Gallery Review 03/17/06

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)

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!!!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

March 16: Artist at Work Forum - Careers that Work @ Chicago Cultural Center

Join artists Mary Brogger, Faheem Majeed, Jennifer Reeder and Paul Sierra as they discuss their art practice. Among Brogger's major sculpture commissions is the new Haymarket Memorial in the West Loop and the Recognition Panels in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood. Majeed is also a sculptor, receiving several major public and private commissions in addition to serving as director of the South Side Community Art Center. Reeder's video work has been featured at the Viennale, in Vienna Austria; the Havana Biennale in Cuba; Video Culture at the National Gallery of Art; the 2000 Whitney Biennial, the 48th International Venice Biennial, the Havana Biennale and elsewhere. Painter Sierra's 20 year career has spanned the globe. He is represented in Chicago at Oskar Friedl and Aldo Castillo, as well as in Miami and Atlanta.

Join these artists as they offer personal insights and practical tips for making a living making art.

Chicago Cultural Center
78 E. Washington, 1st Floor Garland

Admission Free!

Chicago Hot Glass Benefit Party on Saturday March 4th

Chicago Hot Glass Benefit Party on Saturday March 4th - Glassblowing demos, live music, DJs and your own glass!!!

On Saturday, March 4th, Chicago Hot Glass will be hosting an S.O.S – Save Our Studio Benefit party at the Chicago Hot Glass studio in Chicago. From 6:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., experience the wonders of glassblowing while aiding the studio in recovering from difficult financial struggles due to the rising cost of utilities.

Beginning at 6:00 p.m., the Chicago Hot Glass staff and renters will be giving live glassblowing demonstrations which will be accompanied by live music, featuring Stone Free and The Hot Love.

The live auction at 9:00 p.m. is your chance to own your own hand-blown works made by local Chicago glass artists. Live music and DJs will resume after the live auction until 3:00 a.m. With a donation of $25, guests will receive a hand-blown, bottomless pint glass which is theirs to keep! All proceeds will aid the Chicago Hot Glass Studio in bringing Chicago glassblowing lessons, rentals, and more awesome benefits!

Chicago Hot Glass was founded in 2001 to provide the resources and creative environment where everyone from the curious observer and beginning student to the advanced artist can explore, learn, and expand their skill and knowledge of the glass arts.

Chicago Hot Glass
1250 N. Central Park Ave.,
Chicago, IL 60651
773/394-3252
www.chicagohotglass.com

Nicholas Kashian - March 3-March 25 @ Reversible Eye

Opening Reception: Friday, March 3rd 7 PM - 10 PM

Reversible Eye
1103 N. California
Gallery Hrs:
Saturdays 1PM -5 PM
(773)862-1232