Discovering Art in Chicago

This Will Have Been: Art, Love & Politics in the 1980s

2012-03-04T14:40:00.002-08:00

This past Thursday I visited the Museum of Contemporary Art located off the Chicago Red Line stop. One exhibit that stood out above the rest was This Will Have Been: Art, Love & Politics in the 1980s. On display from February 11th- June 3rd 2012, the exhibit covers the period from 1979 to 1992.

From the birth of MTV, to the rap/hip-hop scene emerging, to the former US President Ronald Reagan and everything in between; this exhibition attempts to make sense of what happened to the visual arts in the United States during this tumultuous period.

The artists represented in this exhibit answer the questions "what is the role of the visual arts? How can artists make images that either compete with or counter the powerful images produced by advertising and Hollywood?"

Each room of the exhibit has its own central theme "The End is Near," "Democracy," "Gender Trouble," and "Desire and Longing."

Although I was born in 1990, I still was influenced and captured by some if not a lot of the artwork represented in the exhibit. This exhibit not only brings entertainment to the public but also brings awareness.

Go to the MCA when you have time and check it out. It's definitely different than your average exhibition.

http://mcachicago.org/exhibitions/featured/twhb/exhibition/overview

"The Winter Tiger"

2012-02-29T14:59:00.000-08:00

Today I visited the DePaul Art Museum. The gallery had just recently opened this past year and contains many interesting and unique pieces of work. One painting that particularly caught my attention was "The Winter Tiger" by Tony Fitzpatrick. Using graphite, ink, and pigment, Fitzpatrick was an underdog of art. His fierce and bold ways of storytelling makes him a visionary artist, poet, and performer. He gives a voice to the nameless.

"The Winter Tiger"
by Tony Fitzpatrick

When asked why the moth was used as a symbolic statement in "The Winter Tiger" Fitzpatrick states, "I returned to making moths because they still speak to me in a way that sends ice through my veins..."

The moth is strategically placed in the middle and takes up most of the canvas. Inside we see skulls and a cross placed at the head. In the background, buildings are visible along with symbols relating to time. This includes a clock and the saying "Tick Tock". There is also, in the corner, the word "DRUGS". Is Fitzpatrick trying to tell us something about time and using it wisely? We can only imagine. Check out more of Tony Fitzpatrick's works at DePaul Art Museum or on his online site!

http://museums.depaul.edu/

http://tonyfitzpatrick.wordpress.com/

2012-02-28T12:20:00.001-08:00

In my painting class at Columbia, I decided to use a cubist style for my most recent oil piece. It started as a still life of an empty spaghetti jar, a clementine, and a cinnamon container. It is still in progress.

Cubism is considered a 20th century avant-garde art movement. Varieties of shapes and angles are formed to fit and make a rather abstract sense of depth, while retaining a flat image. Some of the considered founders are Pablo Picasso and Georges Barque. Viewpoints in Cubism are looked at in a few different phases: Analytic, Synthetic, and Sculptural.

-Emily

“Feast: Radical Hospitality in Contemporary Art.”

2012-02-21T10:23:00.000-08:00

Last week I got the opportunity to visit the Smart Museum ofArt over in Hyde Park. The exhibition opening taking place that evening was, “Feast: RadicalHospitality in Contemporary Art.” The show shared work from over thirty artistssince the 1930s. The artists shared their experiences of eating and foodthrough a variety of different mediums.

The museum was crowded the whole evening. Outside was an“Enemy Kitchen” food truck serving complimentary Iraqi food. I immediately grabbed some and it was pretty good. (see photo)

I would recommend stopping by to see this exhibition. It certainly brought a different kind of enlightenment to me. Finding unique ways to connect an artist with everyday living can be a challenge. I was happy to be there, andfulfilled when leaving. The exhibition runs until June 10^th, youhave plenty of time to make it!

Artists:

Feast includes art, documentarymaterials, and new public projects by Marina Abramović and Ulay, SonjaAlhäuser, Mary Ellen Carroll, Fallen Fruit, Theaster Gates, FelixGonzalez-Torres, InCUBATE, The Italian Futurists, Mella Jaarsma, AlisonKnowles, Suzanne Lacy, Lee Mingwei, Laura Letinsky, Tom Marioni, GordonMatta-Clark, Mildred's Lane, Julio César Morales and Max La Rivière-Hedrick,motiroti, National Bitter Melon Council, Ana Prvacki, Sudsiri Pui-Ock, MichaelRakowitz, Ayman Ramadan, Red76, David Robbins, Allen Ruppersberg, Bonnie Sherk,Barbara T. Smith, Daniel Spoerri, Rirkrit Tiravanija, and others. (smartmuseum.uchicago.edu/)

Contemporary Drawings from the Irving Stenn Jr. Collection

2012-02-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

Being a Visual Arts Management minor I have to take classes that allow me to explore the visual arts world more in depth. I am constantly going to different galleries, museums and other non-profit organizations.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to check out an exhibit at the Art Institute entitled the Contemporary Drawings from the Irving Stenn Jr. Collection. Located in the Jean and Steven Goldman Prints and Drawings Galleries in the Richard and Mary L. Gray Wing, the exhibit is on display from November 19, 2011-February 26, 2012.

The “big idea” for this exhibition is to showcase different drawings that exemplify minimalistic, conceptual, & pop art drawings at its finest from the 1960s that are favorites of Irving Stenn Jr. (or that mean a great deal to him) in a way that can be appreciated by the viewer as well.

The drawing below, entitled 8" Measurement, 1969 is by Mel Bochner and is the drawing that is being marketed by the museum for the exhibition.

This photo is one I took of outside the exhibition:

I thoroughly enjoyed this exhibit and since it is only on display for another week I suggest you all check it out soon!

link to :

Art Institute exhibition page for more info

Mano y Metal

2012-02-19T22:50:00.000-08:00

Upon my first day at the gallery I was honored to meet Desiree Castro, designer of Mano y Metal jewelry. Her jewelry, which is featured in Elephant Room, consists of metal stamped bracelets, rings, earrings, necklaces, hair pins, pendants, and tie clips. Each piece of work is hand- crafted with style and love. Desiree is an energetic and bubbly artist, whose love for her work shows through her personality.

Castro, a Chicago native, taught herself to make her unique jewelry. She incorporates themes such as urban influences, chicago,life, amor,and insanity for a playful and vibrant trend. The line, Mano y Metal, started in 2010 and has been growing ever since. Her pieces are definitely one of my favorites to look at and admire!

Mano y Metal can be find at numerous stores in Chicago, including Elephant Room, Inc. Check her out!
Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ManoyMetal
Blog: http://www.manoymetal.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/manoymetaljewelry
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/ManoyMetal

"Vintage Blonde"

2012-01-31T23:31:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite blogs as an aspiring photographer is the Ben Trovato blog. It shows different photographers around the world and does a little blurb about them showing some of their best work.

As I was scrolling through the blog one day I came across this photographer named Michael Dengler. I was instantly captivated by his photos. The work, titled "Vintage Blonde," displayed a group of "vintage art nouveau photographs with a modern feel." As I looked through his portfolio on his website, I knew instantly I wanted to reach out to him.

I asked him how he got started in photography and he told me he went to school in 2008 to study interior design. He was "asked to be a guest in a photography class and it instantly sparked his interest in photography. He bought his first camera and two years later left school to work as a photographer."

I noticed that Michael's work on his website was not all the same in terms of genre or style and was interested in his thoughts.

He said..
"I'm always interested in creating frames with people. But in the end it is all about the creation; you can make a great photo with or without people. But I can't deny that my greatest influence comes from fashion photography. I always try to put this aesthetic into my pictures, even if I want to photograph a building."

Lastly, I wanted to know what inspired him. He told me every moment inspires him.
"At the moment I'm working a lot with old pictures from the 12th til the 18th century and their hidden meaning."

Photographers like him inspire me so much and are worth sharing with all of you! Check out his website!

http://michaeldengler.com/

Alleys & Ruins

2012-01-24T10:17:00.000-08:00

Last Friday I travelled over to 18^thand Halsted for the second Friday art walk. Before even entering a studio orgallery, I was confronted with the photographs of Xavier Nuez. His large-scalephotographs of alleys and ruins from cities around the country, occupy many ofthe abandoned storefronts. These photos have a great presence on this streetbecause of the juxtaposition they create. The photos glorify the decay of urbanplaces while the neighborhood is in the process of trying to rebuild. Together,the elements create a romantic dialogue about the lives of cities.

Afterlooking around in a few galleries and studios, I made my way to Xavier’s studioon the fourth floor of 1932 S. Halsted. Looking at the photographs and talkingto the artist made me appreciate them even more. All his photographs are takenat night with extremely long exposures and he lights them by walking around thepicture frame holding lights. He wears all black and the exposure is longenough that the photo captures the light but not him. It is as if he iscreating a painting with light. The resulting photographs contain colors evenmore vivid than what could be seen in the light of day.

Xavier with one of his photographs

Miami Stadium

St. Louis Bridge

Light Years

2012-01-16T14:15:00.000-08:00

About a week ago I was visiting TheArt Institute of Chicago and was almost done looking through the museum when Iarrived at “Light Years: Conceptual Art and the Photograph 1964-1977”. I endedup staying another two hours and still felt like I needed more time. I gavemyself a week to digest it all and then went back yesterday to have anotherlook.

The exhibit is an impressive surveyof photography’s place in conceptual art. Although it focuses on photography,it is not limited to that. Both installations and text play a big role in thepresentation. The show is broken down into five sections including: Camera Work, Misunderstandings,Invisibility, Painting Photography Film and Material Properties. These sections are accompanied by text thatgroups the pieces together in very interesting ways. For me some of the highlights were the fourdifferent pieces by Bruce Nauman, “Human Dust” by Agnes Denes and“Misunderstandings” by Mel Bochner.

The exhibit, which includes over140 pieces by 57 different artists, contains enough material for a wholecollege course. Actually, there are a couple things that make it feel like itwas designed for a class. Since it is a survey on conceptual art andphotography, many of the artists and ideas are presented without going into toomuch depth and grouped together in a way a textbook would. To further this, thelast room is transformed into a sort of library, with tables to sit at andbooks you can flip through. While this is a weird feeling to get from an artexhibit, it is actually pretty fitting. Conceptual art is extremely academic inits nature so viewing it in an academic way comes quite naturally.

The location of this show in amuseum also may seem a bit odd but ends up working perfectly. Despite the factthat many of these artists were anti- museum, the museum becomes the perfectsetting for them. At The Art Institute, they can be viewed in the context ofthe works they quote, reference and react against.

I would encourage everyone to see“Light Years” especially if you are someone who is fascinated by the trajectoryof art history. Just make sure you have enough time and energy to appreciateall of the pieces.

Voices From the Center at Three Walls

2011-12-09T10:23:00.001-08:00

Hey guys!

This week, I took a trip to Three Walls in the West Loop. If you have not been there yet, make a point to go. They are a non-profit gallery that hosts six shows per year that include solo exhibits and group shows.

Their current exhibit is called Voices From the Center which is a group show that reflects on the lives of Eastern Europeans before and after the the destruction of the Berlin Wall and discusses issues such as immigration. With a mix of artists, testimonials, times lines and sketches, this show really covers multiple platforms and gives a well rounded view of the topic. There is so much to look at! Pictures and video are also included along with the opportunity to participate in the show. Paper, pencils, and wall space are offered for writing feelings and memories of the events of the Cold War.

With a mix of exhibit and viewer contribution, this show gets across multiple view points. As someone who did not experience this time in world history, or immigrate from Eastern Europe, it was nice to learn so much from this show. I really felt involved in the lives of the people that were interviewed or shown in images. Lifestyle was a central point to this exhibit, which was so well expressed that I felt like a part of their families.

Although I would not suggest this show to someone who only wants to quickly browse an exhibit, I certainly think almost anyone can learn something from this show. With so many stories told and objects to look at, this show is really an incredible experience.

For more information about the exhibit, please visit www.voicesfromthecenter.net

Or, you can visit Three Walls' website at three-walls.org. Their location is at 119 S. Peoria in Chicago, Il.

Hello from Chicago!

2011-11-28T17:51:00.000-08:00

Hey there!

Alicia here reporting to you, hoping you all have had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

While I've been enjoying my Thanksgiving break, tummy full and mind at ease, I've been still exploring the art world and discovering unique and interesting artists in the windy city of Chicago. One artist I've discovered recently while working at my current internship is Donte Mearon.

Chicago born and raised, Donte realized his love for art in grade school. Learning how to print in high school, he realized that's what he wanted to do. Printing on fabric was not only a hobby, but a passion. He continued throughout college. He was always a fan of fashion, and while attending Columbia College, he "watched what big designers were doing."

"I like designing for women, because there is natural flow to my style. I am a man and I really like designing what I want to wear! Most of the time other men want to wear it too." - Donte

Mearon categorizes himself as an "expressionist artist"...he designs with feeling and emotion.

I asked Donte what inspired him and he gave me a wonderful answer. The environment in which he lives inspires him to create his artwork... the style, vibe, people around him in which he lives. "Chicago is dope, but fashion and technology is moving so fast that it helps to get a head start by staying in the artist loop and seeing what is out there."

Something unique that he says he is inspired by, is his own senses. Feel, taste, smell etc.. He loves to tap into the "6th sense." Donte says he is not only driven by his visual senses but his "tasteful" senses too.

Donte Mearon's art stands out because it is unique to him and the for the customer. All the pieces he creates are one of a kind. I whole heartily agree with this. Every t-shirt, greeting card, or custom work that Donte creates is different and has a feeling about them that is unlike any other.

Below are some pieces that Donte has created and a link to his website! :)
www.artbydonte.com

What This Blog is All About...

2011-11-15T19:05:00.000-08:00

The interns at Elephant Room Art Gallery bring you along on their artistic discoveries in and around the city! Their unique perspectives are important, as they are themselves future artists, curators and teachers moving around in a world of undiscovered artists.