Tuesday, October 08, 2013

RIPE: A Post Modern Ceramic Exhibition


RIPE

A Post Modern Ceramic Exhibition

New Work by Thomas Billings  

Opening Friday, October 18,  Reception 5-10. 
Live Music TBA  
 
Tom Billings continuously proves himself a dedicated artful workaholic.  While participating in & co-curating exhibits in Chicago’s bars, clubs, cafes, and painting: murals, street art and the like. He was also exhibiting in galleries in New York and Chicago earlier this year. Tom has simultaneously been prolific in the ceramic studio. Tom’s production of ceramics into the small hours has yielded some wonderful results. His mask series which depict Dante’s Seven Deadly Sins are featured.  His style yields a series of glazed masks, directly inspired from his recent painted portraits.
 
 
This October, he will exhibit at Cobalt Studio. It includes several small vessels, organic “pear-like” forms and painted tiles.  All the work has been produced in Chicago and will be shown as a complete body of work for the first time.    
 
The “RIPE — A Post Modern Ceramic Exhibition” Opens to the Public: Friday, October 18, with a Reception 5-10. The show is up through November 18.  Cobalt Studio will be open weekends in October with times to be announced. For Viewing or Pre-Opening sales by Appointment Contact, Antonio via email at cobaltartstudio@gmail.com Tom’s website mrtomlikesred.blogspot.com
 
Cobalt Studio
1950 W. 21st St.
Chicago, IL 60608

Sunday, October 06, 2013

Little Man Pee Pool Party: The Whiz Paddler's Lament

 
Little Man Pee Pool Party: The Whiz Paddler's Lament
curated by Raúl Nude

Opening Friday October 11 from 6pm-10pm
Show runs until November 9, 2013

Antena
1765 S Laflin St
Chicago, IL 60608
www.antenapilsen.com
(773) 340-3516
gallery hours: Saturday October 12, 19, & 26, November 2 & 9
noon-5PM

"Little Man Pee Pool Party: The Whiz Paddler's Lament" will consist of at least twenty idiosyncratic versions of Mannekin Pis, the famous "peeing boy" public fountain in Brussels, made by a variety of professional sculptors, artists, and non-artists alike. Each piece will be fully functional and will pee into a series of shared indoor pools. A twenty-six page catalog will accompany the exhibit with contributions by many of Chicago's most dynamic young cartoonists. The exhibit will also include several "surprises".

SCULPTURE ARTISTS:
Meg Duguid
Bruce Conkle
Micki Tschur
Paul Mack
Mariano Chavez
Sarah Beth Woods
Marie Walz
Scott Wolniak
Sabina Ott & Michelle Wasson
Catie Olson
Andy Pizz
Eyeball Mansion
Nick Drnaso
Sarah Leitten
Andy Gabrysiak
Scott Anderson
Taylor Hokanson
Paul Somers
Edra Soto
Ryan Standfest
Bert Stabler
Matthew Novak
Kevin Budnik
Jeffrey Boguslawski
Ryan Travis
Christian Lars
Bra Jim Zimpel
Tom Torluemke
Tim Ripley 


CATALOG ARTISTS:
Eric Lebofsky
Andy Burkholder
Erik Lundquist
Krystal Difronzo
Marieke McClendon
Lyra Hill
Alyssa Herlocher
Joe Tallarico
Chris Cilla
Andy Gabrysiak
Chris Kerr
Keith Herzik
Kevin Budnik
Jason Robert Bell
Abe Lampert
Ryan Travis Christian
Jo Dery
David Alvarado
Ryan Standfest
EC Brown
Grant Reynolds
Max Morris
Otto Splotch
Anonymous

Friday, September 27, 2013

Anode: The path from a negative to a positive voltage

Anode: The path from a negative to a positive voltage
New works by Saul Aguirre and Miguel Cortez


OPENING:
Saturday, October 5, 2013 - 5:00pm- 9:00pm
October 5 - November 6, 2013
This show interfaces the material with the virtual. Both artists are having a discussion on how to build a relevant social critique. They are both image makers, but while Saul Aguirre explores the use of traditional materials,  Miguel Cortez uses digital imagery and new media.
 
SPECIAL EVENT:
Coffee with the artists Hosted by La Catrina Cafe
Sunday, October 13, 2013 - 11:00am

Sol Studio
2233 S Throop Suite 206
Chicago IL 60608
Phone:312.282.3777
http://www.saulaguirre.com/

Sol Studio is part of Chicago Artists Month 2013, the 18th annual celebration of Chicago’s vibrant art community presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. For more information, visit www.chicagoartistsmonth.org.

Wednesday, September 04, 2013

How Many Feminists Does it Take to Change a Light Bulb?

“How Many Feminists Does it Take to Change a Light Bulb?” …
….“That’s not funny.”

Friday September 6th, 2013 from 6pm-10pm
show runs until September 28th

“How Many Feminists…” is a collection of comedic work by female video artists and performers who identity themselves as feminists and utilize humor as an important part of their work. This show is put together with the intent of getting the academic art world and activist communities to “catch up” with mainstream entertainment in terms of experimentation and trendsetting a female comedic expression. In addition to showcasing female comedic work, this show intertwines “art” and “entertainment” into one genre by including stand up performers and comedic troupes.

Video Work by:
Sarah Kelly
Marisa Williamson
Katya Grokhovsky
Rachelle Beaudoin
Andrea Hidalgo
Roxy Farhat
Em Meine
Cristine Brache
T. Foley
Lex Brown
Lilly McElroy
Molly Shea
Shana Moulton
Becky Sellinger

Photography work by
Rosemarie Romero

Come Opening Night for Live Performances by
Julie Potratz
And
The Puterbaugh Sisterz

With a Presentation by curator
Sara McCool

Antena
1755 S. Laflin, St.
Chicago, IL 60608
antenapilsen (at) gmail.com
(773) 340-3516
Hours: by appointment only

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Outside In @ the National Museum of Mexican Art


Outside In
The Mexican-American Street Art Movement in Chicago

Opening Friday, August 9 from 6-8PM

Exhibition continues through December 22, 2013
Rubin & Paula Torres Gallery

FEATURING
Ruben ‘Like’ Aguirre
John ‘Jonski’ Ayala
Miguel A. Del Real
Mario ‘Zore’ Gonzalez
Ricardo ‘Naco’ Gonzalez
Rafael ‘Rafa’ Almaguer
Vicente Jasso
Victoria Martinez
Rodrigo ‘Solo’ Mireles
KC Ortiz
Jesus ‘Chucho’ Rodriguez
Nino ‘Tsel’ Rodriguez
Angel Silva

Curator & artist gallery talk on Saturday October 19 @ 11am
Curated by Miguel ‘Kane One’ Aguilar

This exhibition surveys the aesthetics created (from the 1980s to the present) in Chicago’s public space through a contemporary Mexican-American experience. It investigates graffiti and street art as a social practice, focusing on agency, mobilization and identity formation.
 
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MEXICAN ART
1852 W 19th St  Chicago, IL 60608
www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org/


 

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

#404 Not Found


#404 Not Found
Curated by Miguel Cortez from Antena

Opening Friday August 30, 2013 from 6pm-10pm
Show runs until September 8th 
"Skin has become inadequate in interfacing with reality. Technology has become the body's new membrane of existence." - Nam June Paik

The 404 Not Found is an HTTP web error message indicating that the client was able to communicate with the server, but the server could not find what was requested. Humans created this entity called the Internet which has no physicality but it is a collective forum for our ideas, comments and cat videos. This show is about artists using technology as an art form, from video, web, animated GIFS, social networks, virtual reality, etc.


Co-Prosperity Sphere
3219-21 South Morgan Street
Chicago Illinois, 60608
http://coprosperity.org

Artist Bios:
Channel TWo (CH2)
Adam Trowbridge (b 1972) and Jessica Westbrook (b 1974) collaborate as Channel TWo (CH2), a studio/research construct focused on mixed reality, media, design, development, and distribution, authorized formats + unauthorized ideas, systems of control + radical togetherness. Channel TWo is loosely aligned with the concept of over-identification, Slavoj Žižek’s description of a tactic intended to reveal the hidden nature of dominant ideologies -- not by pointing to them but by becoming extreme forms of them. CH2 projects intersect joyful/play-oriented aesthetic experiences and user interfaces with challenging critical undercurrents. CH2's most recent projects involve interactive landscapes/game environments, and computer viruses. In 2012 CH2 was awarded a Rhizome Commission, a Turbulence Commission in 2011, and a Terminal Commission in 2009 for projects involving education, systems design, and net art. In addition to exhibitions and commissions, CH2 contributes to panels, platforms, publications, and collaborative programs involving new media, and social practices. Both Trowbridge and Westbrook are Assistant Professors at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where they teach courses in the Department of Contemporary Practices and the Department of Art and Technology Studies. Trowbridge received an MFA in Electronic Visualization from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL (2008). Westbrook received an MFA in Photography from Temple University's Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, PA (1998). http://www.onchanneltwo.com/

Jeff Kolar is an audio artist working in Chicago, USA. His work, described as "speaker-shredding" (Half Letter Press) and "wonderfully strange" (John Corbett), includes cross-platform collaboration, low-powered radio, and live performance. Jeff is a free103point9 Transmission Artist, and also the director of Radius, an experimental radio broadcast platform.

His work has been released on Panospria (Canada), HAK Lo-Fi Record (France), free103point9 (USA), and has appeared in compilations by Furthernoise.org (Australia) and Sonic Circuits (USA). His video work was published in the DVD journal ASPECT: The Chronicle of New Media Art. He presents at festivals, radio programs, exhibitions, and performance venues which recently include GLI.TC/H, KUNSTRADIO, and The Kitchen; and in Argentina, Mexico, and the Netherlands, among others internationally. http://www.jeffkolar.us/
 
Emilie Gervais
Girl living the life, living the internet and all. If i lose this current skin, it's scary like #404voidBB. http://emiliegervais.com/

Jon Satrom is a constructive deconstructivist, a creative problematizer, a collaborative agitator and a systems spelunker. His realtime A/V performances, experimental video-works, net.art and artware have been consumed within various space-times across multiple planes. Satrom co-founded the r4wb1t5! microFestival framework and the GLI.TC/H conference/festival/gathering. He has taught and developed courses in the new-media path of the Department of Film Video New Media Animation at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and directs the Chicago-based boutique digital studio studiothread. Sharing, bringing folks together, creative problem creating and investigating structures though failure, kludges, and glitches fuel his endeavors. http://jonsatrom.com

Rob Ray examines technology in public/outdoor spaces and creates interactive public artworks, experimental videos and sound compositions. His interactive work, GET LOST! was commissioned by the Abandon Normal Devices Festival in Manchester, UK and has exhibited at Conflux 2012 in New York and the Tracing Mobility festival in Berlin, Germany. His video game disguised as ATM, Bucky's Animal Spirit, was selected for the art.tech exhibition at The Lab (San Francisco), and the (re)load exhibition at Antena (Chicago).

Rob also collaborates with Jason Soliday and Jon Satrom as a member of the Chicago-based circuit-bent multimedia noise trio I Love Presets. I Love Presets has performed at the GLI.TC/H 2011 and 2012 festivals, The SAIC's Conversations at the Edge series and the Chicago Underground Film Festival.

From 1999 to 2008, Rob was founding curator of the DEADTECH electronic arts center in Chicago, IL, USA. DEADTECH's unique curatorial vision, residency facilities, workshop facilities and exhibition space were custom created to cater to the specific needs of the electronic artist and performer. DEADTECH exhibited artists from across the globe including the Beige Programming Ensemble, Institute for Applied Autonomy, Trevor Paglen, Norman White, Kevin Drumm, T.V. Pow and Kazuyuki K. Null. In 2010, Rob received his MFA in Electronic Arts from Rensselear Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. http://robray.net/

Patrick Lichty is a technologically-based media artist, writer, independent curator, co-founder of the performance art group Second Front, animator for the activist group, The Yes Men, and Executive Editor of Intelligent Agent Magazine. He began showing technological media art in 1989, and deals with works and writing that explore the social relations between us and media. Venues in which Lichty has been involved with solo and collaborative works include the Whitney & Turin Biennials, Maribor Triennial, Performa Performance Biennial, Ars Electronica, and the International Symposium on the Electronic Arts (ISEA). He is also an Assistant Professor of Interactive Arts & Media at Columbia College Chicago. http://patricklichty.com/


Jake Myers is a Chicago-based artist, athlete and educator. "His work gratuitously merges art and sports, homoeroticism and hypermasculinity, and heroism and existential suffering." (M. Devlin) http://jakemyers.us


Amelia Winger-Bearskin works with modeling (as defined by agent based computer programming) as a conceptual prompt in her performance work, she has developed a concept of Open Source Performance Art (OSPA), she has spoken about OSPA at various academic conferences and performance festivals since 2010. She has been a solo performer at numerous international performance festivals since 2008 in cities not limited to: Beijing, China, Manila, Philippines, Seoul, South Korea, Sao Paulo, Brazil, New York NY and Washington, DC. She participated in the 2012 Gwangju Biennial as a performance artist and recently returned from an artist residency at the University of Tasmania in Australia. http://www.studioamelia.com/

Miguel Cortez is an artist/curator living in Chicago and born in Guanajuato, Mexico. He has studied filmmaking at Columbia College and art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He currently runs Antena, an alternative art space located in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. His artwork has been shown at Gallery 414 in Fort Worth, Texas, at the Krannert Museum and at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago. Other shows included exhibits in Dallas at Mighty Fine Arts Gallery, Glass Curtain Gallery and at VU Space in Melbourne, Australia. http://www.mcortez.com/
Public Transportation Options: (CTA)
Take the HALSTED BUS (8) south to 31st or 32nd Street. Walk 4 blocks West to Morgan.
ORANGE LINE to Halsted/Archer, catch the HALSTED BUS to 31st.
RED LINE to Sox/35th, take the 35th STREET BUS (35) West to Morgan. Walk north.

Thursday, June 06, 2013

REBIRTH: Every Act of Creation Is First An Act Of Destruction


ARCHER LOFT Presents - REBIRTH: Every Act of Creation Is First An Act Of Destruction



Opening Saturday June 8th, 2013 from 7pm-2am

Influenced by Picasso’s quote, “Every act of creation is first an act of destruction.” Archer Loft brings you “Rebirth”, a celebration of the theme as reinterpreted by fellow artists and creatives from all walks of life and genres.

Whether taken literally, symbolically or creatively, rebirth is a choice of eliminating that which is no longer necessary in our lives and our work to make room for the essentials of our own ultimate truths. Who am I? What represents my identity? What is the message I’m trying to convey? These are some our core questions we face everyday in our creative process. In order to bring forth our true selves, we must first let go of that which is no longer working and thus awaken the spirit of creativity free from mental blocks, raised walls and obstructive barriers. Therefore, in order to create we must first destroy that which holds us captive; we must die so that we may live.

Archer Loft, located in Bridgeport and formerly known as 2ND FLR Gallery, from Pilsen, will now showcase underground art shows. We are eliminating the monthly art opening model and holding only guerilla creative events. Join us as we celebrate our kick-off show curated by Arno Mayorga and interpreted through the eyes of 20 + artists.

Sponsors: Cerveza INDIO
Music: http://www.chitownmusicradio.com/
Caterer: Cateration by Desiree Lucero

Artists:

Saul Aguirre
Miguel Cortez
Daiv Whaley
Diana Leviton Gondek
Marcelo Eli
Darrell Roberts
Jonathan Cernak
Kristi Posival
Julian E Williams
Yira Palacios
Yuri Juarez
Frank Juarez
Tiffany Gholar
Henry Edward Castro
John Salhus
Diane Ponder
Annie Heckman
Duk Ju L Kim
Jorge Zavala
Jan Pieter Fokkens
Pablo Otavalo


3012 South Archer Avenue
Chicago, IL 60608


Thursday, May 02, 2013

RUNS AND GOSES: new work by CAROL JACKSON & JULIE POTRATZ

RUNS AND GOSES
new work by CAROL JACKSON & JULIE POTRATZ
May 4 – June 1, 2013

Opening Reception: Saturday, May 4, 6-9pm
Open Hours: Saturdays, noon-5pm or by appointment

Slow Gallery
2153 W 21st St
Chicago, 60608


A certain flair. Drama queens.
Carol Jackson and Julie Potratz share a focus on theatricality and power. In political ways, in history, in the trappings of language.

Carol has been making fragments of stage architecture. Parts of a stage that frame the scene. Proscenium, if you want to get technical. Carol is playing with the early root of the word when the action happened in front of the front—the frontispiece arch became the background. Everything is doubles. Her stage pieces frame and edit in the traditional ways that a stage frames and edits, but her objects also focus or describe gaze in a second manner too. They use illusionistic rendering rules of perspective. The lines converge. But they do it wrong. The perspective is skewed no matter which direction you are coming from.

Carol directs with an iron fist. Feeds you line delivery, makes sure that you get to the correct emotional response. Language that forms responses in your mouth—we understand the moment through these strange words, but they are not language–only sounds. And these sounds that are not words but mean things like words move. Sounds hang in the air for a fleeting moment and then vaporize and are only left as memory. Then cycle ‘round to do it all over again. Emotions on conveyor belts, ready at the check out counter.

Julie’s world’s also a stage. World stage. World power. Power suits and painting. Clothes make the man, but in this case she is tough as nails. Whether I say it out loud or not those nails make me think of iron. The tough doubles.Julie paints a scene. Uses her illusion 2. Her body is her canvas, and it works in that art way and in that theater way. Though Julie’s gaze falls on the most powerful women in the world, she empties the drama of overt politics. Sure, we recognize her characters, but we focus on their vulnerable fashion choices and not the most recent policy decision. Doubling, and double D’s. Decisions of war can be eclipsed by plunging necklines and a rack. When the power suit is exchanged for a flouncy floral and florid formal, that dress becomes as important as a war. At least if we count the headlines.

CAROL JACKSON is a stalwart of Chicago’s art scene. She is known for her conceptually rigorous leather work and sheet music drawings. She has a substantial international resume including shows at the Smart Museum, Gallery 400, Three Walls, Roots and Culture, the Hyde Park Art Center, the Cultural Center, the Chicago Project Room all in Chicago, 10 in One both in Chicago and New York, Van Harrison in New York, L.A.C.E. in Los Angeles, Kunsthaus Speckstrasse in Hamburg, More Over Gallery in Naples, the Van Abbe Museum in the Netherlands and many others.

More information about Carol Jackson can be found at jacksoncarol.com

JULIE POTRATZ’s work spans across the disciplines of costume design, performance art, photography, and acting. After receiving her BFA in 2008 from the Kansas City Art Institute she went on to be a member of Whoop Dee Doo, a kid-friendly faux public access television show featuring live performances by various local groups and individuals in the community. It is an art extravaganza encouraging audience participation and showcasing the talents of everyone from marching bands to tap dancing grandmas.

She has also starred in two feature length independent films written and directed by Laurel Nakadate. “Stay the Same Never Change”, a movie shot on location in Kansas City, MO premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. And ”The Wolf Knife” starring Christina Kolozsvary and Julie Potratz premiered at the 2010 LA Film Festival. She has exhibited at Roots and Culture and Cabin Exhibitions in Chicago.

More information about Julie Portratz can be found at cargocollective.com/juliepotratz


SLOW is an alternative exhibition venue for contemporary art. Not quite an apartment gallery, not commercial. Presenting art that leans away from hipster, toward introspectiveand vulnerable (read slightly nerdy).

More information about Slow can be found at www.paul-is-slow.info

Monday, April 15, 2013

RISE @ Cobalt Studio

An installation of graffiti and a selection of original collage works on found objects by graff-writer RISE. He continues to explore newly evolving styles on the walls of neighboring Indiana's cityscape, East-Chicago and through out our great City. He will produce a commissioned piece for Cobalt Studio directly on the wall.
Our friends at 5 Rabbits have a refreshing brew for those in attendance to sample.

Opening Reception
Friday, April 19
6-10 pm

Cobalt Studio

1950 W. 21st St.

For a preview video of "RISE" painting live at Cobalt Studio, "Click Here"

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

How Many Feminists Does It Take to Change a Light Bulb?

Call for Female Video and Performance Artists:

Feminists are notorious for not having a sense of humor. With more and more
women and specifically vocal Feminist women having success in mainstream
comedy(Tina Fey, Lena Dunham), the worlds of academia and activism need
to catch up. “How Many Feminists…” will focus on artists who identify as
Feminists (and possibly activists) who use comedy as a part of their work. It
will take place at Antena Gallery in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, in
September 2013. This show is looking for video and performance work, which is
informed by Feminist and Art theory, but is all about the joke. Pieces should be
intended to make the viewer laugh.

Open to women who identify themselves as Feminists. Acceptable formats
include: video and performance. There is no fee. Email submissions with video
links or jpeg attachments to antenapilsen@gmail.com

Deadline Midnight, June 30, 2013

Antena Gallery
1765 S. Laflin, St.
Chicago, IL 60608
antenapilsen (at) gmail.com
(773) 340-3516

Guest curated by Sara McCool.
Sara McCool is a writer and digital media artist who uses the difficult humor found in identity politics to address confusing and complicated social issues.

Friday, March 01, 2013

Chicago punk icons Los Crudos reunite yet again reunite yet again


by Miles Raymer

Accounts of the history punk in Chicago tend to overlook Los Crudos, who arrived on the to overlook Los Crudos, who arrived on the scene during a period when the most of the scene during a period when the most of the attention being paid to the city's musical attention being paid to the city's musical culture was focused on more commercially culture was focused on more commercially appealing indie rock acts, and whose appealing indie rock acts, and whose aggressive identity politics could alienate even aggressive identity politics could alienate even the largely white, supposedly radical-left the largely white, supposedly radical-left hardcore community of the time. (I remember hardcore community of the time. (I remember hearing punks at the Fireside Bowl complaining hearing punks at the Fireside Bowl complaining that they couldn't understand front man Martin that they couldn't understand front man Martin Sorrondeguy's lyrics because they were in Sorrondeguy's lyrics because they were in Spanish.) But these days their legacy is Spanish.) But these days their legacy is arguably more relevant than that of the better arguably more relevant than that of the better known bands—while the north side punk scene known bands—while the north side punk scene is currently typified by the kind of painfully is currently typified by the kind of painfully unadventurous bands that my colleague Brian unadventurous bands that my colleague Brian Costello likes to call "ham and eggers," there's Costello likes to call "ham and eggers," there's a vibrant, innovative (and almost entirely a vibrant, innovative (and almost entirely Latino) hardcore scene in Pilsen and Little Latino) hardcore scene in Pilsen and Little Village that Crudos had a major role in Village that Crudos had a major role in establishing. establishing.

While the group officially broke up in 1998, While the group officially broke up in 1998, they've reunited a few times over the past they've reunited a few times over the past decade. At the moment they're preparing for decade. At the moment they're preparing for aa tour of South America tour of South America, and before they head , and before they head out they're playing out they're playing two shows on Saturday at two shows on Saturday at Chitown Futbol Chitown Futbol, an indoor soccer facility in , an indoor soccer facility in Pilsen. Both shows are all ages, and both offer Pilsen. Both shows are all ages, and both offer a slate of opening bands drawn from the a slate of opening bands drawn from the aforementioned south side hardcore scene, aforementioned south side hardcore scene, with the later show featuring a set by with the later show featuring a set by Sin Sin Orden Orden, who in many ways picked up where , who in many ways picked up where Crudos left off and have subsequently become Crudos left off and have subsequently become just as just as essential a part of that community essential a part of that community.

I have no idea what Chitown Futbol's capacity I have no idea what Chitown Futbol's capacity is, but with no advance ticketing and over 1,100 is, but with no advance ticketing and over 1,100 people already RSVP'd via the show's people already RSVP'd via the show's Facebook page it would seem that showing up Facebook page it would seem that showing up early would be a good idea. For a glimpse of early would be a good idea. For a glimpse of the beautiful madness that awaits you there, hit the jump for a clip of Crudos playing the 2006 Southkore festival.

http://m.chicagoreader.com/chicago/blogs/Post?basename=chicago-punk-icons-los-crudos-reunite-yet-again&day=28&id=Bleader&month=02&year=2013

http://youtu.be/lX_FviEuaW4