alcippe | Entries tagged with art opening

Fun fact:
Florida has, on average, 230 days of sunshine per year.
Berlin has 68.

As you might gather, it's overcast today.

Yesterday I went to a whopping FOUR art openings, all of which ranked on the 'eh' end of the scale. It's always nice to get out, and while there were some nice aspects to some of the work, nothing really did it for me. I went with my friend S. who is also a painter, and a gaggle of other artists in her acquaintance. I guess we were a core of about 6 people, but always in flux, picking up people along the way, and losing others as we went.

First we went to SomoS, which had some painting and photography. It was alright, but there wasn't really much to look at, but it didn't really move me or make me think.

Then we took the train over to the middle of the city to the Schinkel Pavillon, which is a really amazing space in a very big, old building. A video piece was screening in the downstairs space – and that was really the best piece we saw all evening – and upstairs the same artist (Camille Henrot) had created a series of pieces using flowers and other debris, and try as I might to appreciate it, I found it frustrating that there wasn't more to it, and that the materials appeared shoddy and thrown together, as if in a rush to get the shown put together at the last minute.

There was one piece called 'The Human Condition' that consisted of a couple of large dead leaves on a white pedestal. Then there was a piece called 'Jesus in Florence' which was comprised of a bunch of white tulips in a large square vase, some of which were bent downward along the right side.

Here is a photo I took of the largest piece in the show (the title escapes me):

flowers

Then we went to Leap, where there was a group show called Obsessive Sensing. Upon first viewing I didn't see anything that was overly exciting, but once we got a hold of the booklet that explained all of the work it put everything in a MUCH more interesting light.

There was a machine that was 'dreaming', and projecting it's dream upon the wall. There was another machine that was analyzing the speech patterns of famous people from recordings to determine if they were lying, and there was one piece that represented a parallel reality. Totally fascinating concepts.

But ultimately, the works were so much more fascinating to read about than to look at, which took away from the overall awesomeness. For instance, the 'dream' that was projected was just a red wave form that changed only minimally as I stood there for several minutes watching it. Blah.

So then we left, and by this time it was a little after midnight, but there was one more opening that some people knew of, so we piled in a cab and went over to 032c. We had to go to the back of the building and then up a very precarious set of outdoor stairs to get to it.

The place was PACKED with people and it felt much more like a club than a gallery. One side of the tiny space had a bar set up and a DJ, and on the other was a long case filled with booklets, print outs and other official looking materials. We could barely see the art, so I can't really say anything about it. There were so many people in the way, in groups smashed together, deep in yelling-conversation, so I could only catch glimpses of what was on display. Too bad, really, to go to an art opening and not even be able to see the art.

I put the finishing touches on Verbal. It's slated to be in a small group show in September, and the curators want to use it for the postcard. I photographed it this morning with the sun coming through the windows. Sunlight is always the best light to shoot artwork in; it brings the colors out so well:

Verbal
18"x18"
acrylic on canvas
2010

I took today off from work (as well as tomorrow and Wednesday) to patch up my soul and continue learning how to build mammoth sized canvases from scratch over at W's studio.

I had never used a table saw before, so it was a new experience for me. We cut the #2 pine 1"x8" boards in half (length-wise) with a 20 degree bevel, and then cut a big sheet of Luan plywood into the triangular pieces that brace the corners. So now, with all the wood cut, on Wednesday we're going to reconvene to do the carpentry.

It took me a quite a while to get through the giant stack of boards, but now I feel pretty comfortable using a table saw, and like I could do this again if I were to get a saw for myself (which is something I plan to do in the next year or two, when my existing supply of stretcher bars runs out).

When I got home I did some work on the four paintings I've got going right now. It's a slow process... I've been layering them up for a month, and they're no where near ready to have their surfaces worked. Maybe in a few weeks, but for now they're still too thin. With all the paintings I'm working on simultaneously as well as the paper I have to prep for future layers, my studio is getting pretty difficult to walk around in.

As for my future plans.... I'll be leaving for Berlin on July 29th and returning to Chicago on August 14th. I'm going to start emailing companies this week to set up some interviews for while I'm over there. I'm hoping to get as many in as possible, and I'm going to ask my Hamburg boss to write a letter of recommendation for me, which I think would significantly help me get my foot in the door.

In September (since it looks like I'm still going to be here in Chicago this September) I'm drawing up plans to have an art opening at my studio with my friend Dana, who is an amazing photographer. I figure I'll just move my crap into the back storage area, clean the place up, and it'll look just like any other gallery here in the city. I'm hoping I can have all the new paintings finished by then, although I know it's a pretty ambitious goal. Still, it's something to aim for.

Current Mood: never a dull moment
Current Location: Ukrainian Village, Chicago

We hung the show over at Eyeporium today and it looks fantastic. I'm really relieved that all the preparations and legwork are over; now I can just relax and promote the show.

It was strange to have everything down off my studio walls.

L came over in her truck and we loaded it up with paintings. Then we picked up M and her work, and drove over to the gallery. The installation took a couple hours, and it looks great.

M's work and mine work really well paired together, and I'm glad we got the opportunity to do this show. Here are M (with the pink scarf) and A, the gallery owner:

It's strange being in my studio now that the walls are bare. But it's okay. I may be packing up everything to move soon anyway, so maybe it's best that the artwork is elsewhere, safe and sound. I'm kind of hoping that it all sells so I don't have to move it with me to Hamburg. It would be really helpful if I could unload it all before I go.

Current Mood: optimistic
Current Location: back o' the yards

I just heard back from the Chicago Art Open: I'll be in the show again this year!
The curators chose this one:

So those of you in/near/coming to Chicago, mark your calendars:
CHICAGO ART OPEN BENEFIT: October 3, 6-10PM at the Merchandise Mart in River North. It's something like $20 for the general public. You can learn more here, and I'll post reminders as the date draws near.

I've been in the show twice in the past, and both times they had a huge catered buffet and TONS of wine. They always have some kind of strange entertainment, too. Last year it was random belly dancers weaving through the crowd, and the year before that it was a punk rock marching band. The REALLY great thing about this year's show is that it's at a great location, right down in the loop.

-------
In other news, my performance review is in two and a half hours O.o

Current Location: the cube by the men's bathroom

So I finally finished writing my Employee Self Evaluation and submitted it yesterday. It took me forEVER to fill that thing out. I had to list all the things I suck at and how I'm going to take steps to fix all the problems that I have. But I also got to list all the things I rule at and all the ways I have helped the company over the past year, and that list is very long. So yes, I may suck a little, but I rule way more than I suck.

I requested to be transferred to one of the German offices, so we'll see. They have offices in Hamburg, Stuttgart, and Munich. People I've talked to say it shouldn't be a problem.

I'm trying to get my application for the Chicago Art Open together and it's taking forever. They require all sorts of random stuff and it's hard getting all my ducks in a row: Three works of art on a CD, each must be 300 dpi, and named with their naming convention. Fill out the form. Include your bio, artist statement and exhibition history. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope with $3 worth of stamps on it. Include a printout of each image and list the price, medium, date, and title. Include a check for the $45 entry fee. Checks will not be reimbursed.

I bet this BS deters a lot of artists from applying.

I'm submitting these three:

They'll either like them or hate them.

Current Location: in the corner

Next weekend is the Chicago Art Open!
I'm dropping my piece off at the Iron Studios this afternoon - it's all wrapped up and ready to go.

Opening Benefit of the Chicago Art Open
October 5, 2007
Iron Studios, 3636 South Iron
Chicago, IL
6pm-10pm

In keeping with the Chicago Artists' Month theme of Creative Alliances, the Chicago Artists' Coalition has invited the Old Town School of Folk Music to organize the entertainment for the Opening Benefit. The line-up features:

6:30 - Congress Of Starlings
7:30 - Ripley Caine
8:30 - Julia Storke
9:15- Baba Manouche

Belly dancing by the Gypsy Queens.

Tickets are $20 per person and include food and drink. Available at the door.

This is the Painting I am entering:

I'm asking $850 for it. If it sells, the Chicago Artists' Coalition will get 40% of that, and because I had to have it professionally framed (cost $100) I will be left with $410. If you factor in the cost of materials, I am left with $350. So I guess I'll keep my day job.

If it sells it'll help me pay for my trip to Europe. If not, I'll be happy to keep the painting because I love this piece.

Incidentally, if you love this piece too, but don't really want to put down $850 for it, you can get a giclee print reproduction of it through the Chicago Artists' Coalition for something like $150. Let me know if you're interested and I'll send you the info.

Just got back from an art opening featuring the work of Chicago artist, Wesley Kimler. Good GOD did I feel out of place there. Everyone was dripping money in their armani and their gucci, and then there was me with my cheap little denim skirt, beat up leather boots and bleached hair.

Sometimes it doesn't feel so cool to look different, and this was one of those occasions where I wished I could just fade into the wall.

I got a beer from the table in the back and the guy didn't have a tip jar. I understand the free beer - that goes with the territory - but I felt bad not tipping, so I asked him where the tip jar was, and he shook his head and grimaced as if I'd just made a terrible faux pas.
I guess rich people don't tip.

I admired the art in an awkward, self conscious kind of way, and then got the hell out of there. I had wanted to talk to the artist (who was also dressed down, I might add), but he was continually cornered by people talking to him.

But aside from all the pretentiousness, I'm glad I went.
I got a lot out of seeing the work first hand; it's always different when you see a piece of art in person as opposed to a photograph of it. I could see how the pieces were constructed, the layering of the paint and the charcoal on the paper, and could reconstruct the process of creation in my mind. It gave me ideas of things I might want to try in the future.

I am not an art buyer.
I am an idea scavenger. An inspiration thief.

The night is still young and I'm still all dressed up (in my own "cheap" kind of way). Don't really feel like sitting at home. Maybe I will dip into Neo for a bit.