Filed under: Chicago, Review | Tags: Chicago, Geoffrey Todd Smith, Josh Reames, Looker, Western Exhibitions
Geoffrey Todd Smith recently opened his third solo show at Western Exhibitions entitled Looker. The show features an array of vibrant, uber-meticulous enamel/gouache/ink paintings on panel. The new group of paintings is a slight departure from his previous body of work of edge-to-edge pattern-fields, now employing a larger pattern within the micro-pattern; often these larger patterns resemble the irregular compositions of Gee’s Bend quilts. In some moments the paintings are strikingly vivid, with neons and vibrating colors that create a push and pull with the foreground and background; other times the paintings are entirely about clever nuances within the surface textures, glossiness, and composition. - Josh Reames, Chicago Contributor
Installation (more…)
Filed under: Art Fairs, Art Market, Art World | Tags: Chicago, Expo Chicago, newcityart, Robin Dluzen
“There’s going to be an EXPO Chicago next year, right?” Chicago dealer Linda Warren asked Tony Karman Sunday at Festival Hall, voicing the concern that all of us are harboring. We were discussing how the fair was unfolding, Karman mentioning that he wished more collectors from the greater Midwest region would have come out and talking about the holes he’d like to fill in the future. As Karman spoke about how he was the first to arrive at fair that morning at 9AM to take in his fully realized creation before the final day’s activities commenced, he was the confident marketing machine that was responsible for convincing the amazing architects, dealers and vendors to invest in this first year fair. But as Warren inquired about EXPO 2013, Karman’s pitchman countenance disappeared as he sat down on the floor in front of our bench. With his knees bent, Karman began pulling up the dress socks that had pooled around his ankles and politely asking us to pardon that action before admitting with a sheepish smile, “There had better be a fair next year, or I don’t know what I’m going to do with the rest of my life.” - Robin Dluzen, Chicago Contributor
This article was originally posted by Robin on NewCityArt.
Expo Chicago Wrap-Up: Part One
Loock Galerie Berlin’s Booth at EXPO Chicago. Photo by Robin Dluzen
Filed under: Gallerist at Home | Tags: Carrie Schneider, Chicago, Ellen C. Caldwell, Gallerist at Home, Jason Middlebrook, monique meloche, Rashid Johnson, Rinus Van de Velde, Van de Velde, Wesley Kimler
Hip, stylish, and ever-tasteful, Monique Meloche (the founder, owner, and namesake of monique meloche gallery) and her husband live in a contemporary single family home in Ukranian Village, Chicago. After Meloche and her husband got married and moved into their home, they opened the gallery in that very residence in October of 2000 with an exhibition aptly called “Homewrecker” before opening to the public in 2001.
Rashid Johnson, Thug, 2000, neon and mahogany, 48 x 48 in. Image courtesy of artist and moniquemeloche; Photography by Heidi Norton.
Twelve years later, Meloche is still a tastemaker in the art world and gallery circuit. Meloche also founded Gallery Weekend Chicago, an annual fall art fair that runs from September 21-23rd this year. Having started the gallery in her home, Meloche is a perfect candidate for Gallerist at Home, as she is constantly testing and blurring the lines between personal and private — home and gallery. - Ellen C. Caldwell (more…)
Filed under: Chicago, Review | Tags: Brooks Cashbaugh, Chicago, Peter Miller Gallery, Robin Dluzen
Few images capturing the essence of American identity can stand the test of time and override the trappings of overuse, celebrity, cliché and kitsch. Indiana-based painter, Brooks Cashbaugh, has been investigating the vast cultural landscape of Americana through his figurative painting practice, this time with twelve paintings in his current exhibition (on view through July 7th, 2012) at Peter Miller Gallery Chicago, “Demotic Emolument (of The People, a reward for Good Work).” Featuring an array of cultural figures from various points within the last two centuries, Cashbaugh’s works center around a loose conceptual framework of resistance, counterculture and niche interest with historical figures, celebrities and anonymous characters that compose our American folklore. -Robin Dluzen, Chicago Contributor
Brooks Cashbaugh | Hostess, 2012, acrylic and paint marker on canvas, 46″ x 40″ Photo courtesy of the artist and Peter Miller Gallery
Filed under: Art Fairs, Art Market, Art World | Tags: Art Chicago, Chicago, NEXT Art Fair
We just received word that the long-running Art Chicago fair, which was going to be combined this year with the NEXT Fair (with a rebranded name of Next Art Chicago), has been canceled. An email from organizers informs us that, “After a thorough analysis of the art fair landscape, Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. [MMPI] has determined not to move forward with the production of the 2012 edition of Next Art Chicago, and that Chicago will not remain a primary focus of its art fair business activities.”
The Merchandise Mart continues, stating that, “…While Chicago is home to a thriving arts community, including galleries, world-class museums, theaters, arts-related organizations, along with thousands of art enthusiasts, it is our conclusion that the great majority of the art fair market in the United States has gravitated toward the coasts. This is where MMPI will be reallocating its considerable resources.”
In addition to Next Art Chicago, the MMPI family of art fairs include: The Armory Show, Art Platform-Los Angeles, Art Toronto, VOLTA and VOLTA NY.
New American Paintings will continue to keep you updated as we learn more about the closing of the fair. Follow us on Twitter @newampaintings for the latest.
Merchandise Mart entrance, Chicago. Photo Courtesy Art Next Chicago
Filed under: Chicago, Review | Tags: Chicago, Devening Projects + Editions, Josh Reames, Joshua Abelow
Devening Projects + Editions just opened up a solo show of Joshua Abelow’s work entitled Songs From a Room. The exhibition features an assortment of Abelow’s small-ish paintings spanning the last four years. I’m a big fan of Joshua’s work, and the show is happening at an important point in his career; since his recent move to James Fuentes in NYC and the ever-growing popularity of his obsessively updated blog, ART BLOG ART BLOG, the name Joshua Abelow has been unavoidable.
Joshua Abelow | Self Portrait, 2011, oil on burlap on canvas, 18”x14”
Filed under: Noteworthy, Vote! | Tags: Ann Toebbe, Annual Prize, BLICK Art Materials, Brion Nuda Rosch, Chicago, Daniela Rivera, Erik Parker, Erin Payne, Jeremy Couillard, Joe Bussell, Josh Reames, Maja Ruznic, Marcus Jansen, Marcus Kenney, NEXT ART CHICAGO, Vote, William Betts
Our final New American Paintings’ issue of 2011 is out on newsstands, so it’s once again time to ask our readers who they think deserves some extra attention. We are pleased to present the New American Paintings’ Second Annual Prize, which includes two components:
- $1,000 cash prize and a $500 gift certificate, sponsored by BLICK Art Materials, will be awarded to one of New American Paintings‘ 12 Noteworthy artists featured this year. The winner will be determined by a panel of distinguished curators (Stay tuned to learn more about our panel soon).
- $500 gift certificate sponsored by BLICK Art Materials, with the winner decided by YOU, our reader! Take a look at all 12 of this year’s Noteworthy artists after the jump and VOTE NOW!
Thanks to our sponsor Next Art Chicago, the two winners will also be prominently displayed at the Next Art Chicago fair at the Merchandise Mart, April 27th – April 29th, 2012.
Voting is open through January 7 (one vote per computer)
The winner of the Reader’s Choice will be announced by Friday, January 13th, and the winner of the Annual Prize will be announced January 20.
Filed under: Chicago, Review | Tags: Chicago, Daniel Reich Gallery, Josh Reames, Kavi Gupta, Luce Gallery, MCA, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Saatchi Gallery, Scott Reeder
It is difficult to think about Scott Reeder’s work without the word “funny” coming to mind. The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago recently opened up with the Milwaukee-native’s first museum show that features his colorful, faux-naïve paintings of smoking fruit, symmetrical pirates, protesting pandas, and humorous still-lives: the usual suspects in Reeder’s art historical and pun-based visual jokes. The exhibition also includes Reeder’s newer untitled spaghetti paintings, made using raw and cooked noodles and spray-paint. Upon entering the MCA, visitors are confronted with a massive, two-story, raw spaghetti painting; commissioned specifically for the show. - Josh Reames, Chicago Contributor
Scott Reeder | Installation view of “Untitled,” 2011, acrylic and enamel on canvas, 180” x 300”
(detail) of “Untitled”
More pictures after the jump! (more…)
Filed under: Art Fairs, Chicago | Tags: Alex Ebstein, Chicago, MDW, MDW Fall Showcase
Chicago’s MDW Fall showcase is the second presentation in the past seven months of the loosely structured art fair and projects organized by Illinois non-profits Threewalls, Roots and Culture, and the Public Media Institute. An even mix of performative pieces, non-commercial installation, small presses and cleanly presented 2 and 3D works for sale, the quality of the art was consistently high, while approach and project goals varied. The fair, which ran concurrently (although separated by floor) with the Hand in Glove conference on DIY arts organization, alternative funding and sustainability, encouraged networking and camaraderie, while building steam to perhaps become a destination for savvy collectors interested in work by emerging artists. The fair featured many amazing galleries, including Nudashank, run by our Baltimore contributor, Alex Ebstein. Pictures after the jump!
Steven Ruiz covered the fair for Artslant, a link can be found here: http://www.artslant.com/chi/articles/picklist#p28480
Paul Nudd, Western Exhibitions’ Booth at MDW
Filed under: Alabama, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, DC, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Must-Sees, New York, Philly, Portland, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Seattle | Tags: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, DC, Houston, Los Angeles, Must-See, NAP, New American Paintings, New York, Northeast, Pacific Coast, painting, San Francisco, Seattle
The art world comes alive again in September, as galleries reopen and collectors return from far flung locations. We reviewed upcoming September exhibitions at more than 400 galleries around the country, and there will be a lot of painting on view.
As is typical, many galleries are bringing out the big guns for the new season – from Agnes Martin at The Pace Gallery in New York to a well structured survey of Bay Area figurative painter, Nathan Oliveira, at John Berggruen Gallery in San Francisco. Among the shows opening by emerging artists, it is hard to ignore the trend towards abstract painting that has swept over the art world.
