronym: SOFA

2006-11-13T19:16:00.000-06:00

Perhaps the most difficult thing about SOFA seems almost entirely ironic; there's too much to see there. Another year brings THE THIRTEENTH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION OF
SCULPTURE OBJECTS & FUNCTIONAL ART: SOFA CHICAGO 2006 NOVEMBER 10 - 12.

The place to be this weekend was Navy Pier's Festival Hall, where thousands of objects were on display for the throngs of people who attended SOFA, and what they found (other than absolute over stimulation) was probably something similar to what I discovered.

How enjoyable is to be in the company of strangers who are as equally excited about being somewhere? And how much more enjoyable is it when you realize it's not the latest Will Ferrell movie (not that there's anything wrong with that), or surrounded by screaming fans of the latest boy band, or even a sweltering day at a theme park like Great America? I know I don't have a lot of faith in humanity as a whole, but the people of Chicago surprised me this weekend at SOFA. Not only were they cool appreciators of art (some of them were almost works of art themselves), but we had to STAND IN LINE to PURCHASE TICKETS to enter the show. And upon entering, our dreams of languishing from booth to booth at our leisure quickly faded.

So next time SOFA rolls around, I can assure you of this much, the people are almost as enjoyable as the objects.

Now, about those objects.

I'm sorry to say that due to my complete overwhelmed state I neglected to write down any of the artists’ names or names of pieces that I enjoyed. Rest assured, they know who they are. And you must rely on my excellent descriptions of their handiwork as representative of their personage.

First of all, let me say at word about the pieces in general. While very few things caught our selective eyes, I must say, it was quite impressive just to see all of the pieces and consider the vast hours of work, sweat and thought that went into each piece. Seriously, the level of craft and labor was exceptionally high. That fact was prevalent everywhere you looked and you could feel it weigh you down as you walked in the door. This was not just some art show, this was serious art.

The Objects that Linger in My Mind’s Eye:
Marble busts, chiseled in homage to greek mythology and cubism. Surprising, simple, clean, striking, they were whimsical and beautiful.
The daintiest china you’ve ever seen marvelously lit to show its translucency, with elegant and delicate patterns painted on. It would be like drinking tea out of an eggshell.
Ceramic cubes with different color glazes set in a grid.
A modern Chinese scabbard with detailed metal base, two glass pieces with a beautiful photographic image above which a sword rests.
Intricate and tightly strung beaded representations of fabric from the artist’s sentimental collection. A mod, square pattern was exceptional both in concept and color.
A beautiful cabinet with rounded corners, made with different types of wood to give depth and texture.
Pastel ceramic impressionistic flowers laid side by side on a metal grid.
Giant glass paperweights with precise and symmetrical patterns embedded. One was a pink lotus, I think.
Elegant figures with arms folded; I especially liked the brick path that leads up to the figure’s chest.

SOFA is an experience worth the effort and time. As an artist, it is a way to assess what trends are getting noticed (I observed my own interests: collage style, symmetry vs. frenzy and a mixing of mediums and supplies). It is also a way to assure one’s self that there are many other people out there in the world doing things that inspire others. You can easily be one of them. It is just a matter of doing the work, making the objects and finishing the pieces.

fall gallery walk 06

2006-09-13T17:48:00.000-05:00

Another fall season kicks off with the annual River North Gallery Walk. Always a pleasure, the galleries open their doors to the general public with offers of wine and fresh art, and this year, like the last, we came in droves.

For some reason, your intrepid reporters lacked the capacity of last year and we only chose our most favored galleries to view. Isn't that always the way? Our first stop and must see for yours truly was the Martha Schneider Gallery. The photographer Lalla Essaydi in the main gallery further explored the themes of parodying statues, using text (all over the subjects and background) as a way to explore the rewriting of life itself, and the feminine figure covered in cloths in the Eastern style. Though this work was quite brilliant on a number of levels, it lost its appeal in its sense of repetition from piece to piece.

The Marx Saunders Gallery shares a hallway/stairwell/entrance with Schneider but nothing else. Inside, the cast glass nude torsos of women by Stephen Weinberg were absolutely breathtaking. Weinberg uses an ages old technique with glass, so frosted and yet transparent, it feels like a chunk of sea glass one was lucky enough to find in the sea. Weinberg does best with outright nudes where the sinewiness of the model's body comes through, but his vision fades with the inclusion of bra and panties on one of the torsos. The classicism associated with the work simply dies when you realize the set might be Victoria's Secret. As in most of our gallery visits, we always adore the work the gallery owners represent full time or can't bear to part with and keep either in their offices or in other parts of the gallery. We loved the whimsical glittery mosaic figures of Keke Cribbs, which were mirthy enough to fit in a child's room, but frenetic enough to set an adult's imagination awry.

Our next stop was Habitat Gallery which was featuring glass marionettes by Simon Maberley. This work was simple yet sophisticated, whimsical yet serious enough to place in a law office. The color and position of the glass figures changes from piece to piece which kept the work lively and not stagnant when viewed as a whole. Our blog's creator was taken with some sculpture work that played with metal, glass and shapes. One looked like an egg with the white dripping out, while another looked like a misshapen tear drop. A Dave Chiluly painting hung in the back office area, which was the most surprising thing I saw that night. It was just a piece of paper splattered with different bright, bold colors and four distinct circular shapes that looked spray painted and could have been anything, pitted cherries, bowls, globes, and yet, it was obvious that Chiluly had done this piece, even though this was not a glass sculpture like those he's famous for.

Our next notable stop was the Perimeter Gallery where we viewed the abstract nearly metallic landscapes of Janis Pozzi-Johnson. These works lacked a defining something to fixate on, but also had quite a soothing feel about them. In the downstairs gallery, sculptures by Neil Goodman took us for a turn out of the ordinary. His sculptures were all free standing pieces that seemed to rely as much on physics and geometry as artistry. Reminiscent of radiator piping, these pieces had so much craftmanship that it was nearly painful to view.

We squeezed into the Jean Albano Gallery to view "Family Treetment" by Wirsum-Gunn. The outstanding pieces were the line art paintings that had traces of graffiti style and held a futuristic pop-art style. This work was vibrant and delirious, like a drug-induced vision or dream.

Next, we headed to the Andrew Bae Gallery to view block art prints of photography through a very innovative process by Tetsuya Noda. The show was appropriately titled "Diary, uncovered" and as we wandered through the pieces, which were striking, somber, and amusing at times, it did feel like we unearthed information about the artist himself. Through use of mimeograph machine, Noda scans his photographs and then creates a wood block for printing. The images have a dated feel to them, despite being less than twenty years old. Each piece tells a story. In its entirety, it felt like we were leafing through an old photo album littered with the remnants of life we can't throw away, postcards, receipts, pictures of almost nothing important.

Last but not least, we made our final stop at the Lydon Fine Art Gallery which was featuring the ethereal, abstract landscape work of Tracy Lynn Pristas. What Pristas does best that other artists working in abstract form lack is the ability to gradiate pleasing colors so minutely that you feel as if you are glimpsing the work through a prism. Also, Pristas plays with layers of paint for contrast to the eye and in some of the pieces, like "sun light dance," she uses this technique to focus the viewer's eye to the shaft of light that is in all its glory on the canvas. Trevor Bell's unusual sloping canvas and bright bold nearly solid color paintings are still being represented, a true testimony to the word "fine" in Lydon's claim. More modern than most of the work they represent, Bell's pieces are big and cannot be denied as excellent.

There are more galleries in Chicago than one can account for, trust us, we have tried. And yet, what makes the River North Galleries special is that they continue to search for what is pleasing, surprising and fresh. You can be sure whenever you make a visit to any of the galleries mentioned in this piece that is exactly what you will find. Also, you will find strong work that experienced gallery owners in this area know is truly exciting art, season after season.

marwen/first fridays

2006-08-10T14:52:00.000-05:00

Currently at the Marwen Arts Gallery, a student exhibition from a themed summer trip is on display. Most of these works are striking and all are fresh. Your intrepid bloggers were taken with long white, rectangular pieces full of paint dribbles that almost resembled abstract trees. Huge charcoal drawings and paintings that used the white space in the paper as silhouettes also took our attention. Along the same lines, charcoal/pencil drawings that were so detailed you could get lost staring into them, made an impression. But the show was stolen by JC, who used photographs, found objects and more to create a visual documentary of the project. His work was elaborate and profound, from writing phrases on various photographs (our favorite was "Git Gone!") to using found objects in an emptied paint palatte box to signify their inspiration for the students art.

Featured on the second floor of the gallery was the photography of alumna Rosy Torres. Some of her most stunning images were black and whites of people in water, surrounded by water or using water as a reflective surface. Yet, her color photographs explored the life behind the immigration rally protests and life in a small rural town in Mexico. The image that held our rapt attention was a woman and a baby lying down on a colorful blanket. This image held a modern day interpretation of the Madonna, from the angles of the woman to the seeming indifference she held for the child.

What Torres does best is capture people as they are and at the Marwen Gallery, you feel like you know the skinny man with veiny muscles pictured with a young boy, or the little girl holding out a rooster, or the little girl in the street beating a drum.

We headed east to First Fridays at the MCA, which is always a pleasure. We wandered through the people and galleries without much complaint. Every First Friday tends to have a theme, though we couldn't quite figure out why women in bold bright bikinis were ambling about, so it may be time to put up some banners to dispel confusion. Otherwise, the massive exhibit of Wolfgang Tillmans work from the span of his career was captivating. We wandered through the entirety of his photography with fingers pointed and mouths agape. The most surprising was turning a corner to find a punk rock man peeing on a chair in an office. But others were subtle, two people, naked, except for rain jackets, sat solemnly in a tree. A sculpture with six faces. A woman squeezing breast milk from her right breast as her baby suckles her left in the background. All of it jarring images of the familar, the world of the inane everyday life.

Sadly, the Chris Ware exhibit lacks the same sense of awe. Ware's comics have been published in many free newspapers from The Reader to New City, so it seems like the public at large would at least be familar enough with his work to avoid an exhibit devoted to introducing him. Ware's work is presented largely in a jumble, which even your intrepid reporter (who adores Chris Ware's work in all shapes and sizes and incarnations) could not decipher nor determine a theme to. Sad, really, considering the promise of the flyer produced to announce Ware at the MCA, a double sided, fold out poster that included squares of his best work.

There was some attempt at showing Ware's work as an artist, with unfinished, large scale pre-press pages framed and placed on the wall, but that was where the correlation between Ware as an artist ended. The rest of it seemed to be like a badly realized display in a comic book store. The worst offense was to destruct the collected Jimmy Corrigan and plaster it end to end along the wall so people could "read" it. I only hoped Chris Ware had nothing to do with curating this exhibit as Tillmans had with his, since it seemed to be against everything that Ware does so well in his work. The exhibit was void of meticulousness, a sense of balance, attention to detail and whimsy.

HIT Marwen Arts Center 833 n. Orleans/near Chicago brown line stop before 7pm.

Wolfgang Tillmans at the Musuem of Contemporary Art

Head to Quimby's on North Ave. if you really want to see the ingenuity that is Chris Ware as an artist.

A Visit to Tampa leads to The Salvador Dali Musuem

2006-05-29T12:53:00.000-05:00

[As I, nativechicagoan, travel to Tampa, Florida, there is one destination I must see.] Nestled along a bank of water in St. Petersburg, Florida is the Salvador Dali Musuem. Not as whimsical as the Dali E'pace in Paris, France, The Salvador Dali Musuem does have some things going for it. Namely, it holds at least four "masterworks" of the great artist, principally "Hallucinogenic Toreador" which is a sight to behold in person. It differs from the other "masterworks" (so named for the period of time it takes to complete and the size of the canvas) the musuem offers in that there are not overtly religious references (which Dali seemed to make with tongue-in-cheek anyhow), and it seems to simply be a masterful painting full of play. This is what Dali did best, take an idea, make it absurd, obscure, ridiculous, and then make it beautiful and jaw-dropping.

The other thing about The Salvador Dali Musuem is they offer free tours with a knowledgeable docent. This tour provided more insight into Dali's life and inspirations that illuminated many of the pieces, subjects and styles. Having been a fan of Dali's work for some time, and even having visited the Salvador Dali Musuem a few years ago, I actually learned quite a lot that I didn't know.

I knew that Dali played around with concepts that Frued dallied about, but I don't think I realized how much of his work it permeated. I also didn't know there was a dalmation depicted in the "Hallucinogenic Toreador" toward the bottom middle of the piece. I was very pleased to learn that Dali's wife posed for many of his works and could be considered his muse. I found this very interesting, since Dali was such an eccentric, it seems more likely that he would work well alone.

Since the musuem is located in hurricane central, we were informed that at every warning or mere mention of a hurricane, all the pieces must be crated and stored in a safe house. Last year alone, this process happened more than four times. I can hardly imagine how difficult that might be.

Small pieces from the Salvador Dali Musuem often travel to other cities, so if you ever happen to hear that a Dali piece is on the way, make it a point to visit whatever musuem is offering the view. However, to see the masterworks, at least the larger ones, a trip to southern Florida is a must.

Art School Confidential

2006-04-25T13:00:00.000-05:00

I have been awaiting this movie for some time, and it's finally here! It will start playing in theatres nationwide starting May 12.

Art School Confidential Official Website

Imb reviews

MCA Does Andy Warhol

2006-04-20T15:07:00.000-05:00

As a member of the Musuem of Contemporary Art (hooray student discount), and an avid enthusiast of the institution in general, one cannot fathom the disappointment I felt during a recent visit to see the exhibit that sounds so promising in title...ANDY WARHOL/SUPERNOVA: Stars, Deaths, and Disasters,1962-1964 (March 18 – June 18, 2006). The only thing that waylaid my stark unhappiness was the fact that it was Free Tuesday and my companion did not have to pay.

I have been mulling over for some time about the reason for my experience. I arrived at the musuem full of a delicous lunch, purveyed the offerings in the expansive downstairs galleries and then finally made my way upstairs for the Warhol exhibit. I was delighted as I turned the corner to see the actual "Turquoise Marilyn" that I had seen so often reproduced (Andy would be so proud), though unfortunately, I believe the placement of this work was ill advised since it set me up for the expectation that there would be more of that. In truth, of Warhol's later, more popular endeavors, there were about five or six (some not even placed in the same exhibit, but along a blank wall on another level) and when I looked closer at the exhibit's title, I realized the exhibit only covers two years of his early works, his formative works, shall we say.

Enter profound disappointment.

As I wandered through the rest of the carefully culled and displayed collection, I began to accept the collective idea, especially after viewing a smaller room with the original photographs of accidents and deaths and mourning that showed how Warhol used cropping and colors to emphasize our fascination with gore. This was probably the most musuem-ish part, but I enjoyed the connections that the curator must have been making about Warhol's process, something we rarely see when it comes to artists.

The rest of the exhibit (which was rather short), featured many early works that lacked the overtly kitchsy pop references, but shone with a patina of an emerging concept, that ultimately consumed Warhol's complete attention, the silkscreening process and the idea of repetitive images. It was this that most captured my mind as I wandered through three or four long silver canvasses of Elvis in a cowboy get-up, each unique due to differences in the pressing of color. Apparently when Elizabeth Taylor was younger, she was all the rage that Angelina Jolie is currently, and Warhol used her likeness from movies as well, in staggering canvasses that had sixteen or more of the same image soaked in varying shades of blue. The facial collage of Jackie O lacked color, but the placement of her sad moment next to a happier photo were full of the mischief that Warhol was going for, the juxtaposition of who people are and how we remember them.

I also quite enjoyed the empty spaces on the wall between pieces being filled by short Warhol-esque quips, like, "Why do people think artists are special? It's just another job." The two or three viewing stations for Warhol's "movies" was also an interesting inclusion, though did little to elucidate the work shown in the exhibit, and merely provided entertainment. However there was a small room in the exhibit that shows Warhol's fascination with faces, as he aims the camera on two dozen people (some famous, some not) and records their movements and anxiety during a very long take.

In the end, and after much consideration, I know I learned a lot about how Warhol developed his work, the many tries it took to reach the outrageous face of "Turquoise Marilyn" but this exhibit could have benefitted from a more apt title; a suggestion: ANDY WARHOL/BEFORE THE SUPERNOVA: Stars, Deaths, and Disasters,1962-1964.

On an entirely different, though not completely unrelated, note a startling look at the face of evil and its ability to hide among us took me completely by surprise. The exhibit HIM at the MCA is probably the most minimalist exhibit I've seen in some time, though the work itself is very complicated and detailed. Read more: HIM at MCA.

HIT Musuem of Contemporary Art 220 East Chicago Avenue on a Tuesday.

Growing Restraint 9

2006-04-18T10:50:00.000-05:00

Upon hearing that Matthew Barney created a new movie, and this time with his wife/partner Bjork, I had to see it. Hence, last Thursday I went to Landmark on Clark to see Growing Restraint 9.

Bjork created the soundtrack to the movie, while Barney was responsible for the story and visual presentation. I do not think she wants to be associated with the script, as she usually points out that her focus was on creating music, and not on visual aspects of the film. Overall, the movie was a scrumptious, elating adventure, and the soundtrack fit the film extremely well. Since the film has no dialogue, only for a small conversation in the middle, the music allows the viewer to focus on the visual aspects and the developing story. Apparently, the album to the movie was not liked by Bjork's fans; however, one must remember that its main purpose was to accompany the film and not to be heard alone. Hence, in order to really enjoy this album, one should see Growing Restrain 9.

The Story: Bjork and Barney are guests on a whaling boat. As they arrive, they go through various ceremonial rituals before they meet each other, and their host. The rituals include: bathing, shaving, make up, hair do, being dressed in elaborate animal skins,etc. Once the host arrives,they have tea and a small chat with him (this is the only dialogue in the film). After the host leaves, they remain alone where they begin to portray affection and love for each other through touch, and eventually through stabbing each other in the legs, ripping the meat off, and even tasting parts of their flesh. This part is quiet bloody and gruesome, although, the legs do not look real, however the stabbing is quiet long, and often times it appears as if it will go on forever. As this occurs, the are half submerged in water. At the end of the movie, they turn into whales and swim away from the ship. The movie was very interesting and enjoyable, but could have been a little shorter, as some of the beginning scenes did not make sense (but maybe that's just me). In addition, during the movie there are other events occurring on the ship and surrounding dock. The workers are engaged in building some large metal container,which is later filled in with a white substance, and in the end cut apart; there are children dancing in a procession, several females swimming, and more.

I believe the movie is about creativity, restraint and love, but I might be off. I suggest for everyone to see this movie, if not to see what Barney is about, then to get full enjoyment of Bjork's latest album.

Growing Restraint Website

Movie Reviews:
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Bloomberg

Another intriguing artist

2006-04-12T14:39:00.000-05:00

I love her miniature boxes, something similar to those miniature rooms at the Art Institute. She will have her work shown at r p marshall three studio (1932 s. halsted #507) in Pilsen this Friday, April 14.

Krista Peel's Website

Awsome designs/drawings

2006-04-12T14:11:00.000-05:00

I have stumbled upon this guy's work through my roommate, Aga. Hopefully, I will get to meet this guy. He works on paper with ink, then scans in the image, and inputs color into the drawings on his computer. Worth looking at!!!

His websites:
Sebastjan's Design
Sebastjan's Photos

Stuff To Do

2006-04-12T13:07:00.000-05:00

As many of you may know, April is a time of Chicago art fests. Here is a list of events worthy attending.

1. Version06:April 20-May 7
2. Nova Art Fair: April 28-30
3. Art Chicago in the Park: April 28-May 1
4. Stray Show (part of Art Chicago): April 28-May 1

It is my understanding that the organizers of these shows are working together in promoting each others events. Version will have an info booth at Art Chicago, and Nova Art Fair will be distributing fliers at Art Chicago. All three events are very different from each other, Version06 being the most radical and fun, while the others are the traditional contemporary art fairs, where galleries from various areas apply for a spot, and have a tent with works by artists they represent. Nonetheless, this will be a great time to see a variety of works ranging from the experimental to the more traditional. See u there!!! If any of you will be attending, and you happen to read this blog, feel free to submit your views and critiques of the fests to me at chicagoarts@gmail.com. I am looking for more interested souls to contribute to this blog, especially if you enjoy writing and critiquing pop and art culture.

Version>06 Parallel Cities is near

2006-04-12T13:03:00.000-05:00

Mark your calendars for this year's version fest. It will run from April 20-May 7,2006.

Version>06

NOVA Art Fair-Apr. 27-30

2006-04-10T15:29:00.000-05:00

Mark your calendars! Tell your friends! Besides a hot and happening party with a set by the ever-popular Paul D. Miller, aka DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of all tickets to The Nova '06 Vernissage party on Thursday April 27 at Smartbar will also benefit the Chicago ART Project (www.chicagoartfoundation.org).

PLEASE NOTE: This is a *limited attendance* event, so it's first come, first served. We'd like to invite supporters of the Chicago ART Project to grab their tickets now, before they're sold out. Tickets also include an OPEN BAR from 8-1pm, sponsored by Svedka Vodka, and Heineken Premium Light.

Buy Tickets Here

Vernissage Afterparty
Thursday, April 27, 2006: 8pm-4am
Open Bar: 8pm-10pm
Tickets: $26

The weekend's afterhours activities will kick off with the Nova '06 Vernissage Afterparty at Smartbar. Chicago locals John Phillips and Derek James will warm things up with some vintage soul and ass-shakin eclecticism, and Paul D. Miller, aka DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid will hit the decks for a special Nova-sponsored appearance. Portion of the proceeds to benefit The Chicago ART Foundation.)

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Nova Art Fair Vernissage
at City Suites Hotel
933 W. Belmont Ave.

Professional Preview
Hours: 1pm - 4pm
Tickets: TBD

Public Reception
Hours: 5pm - 10pm
Tickets: $20 BUY

Vernissage Afterparty
at SmartBar
3730 N. Clark St.

Hours: 8pm-4am
Open Bar: 8pm-10pm
Tickets: $26 BUY
Portion of proceeds to benefit The Chicago ART Foundation.
Featured DJs:
Paul D. Miller, aka DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid|+|
John Phillips|+|
Derek James|+|

DJ Spooky
photo: Tobin Poppenberg
Friday, April 28, 2006

Nova Art Fair
at City Suites Hotel
933 W. Belmont Ave.

General Admission: Noon - 8pm
Tickets: $10 BUY

Nova Train Fashion Show
departing from the Belmont El Stop

Times: 8pm, 9pm, 10pm (times are approximated)
Tickets: $20 BUY

Nova Art Fair Afterparty
at Berlin Nightclub
954 W. Belmont

General Admission: 8pm - 4am
Tickets: $5

Saturday, April 29, 2006

Nova Art Fair
at City Suites Hotel
933 W. Belmont Ave.

General Admission: Noon - 8pm
Tickets: $10 BUY

Film & Video Screenings
at Landmark Century Cinemas
2828 N. Clark St.

Noon - 4pm
Tickets: TBD
Selections/Schedule: TBD

Nova Art Fair Afterparty
at Berlin Nightclub
954 W. Belmont

General Admission: 8pm - 4am
Tickets: $5

Sunday, April 30, 2006

Nova Art Fair
at City Suites Hotel
933 W. Belmont Ave.

General Admission: Noon - 6pm
Tickets: $10 BUY

2006 SAIC Graduate Exhibition: May 6-19

2006-04-07T14:49:00.000-05:00

This is a show not to be missed by those interested in applying to the graduate program at the Art Institute of Chicago. As one of the top graduate programs in US, the museums and gallery owners from Chicago often come to this show to scout for the next "it" in the art world. It differs immensely from the undergraduate show, as works focus more on critical thinking and there is more context behind the creation of the artwork.

More than 150 students completing graduate degrees and post-baccalaureate certificates exhibit their work in Art and
Technology Studies; Ceramics; Designed Objects; Fiber and Material Studies; Film, Video, and New Media; Interior Architecture; Painting and Drawing; Performance; Photography; Printmedia; Sculpture; Visual Communication; and Writing.

MAY 6 - 19
2nd and 3rd Floors
847 West Jackson Boulevard
Opening Reception: MAY 5, Friday, 5 - 8 p.m.
Graduate Reading Event: May 11, Thursday, 7 p.m.
Exhibition Hours: Monday - Friday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Saturday -
Sunday, 12 - 5 p.m.
Extended viewing: May 10 and 19, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Free Admission

Graduating students from the Writing Program will read selections of
their theses on May 11 at 7 p.m. in Gallery 2 and Project Space. The
evening includes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and scenes from plays.

For additional information about all Exhibitions and Time Arts
Events, please call 312.563-5162.

2006 SAIC Undergraduate Exhibition: Apr. 2-14

2006-04-07T14:39:00.000-05:00

This is usually a quiet interesting exhibit, as you can see a variety of work by a talented group of artists. Given, not all will become artists in their professional career, nonetheless, the work on display shows great skills, and creativity that goes beyond of what I have experienced in my college years. Simply stated, see what the current cool kids are up to, it will be fun.

More than 280 students completing undergraduate degrees exhibit innovative work in a range of media, including ceramics; fashion design; fiber arts; film; video, and new media; painting and drawing; performance; photography; printmedia; sculpture; and sound.

APRIL 2 - 14
1st, 2nd, and 3rd Floors
847 West Jackson Boulevard
Opening Reception: APRIL 1, Saturday, 5 - 8 p.m.
Exhibition Hours: Monday - Friday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Saturday -
Sunday, 12 - 5 p.m.
Extended viewing: April 5 and 14, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Free Admission

Up-coming exhibitions and related events:

Graduate and Undergraduate Performance Programs

See two thought provoking evening programs that blur the boundaries
between theater, movement, and the visual arts.

APRIL 22 - 23, Saturday and Sunday, 7 p.m.
280 South Columbus Drive, Room 012 (lower level)
Performance Space
Free Admission

Graduate and Undergraduate Film, Video, and Audio Presentations

Encounter the next generation of film, video, and new media artists
in this festival of innovative live-action shorts, animation,
feature-length narrative and non-fiction works, and experimental
digital and audio pieces.

MAY 12, Friday, 1 - 10 p.m.
MAY 13, Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
164 North State Street
Gene Siskel Film Center
Free admission, tickets required from box office in advance. Tickets
can be obtained from the Gene Siskel Film Center during box office
hours (after 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, after 2:00 p.m. on weekends).

Gallery Review 03/17/06

2006-03-25T17:45:00.000-06:00

Friday nights at the 118 N. Peoria st building are usually fun no matter what, considering there's at least three to five galleries worth visiting (and open late with opening parties). It is like a constant, never ending party full of interesting looking people all drinking wine and talking about art. If you love anything about the above statement, you should make it your mission to heading West of the Loop and check this building out.

Contained in the building is the Walsh Gallery, a unique gallery in that it caters to contemporary art by Asian artists and shows very diverse work, especially with multimedia. It's like there's nothing they won't do. [for previous thoughts on this gallery click here] We made a special trip just to see Jongbum Choi's opening reception at Walsh, knowing he was going to perform a live dj-style set with images and music.

When we arrived, the space was filling up with people and the show hadn't started yet. Choi lingered about in what looked like a white lab coat, and the walls in the gallery were stark naked. Repeating images of lines of numbers were being projected onto the walls. At the entrance, a television showed the installation in previous cities (even in Paris), a bird's eye view of people milling about as images were projected on the walls and music played.

The truth is, like most abstract things, it is hard to imagine what it might be like until you are actually immersed in it, so it wasn't until the show finally began that I started to feel something akin to illuminating thoughts. I wondered if Choi was attempting to include the visitors in the installation, to force us to interact with or disrupt the images seen on the walls, but no, the projectors were high enough that even my head did not graze them, but they were still low enough to blind the eye when walking around a projecter.

I felt like I was in a haunted house and there was a sensory overload and when I tried to make sense of it, there was none. I had hoped for a more coherent set of images or some correlation between the music and the images, but it seemed random. But the end result was still fascinating, still interesting, still full of the wonder and amusement that art brings with it, how the mind tries to attach meaning to things, and how when the senses are overwhelmed, we can still find lights, images and sound soothing.

check out the Walsh gallery site for more info.

HIT Walsh Gallery, Tuesday–Saturday 10:30–5:30 118 N. Peoria, 2nd Floor

Friday in Pilsen with Ms. n (Part Two)

2006-03-18T12:52:00.000-06:00

Having never been to the Pilsen galleries along Halsted Street, I was thrilled to join Ms N for Second Fridays. I found a mix of studio spaces, gallery storefronts and a very eclectic assortment of work. Having only the River North Area of galleries to compare to, I think the Pilsen area really explores a wider range of work and artistry, which is apparent from gallery to gallery.

Our first stop at the 4Art Gallery group show Unconnected, exhibited such diversity. On exhibit were sculptures, paintings, even clothing. Most striking were the untitled sculptures by Matthew Thomas Grimaldi, which resembled big blocks of clear gelatin soap with small symmetrical compartments full of shredded pieces of clothing that evoked images of rose petals; a green thrift store tag still stapled to part of the fabric seemed like a leaf. These pieces were illuminated from underneath. Also striking here were the tiny 4X6 oil paintings by Karena Karras, portrait style animalistic human figures, the best of which was a swan like woman with a bold blue background called "Tetra."

4Art Inc. is on the ground floor of a five story loft building, which is converted into artist studios and living spaces. The second Friday of every month some of the studios open their spaces for public perusal, most notably that evening was the fifth floor and the artists Bryan Sperry and Robert Marshall. As an enthusiast of found object art, I especially enjoyed Sperry's big unwieldy sculptures, the sort that are abstract enough to be engaging, but full of small thoughtful themes, circles within circles or parallel lines, but most of all, the variation of the color of pieces used give the work so much interest.

The studio space of Robert Marshall was alive with sound and light, as Ms. n described Marshall's light box synthesizer excellently, I will merely add that he encouraged visitors to interact with the magnetic field by waving our hands over what looked like metal hangers bent into bunny rabbit ears to change the pitch and volume. He plans on further experimenting and expanding this light sound box of his and it will be interesting to visit him again in the future. His stained glass work is symmetrical yet unbalanced colorwise, which leads the eye into a field of color, almost like a mixed up color chart.

We then wandered down Halsted St. in and out of various galleries, and most notably was a gallery that had an assortment of work with ballet shoes by Jhonmar Radames at the Moka Gallery. A ballet shoe mobile took centerstage, a mostly white canvas held bright blue ballet shoes elegantly rendered in delicate lines, and ballet shoes were the focus in another half dozen paintings. Further along, the clever gallery owner created walls by hanging thick white painted wood on hooks from exposed plumbing. In the far back the work of a woman painter who has a very Klimt influenced style was very striking.

HIT Halsted street for the Chicago Arts District Second Fridays. http://www.chicagoartsdistrict.org

A VERSION FUNDRAISER AND LUMPEN RELEASE PARTY AND ART SALE!!!!!

2006-03-17T12:21:00.000-06:00

Friday, March 24, 2006 8pm
see the pretty flier>>
www.lumpen.com/events/v6fundraiser.html

" It's all about the Benjamins"
An art sale fundraiser for Version>06 Festival and release party for Lumpen issue #99

Heaven 1542 N Milwaukee Ave 2nd floor
Admission $10

Be the first to get a copy of Issue #99 of Lumpen magazine. Admission gets you a raffle ticket to win an incredible piece of art. Enjoy complementary beverages and tasty treats while contemplating the things between white spaces and rocking out to some freaky DJ shit.

Dozens of Chicago's finest and celebrated artists have generously contributed a piece of work to Version festival to help us raise some coin to pay for 17 days of mayhem and exceptional art action. Each individual work will be sold for ONLY $100 on a first come first served basis. This is an excellent opportunity to buy a piece of work at a ridiculously low price and support Chicago's most complicated festival.

Featuring work by:
Juan Chavez, Bridgette Buckley, Nick Black, Brian Ulrich, Cody Hudson, Chris Uphues, John Duda, Mike Slattery, Steven Eichorn, Ryan Davies, Logan Bay, Elisa Harkins, Sighn, Greg Stimac, Johanna Wawro, Paul Nudd, Doug Ruschhaupt, Al Pocious, Linda Duk Ju Kim, Jackie Kilmer, Patrick Willie, Michael Merck, Jason Lazerus, Karl Virgo and many others.

Also please enjoy:
Performances by It's A Trap DJ Logan Bay and secret special guests, as well as a Special Sneak Preview Screening of Shorts featured at Version>06 will play on the roof behind Heaven.

www.lumpen.com
www.versionfest.org
www.selectmediafestival.org

Subscribe to the lumpen list
www.lumpen.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1

Friday in Pilsen with Ms. f

2006-03-13T20:45:00.000-06:00

So Ms. native chicagoan (aka Ms. beanhead) and I, have gone to east Pilsen this past Friday. We saw some art in galleries, and visted the studios of the stain glass artist, Robert P Marshall III, and two other artists, the painter with the cute little girl ( i do not know his name but will find out next time), and the sculptor, Bryan Sperry. All three have their studios on the 5th floor of 1932 S.Hasted, above 4Art,Inc. gallery.
I wrote about Marshall and Perry in January and Ms. f will contribute more later on this week. This month, Marshall has created a sound stained glass box, something that works like a synthesizer, I do not fully understand its operation, but it's worth checking it out. Next month at the end of the night (10pm) they will bowl in their large hall and anyone intersted is welcome to join them.

Although, ms. f has hurt her back, she was great at not caving in to the pain and we saw some interesting work,and had some great food (tres leches cake, lots of cheese and crackers). We did call it a night around 8pm, and walked to chinatown red line, as the bus was taking its glorious time to get there. I do feel bad for making her walk in pain, and as we did not see any cabs, and waited for the bus 30 min, we had no real choice. (well there was one cab but we did not catch it on time). Overall, the nigth was fun,and we will be back there next month.

Version06

2006-03-13T20:30:00.000-06:00

After hearing about Version for the past year, I thought I would attend one of their meetings about this year's fest. Since I have failed to submit a proposal by their Feb. 28th deadline, I thought I might be able to contribute as a volunteer. Hence, this past Saturday I went to the Irons St. Building. Not looking it up on the map, and having an obscure idea of its location, I traveled from Pilsen to Bridgeport by cta. I got off at Irons St and 35th St, a rather obscure place surrounded by a bunch of warehouses (a Pepsi building covers half of the 35th street towards Ashland!), empty lots, and no one in sight. Well, instead of giving up, I decided to walk around, and examine whether I reached the right location. To my surprise, I did! It is located in a warehouse along Irons St., not the easiest place to get to, and creepy at night (should have taken my bike, but than again it rained later on).

As I got to the place, there were already other interested souls waiting for the meeting to begin. After about 30 minutes of waiting for them to get organized, some of the coordinators finally walked us through the space for the fest, which covers several floors of the buiding. Now I know why their location is there. The space is massive. They went over a very tentative schedule, and talked about ideas for the show. Although, they seemed a bit disorganized, with their leader, edmar, missing, guns was leading the meeting. I was very excited about going to the meeting, but a little taken aback as I assumed that everything was already set, and they would just talk about the schedule and what they needed volunteers for. However, since everything is tentative everyone there had a chance to propose an idea, and implement it within the schedule, or coordinate it to fit in with the fest.

Also, they are broke, so they do need money and freebies if possible - i.e., Xeroxing, printing posters, and those with possible free access to Xerox machines would be of great assistance. Overall, it was great to see who are the people behind this event, and although they seemed very artsy fartsy, and at times pretentious with their assumed new names, they are coordinating a great series of events that will occur over the course of 3 weeks in April and May.

Version runs from April 20 - May 6. I will post the tentative schedule when i scan it.

Update on the Co-op gallery

2006-03-13T20:15:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned about a possible formation of a coop gallery. This past Saturday, March 11, 5 of interested artists met at Nima Taradji's office to discuss some of the details involved in venturing into this project. The gallery probably will be a non-profit and non-taxable entity (meaning we will have no income), whose operation will be dependent upon monthly member fees, and member participation in operating the facilities. The gallery will serve as a stepping stone for emerging artists or those that have not really shown their work much in the past, with a finite membership, each artist will have a chance to have at least one 1-man show, and participate in other group shows. Finite membership means that after 1-1.5yrs of membership u will be expected to move on to other and better things.

As of now, we are currently going through a creative process of proposing a name for this place, focusing on spreading the word around Chicago artist community, and scouting possible places for a gallery location. Our next meeting is on April 1 at 1pm and hopefully lots, and lots of new interested individuals will show up. I am not sure how many read this obscure blog, but in case there are some outside of the circle of friends, spread the word and come by on April 1.

In the 1990's Nima Taradji has organized a co-op gallery in Los Angeles, the Artichoke (I believe that was the name) and is attempting to do the same in Chicago. For those that think they might be interested, you can email Nima at nbt11@mac.com and he will sent you updated info and address of the next meeting.

Exhibit Review 2/24/06

2006-03-01T22:27:00.000-06:00

The Mexican Fine Arts Center Musuem is featuring a new exhibit called The African Presence in Mexico, from Yanga to the Present. This exhibit is excellently curated, the range of work, from photography to paintings to clothing, was all purposeful to the exhibit and extremely wrenching work. In particular, the range of work could feel chaotic save for the muted green walls painted throughout the many rooms. The exhibit begins with paintings depicting the caste system in 16th Century Mexico, portraits of people who possess the qualities of the group they belong to, based on social and racial terms. Also featured are sculptures of Yanga, whose muscled arm is held high in revolution. Right in the middle of all this is a small scale display of a villiage in Mexico which resembles the huts and housing styles found in Africa.

The next room holds one of the most haunting images and is worth the trip alone to the MFACM. A soldier at the turn of the nineteenth century is surprisingly a woman, fighting in the revolution after her husband's death. Also, documentary style photographs of villagers are perusal worthy. The next room holds more photographs, though time is passing, and shows the re-integration of African descended citizens back into normal Mexican culture. A stunning nude of a woman shows her glistening skin. The next room moves more into mulitmedia and more of the fifties and sixties in Mexico. A couple of outfits are on display and several celebration are told in paintings and one is featured via video on a large projection screen. This is the first room where the colors associated with Mexico, bright bold colors marked by crisp ruffles of white, become prominent. Some small toys and objects are also on display.

Continuing on, more post modern paintings depict everyday life in Mexico, with colorful splashes of pastels. Yet it is the final room that leaves the largest impression on the visitor, simply due to what feels like a mix of artists trying to explain their roots and finding the answers don't match what they see in the mirror. Amazing paintings, almost mural or graffiti like, mixed media sculptures like the old knives covered in comics from the newspaper, it feels like one has stepped into a madhouse of ideas, and yet, the search for identity unites the pieces together.

How spectacular that the MFACM has once again paired history and artwork together to tell a story as profound as the lives of Africans in Mexico, that is completely accessible to all. The exhibit is open until September 3rd, so there's no excuse not to see it. And admission is free!

The Museum is located at 1852 West 19th Street, Chicago, IL 60608 in the Pilsen/Little Village communities. Museum Hours [10 AM - 5 PM Tuesday - Sunday] 312.738.1503 www.mfacmchicago.org

Scott Fortino @ MCA

2006-03-01T14:17:00.000-06:00

Scott Fortino
March 4 - April 2

Scott Fortino’s exacting images depict various sites and situations around Chicago, including restricted spaces such as jails and jury rooms which he has access to as a Chicago police officer. His rigorously formal approach to photography emphasizes the intriguing visual or structural aspects of otherwise overlooked spaces. The precision and clarity of his photographs provide a highly considered examination of how certain social experiences are controlled and mediated through interior architectural structures and details. Though best known for his pictures of institutional interiors, Fortino has recently expanded his focus to views of the city’s lakefront and close-ups of wildflowers.

The artist will give a tour of his exhibition on Tuesday, March 14, at 6:30 pm.

Various Gallery Openings- March 3

2006-03-01T09:59:00.000-06:00

March 3-March 31: Janet Pritchard, J. John Priola, George Ciardi
Schneider Gallery
230 W. Superior (60610)
Tel 312-988-4033
Fax 312-440-9256
Tu-F 10:30-5; Sa 11-5
Dir. Martha Schneider
eMail: schneidergallery@sbcglobal.net
www.schneidergallerychicago.com

March 3-April 8: Joungbum Choi
Walsh Gallery
118 N. Peoria (60607)
Tel 312-829-3312
Fax 312-829-3316
Tu-Sa 10:30-5:30
receptions: 5-9 p.m.
Dir. Julie Walsh
eMail: info@walshgallery.com
www.walshgallery.com

March 3: Janine Clevenger
Opening reception March 3, 6-9 p.m.
Thomas Masters Gallery
245 W. North Ave. (60610)
Tel 312-440-2322
W-F 12-6; Sa 11-6; Su 12-5
eMail: Thomas@thomasmastersgallery.com
www.thomasmastersgallery.com

March 3-April 1:Lisa Klapstock: photography; Team Shag: collaborative exhibition of work by Amy Sillman, David Humphrey and Elliott Green; Galina Shevchenko: drawings and installation
I Space
230 W. Superior
2nd floor (60610)
Tel 312-587-9976
Fax 312-587-9978
Tu-Sa 11-5
www.ispace.uiuc.edu

March 3-April 22:Judith Mullen, paintings & peer-Oliver Nau
Giola Gallery
118 N. Peoria, 4th floor (60607)
Tel 312-850-4487
Fax 312-850-4495
Daniela Hrzic and Jason Weedon, Directors
eMail: information@giolagallery.com
www.giolagallery.com

March 3-May 1:Cosmic Theatre: Michiko Itatani, new paintings
The Nude: Lucien Clergue, Jeff Dunas, Claude Andreini, photography
Mozart Suite: Adi Holzer, hand-colored etchings from Mozart operas
FATFILEgalleries
217 N. Carpenter (60607)
Tel 312-491-1190
Fax 312-491-1195
Tu-Sa 11-6
Dir. Susan Aurinko
eMail: info@FLATFILEgalleries.com
www.FLATFILEgalleries.com

March 1-March 31:"Altered Realities" Sheila Ganch-Ceramic Stoneware Sculptures
Fine Arts Building Gallery (FABG)
410 S. Michigan, Suite 433 (60605)
Tel 312-913-0537
Fax 312-913-1148
W-Sa 12-6; Receptions are held from 5-8 p.m.
Irene Ryan Maloney
eMail: fabgallery@sbcglobal.net
www.FABGallery.com

March 3-April 15:Ron Van Dongen, Effusus
Catherine Edelman Gallery
300 W. Superior
Lower Level (60610)
Tel 312-266-2350
Fax 312-266-1967
Tu-Sa 10-5:30
eMail: info@edelmangallery.com
www.edelmangallery.com

March 3: Brady Haston & Todd Chilton @ Contemporary Art Workshop

2006-03-01T09:56:00.000-06:00

BRADY HASTON: "Intersection"

TODD CHILTON: "New Work"

MARCH 3, 2006 - APRIL 11, 2006

OPENING RECEPTION IS FRIDAY, MARCH 3 FROM 5:30 UNTIL 9 PM

Contemporary Art Workshop
542 W. Grant Place, Chicago, IL 60614
ph. 773-472-4004

Gallery Hours:
Tues. - Fri. 12:30-5:30
Saturday 12:00 - 5:00

Brady Haston's drawings, paintings, and prints explore abstract graphic qualities of this specific urban environment. Interested in hybrid spaces, Brady's imagery is informed by hand painted signage, murals, and censored graffiti. The work in his exhibition, "Intersection" exists, the artist says, "somewhere between the realm of the abstract and the world of symbols and image." Brady's work addresses the overwhelming urban encroachment on the natural world and the endless cycle of graffiti tagging. He intends for his work to be seen as "a reprieve from the saturation of recognizable images that confront us on a daily basis."

Todd Chilton makes abstract paintings composed of simple, layered patterns that are bound by the edge of the canvas. His work is primarily concerned with line, figure/ground relationships, and compressed space. The images convey both ambiguity and subtle humor, and Todd's interest in both visual resistance and openness creates a tension in his work. The way these particular paintings activate the architecture of the surrounding spaces allows for a unique viewing experience.

April 8- Creative Chicago Space and Housing Expo

2006-03-01T09:55:00.000-06:00

Over 50 exhibitors and 14 workshops at the FREE day-long event, targeting all Chicago Creatives -- in visual art, music, dance, theater, film, fashion, media and more.

Learn about housing options, business and financing assistance for individual artists, art organizations and creative industry. Discover "Neighborhoods Seeking Artists" with opportunities for live, work and commercial space.

Workshops include:

Healthy Safe Creative Spaces
Curious Green? Sustainable Strategies for Artists + Art Organizations
Opening a Theater: 1st Steps
Create your own Home Recording Studio
Storefronts and Non-Traditional Buildings for Live/Work and Performance
Handling and Installing Artwork
Starting a Non-Profit Organization
Financing a Creative Organization
Moving from Rental to Ownership – I’m an artist, how can I get a mortgage?
Ending the Credit Blues
The Legalities of Home Ownership, Commercial Space and Live/Work
Tax Sales and Alternative Purchasing Option
New this year, Ask the City provides individual assistance for safe, legal and licensed creative spaces. Get a Theater License, Occupancy Permit, learn about Zoning, register to be a Street Musician, and more.