Art Chicago - and - Chicago Antiques Fair

Here's my picks for the first combined exhibit of Art Chicago (contemporary) and the Chicago Antiques Fair. I'm guessing (and hoping) that this new arrangement -- with the Merchandise Mart owning the event -- will give the contemporary show more of a local -- rather than international -- focus -- while still attracting international galleries that suit our local,more conservative taste -- but abandoning the already failed attempt to draw jet-set buyers for cutting-edge art.

Walking through these shows -- especially both of them on same afternoon -- is something of an insane marathon event -- there's thousands and thousands of items -- all of which I will never see again for the rest of my life. It's utterly exhusting.

The following items got me to pull out my camera -- but there were many more that I liked -- but were unphotographable (too large or under glass or gallery too crowded)












The above come from Scott Prior (1949-- ) and I guess he's my favorite discovery for this visit. He's almost exactly my age -- so I know that he spent his life-in-art walking up stream against a very strong current. I'm guessing that he's a photo-projection painter -- but I like the results -- and it's clear that he loves the same things I do: gloomy, evening seascapes --- and slender young women, skinny dipping in exactly the kind of stream down which I like to float -- or lying in mid-day, post-coital exhaustion. Scott Prior: I salute you !











A Japanese gallery presented the above small figures. There were no labels to indicate dates or artist names -- but they were such wonderful little sculptures, I couldn't resist them.






This is James Roy Hopkins (1877-1969) -- Souvenir D'ete, 1922. He's an Ohio boy who evidently was one of the many mid-Western Americans who went to Paris in the early years of the last century to be Impressionist painters. Richard E Miller and Carl Frieseke being two others ). It's a little awkward -- just like the subject matter --- but he really loves see young, fair-skinned women naked in a sunny garden -- and so do I.




This is a figure drawing by Edward Hopper -- it's just like the typical (good)figure sculpture of his era.



I could kick myself for losing this painter's name -- his paintings are all life-size figures -- and there was a gallery full of them. (I think he's Scandinavian)




This elaborate confection belongs to the American sculptor, Donald DeLue.
It looks like it should be a trophy for airmen, doesn't it ?



Euan Uglow (1932 - 2000) I've seen this British painter every year I've come to Art Chicago -- and I've always admired him -- despite his gloomy demeanor. Why do so many British painters (Lucian Freud being the outstanding example) love to be depressed ?





Suong Yangchareon: This is the butt-hole of America -- a god-awful scene that is repeated endlessly over our ravaged landscape --- and yet -- I find this painting so attactive. Maybe I should have been a proctologist.





Catherine Maize, Thiebaud Gallery --- 20 years ago, Catherine was leaving the Palette and Chisel, just as I was joining it (she and her boyfriend lived, as caretakers, in basement) --- so I'm glad to see her delicate Cezanne tributes in this San Francisco gallery -- which, overall, was my favorite booth at Art Chicago.





These performers come from the Han Dynasty. Maybe they entertained Liu Bei and his three sworn brothers. (from Romance of the Three Kingdoms)






This is the first sweet, attractive male figure that I've found from the Tang Dynasty -- and it's a knock-out sculpture too -- I love that swing. There were more vendors of Chinese antiquities at this Fair than ever before -- but most of the items just made me recall other things that were better.