Tomorrow Opening at DePaul University Art Museum

Albert Chong
Cousin Shirley, 1986
Chromogenic color print

A very interesting show is opening tomorrow night (Thursday) at the DePaul University Art Museum, Double Exposure:African Americans Before and Behind the Camera. The exhibit "presents historic early photographs side by side with photo-based works by contemporary African American artists. While early photographers pushed the boundaries of the medium to represent a Black world of hope and dignity, contemporary artists celebrate and extend that legacy, engaging in a dialogue about the nature of memory and photographic representation in relation to personal history." Deborah Willis, professor and chair at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, will be giving a lecture tomorrow, Thursday, April 16th at 4pm with an opening reception to follow. Guaranteed to be a worthwhile visit.

On Brian Ulrich

Long overdue.
Brian Ulrich's work has been consistently recognized. His name keeps resurfacing for well deserved awards including the most recent 2009 Guggenheim Fellowship in photography.

© Chicago, Il 2003 Brian Ulrich

Look Familiar?

© Chicago, Il 2003 Brian Ulrich

"In 2001 in response to a national call for citizens to bolster the American economy through shopping, Ulrich began a project to document consumer culture. This project, Copia, is a series of large scale photographs of shoppers, retail spaces, and displays of goods. Initially focused on big-box retail establishments and shoppers, the series expanded to include thrift stores, back rooms of retail businesses, art fairs and most recently empty retail stores and dead malls." from wikipedia

Chicago Place Mall 2009 © Ulrich


There are certainly an abundance of empty store fronts to photograph now. I feel like his work is incredibly timely, well seen and shows history in the making. Thank you Brian!


Value City 2008 © Ulrich

Good Friday in Chicago

If you are looking on how to celebrate Good Friday and you live in Chicago, head over to Pilsen for a re-enactment of Jesus as the Way of the Cross. It is very dramatic as thousand of the faithful take part in the annual Good Friday Procession. I started photographing it 12 years ago. I am happy to say I have given up trying to capture it on film and just enjoy being part of the crowd.





It usually begins at 9am in front of the church at 18th and Halsted. There is a service in a neighborhood church after the procession. Following that it is always a treat to stop at a local eatery for a hot cup of champurrado, a delicious drink of masa, milk, water, mexican chocolate and piloncillo.

On Tightrope Walking and Balance ~ Janine Antoni

What I love most about this video is Janine Antoni's take on being in and out of balance.
"... After about a week I started to feel like I'm now getting my balance. I started to notice that it wasn't that I was getting more balance but that I was getting more comfortable with being out of balance...."

In Treatment ~ Second season tonight on HBO

Couch No.3

I love this TV series...not just because I happen to be in the field but also because it is so well done. If you ever wondered what it was like to be in therapy, this gives you a pretty good insight. The acting is fab and the stories are very compelling. There was a nice article in the New York Times this morning on the series. Also, you can get the first 3 months of HBO for free! Worth signing up!


Talking No. 3

I had a really good time, a year ago, doing an installation for The Artist Project in which I recreated my office and lined the walls with photographs from this series.



It was the second time in my photographic career in which I melded my social work and photography professions. What I have gleaned from this experience is that as an artist, the subject matter chosen that is often most compelling is that in which the artist has an intimate knowledge of, or is very passionate about. Come to think of it, why would one spend time on subject matter that you were luke warm about!

International Photobooth Convention in Chicago

Thats right. What fun to think about all those pictures we took in the photo booth! Went to a screening of Masculin, feminin (Godard, 1966) last night at the Block Gallery at Northwestern University and they announced the 2009 International Photobooth Convention that is taking place this weekend in Chicago in Logan Square at Center Portion Artist Project Space. If that doesn't sound like fun, I don't know what does. If you happen to get there, and I don't, please report back!

There are also many more openings in Chicago tonight. Check out The Art Letter.

on Chicago, the Olympics and Flying

There has been much in the news these days about the politicians of Chicago trying to woo the Olympic committee to choose the city as the location for the summer Olympics of 2016. I happened to be in the city early one morning and saw a glimpse of this image under the Michigan Avenue Chicago bridge.



It looked like a bird in flight to me. Totally understandable as I was on my first day on the job as a volunteer for the Chicago Bird Collision Monitor program. Every spring and fall migratory birds pass thru Chicago. They can fly from as far away as South America and back, only to slam into mirrored office buildings in the city. I wonder why I, and so many people do this work. (Thank you, Ingrid, for telling me about this program). All I can say for sure is that I am fascinated by, and feel an affinity to, things that fly...birds, dragonflies, butterflies....



I am happy to report that on Tuesday morning there was not a single bird to rescue.