Jordan Scott ~ Structures from Silence at the Judy A Saslow Gallery

Jordan Scott, Royals 2, 2013, UK postage stamps and resin on canvas, 36 x 36"

If you’re in town for "Expo Chicago", and you need to experience just a little more fine art, find your way over to the Judy A Saslow Gallery at 300 West Superior in the River North Gallery District to see the Jordan Scott exhibition.

Jordan Scott has a fascination with "the sum of the parts". As a child, he accompanied his mother on a “press check”. A press check is the review, and color approval for commercially printed work. At that time, Scott was introduced to a tool called a printer’s loupe which is a kind of magnifying glass that allows the printer to see the detailed series of dots that make up an image. Viewing an image from a distance, the eye mixes the smaller parts, blurring the dots and blending color to create what the viewer sees.

That childhood experience became a metaphor for Jordan Scott’s work. It began the exploration of the parts to understand the whole… perhaps a global view… or perhaps the interconnectedness of the universe. From Scott’s artist statement:

The postage stamp collages [are] each composed of hundreds or thousands of similar elements, … [creating] an interconnected and interdependent whole much greater than the sum of its parts.

With a love for using materials out of context, Scott produces mesmerizing canvases with the repetition of postage stamps. The intricate surfaces of these canvases present beautifully repetitive patterns from a distance, with a subtle surprise as the viewer approaches.

The Jordan Scott exhibition continues through October 31st. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday 11-6 and Saturday 11-5. The Judy A Saslow Gallery is located at 300 West Superior in the River North Gallery District, Chicago, Illinois. Additional information can be found at: jsaslowgallery.com 

Jordan Scott, Beyond Worlds, 2014, USA postage stamps and resin on canvas, 30 X 30"

The Judy A Saslow Gallery: Originally a gallery exclusively showing art created by extraordinary European self-taught and outsider artists, the Judy A Saslow Gallery has for the past several years been incorporating contemporary art by established and emerging artists. In addition to outsider art, the gallery has a stunning array of tribal, ethnographic artifacts and jewelry collected from all parts of the globe. 

Fonzo ~ Alphabet Soup / part 2

 

 Sebastian "Fonzo" Napoli, "All Spaced Out: Moonbats & Spacecrafts Two", Ink - Detail 

This past Friday, I was invited to the opening reception of “Alphabet Soup part 2” …Letterform and design as seen through the eyes of the street artists. The invitation came from a colleague who makes his living as a commercial designer but has a history as “Fonzo”, a graffiti writer. Some of his current drawings were included in the exhibition.

Doing a little research before the show, I found that Galerie F specializes in silkscreen gig posters, art prints, and street art. When I hear “street art”, I think graffiti… an image spray painted on a wall or in an ally. At times the images are amazingly beautiful, like some of the buildings covered in the Wynwood district of Miami… and sometimes it just appears as unimpressive tagging. I wanted to experience the show with an open mind.

We arrived at Galerie F to a room swarming with the “hipster” crowd. As we made our way through the room, the work on the walls explored a variety of themes with elements of graffiti, expressive linear compositions, and vibrant color. We approached Fonzo’s work and I was intrigued at how the imagery of Napoli’s alter ego continues to be inspired by the world of his past yet utilizing the current hand of a seasoned professional. The imagery is humorous with dark undertones of the grotesque. The line work is amazing. The entire show is well worth exploring.

Galerie F is located at 2381 North Milwaukee Avenue, in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday 11am-6pm. Learn more at: galerief.com

Dominic Sansone ~ "Away From This Inverted World"

An exhibition titled “Away From This Inverted World” just closed at the Bridgeport Art Center. Michiko Kobayashi curated the show. Kobayashi selected a variety of pieces that explore issues inflicted on humanity. The artists included were: Cleveland Dean, Dominic Sansone, Lara Nguyen, and Corinna Button.

Lelde Kalmite, Curator of the Bridgeport Art Center, alerted me of the exhibition—urging me to see the show before it closed. She wanted me to experience the exhibit due to its connection to a traveling exhibition that I’ve been curating, titled “…Breaking Criminal Traditions”. So last Friday, I took a ride out to Bridgeport.

When I entered the gallery, I was enthralled. The work was beautifully presented—creating an opportunity to pause before moving on to explore the next visual statement. I’ve work with Corinna Button on the BCT show and was very familiar with her work, but this was my second exposure to the sculpture of Dominic Sansone. Sansone’s pieces slap the viewer in the face with their brutally direct interpretation of the world in which we live and the society that we’ve become. Sansone’s statement in part reads:

Through my current body of artwork I explore the violence of humankind and the role each of us play in facilitating an endless cycle of barbarity. Americans, in particular, have seemingly become addicted to the state of war, in part, due to our desensitization at the hands of the media we consume. From video games glorifying killing, to twenty-four hour coverage of conflicts, to real time video of smart bombs dropping down chimneys, we have an endless supply of stimuli to numb ourselves. The pain and suffering endured by others becomes nothing more than flickering images on a screen.

The work is brilliantly honest. I hope to include Sansone's work in future presentations of “Breaking Criminal Traditions”. I’ll keep you posted.

Dominic Sansone is a native of Chicago Illinois and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and a Master of Fine Arts from the Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis. After completing his BFA studies, he spent two years working for an aerospace company producing fabrication and assembly drawings for satellites, military aircraft, and mobile artillery units. He next spent over a decade in the tradeshow industry and has overseen worldwide exhibition programs for major multinational corporations. Dominic has exhibited in group and solo exhibitions across the United States and he is represented by Baang + Burne in New York City, Minan Gallery in Los Angeles, and Fulton Market Gallery in Chicago; in addition to teaching at the Evanston Art Center.

James Deeb: Breaking Criminal Traditions at The Art Center-Highland Park

James Deeb, "Silent Witnesses" Monotype, 30"x22" 

Save the Date: Friday, November 7th

Opening November 7th at The Art Center of Highland Park is, The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions. This fine art exhibition, features the work of fifteen artists from around the country, calling attention to the ongoing ancient rituals that kill or maim millions each year—yet are not considered crimes. The exhibition utilizes the beauty of high-quality fine art to raise awareness of human rights issues and—in doing so—begin a dialogue that may encourage change.

This provocative yet engaging exhibition debuted in 2013 at the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, putting the shadowy topics of honor killing, child marriage, acid violence—among others—directly in front of current and future law makers. Since the show debuted, new art pieces have been added. The show has evolved into the unique presentation designed specifically for The Art Center of Highland Park.

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 beautifully intriguing works of art that contain multiple levels of meaning. Each piece was chosen to allude to the issues at hand… the meaning ultimately defined by the interpretation of the viewer. For example, "Silent Witnesses" by James Deeb, is a 30x22” Monotype, that was developed from Deeb’s interest in medical and dental x-rays. I found it appropriate for inclusion due to the implied content; the use of figurative abstraction with an emphasis on the bones of the mouth—a graphic image that alludes to the silencing of the repressed. Deeb explains...

 “… After I finished it [Silent Witnesses] and the other pieces in the series, I realized that they were less about human interaction with medical technology and more about taboo subjects often left unspoken. This fits particularly well with the theme of Breaking Criminal Traditions. Speaking out against these crimes almost always leads to violent reprisals. The victims’ coerced silence helps give these “traditions” and their perpetrators an air of normalcy that allows the vicious cycle to continue. I want Silent Witnesses to point out the need to give a voice to the voiceless.”

The exhibition includes works of art by: Corinna Button, James Deeb, Sheila Ganch, Claire Girodie, Sergio Gomez, Andrea Harris, Paula Kloczkowski Luberda, Richard Laurent, Kathy Liao, Zoriah Miller, Nancy Rosen, Lorraine Sack, Valerie Schiff, Barbara Simcoe, and Anne Smith Stephan.

The public Opening Reception will take place on Friday, November 7 from 6:30-9pm. The Art Center of Highland Park is located at 1957 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, IL 60035. The gallery is open Monday–Saturday 9am-4:30pm. Most of the pieces included in the exhibition are available for purchase. Additional information can be found at BreakingCriminalTraditions.com.

James Deeb was born behind the wall in Berlin, Germany. He received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University South Bend in 1988 and earned a Master of Fine Art degree from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo in 1994. Deeb’s first one-person show was ‘Dislocated Media’ in 1988. Since then, he has shown his work in numerous competitive, group and solo exhibitions. James lives and works in Evanston, Illinois.
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The Ed Paschke Art Center

In the fall of 2003, I opened Gallery 180 at the corner of Lake and Wabash, for The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. I had been producing various exhibitions for the school’s exhibition space at 350 North Orleans since January of 2002 and—with the addition of a new building—a new gallery was created at street level. The mission of the new space—Gallery 180—was to expose the student body to the world of fine art… inspiring the various design programs of study.

I spent a great deal of time exploring possibilities for the inaugural exhibition of the new gallery, and finally decided on the work of Chicago’s Contemporary Master, Ed Paschke. At the time, Paschke was represented by the Maya Polsky Gallery in the River North Gallery District. Working through his gallery representative, I scheduled an appointment and soon found myself in the artist’s Rogers Park studio.

I spent a couple of hours talking with Paschke about his recent work and presented my proposal to open Gallery 180 with a show of his work. He was incredibly kind, helpful and generous in allowing me to select works for the show. As we sat in one of the side rooms of his studio, we flipped through stacks of prints that he had produced over the years. He also offered a few of the larger canvases that were in the position of the Polsky gallery.

This past Tuesday, I was re-introduced to one of these paintings when I visited the Ed Paschke Art Center. Turning a corner as I explored the center, I found myself confronted with “Papagallo” of 2002. I use the word “confronted” intentionally. Paschke’s work is just that, confrontational. It provokes the viewer to either love or hate the image… forcing the viewer to feel.

Ed Paschke, Papagallo, 2002, oil on linen, 78" x 60"

The Ed Paschke Art Center opened last month—on what would have been the artist 75th birthday [June 22]. Located at 5415 West Higgins Avenue, in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Chicago, this newly renovated building includes 2,800 square feet of gallery space, educational space and a re-creation of Paschke’s Rogers Park studio. Next to the studio replication is a video room, which presents a half hour loop of interviews the Paschke—amazing to watch and well worth the time.

The center is filled with objects created by this modern master. I was told that the works will be changed regularly—offering a new visual experience to repeat visitors. The Center will also host the work of other area artists in a second gallery... I’ll keep you posted.

Learn more about the Ed Paschke Art Center at: edpaschke.org

The Ed Paschke Art Center has been funded through the generous support of The Rabb Family Foundation and includes partnerships with the 3M Company, the School of the Art Institute and the Block Museum of Art. 

Charles Gniech ~ Gallery H, Three Oaks, MI

Installation View: Gallery H, Three Oaks, Michigan 

Left to right, work by: Charles Gniech, Deanna Krueger, Charles Gniech,
table sculpture by Len Cowgill

Last week, Nancy Hoffman—the owner of Gallery H in Three Oaks, Michigan—came to my studio to review work for an upcoming group exhibition. Nancy and I have a long history—we've been friends for more then a decade. Over the years, she has done a wonderful job representing my work in the Chicago/Michigan market... I was excited to show her the work that I've been producing. By the conclusion of our meeting, she had selected nine pieces for the show. This past Saturday morning, I drove out to Gallery H to deliver the paintings. 

I spent the day with Nancy and her assistant, Elisha, installing the exhibition. The show includes work by: Ellen Cocose, Len Cowgill, Sheila Ganch, Andrea Harris, Deanna Krueger, Tom Matucci, Sheila Oettinger, Francine Turk and myself. The work flows together seamlessly with a [generally] muted color palette—exploring obsessive patterns and textures which leave the viewer absorbed in introspection. The show will be up through July so if you're looking for one more reason to explore Harbor Country, here it is.

Installation View: Gallery H, Three Oaks, Michigan 
Left to right, work by: Ellen Cocose, Charles Gniech, Sheila Oettinger

Gallery H is located at 15 South Elm Street in Three Oaks, Michigan. Hours are: Fridays 12pm–5pm / Saturdays 12pm–5pm EST / Sundays 12pm–4pm EST. Learn more at galleryh.net 

Road Trip... Gallery H, Three Oaks. MI

 Charles Gniech, "Essence" 2014, acrylic on canvas 40x40"

My car is packed in anticipation of tomorrow's road trip to Three Oaks, Michigan. I’ll be delivering nine of my acrylic paintings for an exhibition that will open this weekend at Gallery H. The work continues to focus on the fluid, meditative qualities of the stone patterns that make up each segment of the megalithic stone circles found in Great Britain. The canvases range in size from 40 x 60 inches to 40 inches square, with two smaller pieces included in the work, sized at 36 and 24 inches square.

Gallery H, in Three Oaks, is an easy hour-long trip from downtown Chicago [maybe an hour and fifteen minutes with traffic]. I've made this trip on numerous occasions—You see, I use to review work and curate for the space when Nancy Hoffman opened the gallery in the spring of 2005. I worked with Hoffman for the first three years, and then stepped away to focus on my own paintings. If you have an opportunity to see the exhibition, it will be worth the trip.

Gallery H is located at 15 South Elm Street in Three Oaks, Michigan. Hours are: Fridays 12pm–5pm / Saturdays 12pm–5pm EST / Sundays 12pm–4pm EST. Learn more at galleryh.net 
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