the art of influence... Breaking Criminal Traditions

 

 Richard Laurent, "Small Change", oil on canvas, 36 x 36"

Save the Date:
Reception: Thursday, October 10,  5:15-8:15pm

IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, Gallery
3rd floor, 565 West Adams Street, Chicago

The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions is an exhibition that calls attention to ongoing ancient rituals that kill or maim millions each year—yet aren’t considered crimes. This approachable yet provocative fine art exhibition debuts at the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, with an opening reception for the public on Thursday, October 10 from 5:15 to 8:15 PM.

I curated the exhibition, which features 38 pieces of fine art—in a variety of mediums—representing several prominent artists. The pieces selected for this exhibition are intriguing—with many levels of interpretation. Conscious of the human rights issues outlined by Executive Producer, Cheryl Jefferson, I selected beautiful imagery that contains multiple levels of meaning. Most of the pieces were not created specifically for this show, yet they were chosen because the content alludes to the issues at hand. Each piece has its own voice but the viewer will bring their own interpretation.

The Art of influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions is a visual exploration of human rights. The exhibition is designed to begin a dialogue and raise consciousness, which is the first step toward preventing the continuation of these horrifying acts.

The exhibition includes fine art by: James Deeb (Evanston, IL), Sheila Ganch (Chicago, IL), Andrea Harris (Chicago, IL), Paula Kloczkowski Luberda (Naperville, IL), Richard Laurent (Chicago, IL), Zoriah Miller (New York, NY, Paris, France), Nancy Rosen (Chicago, IL), Lorraine Sack (Indianapolis, IN), Valerie Schiff (Chicago, IL), Barbara Simcoe (Omaha, NE), and Anne Smith Stephan (Wilmette, IL)

The Art of influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions will be on display through February 3. Previews begin on October 7th. A public Opening Reception will take place on Thursday, October10 from 5:15-8:15pm. The gallery is located on the 3rd floor of the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, located at 565 West Adams Street in Chicago [the corner of Adams and Jefferson]. The gallery is open Monday-Thursday 7:30am-11pm, Friday 7:30am-9:30pm, and Saturday 8:30am- 6pm. Most of the pieces included in the exhibition are available for purchase. Additional information can be found at BreakingCriminalTraditions.com.



Co-producer Richard Laurent is an award-winning painter who exhibits in galleries and shows nationwide. Oil Painters of America has honored him with the prestigious national Blick Prize and he is the recipient of numerous other awards as well. Laurent teaches throughout the Chicago area.

Laurent grew up in the West, in Denver, Colorado. He came to Chicago to study printmaking with Misch Cohn at the Institute of Design/IIT and began his career as a designer. As an art director of animated films and magazines as well as an editorial illustrator and cartoonist, Laurent had a realization that his future lay in the fine arts. Intense self-study followed, eventually leading him to some of the major art museums in the world.

Laurent has exhibited at the International Museum of Contemporary Masters of Fine Art and has shown his paintings at Oil Painters of America national exhibitions since 2004. In 2006, he was awarded the Dick Blick Prize by OPA. He mounted a solo show at the Fine Arts Building Gallery in Chicago under the title, "Heavy Petting-The Painted Animal" in 2004. That same year at the National "Animal in Art" Exhibition, juror Ed Paschke awarded his painting "Best of Show in Oil Media." He mounted another solo exhibition in 2006 at the Fine Arts Building Gallery entitled "Beauty & Beast." In May of that same year, in a visual essay exploring definitions of classical beauty, Artscope.net reviewed the exhibition. In 2008, his painting "Swimming" was purchased by The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago for the school's permanent collection. He has also been a participant at two Chicago and Vicinity exhibitions at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Laurent's drawings and paintings are included in two monographs: Contemporary American Drawing and Contemporary American Painting, published by Jilin Fine Art, He was also included in an article on Oil Painters of America in American Art Collector (May, 2009). Laurent's oil paintings have also been shown in various juried and invitational gallery shows around the country, including NYC and Scottsdale, AZ. When he isn't painting in the studio, Laurent teaches in the Art + Design Department at Columbia College.
.

Susan Sensemann at Perimeter Gallery

Susan Sensemann "Disclosing the Verge" 2013, Acrylic and ink on wood, 24" x 24"

If you are in the neighborhood of Chicago's River North Gallery District, stop by the Perimeter Gallery for the summer show. On view in the lower level are works by Clark Ellithorpe, Neville Gerson, Judith Kruger, and Susan Sensemann.

I dropped by the gallery last week and found myself captivated by the imagery of artist, Susan Sensemann.  Her rich patterns fill and manipulate space, offering the viewer a multitude of avenues to explore. I  found myself lost in the beauty of her surface patterns—eventually moving to the next canvas—Then the third and eventually left wanting more. Two 48" square canvases [not shown here] share a single wall. The pieces are meditatively-stunning—especially at the larger format. This show is a must see!

The Summer Group Show at Perimeter runs through August 30th. Perimeter Gallery is located at 210 W. Superior Street in Chicago.

Susan Sensemann is an artist, educator, and arts administrator who has lived and worked in Chicago since 1979. She is Professor Emerita at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Sensemann has curated a number of exhibitions that reveal her interests in feminism, gothicism, eroticism and contemporary baroque. Her photographs and paintings have been exhibited nationally and internationally, and are held in numerous private, public and university collections.
.

...Breaking Criminal Traditions

Barbara Simcoe, "She Shall be Repaid", oil on wood panel 9 x 14

"The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions" is an exhibition that was created to raise awareness of the global atrocities that have become traditions in various cultures. The exhibition is meant to begin a dialogue, which will lead to additional dialogue between the US and citizens of effected nations—supporting those citizens as they work for the cultural change that can only come from within.

The exhibition will open at the IIT-Chicago, Kent College of Law on October 10th. The gallery will present work by James Deeb, Sheila Ganch, Andrea Harris, Paula Kloczkowski Luberda, Richard Laurent, Zoriah Miller, Nancy Rosen, Lorraine Sack, Valerie Schiff, Barbara Simcoe, and Ann Smith Stephan. The imagery presented ranges from photo realism to abstraction but all works relate directly or conceptually to the issue at hand.

Author, Cheryl Jefferson is the driving force behind the exhibition. Her knowledge of Criminal Traditions has allowed her to speak at the UN and present a TEDTalk. Jefferson's passion is obvious...  and the injustice perverse. She explains:

Worldwide women live too close to their bones and too far from their dreams, the victims of criminal traditions. Criminal traditions are ongoing, centuries old rituals that kill or maim millions each year yet aren't considered crimes. They include honor killing, acid attacks, bride burning, forced childhood marriage, female genital mutilation and other violence that is not illegal because the perpetrators are relatives who are doing "what's best" for the girl or "defending" their family's honor.

"The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions" will run through February 6th. Many receptions are planned. I will be blogging about them in future posts. Additional information will also be available at BreakingCriminalTraditions. com

Barbara Simcoe has been a working artist for more than thirty years. Her formal art training was at the University of Illinois, Urbana and the University of North Texas, Denton. She lived and worked in Dallas 16 years where she was very involved in the art community and in exhibiting her work. Currently residing in Omaha, NE she is a Professor on the faculty of Art and Art History at the University of Nebraska and has taught painting and drawing since 1998. Barbara has shown widely in nationally and in European venues in many invitational and juried exhibitions. She has had numerous one person exhibitions, awards and grants, in 2004 she received a Fulbright Grant for which she lived, taught and made artwork in Lithuania. She traveled to Israel summer 2005 to participate in an international exhibition in the city of Akko. Academic year 2006-07 she was on sabbatical, the focus of which was working in the studio and a trip to Poland where she had a solo exhibition of her digital photos at the Albert Gallery in Krakow. Most recently she had a one person exhibition in the Czech Republic for which she showed digital photo collages influenced by a trip to France summer 2008. Barbara’s work consists of oil paintings, graphite and ink drawings and digital photography. Stylistically she works with realistic figuration inhabiting psychological and symbolic spaces. Her website may be found at barbarasimcoe.com.

.

Charles Gniech ~ Callanish at ZIA Gallery

Charles Gniech, “Callanish 9808”, Color Photograph, 1/1, 19.5”x12.75” 1998

First exhibited in 1998 at Kavi Gupta’s "Vedanta" Gallery, "Callanish 9808" was presented in a solo show titled "Sanctuary". At that point in my career, I was focused on the physical qualities of the prehistoric sites found throughout the United Kingdom. The Sanctuary exhibition mixed the photographic documentation of various sites, and rock surface details, with painted geometric abstract interpretations of the sites. Some of the photographic surface details were the genesis of my current paintings.

In 1998, after flying from Chicago to London, I hopped a train north to Inverness… a bus to Uilapool… and then a ferry to the little town of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. Stornoway is a little harbor town seemingly two blocks long and two blocks wide. As the ferry approached, I could see an old castle on the hill behind the harbor. I arrived with no accommodations. Back then I enjoyed living in the moment… “showing up” and allowing destiny to intervene. I still try to live my life like this but I’ve found that it becomes more difficult with age and responsibilities. I never ended up sleeping on the street, but I did come close, just once. I always seemed to be taken care of… always having what was needed; a warm bed, food, or an interesting conversation. I’m currently in the process of compiling the stories of my experiences, and of the people I encountered through my exploration of the megalithic structures, traveling throughout the UK. I’m sure segments of these stories will end up in future posts.

In any case… Two original color photographs—Callanish 9808, and Callinash 9809—will be available through ZIA Gallery in Winnetka. The two prints are one-of-a-kind… with my signature hidden under the mat. The upcoming “750 show” will include work from a variety of the gallery artists as well as that of some invited artists. All works—very affordable—under $750… hence the name.

ZIA Gallery is located at 548 Chestnut in Winnetka, Illinois... 17 miles north of Chicago. The gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00am–5:00pm. The opening reception for the 750 show is Saturday, July 27, 4:00–7:00pm. Stop by and check it out.
.

Meditative Surfaces ~ Fort Wayne Museum of Art

Charles Gniech, Watching Waves, acrylic on canvas, 36" x 60"

This fall, the Fort Wayne Museum of Art will be presenting the three-person exhibition titled "Meditative Surfaces". Meditative Surfaces is a powerfully inspirational exhibition focusing on meditative surface patterns. The exhibition brings together the work of Mixed-media Artist; Deanna Krueger, Photographer; Maggie Meiners and my surface paintings. All of the included work was inspired by our own—very different—individual passions, yet the work comes together to present a united statement of introspection.

I've spent more then a two decades exploring the serene qualities of the prehistoric stone circles that are found throughout Great Britain. Most people are familiar with Stonehenge, yet there are areas concentrated with megalithic structures as far to the north as the Scottish Islands, and as far to the south-and west-as Cornwall. The largest complex of circles is just to the north of Stonehenge, at Avebury.

I am inspired by the patterns found on the massive prehistoric megaliths. I reference and manipulate these patterns to create tranquil imagery. My latest body of work is influenced by the meditative qualities of the fluid surface patterns found on these monuments. I have taken some artistic liberties, in the replication, manipulation and abstraction of the surface patterns found on these massive stone slabs, yet the work continues to convey the serene qualities regularly associated with nature and inner peace.

The two other artists presented in this exhibition are Mixed Media Artist, Deanna Krueger and Fine Art Photographer, Maggie Meiners.
 
Deanna Krueger produces powerful mixed media forms created from recycled medical diagnostic film layered with monotypes. The film is torn, repositioned, and then stapled together to create various multi-faceted surfaces. The semi-reflective surfaces create a mesmerizing, gem-like quality. Krueger’s given titles hint at the conceptual nuances, which imply humanity’s collective search for meaning. Krueger explains:

“I am interested in humanity's collective search for meaning in the absurdity that is this life, and in the pleasure to be found in the various manifestations of that search.”

“…Serving as a marker of this time of transition, the materials speak to the recent evolution of information storage. When virtual documents replace paper, the lowly staple will become an artifact of an earlier information age. Modes of diagnostic imagery are shifting as well: X-Rays and MRI scans are increasingly being recorded solely in the digital realm.”

The large-scale abstract photographs of Maggie Meiners come from her “Childhood Contemplations” series. The mere size of these forty-inch square digital c-prints, allows the viewer to become engulfed by the imagery and to explore their inner mind. The various color patterns are meant to trigger memories on which to contemplate. In defining this body of work, Meiners explains:

“Although the use of blurred imagery seems to defy logic, this intentional shift in focus is meant to transfix and then transport the viewer to a mind space where memories run wild. Various spectrums of color are used as a guide to revisit and explore memories of the past.”

"Meditative Surfaces" will be exhibited at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art from November 13 through January 14th with a panel discussion scheduled for Friday, November 15th. More on that in future posts.
.

Roland Kulla opens this Saturday at ZIA Gallery

Roland Kulla will be presenting a new series of paintings and drawings featuring railroad bridges at ZIA Gallery in Winnetka. The exhibition opens this Saturday evening with a reception from 5-7PM.

I stopped by the gallery yesterday and the works had just been delivered. I had the opportunity to preview the show and the pieces are obsessively amazing! If you're free on Saturday evening, take a ride up to Winnetka to see the show. It will be worth the trip. After the show, check out Jerry's for dinner. It's a block south of ZIA Gallery and the food is wonderful!

ZIA Gallery is located at 548 Chestnut St., Winnetka, IL 6009. Parking is free and abundant.

847.446.3970 • ZIAgallery.net
.

Roland Kulla ~ ZIA Gallery

St. Charles Air Line, 2013, acrylic on canvas, 60” x 40”

Save the Date: Saturday June 8, 5-7pm

For the past twelve years, Chicago painter Roland Kulla, has focused his attention on the complex structures of bridges. With an obsession for detail, his work has evolved from hyper real imagery depicting idealized nuts and bolts to the current exhibition of hyper real and gritty functional railroad bridges.

Roland Kulla began his career as a fine artist in the late 90’s after more than thirty years as a caseworker, administrator, researcher, teacher and consultant. His early paintings focused on the heightened reality of the mundane—causing the viewer to take a second look at an object that would typically go unnoticed.

 Fast Slow, 2003, oil on canvas, 36" x 40"

In 2003, the paintings progressed to consider the element of “rust”… the slow rot of the massive bridges. Time became a visual element within the work. Kulla utilized environment, blurred backgrounds, and the decay of previously hard edge metal forms. He defined the rust images as metaphor for his personal aging process as well as  making reference to the politics of the period.

By 2005, Kulla was working on a series of paintings that focused on tightly cropped bridge details with no true up or down. Most of the “Deco” images were produced so that they could be hung to the owner’s liking.

After 2005, Kulla began to explore bridge cities beyond Chicago. In 2006 he produced a series based on the bridges of Boston, 2007; New York, and 2008; Pittsburgh. By 2010 he created “Urban Patterns” an exhibition of paintings focusing on the bridges of New York and New Jersey. And by 2011; Berlin was the subject.

Tegeler II, 2011, acrylic on canvas, 60" x 45"

Roland Kulla's new body of work begins an exploration of railroad bridges. Kulla explains:

“…In contrast to transportation bridges—where civic pride usually requires elements of conventional architectural beauty—the railroad bridge is all about function. It has to be strong enough to carry the heavy weight of loaded trains. Movable railroad bridges add another layer of complexity. This focus on solving a problem with maximum efficiency results in some amazing forms. They do not need to look pretty; they just need to get the job done.”

RR: New works featuring railroad bridges by Roland Kulla will be presented at ZIA Gallery from June 8 through July 20, with and opening reception on Saturday, June 8th from 5-7pm. ZIA Gallery is located at 548 Chestnut St., Winnetka, IL 6009. Parking is free and abundant.

847.446.3970 • ZIAgallery.net