2023 Art Expo
Mary Abbott (1921-2019), Singing, no date, 75x70
Tom McCormick proudly hung this magnificent, elegiac piece above the desk in his booth at the fair, and I pity him for selling it. But if dealers hung onto all the beautiful things they acquired, how could they stay in business?
I used to be affronted by the wanton, dramatic self centeredness of the post-war New York School - especially since it totally replaced the more responsible, civic minded figurative American art that preceded it. Gradually, however, I’ve come around to enjoying it - especially when it is joyful instead of angry and depressing. And what greater social ideal could there be than the proliferation of joy?
But I do miss the many more landscapes, cityscapes, and non-Afro figure paintings that used to come to this fair, like in 2011 , for example.
Poojah Pittie, b. 1977, Oceans Deeply, 60x60, acrylic on canvas, 2023
Angry and depressing?
Maybe just a bit.
I would not want to see this piece more than once.
But it’s not at all pretentious or heroic
It’s more like a technical depiction of entropy.
And it certainly is watery!
John Santoro, b. 1963
The thick paint in these small landscapes cannot be felt in these photos,
so most of their impact is lost.
Anna Kunz, b. 1960, untitled , 11x13
On the other hand, there is so much more mystery and appeal in this jpeg
than in the original acrylic-on-canvas seen at the show.
Possibly, the backlit screen of my IPad
magnifies the effect of paint thinly layered over a white ground.
Ben Tinsley (b. 1981), Dream Lit, 28x24
While again, thick paint makes the original piece more appealing than the photo.
I feel the intensity of an artist working overtime to please the viewer,
so I bought it. It’s going in the kitchen.
BTW - he;s the youngest artist in my collection.
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Update:
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(all of the above pieces were show at the Thomas McCormick booth.
I don't care for every artist he shows, but just about)
George McNeil (1908-1995), Bay City, 1957, 66x66"
His teacher, Hans Hoffman, also had a piece at Expo, but I liked this one more.
Emily Mason (1932-2019), Harbor, 1994
Giorgio Cavallon (1904-1989), 1982, untitled
Ernie Barnes (1938-2009), Pool Hall, 1968
The four above pieces were shown by Vallerino Fine Art of mid-town Manhattan.
Too bad they’re not in Chicago.
They mostly do ABX - so the Ernie Barnes is an exception.
Any gallery that has one is currently trying to sell it. The prices have just skyrocketed, and the above is listed at $500,000.
Matthew Eguavoen, (b. 1987, Nigeria)
Aplerh-Doku Borlabi (Ghana, b. 1987)
Stacey Gilliam Abe (b. 1980, Uganda)
Afia Prempeh (b, 1986, Ghana)
"How does it feel to be young and black?"
Today’s artworld privileges that question above all others - and the best figure painters who currently address it come from Africa - (with the exception of the remarkable Kerry Marshall - and his gallery does not participate in Art Expo)
There’s no irony, bitterness, or silliness here.
Just the eruption of sincere people into a world that had marginalized them.
Can’t think of any other world art that feels this way.
Candida Alvarez (b. 1955)
More happy wackiness - with a Caribbean flair.
Some of these colored shapes glisten or sparkle.
Eric Aho, (b. 1966). Summernight, Fireflies, Mists, and Vapors III, 2022
He also does less atmospheric landscapes.
Othiana Roffiel, b. 1990, Mexico
Conflating soft female bodies with landscapes.
Important textural effects not discernible in these photos.
Bertrand Menial (b, 1991,France )
Got me thinking of a cross country trip with my grandparents in 1955.
(Except, of course, there was no Wifi or cable TV)
Frank Morrison (b. 1971)
Cliff Joseph, self portrait, 1952 (1922-2020) (born in Panama)
If only he had gone on to be as prolific as Gertrude Abercrombie.
Raphael Soyer (1899-1987)
a fine example of the American figurative art that ABX marginalized after the war.
More ambitious than either illustration or abstract expression,
it attempts to intertwine them,
as does most European and world art before the 20th century.
Cody Hudson (b. 1971)
The apparent heir to Matisse and his scissors.
Delightful decorative accents.
Artist unknown.
Not the best of classical/modern figure portrait sculpture-
but the only example in this fair.
Artist unknown.
Similar to what I do on an IPad.
Elizabeth Tremante (b. 1967)
From a wonderful series where young girls visit museum displays of patriarchal art.
Moslem Khezri (b. 1984 , Iran)
Probably one of the few permissible themes for figurative painting in the Islamic republic.
Sam Gilliam (1933-2022)
Thank goodness, not all of his canvases have been removed from their stretchers.
Devon Shimoyama (b. 1989)
The text that accompanies this artist is typically something like:
"Artist Devan Shimoyama Takes on Race and Sexuality With Glitter and Rhinestones"
Shouldn’t this read "…..promotes his race and sexuality"….. instead of "takes on….." ?
Whatever — I find it appealing.
Mercedes Cardenas. (BFA 2017)
Gabriel Sanchez (b. 1993)
Some fine illustration by two millennial Latinx artists.
They’re deliciously done, but the impact of the narrative dominates the viewing experience.
Cardenas shows us a Mexican girl being prepared for her first communion,
Sanchez shows us a cute, shirtless boy sitting on a bed. Wouldn’t you like to touch his lithe body and smooth skin?
Dana James, b. 1986
I liked the description of this work as "dark and feminine"
— it seems to say "I will be feminine regardless"
Lehmbruck, 1910
Not my favorite Lembruck - and not a very sharp cast.
But still….
Alan Magee (b. 1947) /. Claudio Bravo (1936-2011)
A nice contrasting pair at the Forum Gallery.
Two great painters whom you will not find in major museums.
Nicolas Africano (b. 1948), Boy Leaning on a Rock, 2022
The only contemporary classical figure sculptor who has been appearing at Art Expo over the last few decades. He had apparently retired last year, and Expo 2022 had none of his work. So it’s good to see him back.
Gabrielle Garland (b. 1968)
The happy wackiness of downscale America continues - but don’t ring the damn doorbell!!!
Magalie Guerin (b. 1973, Montreal)
A more aggressive variation of the feminine.
Strong - not pretty.
Something that Lady Macbeth would hang in Dunsinane castle.
Molly Zuckerman-Hartung (b.1975)
It has to be a real challenge to consistently make that which is both radically unexpected and beautiful, comforting and discomforting.
In this case, I'm a little more repulsed than attracted.
The three artists shown above were brought by Corbett Vs, Dempsey Gallery of Chicago.
Edginess is their thing - but so is strong design.
Raffi Kalendarian, b. 1981
So far as I know - this is the only black body in this Expo that was depicted by a white artist.
Did it really make any difference?
Tomory Dodge
Monique Van Genderen, b. 1965
The three artists shown above were brought by Miles McEnery Gallery from NYC.
They do seem to have a celebratory aesthetic.
Fine decorations for a gelato shop.
I sure wish they had brought some Michael Reafsnyder this time as well.
Love that guy.
Yirui Jia (b. 1997)
Glorious, continuous, monumental disruption.
Reminds of our local artist, Wesley Kimler, only far less ominous.
Should decorate the walls of a daycare center.
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It looks like I’m paying more and more attention to the identity of the dealers.
As dealers have come and gone over the two decades that I have followed the Chicago art world, it’s become apparent that running a successful gallery is even more challenging than building a successful career as an artist.
And many artists are only shown in this area because a particular dealer could sell them. When a gallery closes, they may never be shown in Chicago again. When Linda Warren closed, Tim Torluemke was out on the street. Two years later he showed at One after 909 - but now they have closed as well. Meanwhile Chicago;s two highest profile artists, Kerry Marshall and Nick Cave, have not shown in a Chicago gallery for years, if ever.
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