We're All In It Together Now

Bucktown's Believe Inn presents another solidly great group show tonight Saturday.  I was able to preview a lot of the art as it was being dropped off by the artists in the show earlier this week and was really happy with everything I saw.


One artist whose work is new to me is John Herndon.  I've known his name from the group Tortoise, but I wasn't aware that he is also a tattoo artist.  For the Believe Inn he'll be showing tattoo flash drawings with a fantastic bent.  Here are a few posted on his site that will be in tonight's show...

Other artists in the show include: Revise, Sam Kirk, Victor Lopez, Maria Gaspar, Dawn Cardona, Lauren Feece, Max Kauffman, Tyrue "Slang" Jones, Edyta Stepien, Andrew J. Hannigan, and Shannon Kerrigan.


We're All In It Together Now
at the Believe Inn
2043 N Winchester (1 blk north of Armitage and 1 blk east of Damen)
Chicago, IL


Opening reception: Saturday, April 28, 2012
6 to 10 pm
On view through May 26, 2012

Tom Torluemke and Jeriah Hildwine at Linda Warren Gallery

Tom Torluemke, Ring Around the Rosie, 2011 acrylic on canvas

Linda Warren Gallery in the West Loop presents two solo shows tonight Friday.  Jeriah Hildwine will have a series of horror film influenced paintings on view. You can read an interesting interview with Hildwine on Art Pilsen's site.  Tom Torluemke will have two rooms of work showcasing the fantastic work he creates using various techniques, including collage, drawing, and painting.

Jeriah Hildwine and Tom Torleumke
at Linda Warren Gallery
327 N Aberdeen
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, April 27, 2012
6 to 9 pm
On view through June 15, 2012

I'm happy to add that Tom Torluemke will also have a large scale mobile piece on view at a show I curated at Dock 6 opening next week on Friday, May 4, 2012.  You can find more info on that show here.

Nicholas Sistler at Firecat Projects

The always interesting Firecat Projects in Bucktown opens a show tonight Friday featuring Nicholas Sistler.  Sistler will be showing new paintings and prints from his Hotel Suite project.

Nicholas Sistler: Trouble
at Firecat Projects
2124 N Damen
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, April 27, 2012
7 to 10 pm
On view through May 19, 2012

Johnny Sampson's Love Story

Artist and printmaker, Johnny Sampson, has just put out an ode to the city he calls home.  Titled, "Chicago:  A Love Story", it details in comic form the things that alternately annoy and endear him to this city. 

Published as a 14" x 18" print in an edition of 53.  Available at his site here, where you can also find more great examples of his retro inspired screenprint work.

I'm Saying These Things to You

Public Works ends the run of their brilliant Matthew Hoffman solo show with a free talk by Matthew himself.  If you haven't had a chance to check out this show I highly recommend that you do so.  Matthew has been creating a lot of well thought out and beautifully done wood and paper artworks centered around text and ideas.

Matthew Hoffman: I'm Saying These Things to You
at Public Works
1539 N Damen Ave
2nd floor
Chicago, IL

Talk by the artist on Friday, April 20, 2012
at 7:30 pm
There will be drinks and music afterwards until 10 pm

Inspiracja

Painters Chuck Walker, Ish Muhammad, Liviu Poleuca, Max Sansing, and Greg Kumpin will all have work on view tonight at Gala Gallery tonight Friday.  Gala is a spacious new space that opened at the southern end of Wicker Park several months ago and is directed by Tyrue "Slang" Jones.

Inspiracja
at Gala Gallery
1000 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, April 20, 2012

Richard Hull and Lilli Carre at Western Exhibitions

Painter Richard Hull has "been re-working a kidney-shaped form derived from a horse’s tail" for the past 7 years.  The resulting works have the look of portraits while exploring shapes and color. 

Lilli Carre works in comics and animation.  Tonight Friday she'll have three new bodies of work each dealing with an aspect of animation.  I really like her work and these new pieces should be really interesting.


Richard Hull
Lilli Carre: Moving Holds
at Western Exhibitions
119 N Peoria
#2A
Chicago, IL


Opening reception: Friday, April 20, 2012
5 to 9 pm
On view through May 16, 2012

Beneath the Pavement, Beach

Document in the West Loop presents a show of new work by Adrianne Goodrich and Jimmy Marble as the duo JIMMYNADI tonight Friday.

Adrianne Goodrich and Jimmy Marble: Beneath the Pavement, Beach
at Document
845 W Washington #3F
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, April 20, 2012
6 to 8pm

Cheapskate sale!

Hated Skateboards is having a sale right now on a couple of their decks.  Just $20 for each of these sweet boards.  As I've stated many a time, I'm a huge fan of Ryan Duggan's posters and this is an affordable way to collect some of his work.  I guess you could push around on these too if you feel like it.

This sale is only for picking up directly from Ryan in Chicago and is on through April 22nd!  You can reach him at hatedskateboards@gmail.com.  You can also still catch his "Time to Make the Doughnuts" poster retrospective at Saki Records in Logan Square through the end of April....

Evolution: 25 Years of Work by NERD

Chicago graffiti artist and all around nice guy, NERD, will open a retrospective show of his graff paintings at Modest Skateshop in Forest Park.

Evolution: 25 Years of Work by NERD
at Modest Skateshop
7416 W Madison (about 3 blks north and 2 blks west of the Harlem/Forest Park CTA station of the Blue Line)
Forest Park, IL

Opening reception: Friday, April 13, 2012
6 to 9 pm
DJ Johnny Fonseca will be spinning
Afterparty at Murphy's Pub next door with DJ Intel

The show will be on view for one month.

I Can Do That

Independent curator Jenny Lam opens a show tonight Friday that lets you be both art critic and creator.  Riffing on the often stated, "I can do that" that people say when they see what they perceive as easily made art, this show will present work that you can manipulate by numerous artists.  Viewers will be able to add as little or as much as they want to the artwork using the same art materials that the original creators used to make it.  There'll also be blank canvases and other surfaces so that people can try and replicate the artwork on display.

I Can Do That
at Variable Space
1564 N Damen Ave
#303
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, April 13, 2012
7 to 10 pm
Closing reception: Friday, April 27, 2012
7 to 10 pm

A Walk Through the Dark

Chicago artist Joey Potts has been creating weird and amazing paintings for as long as I've known him.  Tomorrow night Friday he uses that vision to shape a group show he curated at OhNo!Doom.  Featuring work by Steven Fiche, Scarecrowoven, Stephanie Brown, Jonathan Bergeron, Scott Shellhamer, and Ego this show will touch on death, the supernatural, science fiction, and more.



Scott Shellhamer



Ben Lyon



A Walk Through the Dark: Artworks of the Macabre, Strange, and Bizarre

at OhNo!Doom

1800 N Milwaukee Ave

Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, April 13, 2012
6 to 10 pm
On view through May 10, 2012

Comic Art Battle

To help support the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE) that's coming up this June, the Hideout is hosting a comic art battle tonight featuring some of Chicago's top artists competing against each other in teams.  The daring roster handpicked by Edie Fake includes Onsmith, Brooks Golden, Jeremy Pettis, Jo Dery, Susan Sarandon, Krystal DiFronzo, David Alvarado, Aaron Renier, Joe Tallarico, and more.

Comic Art Battle fundraiser for C.A.K.E.
at the Hideout
1354 W Wabansia
Chicago, IL

$5 donation
21+

Sunday, April 8, 2012
Doors open at 7pm
The battle begins at 7:30pm

Help make Version Fest 12 the best Version Fest ever!

Version Fest, the annual art and culture festival held in Bridgeport and other Chicago neighborhoods over the years, currently has a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to expand their reach this year.  For this 12th edition of the festival, they are aiming to have people run all types of spaces in donated storefronts throughout Brideport.  Plans include opening a bookstore, a vintage clothing store, a soup kitchen, exhibition spaces, and more.  They are also publishing a new edition of Proximity magazine.  To do all this, they need your help.  There's 3 days left in their Kickstarter campaign, and they're half way to their goal.  For more info check out the video on their page, and the full description of the festival plans on their site as well!

I've attended or participated in many of the previous Version Fests over the years and they've all been very fun and worthwhile.

BLKWHTGLD at Casualiving

The Casualiving collective is presenting a group show of their work tomorrow night Saturday at their lofty loft in the West Loop.  This video is short on the details of what will be on display... 

.... but judging from their previous work and shows, there'll be some great artwork indeed.  Expect well-designed handmade furniture made of recycled materials, installations, and largescale paintings by the likes of WM FitzPatrick, Jasmin Guererro, Jimmy Canales, Colin Grimm, Shaelyn Gambino, Enzo Moscarella, Garett Munski, and more.

BLKWHTGLD

at Casualiving

119 N Peoria

Unit #3B

Chicago, IL

Saturday, April 7, 2012

7pm till very late

Time to Make the Doughnuts

Chicago printmaker Ryan Duggan has a show tonight Friday of many of his band/gig posters. Designed and screenprinted by Ryan, they usually convey a sly wit with a minimalist design. I've purchased a couple dozen of them over the past few years. I can't get enough of their humor.


Photo by fotoflow / Oscar Arriola.

The Onion's A/V Club has an interesting new interview with Ryan where he talks about the origins behind some of his favorite poster designs.
Ryan also runs Hated Skateboards. Check out his board designs here.

Ryan Duggan: Time to Make the Doughnuts
at Saki
3716 W Fullerton
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, April 6, 2012
7 to 10 pm
*Free*
Music by Matt Hord of Heavy Times
The show will be on view through April 30, 2012

The Profane Illumination

Chicago artist (and friend of Fotoflow), James Jankowiak, opens a solo show tonight Friday at Johalla Projects in West Town.  Featuring paintings and an amazing masking tape wall installation influenced by a riff from a song by Black Sabbath, this show will be well worth a visit.

You can listen to a great recent interview with him by Jesse de la Pena on Vocalo here.

James Jankowiak: The Profane Illumination
at Johalla Projects
1821 W Hubbard St
Suite 110
Chicago, IL

Opening reception: Friday, April 6, 2012
7 to 10 pm

Infinite Stench

INFINITE STENCH, originally uploaded by Johnny Ryan.

Evil genius cartoonist, Johnny Ryan, just released this risograph printed metal zine last week. I just got mine in the mail and it's worth every penny of the $6.66 asking price. 48 pages in an edition of 100. His site is now sold out but there may still be copies available through Desert Island in Brooklyn and Vacation Vinyl in LA.