George Billis Gallery at Art Chicago

April 29 - May 2, 2011, Opening Preview April 28
The Merchandise Mart, 12th Floor

The George Billis Gallery [New York and LA] will be representing my work, this year, at Art Chicago. Art Chicago, the annual international fair of contemporary and modern art, brings together the world's leading emerging and established galleries. Art Chicago offers curators, collectors, artists and art enthusiasts a comprehensive survey of current and historic work, from cutting-edge to modern masters in a wide variety of media including: painting, photography, drawings, prints, sculpture, video and special installations.

The show runs through Monday, May 2. Tickets are valid for Art Chicago, NEXT, and the Merchandise Mart International Antiques Fair. Adults: $20 daily or $25 multi-day pass... Seniors, Students or Groups: $15 multi-day pass, Children 12 and under are free. It's an amazing event... wear comfortable shoes!

Image: Charles Gniech, "Quiet Surface I", 24" x 24", acrylic on canvas
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Vintage Polish Poster Exhibition at CONNECT

The Spring CONNECT Graphic Design Conference will be held at the Merchandise Mart Conference Center on Thursday and Friday, May 5 & 6. The event kicks off at 6pm on Thursday evening with a screening of the documentary, "Freedom on the Fence". Executive Producer and Prominent collector of Polish posters, Martin Rosenberg, will introduce the film and further discuss the topic at the film's conclusion.

Freedom on the Fence is a 40-minute documentary about the history of Polish posters and their significance to the social, political and cultural life of Poland. The film examines the period from WWII through the fall of Communism, and captures the paradox of how this unique art form flourished within a Communist regime. The documentary contains interviews with older and younger generations of poster artists, examples of past and current poster work, historic and current film footage of where and how the poster is viewed, and commentaries from both American and Polish scholars and artists on the significance of the Polish poster as a cultural icon. Directed by Glenn Holsten and Andrea Marks, Executive Producer: Martin Rosenberg, Producer: Andrea Marks.

The CONNECT conference concludes on Friday evening with a reception for the Vintage Polish Poster exhibition at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. The reception is from 5:30-7:30pm. Gallery 180 is located at 180 N. Wabash—corner of Lake and Wabash—in Chicago's Loop. Posters included in the exhibition are available for purchase. All of these events are free to the public.

You can find additional information on the CONNECT Graphic Design Conference at ai-connect.com
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Tom Torluemke ~ Save the Date

I first became aware of Tom Torluemke’s work while attending a dinner party at a friend’s home. Looking at two large canvases in the host’s personal collection, I was intrigued. I was introduced to the artist at another social event, which allowed me an opportunity to connect a face with the work that had captured my interest. It seemed obvious to me that we would be working together in the future. Since then, I kept Torluemke's work on my short list for exhibiting at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. A few weeks ago, I finally had the opportunity to visit with Torluemke at his amazing home and studio in Indiana.

Torluemke is an intriguing artist. After showing me around his space, we sat in his studio and talked about the work. We eventually began exploring the stacks of paintings, which surrounded us.

Torluemke’s canvases are composed of multiple-layered components. Surreal in a dreamlike collage of imagery—one element melting into the next—the work thrusts the viewer into an environment of psychological and social commentary. Torluemke's aesthetic transcends the concrete and allows for a fully developed voice within the context of his concern for truth and expressions of deep emotion, feeling and spirituality.

The work of Tom Torluemke will be on exhibit at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago from July 26 through August 31. A reception is scheduled for Friday, August 5, 5:30-7:30. Gallery 180 is located at the corner of Lake and Wabash in Chicago's Loop. The exhibition is free and all works are available for purchase. Save the date... It's going to be an amazing show!
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Marc Dimov and Carl Wilen at ZIA Gallery

This Friday, March 25th, ZIA Gallery will be opening an exhibition by artists Marc Dimov and Carl Wilen from 5-7:30pm

Marc Dimov is exhibiting a series of photographs dealing with the subject of fish and sustainability. Through an artist's residency, Dimov photographed fish at a a wholesale seafood distributor. Approaching the warehouse, with 5 photographic prints of fish, he expressed that he wanted to photograph their inventory. Once he mentioned that the work was about sustainable fishing practices, they immediately gave him charge of their facility. Each fish was photographed individually with the fins meticulously spread open to highlight the beauty of the animals. It's interesting work... a—must see—exhibition.

Carl Wilen has been creating art for more than 45 years. The ZIA Gallery exhibition gives a taste of the artist's imaginative range of two and three-dimensional—evocative and clearly personal—fine art.

The exhibition continues through April 30th. The gallery is open Monday-Saturday, 10 - 5. It is located 2 blocks from Winnetka's Metra Station. ZIA Gallery is located at 548 Chestnut Street in Winnetka, Illinois. You can also find ZIA online at: ziagallery.net
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Corinne D. Peterson ~ Markers

A huge fan of her sculptural work, I bookmarked Corinne Peterson’s web site months ago …A couple of weeks ago, I contacted her to request a studio visit. One morning last week, I met with Corrine Peterson at her studio in Ravenswood.

When I arrived at Peterson’s studio in the Lillstreet Art Center, I met a woman who—I knew—had a story to tell. As she offered me a seat on one of her sculptures, I could see the knowledge of an incredible lifetime peering out through her eyes. I asked her to tell me about herself and about the work she had created. She sat down on a nearby sculpture, slipped on sweater and began to share the stories of how she arrived at this particular point in her life. As we spoke, I found myself exploring the room filled with a variety of works from the recent past. The works were spiritual and introspective. The tactile qualities of the meditative ceramic monoliths define a place in time from prehistory—a topic reflected in my own work. I was intrigued. I had found an artist with a perspective, similar to my own, with a three-dimensional outcome.


Peterson began her journey roughly 25 years ago. Working as a psychotherapist, and now a successful Chicago-based sculptor, Peterson tapped into Jungian analysis to find her way to making her amazing monuments. Jungian analysis is a type of therapy that encourages attention to dreams and art in exploring one’s life. Peterson’s dreams stem from growing up on a farm in Minnesota, with fond memories of a nearby clay bank. The clay—and the influence of markers found in the French countryside—eventually evolved into ceramic monoliths representative of the mile markers of Peterson’s life. In a 2007 article in Ceramics: Art and Perception [issue 69], Peterson points out that she is still working with her dreams which allows her to stay acutely aware of the border between the conscious and unconscious, while exploring both.

I plan to present an exhibition of Peterson’s work early next year. Perhaps, I will be exhibiting with her. Until then, you can find her work at: cdpeterson.com

Pamela Michelle Johnson ~ Abundance

"It's the taste of America. It is what we eat. It is who we are. The insatiable American appetite is set on a path of consumption. Devouring to the point where we are left with nothing, nothing but the consequential garbage. Quintessentially American, junk food is not just part of our diet, it epitomizes our cultural ideals and social norms. Through my work, I strive to invoke reflection on a culture focused on mass-consumption and mass-production, where the negative aspects of overindulgence are often forgotten or ignored. The work questions a culture that equates fulfillment, pleasure and happiness with what we consume." ~ Pamela Michelle Johnson

I first became aware of the work of Pamela Michelle Johnson while reviewing entries for a juried exhibition. Johnson's work wasn't appropriate for that group show but I knew that I would eventually present her work in a solo exhibition at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. At that time, I sent her a note telling her how much I enjoyed the work and that I would be in contact.

After connecting a few times via e-mail, I stopped by Johnson's Wicker Park studio yesterday afternoon. I was looking forward to seeing the large-scale canvases and to finally meeting the artist in person. I was greeted by a charming smile—and after exchanging pleasantries—I was asked to take a seat in the living room while she acquired the large canvases from an adjoining storage area. Each time she reemerged, I was confronted with another amazing image. Much like exploring a Chuck Close painting, the imagery comes into crisp focus from a distance yet the loose application of oil paint is obvious upon close inspection. The gooey layers of decadence are intriguing.

"...Overbearing scale and gluttonous quantities, juxtaposed against foods that are both tempting and comforting, examine the conflict between enjoying the highly processed, artificially flavored bounty of American life and the progression to overindulgence and gluttonous excess. The work is both gross and enticing" ~ Pamela Michelle Johnson

The work of Pamela Michelle Johnson is appropriately scheduled to be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art during the upcoming holiday season. Until then, You can find her work online at: pamelamichellejohnson.com

Above: Pamela Michelle Johnson, Ice Cream I, oil on canvas, 54"x34"
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Audry Cramblit ~ Labyrinth

I arrived at the studio of Audry Cramblit [and Ted Preuss] shortly after ten o'clock this morning. Being familiar with Cramblit's past sculptural work, I scheduled a studio visit to experience the most recent pieces from a body of work titled "Labyrinth". As I entered the space, I was confronted with a three-quarter life-size clay figure, adorned with patterns and textures similar to a dimensional body mehndi. As we hovered over the beautiful reclining figure, I learned a little more about Cramblit's creative process and discussed the conceptual meaning of the work. The title—Labyrinth—references the elaborate designs Cramblit uses to embellish her intimate forms. She elaborates on her web site... "The ancient pattern of the labyrinth weaves and circles into itself and then back out again... [it] is a meandering but purposeful journey toward self-reinvention; [The work is] a sculptural expression, not only of my personal voyage as an artist but also... an affirmation that we are on our right path."

Not all of Cramblit's pieces are almost life size. In fact, many of the pieces stand only 12-14 inches high... and the ornate details are amazing. Cramblit works both in clay as well as wax. Many of the pieces are cast in bronze [as additions or one-offs] adorning beautiful patinas. Audry Cramblit's work will be presented at Gallery 180 of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago, this fall. Until then, you can explore additional imagery on her web site: audryc.com
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