Se Cambian Cheques

Chris Silva, currently living the jungle life in the wilds of Puerto Rico, has a couple new t-shirts available. I really like this one based on his Se Cambia Que? piece. It's available in several different colors here.

Chris Uphues at the MCA

Detail of painting by Chris Uphues, originally uploaded by fotoflow / Oscar Arriola.

Former Chicago artist Chris Uphues is in town from Brooklyn. He'll be at the MCA all day today, from 11 to 7, making art in front of your eyes. There might even be a a lil' vending machine so that you can feed him cookies or a salad or something.

This is part of the MCA's Works in Progress series held on the first Tuesday of each month where they feature an artist creating artwork on site. It's meant to give people an insight into how artists work and even give you a glimpse of a studio-like setting.

Chris had a nice 12 x 12 show at the MCA several years back. The photo above is a close-up of one of the larger paintings from that show. You can see the amount of work he put into the details.


Chris has also been putting up a great series of hearts with cartoon faces on the streets of Chicago and New York over the past few years. Those are always fun to find.

Chris Uphues
11am to 7pm
Tuesday June 2, 2009
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
220 E Chicago Ave

Porous Walker's Day Off

S.F. artist Porous Walker will be gracing our city this Saturday with a show at the Believe Inn. The last time his work appeared in town he presented several hundred hilarious, yet profound, drawings on manilla file folders similar to this one...


This time he's producing an installation based on the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Collaborating with artists Gabe Levinson and Timothy Pigott, Porous says, "The movie was pretty good, but the art show will be better."



The opening reception is Saturday, May 30, 2009 from 6 to 10 pm

Ferris Buehler
Porous Walker
With Gabe Levinson & Timothy Pigott
Believe Inn
2043 N Winchester
Chicago, IL

The show runs through June 21, 2009

Secret Handshakes

Brian Morris and Mitch O'Connell have a new show that opened tonight at Rotofugi. I took a sneak peek through the gallery window last night and liked what I could see. I'm gonna check it out tomorrow. In the meantime the opening runs through 10 pm tonight with DJ Yunicorn spinning.

Secret Handshakes
New Work by Brian Morris and Mitch O'Connell
May 22, 2009 - June 7, 2009
Rotofugi Gallery
1955 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL

French Twist

San Francisco's Barry McGee, aka TWIST, adds the latest issue of French magazine Clark to his long list of cover art credits. Other covers by him that I've enjoyed include ones he's done for Swindle, Juxtapoz, Giant Robot, Beautiful Decay, Arrow, 12oz Prophet, and Japanese magazine Relax. Collect them all!

The Modern Wing

Today's the grand opening for the Art Institute of Chicago's new Modern Wing. After many years of design and construction I'm glad the day is finally here. It'll house the museum's collection of 20th century modern art and post-war contemporary art as well as give much more needed space to displaying their architecture and design collections. There will also be new galleries for video art as well as contemporary photography.
And on top of all this there's a new children's education center, cafes, a bookstore, and the Nichols Bridgeway that'll connect visitors straight from Millennium Park across the street to the sculpture garden on the Modern Wing's top floor. This expansion will make the Art Institute the 2nd largest art museum in the country. Admission will be free from today through next Friday, May 22nd.


The Art Institute of Chicago
111 S Michigan Ave at Adams
Chicago, IL

ZEB

Chicago's ZEB has a photography show opening tonight in Pilsen. I'm looking forward to seeing what he'll have up. It should be a fun time. I also suggest The Skylark down the street afterwards for their b/w photobooth and their baskets of tater tots.

ZEB at 54B Gallery
Opening reception 5pm to midnight
Saturday, May 16, 2009
2128 S Halsted (just north of Cermak Rd)
Chicago, IL

Monster Children

MONSTER CHILDREN #22 COVER, photograph by StrugRock.

Issue 22 of Australia's Monster Children just dropped with a nice cover by Chicago's Cody Hudson. Based on his hot air balloon series on vintage paper, this drawing features the magazine's name embedded in the design.

Available here.

God Has Forgiven Me (So What's Your Problem?)

Chicago artist Mitch O'Connell is going to have a solo show up at Packer Schopf Gallery tonight. I've enjoyed seeing Mitch's work over the years going back to the weekly illustrations he'd do for the Chicago Tribune in the early 90's to the new work he's been showing at places as diverse as the Chicago Tattoo Factory and DvA Gallery. Come check out a Chicago favorite.



Opening reception 5 to 8 pm, Friday, May 15th
God Has Forgiven Me (So What's Your Problem?)
Packer Schopf Gallery
942 W Lake St
Chicago, IL

The show is open through June 20, 2009

Clare Rojas

S.F. based artist Clare Rojas is back in Chicago currently working on a huge installation opening this weekend at Kavi Gupta Gallery.

Her last show here several years ago ranged from folksy paintings of babushka clad women digging up diamonds and impaling men, to happy nude dudes riding dolphins. Comprising over 60 new paintings in an immersive setting, this new show should be just as great. I highly recommend it.












Clare Rojas: Believe Me
Opening reception is Saturday, May 16th, 2009 from 4 to 7pm
Kavi Gupta Gallery
835 W Washington
Chicago, IL

The show runs through July 20, 2009

Work it, work it, work it

Matthew Hoffman, the International Man of Mystery known under other names for his work in wood and more, is going to show some furniture pieces tonight at 360See in Wicker Park. There will also be other furniture pieces and design up by Leo Kempf and others.

Opening reception Friday, May 8th, 20009 6 to 9 pm
360See
1924 N Damen Ave (1 blk south of Armitage)
Chicago, IL

Gabe Lanza at A. Okay Official

Chicago artist (by way of Milwaukee) Gabe Lanza has a show opening tonight at A.Okay Official titled, "Hello my name is...". His work is a fun mix of illustrative cartoon imagery with retro themes. He uses wood, toy blocks and other materials as a base for his paintings. Check out a preview of his work here.

Friday, May 8, 2009 6 to 10 pm
A. Okay Official
3270 N Clark St at School St.
Chicago, IL

A new beginning

Thai Texture, originally uploaded by bootlegflyers.

I'm going to miss seeing Logan and Sandy around Chicago but I'm glad that they've decided to start writing about their new life in Thailand. I've already learned some interesting things. Like Thai people clasp their hands together in a "wai" when they greet each other like Ronald McDonald here..
And Sandy's family farm only has squat toilets. Like this one...


I wish them well on this new adventure. Check them out at http://krung-thep.blogspot.com/

Cadaver Corpse

Cadaver Corpse / May 2 - 23, 2009 / Opening May 2nd 7-11pm

A collection of exquisite corpse drawings, paintings and collages from over 40 international artists curated by Tessa Perutz. Beverages will be served, music will be played, food will be consumed.

Featuring:

Joshua Abelow (Berlin) / Matias Arganaraz (Chicago) / Derek Aylward (New York)
Ben Bauman (Chicago) / James Connolly (Chicago) / Moira Connelly (Chicago)
Garrett Durant (Chicago) / Ry Fyan (New York) / Kathy Grayson (New York)
Patrick Griffin (New York) / Maureen Gubia (Ecuador) / Ghazal Hashemi (Chicago)
Bjorn Hegardt (Berlin) / Cody Hudson (Chicago) / Christopher Ilth (Chicago)
Bruce Ingram (London) / Aislinn Jefferies (Chicago) / Billy Kang (Chicago)
Kid Sister (Chicago) / Leslie Kulesh (Paris) / Alex Lengyel (Chicago) /Jose Lerma (New York)
Chris Lux (San Francisco) / Kristen MacGregor (Toronto) / JJ Manford (Chicago)
Orion Martin (Chicago) / Eddie Martinez (New York) / Mario Martinez (Chicago)
Zane Morris (San Francisco) / Jayson Musson (Philadelphia) / Jordan Nickel (Chicago)
Aliza Nisenbaum (New York) / KC Ortiz (Chicago) / Angel Otero (Chicago) /
Matt Phillips (Massachusetts) / Nick Pittman (Portland) / Tyson Reeder (Milwaukee)
Max Roseglass (Boston) / Thomas Stavnes (Norway) / Justin B. Williams (Chicago)

AT Golden Age
in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood
1744 W 18th St
Chicago, IL

Martha Cooper and Sticker Art show

Please come out and welcome photographer Martha Cooper to Chicago. She'll be signing copies of her latest book, Going Postal, as well as the brand new 25th annivesary edition of Subway Art that she co-published with Henry Chalfant. This new edition is an oversized vesion with some new pictures mixed in that weren't in the original book.

We've also got a huge rad installation by THOR as well as art on display by RISK, Nicky Dieter, Brooks Golden, Christopher Tavares Silva, GOONS, SOLVE, and myself.

There will also be a sticker art show with work by 80 artists. All stickers will be available for $5 apiece.

Martha Cooper Book Signing
Friday, May 1, 2009
5 to 10 pm
Novem Life
1114 N Ashland Ave
Chicago, IL