Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Schiff and Tansley ~ Reception Friday



The reception for the Valerie Schiff and Jim Tansley exhibition at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago will be held this Friday from 5:30-7:30. The show is amazing. It is a mixture of Schiff’s passionate figure studies in stoneware, and abstract figures in bronze, combined with Tansley’s boldly painted colorful abstractions and elegant charcoal drawings… all inspired by nature. It’s a peaceful exhibition… and one that shouldn’t be missed. I hope to see you at the reception.

The paintings of Jim Tansley and the sculpture of Valerie Schiff will be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago through August 30. A public reception will take place on Friday, August 3 from 5:30-7:30 pm.  All works are available for purchase. Gallery 180 is located at 180 N. Wabash—at the corner of Lake and Wabash—in Chicago’s Loop. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 8am-8pm, Friday 8am-5:30pm and Saturday 9am-5pm. Additional information can be found at gallery180.com.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Igor & Marina ~ Chicago Cultural Center



Walkers XVI (Rhinoceros), 2008, oil on canvas, 68 x 48"

Knowing that the shows had changed, I dropped by the Chicago Cultural Center this weekend, to see what was new in the Michigan Avenue Galleries. The Michigan Avenue Galleries are three exhibition spaces on the main floor of the Cultural Center. They typically show though-provoking work by some local artists.

When I entered, I was greeted by an unexpected surprise… Making my way to the second of three galleries, I was faced with paintings by the painting duo, Igor & Marina. I had been introduced to the work of Igor Kozlovsky and Marina Sharapova roughly ten years earlier, when I juried one of their paintings into an exhibition presented at The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. Since then, I have followed the work of this husband and wife collaborative team—mostly via the Thomas Masters gallery on North Avenue. The artists seem to have left Master’s Gallery and are currently represented by KL Fine Arts Gallery in Chicago.

The five paintings in the Igor & Marina exhibition are from the “Walker” series, which references various segments of the history of fine art. Movement has been a subject in art throughout time. The presentation of movement was attempted within cave paintings and Egyptian sculpture, through the onset of photography and into film. The subject of motion continues in fine art today. From the artist statement…
“Our project, “Walkers,” is meant to open a new chapter in the long history of painterly images of motion. We propose to build on a series of works we have been creating over the past 4 years, works that in their painterly technique synthesize many past epochs of artistic achievement in new and compelling ways. In particular, our exploration of the paradoxical relationship of motion and stasis is paralleled by a simultaneous consideration of the relationship between abstract and figurative art and between conventionality and verisimilitude. 
If you’re in Chicago, take some time to see this work. While in the Cultural Center, there is also a truly interesting photography show by Patty Carroll, in the adjacent gallery. Carroll’s show is titled “Anonymous Women”. That work is also pretty amazing.

        

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Maggie Meiners ~ ...Day to Day Life



Maggie Meiners, "Great Grandmum"

There are just a few days left to see the Maggie Meiners exhibition, "Vignettes of Day to Day Life", at ZIA Gallery in Winettka. The show presents a series of compositionally-exciting unconventional portraits observed from Meiners' everyday life. The images are large, creating strong visual impact. Meiners' defines the work on her newly-revised web site and I've included it—in part—here...
Every person has aspects of their life that they would prefer to deny or disguise. Here, each vignette is filled with the accoutrements of my day-to-day life. While I greatly admire the works of Cindy Sherman and Tina Barney, I have chosen to capture the events around me as they happen, rather than setting a stage or directing. These works remain personal observations commenting on my own life story, while nodding toward the multiplicities that comprise the totality of every human experience.
As an artist in an unexpected socio-economic construct, I have found that my journey and those of my peers, is no different than those who may be from a different demographic.  Looking clearly and unapologetically at these various roles has afforded me a larger view of the human condition; and an awareness of the self we expose and the self we keep private.
Don't miss this exhibition. "Vignettes of Day to Day Life" continues at ZIA Gallery through July 28th. ZIA Gallery is located at 548 Chestnut Street in Winnetka, IL. The gallery hours are Monday through Saturday from 10-5. Additional work by Maggie Meiners can be seen at: maggiemeiners.com

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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Schiff and Tansley at Gallery 180


Foreground: Valerie Schiff, "Between a Rock and a Hard Place", stoneware, 20" x 11" x 11", $2,800

This past weekend, I installed the Valerie Schiff and Jim Tansley exhibition at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. Being the fishbowl that it is—with great exposure to both Lake Street and Wabash—the installation was repeatedly interrupted by interested passersby. Inquisitive patrons would wonder into the gallery to get that “first look” at the work… even though it was still resting on the floor—awaiting final placement. The numerous conversations resulted in a commission for Schiff and a probable sale for Tansley.

But then again, it’s expected… the show is amazing. The included work is a mixture of Schiff’s passionate figure studies in stoneware, and abstract figures in bronze, combined with Tansley’s boldly painted colorful abstractions and elegant charcoal drawings… all inspired by nature. It’s a peaceful exhibition… and one that shouldn’t be missed.

The paintings of Jim Tansley and the sculpture of Valerie Schiff will be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago through August 30. A public reception will take place on Friday, August 3 from 5:30-7:30 pm.  All works are available for purchase. Gallery 180 is located at 180 N. Wabash—at the corner of Lake and Wabash—in Chicago’s Loop. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 8am-8pm, Friday 8am-5:30pm and Saturday 9am-5pm. Additional information can be found at gallery180.com.



Foreground: Jim Tansley, "Dialog of Hemispheres", acrylic on canvas, 48" x 72", $6,500

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

The Art of Human Rights at ZIA Gallery, Winnetka




Audry Cramblit, “Paris”, bronze, 7” tall, $1,400.

Save the Date: Thursday, August 30th, 5-8:30
Once again, I've compiled some of the most amazing established area artists into an exhibition to benefit Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights. With the support of ZIA Gallery of Winnetka—the location of this satellite event—this group invitational exhibition offers something for everyone.

“The Art of Human Rights” exhibition includes; paintings, drawings, mixed media, photography and sculpture created by twenty-two hand-selected, established fine artists. The commissions from the work sold—priced from $450 to $18,000—will directly benefit the charity. Funds raised through The Art of Human Rights will support the work that Heartland Alliance does to ensure that everyone has a roof over their head, access to health care, the opportunity to earn income to support themselves and their families, and to be treated fairly and with justice.

With a variety of imagery and objects available—whether it is an elegant object to finish a room or a room-defining statement—this exhibition presents amazing pieces of thought-provoking Fine Art.


John Vlahakis, “Sanctum”, photograph, edition of 5, 15” x 15”, $750.

The work of photographer, John Vlahakis, captures the drama and beauty of the natural world. His brilliantly colorful floral images—which are almost abstract—explore light and define a quiet moment in time. Vlahakis points out that… “Visually I am drawn by the color and light that each living organism reflects...”


Roland Kulla, “Ben Franklin II”, acrylic on canvas, ”60 x 36”, $9,500.


Roland Kulla’s work presents hyper-realistic acrylic imagery, defining segments of various bridges. Kulla explains:
“I’ve used bridges as my primary inspiration for the last twenty years. Based in Chicago, I began my exploration with the world’s largest collection of bascule bridges. In 2006, I began to branch out to other “bridge cities” including Boston, New York City, and Pittsburgh. In 2011, I explored the bridges in Berlin, Germany. 
I select certain design elements and eliminate background context in order to emphasize form. What may appear to be a random arrangement of bolts and rivets has, on close inspection, a rigidly patterned logic. Abstracted from their surroundings, the bridges take on new aspects. Some look dangerous, others elegant. The forms are presented in “natural” bridge colors in bold contrast to the voids that they span. They float in light that plays across the surface details. I paint an idealized version of reality on a scale that allows the viewer to enter into the structure and appreciate the monumentality of the form.”


Audry Cramblit, “Paris”bronze, 7” tall, $1,400.

Audry Cramblit is one of four incredibly talented sculptors included in the exhibition. She presents two bronze figurative sculptures… “Paris” and “The Artist”. Both of these tactile figures are adorned with the layering of contemporary designs, symbols and words, forming a complex surface of information. Through the experimentation of materials, Cramblit has developed techniques as unique and varied as her one-of-a-kind sculptures.

There are twenty-two exhibiting artists in “The Art of Human Rights” exhibition. They are: John Benedetto, Jenny Chi, Frances Cox, Audry Cramblit, Jane Fulton Alt, Sheila Ganch, Charles Gniech, Andrea Harris, Paula Kloczkowski Luberda, Deanna Krueger, Roland Kulla, Richard Laurent, Maggie Meiners, Rebecca Moy, Didier Nolet, Nancy Pirri, Ted Preuss, Nancy Rosen, Lorraine Sack, Jim Tansley, Michael Van Zeyl, and John Vlahakis.

This satalite exhibition of “The Art of Human Rights®” will be presented at ZIA Gallery, located at 548 Chestnut Street, Winnetka, IL 60093, from August 26 through September 1. A catered reception will take place on Thursday, August 30 from 5-8:30. The exhibition is free and the work sold will benefit Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human RightsThe gallery is open from Monday through Saturday from 10-5. Additional information can be found at ziagallery.net or by calling 847.446.3970.

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Monday, July 16, 2012

Carol Luc ~ Vestiges

AM Interlude, oil on canvas, 30 x 24"

A wonderful exhibition opened this past weekend at the Chicago Cultural Center. Located in the Renaissance Court Gallery, Carol Luc presents a series of introspective and thought-provoking paintings and drawings. The show—titled “Vestiges—presents architectural studies exploring segments of environments defined by the light that moves through them. The images reflect a quiet—inspiring—moment in time, the kind of moment when you find yourself daydreaming… staring at dappled light dancing across a window-lit stairway.

In defining the work, Luc’s statement points out that…
“Paradoxically, it is within the nothingness of empty space that the most substance is found. The element of light is filled with a psychological weight that demands the viewer’s attention. In exploring the relationships between light and space, objects and emptiness, the work strives to make the viewer conscious of the links between the material world and the intangible by expressing quiet and reflective emotional states.”
“Vestiges” runs though August 26th at the Chicago Cultural Center located at 78 East Washington Street in Chicago. Luc will be at the Renaissance Gallery on Wednesday August 1 at 11:30am-12:25pm—to talk about the exhibition. The lecture and exhibition is free. Exhibited work is available for purchase, with only one exception. Visit carolluc.com to see additional work.

Remnant, oil on canvas, 30 x 24"