Judging ...WHAT THE HECK??!!!

Bradford Purse, Detail, “Pop-Up Balloon Safari at Failing Wildlife Monument”, oil on canvas

Curating a group exhibition is always a challenge. Hours, days—even weeks—are spent viewing, re-viewing, and selecting work that tells an exceptional story with a visual throughline. Having curated more than a hundred exhibitions, I understand the process. Curators, Janice Meister, Claudia Craemer and Debbie Craemer embraced the challenge. Meister selected the wide range of art objects, and the Craemer sisters presented them exquisitely within the Tall Grass Gallery. 

The works in this show surprise, bewilder, and amuse the viewer with strange combinations of reality. I was able to preview the show and honored to select the award-winning work. The judging process is always completely subjective based on the judge’s life experience, knowledge, and personal bias. That said, here are my award selections. 

Award of Excellence

Bradford Purse, “Pop-Up Balloon Safari at Failing Wildlife Monument” oil on canvas.

Timely and beautifully painted, Purse takes an opportunity to make a powerful statement about the state of the world today. With a bit of dark humor and skillful brush, I found myself lost in the beautiful details of the composition. 

Award of Excellence

Jeanne Garrett, “Gold among the Ashes” archival pigment print on rice paper with gold leaking. 

Loosely reminiscent of the work of Jane Fulton Alt who photographed controlled prairie burns in the early 2000s, this intimate piece presents the silent elegance of the destruction and rebirth of the forest floor. Garrett explores various levels of depth within an abstract landscape. Perhaps a comment of the current climate crisis, the image offers many conceptual interpretations. 

Award of Excellence

Patricia Stewart, “Wear Pills Meet Fashion” mixed media assemblage: medicine bottles, wood hanger, IV hanger. 

Stewart’s “Wear Pills Meet Fashion” is a statement that highlights the need for some to medicate as a daily ritual—like getting dressed. But the piece also—perhaps unintentionally—comments on the marketing campaigns produced by the pharmaceutical industry, that encourage the masses to accessorize with pills. The number of empty prescription bottles seems to underscore the issue. This unique assemblage is a conceptual version of Munch’s “The Scream.”

Third Place:

Richard Burd, “Elgin Joliet and Eastern Railroad, Park Forest” black and white digital print.

Beautifully composed, this photograph offers a nostalgic moment with a twist of humor. The lavish abundance of textures found throughout the image offer a range of tactile secondary focal points to explore.

 

Second Place:

Randy Buvala, Detail, “Staying Home to Watch the Rain” charcoal on paper with found objects.

Drawn to the honesty of the materials, this culmination of elements results in a fascinating encounter. The rich application of charcoal creates a soft and enchanting experience, like that of a childhood fable.

First Place:

Bradford Purse, “Ebbing Tides of the Heart” oil on canvas.

Beginning a unique visual conversation dealing with universal subjects, Purse presents luxurious imagery to challenge the audience into considering the world in which we live. He dares the viewer to spend time within his compositions, offering up expertly executed details that invigorate the canvas and entice the viewer. I found it difficult to walk away, and when I did, I found myself being pulled back to explore further. Brad Purse is truly a master of both concept and technique. 

The artists included in the WHAT THE HECK??!!! exhibition are, Jay Anderson, Marcia Babler, Judi Boehner, Richard Burd, Randy Buvala, Rita Dianni-Kaleel, Carol Estes, Mary Flynn, Jeanne Garrett, Janet Glazar, Nickie Gunning, Luis Gutierrez, Judith Hanacek, David Jagodzinski, Marie Karambis, Amanda Lorance, Lucy Mueller, Bob Nardi, Diane O’Connor, Bradford Purse, Tali Rachelle, Mary Schiller, Doug Stein, Patricia Stewart, Tanya Wingo-Brown, and Kelly Witte.

WHAT THE HECK??!!! will continue through March 16, 2024, at the Tall Grass Art Gallery located at 367 Artists Walk in Park Forest, Gallery Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11am - 4pm. Learn more at www.tallgrassarts.org

The "red" Reception...

There was a wonderful turnout at tonight’s reception for “red” the National Juried Exhibition at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. Three pieces were acquired for the school’s Fine Art Collection. They were: Richard Benoit’s "Earth Writing", Claudia Craemer’s "The Path was Chosen for You" and Lorraine Sack’s "Sea Captain". The show continues through November 11th. If you have the opportunity, drop by the gallery to see this wonderful collection of work from around the country. The show is free to the public and the presented pieces are available for purchase. Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art is located at 180 North Wabash—at the corner of Lake and Wabash—in Chicago’s Loop.


Richard Benoit "Earth Writing" acrylic on wood, 24x24"


Claudia Craemer "The Path was Chosen for You" oil, 40x40"


Image: Lorraine Sack, “Sea Captain” oil on linen, 18x24”

Claudia Craemer in "red"

As I mentioned in my previous post, this past weekend I installed The National Juried Exhibition, titled "red", at Gallery 180. It's always interesting to see the actual work, once the selections process is complete. You see, during the selection process, the Juror is looking at a relatively small visual image, which is either a slide format or digital file. So when the work arrives for the installation, it’s a little like opening a room full of packages on Christmas morning.

One of the amazing gifts I received was from Chicago-area Artist, Claudia Craemer. Craemer’s “The Path Was Chosen For You”, is a forty-inch square oil painting with tendencies toward O’Keeffe. The unfolding forms in nature influenced work by both Artists. Craemer writes:

“I am often inspired by plant forms – blooms, bulbs, roots, and leaves – as well as paper and cloth forms. The works suggest organic layers or veils, peeling away, tearing, hiding and revealing, opening and releasing, and they usually develop in a layered, organic way as well, through a process of both spontaneous mark-making and deliberate decisions, of both intuition and choice.”

Craemer’s “The Path Was Chosen For You”, can be seen—along with the works of thirteen other artists from around the country—at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago from September 14 through November 11. The Reception for "red" will take place on Friday, October 9th from 5:30-7:30. Gallery 180 is located at the corner of Lake and Wabash in Chicago's Loop. The exhibition is free to the public and all works will be available for purchase. Craemer’s work is also shown at Union Street Gallery in Chicago Heights.