2011 Art Expo

 

Richard Kooyman 

 If I were to curate an exhibit of items selected from this mammoth art fair, it might be called "Views of the world". (while an exhibit of everything I left behind might be called "Are you shocked yet?") Richard Kooyman 

 In general, I seem to like views of places that were not intended to be seen. Joseph Noderer 

 Why do I love run down places? Anelecia Hannah 

 Especially sinks and bathrooms. Cathy Lees 

 Maybe it's because it's so much harder to successfully paint places that were intended to be beautiful. Kim Cogan Werner Drewes, 1932 

 He's better known as an abstract painter, but I like this scene that reminds me of small industrial towns in eastern Ohio. Harold Shapinsky 

 This may have been shocking in 1950, but was rear-guard by the time it was painted (1984) He never achieved the brand recognition of some of his peers, perhaps because he was just too decorative. Fairfield Porter Paul Brown "Tiger"

 I would like to imagine this large piece hanging in a Rajah's hunting lodge, beside a dozen others, each one featuring a beautiful woman of a different ethnicity reclining on the pelt of a different dead carnivore. Robert Bauer 

 A bit anemic, but some people are like that. Bo Bartlett 

 This year's Bo Bartlett is one of my favorites. I need to own this painting! So I can perpetually wake up in the morning in a beautiful room, in a beautiful place with a beautiful woman. None of which will bore me because it's only a painting. Renoir, 1892 

 Last year, I remember the Antiques Fair had an entire gallery of bogus old masters. But this one feels real, and trumps all of the contemporary landscapes Xavier Barile 

 Very good at what he did, but condemned, I suppose, to perpetual obscurity outside the narrative of modern art. Vaclav Vytlacil 

 This is my thing: Modern Classicism. If only Picasso had stuck with it.

 ******** sculpture**********

  Hanneke Beaumont 

 One of the few contemporary figure sculptors who makes it to the fair every year. A bit grim and depressing, but so much better than all the un-sculptural doll makers. Nicolas Africano 

 Here's the other figure sculptor who makes an annual appearance in this show with his lonely, beautiful, translucent women. He may be just another doll-maker, but dolls can be beautiful too. And he may be the only non-commission, non-teaching artist to make a living making nude figures in Illinois, if not the entire Midwest.

  And every year, there's some "new" Tang figures. (either newly dug up - or newly made. I hope it's the latter, indicating the rebirth of a great tradition)

  Izdrojevicz Lipa (1907-1960) 

 An exiled Russian aristocrat who took up sculpture and did a good job.

  Marcel Renard (1893-1974) 

 For whatever reason in the early 20th Century figure sculpture was more widely used as a decorative art than figure painting. Marcel Renard Other than the top of his "Kneeling Girl" we don't get to see much Lehmbruck in Chicago. This piece was hopelessly lit, but enjoyable anyway.

 

*********** Chicago Artists ************

  Anthony Angarola 

 Was he really creepy enough to be the favorite painter of H.P. Lovecraft? Above is a portrait of his wife, a concert pianist. Gertrude Abercrombie 

 The daughter of opera singers, and a true bohemian, this was her portrait of another artist, Edward Millman (1936)

  Here's her self portrait from the same year. What a woman!

  Ed Paschke 

 Has any other painter given their work such a pleasant, neon glow?

  Roger Brown 

 This piece has a nice glow, too

  John Storrs 

 Here's Chicago's most famous modern sculptor, with a portrait of Jean Schweppe (1914-1963), a socialite who was the grand daughter of John G. Shedd 

 *********** Paul Thiebaud Gallery************

  Celia Breisman 

 As it turns out, this is my favorite gallery at the fair. Celia Breisman 

 As you look at the prices, most of these artists have to work very hard to make a living.

  Tom Birkner 

 But they offer what I like to see: pleasant scenes of the world in which we live.

  Eileen David Catherine Maize Catherine Maize Catherine Maize 

 *********** Mary Qian's picks ***********

  Russian 

 Here's Mary Qian's picks

  Russian 

 Unfortunately, she did not record the name of the artist, but only the nationality. Korean 

 I kind of remember the Korean gallery that had this kind of painting. But it didn't appeal enough to me to get me to stop and look longer at it. And, it still doesn't.

  French English English 

 Are these drawings of shrunken heads? 

 ************ 

  Here's another take on the fair, by former gallerist, Paul Klein. He says there's too many mediocre galleries/artists -- but he won't tell us which ones. Has the fair gotten worse as it has lost the prestige it had 20 years ago? I do miss the two New York galleries that used to entertain me: Marlboro and Arcadia. But I see absolutely no correlation between status and quality in the artworld. Paul Klein says that he doesn't miss "the fat cats who used to come to ArtChicago to hunt for trophies -- but I do miss seeing the trophies they pursued" 

 But I miss neither one.