My latest column in the Examiner.com features the photographs of Dennis Manarchy, who is rated as one of the world’s top photographers. While Manarchy has been commercially successful, he has followed his own muse throughout his 30 year career and created several stunning, highly original collections. His new exhibit, “Metal,” will be on display at Hilton | Asmus Contemporary from Sept. 7 to Sept. 28, 2012.
Here is a link to the article.
If you have a chance to attend the American Craft Exposition in Evanston, IL this weekend, be sure to check out decorative fiber artist Renee Harris.
Here is the story I wrote about Renee for the Examiner.com.
Decorative fiber art
Decorative fiber artist Renee Harris
For as long as she can remember, Renee Harris has felt the need to make things. While working in galleries and freelancing as an illustrator after studying art in college, Harris began experimenting with felt and fiber materials. After twenty years of experimenting with felted wool and embroidery, Harris has become a master at her craft. Her work is on display this weekend, Friday, Aug. 24 to Sunday, Aug. 26 at the 28th American Craft Exposition at Northwestern University’s Henry Crown Sports Pavilion.
Harris’s one of a kind pieces reflect her interest in illustration, nature and folk art. Combining various textures, colors and patterns of found fabrics, she draws charming images of the natural world. Bees, birds, flowers and fish inhabit a quiet, simple, imaginary world. In an era of mass production where identical objects line departments store shelves, it is somehow reassuring to know that someone, needle in hand, is slowly and patiently creating one lovely image at a time.
Renee Harris is one of 164 superior artisans who will be exhibiting one-of-a-kind, museum quality work at the exposition. The event is presented by The Auxiliary of NorthShore University HealthSystem at Evanston and Glenbrook Hospitals. ACE features hand-crafted work in 12 media—baskets, ceramics, fiber decorative, fiber wearable, furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, paper and wood. A $15 admission ticket, $5 for children under 10, serves as a three-day pass to the show. The show is open Friday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 11a.m.-5 p.m.
Oh, how I love my job at the Examiner.com. I get to write about whatever and whoever I want, which means I often write about off-the-grid artists who are hell-bent on making art their own way.
If you haven’t ever met a graffiti artist, or even if you have, you should get to know ZORE.
ZORE
Chicago graffiti artist ZORE concludes international tour at Zhou B. Gallery
Ever wonder what becomes of the young graffiti artists who tag Chicago’s subways? At least one of them became a nationally acclaimed artist. Mario Gonzalez Jr., a.k.a. ZORE, will be exhibiting his large scale paintings at the Zhou B Art Center from Aug. 17 to Sept. 14, 2012. The ZORE exhibition—a thrilling collection that hovers delicately between fine art and street art—is the conclusion of a sixty-four day international tour which included stops in South Korea, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.
Born in 1970 in Chicago, “ZORE” Mario Gonzalez Jr. grew up playing under bridges and abandoned buildings and taking note of the urban art forms surrounding him. At the age of 11 he picked up a marker and started scrawling on any surface available to him. When he was 17 Gonzalez received a full scholarship to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Since then he has been traveling the globe painting subways and murals, performing, teaching art and exhibiting his work throughout the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Brazil and Mexico.
ZORE’s exhibit at the Zhou B Art center is his first major one-man gallery exhibition within the United States. The collection is a fusion of street styles, colorful letter forms and abstract monochromatic large scale paintings. While the art world might call his work “urban abstract graffiti and expressionism” Gonzalez insists, “I am not a studio artist, I am not a street artist, I am a graffiti artist.” Either way, his free spirited works resonate beyond ethnic or geographic borders and make their bold mark on Chicago’s contemporary art scene.
To kick off the ZORE exhibition, the Zhou B Art Center in Bridgeport will be hosting an opening on Friday, Aug. 17 from 7-10 p.m. The exhibit was curated by artist and 3C Wear founder Sergio Gomez and is held in conjunction with the Zhou B. Art Center’s “Third Fridays” in which the center’s galleries and artists’ studios are open to the public.
Sadly, I add this latest post following the August 5 massacre of 6 people who were praying at a Sikh temple near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The article appears in the August 6, 2012 edition of the Examiner.com
Sikh art and religion in the wake of the August fifth massacre in Wisconsin
Guru Nanak Odyssey by Sikh Artist, Kanwar Singh Dhillon
The Renaissance gave us Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci and divine images of Christ and the saints. The works of the masters are beautiful, and they also reveal the essence of Christianity, the abiding love inherent in the faith, as well as the struggles of Christ’s followers. Art speaks the truth, expresses a culture’s values and aspirations. In the wake of the August fifth massacre in which a gunman opened fire and killed six people who were praying at a Sikh temple near Milwaukee, a brief survey of the art of Punjab sheds light on a people about whom some Americans seem confused.
Many know them only by the large turbans they wear. Sikhs, whose religion originates in the culture of Punjab in northwest India, are sometimes mistaken by supporters of terrorist groups like Al Qaeda. However, Sikhs are a peaceful and open-minded people who believe in the equality of all, including the equality of women. According to SikhiWiki, a Sikh encyclopedia, the Sikhs also believe in allowing everyone to choose their own spiritual path.
Images by Sikh artist Kanwar Singh Dhillon reflect the Sikhs’ desire to find union with God. A portrait of a guru, walking with staff in hand across India, is reminiscent of Moses walking the desert in search of the Promised Land. While the pursuit of truth is essential to the Sikh, the Sikh faith does not promise that followers will automatically enter heaven or paradise. Rather God welcomes those who carry out righteous actions, live prayerful lives and do good deeds.Jillian Maas Backman, an author who lives about an hour from Oak Creek, the site of the massacre, knew several of the victims personally and was devastated by the news of the shooting. Backman, who wrote “Beyond the Pews: Breaking with Tradition and Letting Go of Religious Lockdown” suggests that the violence visited upon the Sikh Temple is the result of “dogmatic religious thinking gone bad.” The author, who espouses interreligious dialogue, stated “Our individual faith experiences need not be threatened by alternative worldviews, but rather our experience of God deepens when we become more inclusive in our thinking.” If Backman is right, perhaps the artists can help lead us to peace.
As the new Chicago Arts and Crafts Examiner for the Examiner.com, I wrote about artist Sergio Gomez last week. Gomez is a true “off the grid” artist who diligently practices his craft and continually expands his artistic vision. It is my pleasure to introduce you to this amazing Chicago talent, if you don’t already know him.
The Artistry of Sergio Gomez
Paintings by Mexican born artist Sergio Gomez feature shadowy images, ghostlike forms and mysterious shapes amid fields of color. But Gomez is more than a painter. He is also the owner and director of 33 Contemporary Gallery at the Zhou B. Art Center in Bridgeport, a web designer, an art professor and the co-founder of 3c Wear. On Wednesday, July 18, 2012, 3c Wear launches its online clothing store, 3cwear.com. The purchase of one 3c tee shirt will provide one school supply kit for a needy kid in Chicago or Northwest Indiana. Running a clothing company, an art gallery, and creating works of art are all elements of Gomez’s artistic vision. “I see myself as an artist in relation to everything I do,” Gomez says.
The artist also says that art is influenced by life experiences. The beauty, richness and spirituality of the Mexican culture are evident in Gomez’s work. In his acrylic on canvas, paper or board paintings, luminous images exist in a realm beyond time and space. Within his ethereal figures, splashes of red or glowing yellow leaves suggest the human heart and the essential humanity within us all.
An awareness of the universal plight of human suffering is no doubt what led to the creation of 3c Wear. The company is a socially conscious, family-owned business founded by Gomez and his wife, Dr. Yanina Gomez, a school psychologist who has worked with children for over ten years. 3c Wear tee shirts for adults and children feature colorful and unique designs created by local artists. (The clothing line will soon expand to include additional items.) When a tee shirt is purchased, 3c provides a school uniform or a school supply kit to a local child in need. The company’s mission is to “offer inspired clothing to inspire giving.”
Gomez’s gallery, 33 Contemporary, is located at 1029 W. 35th Street, first floor, in the Zhou B. Art Center in Chicago. The gallery is open every Monday through Saturday. On Friday, July 20 from 6-10 p.m., the gallery will be hosting a special exhibit featuring the colorful, large scale work of up-and-coming artist Spencer Corbett. The exhibit was curated by Gomez and is held in conjunction with the Zhou B. Art Center’s “Third Fridays” in which the center’s galleries and artists’ studios are open to the public.
Water Color by Ukranian Artist Anatoliy Khmara
First novels are not memoirs, though they are often semiautobiographical. My first novel, entitled Gifts from the Dead, was a thinly disguised version of my experience of losing my husband just months after our son was born. In retrospect, I am happy this book was not published and that it remains in a brown cardboard box on my closet floor. I wrote Gifts from the Dead too soon after I was widowed, when I was still in denial about the disaster my life had become. While the book was a form of therapy that kept me from falling off the edge, it was not a successful novel. At the time I lacked the courage to write my story as non-fiction, as Susan Tiberghien and Lois Roelofs did in Looking for Gold and Caring Lessons, respectively. It is an act of bravery to reveal one’s life story in detail. Authors of memoir make public the intimate thoughts and details of their lives. Done skillfully, as by these authors, memoirs tell the truth while transforming an ordinary life into art.
I learned of Susan Tiberghien’s insightful memoir of her year in Jungian analysis when I attended one of her workshops, “Writing our Way Home: Journaling to Memoir.” In the workshop, Tiberghien taught that memoir need not be written chronologically, but as a mosaic, with nonlinear memories beautifully composed and carefully pieced together to create a story that explores and celebrates the nature of being. (Another of Tiberghien’s books, One Year to the Writing Life: Twelve Lessons to Deepen Every Writer’s Art and Craft, is an invaluable addition to a writer’s library
In Looking for Gold, Tiberghien shares her struggles and fears as she undergoes a year of analysis with a Jungian trained analyst in Geneva, Switzerland. She didn’t begin therapy because something was particularly wrong with her life. She writes, “I wanted to deepen the way I was living, the way I was writing…I wanted to find a way to live in both worlds, the visible and the invisible.” Each chapter, which begins with a brief description of a dream, is a fascinating journey into the realms of self-discovery, myth, faith, and the subconscious mind. Written in poetic prose, the book offers the important message to look within rather than outside the self to find wholeness.
Tiberghien’s book reminds me that memoir can be more than a history of what happened during the course of one’s life. A truthful rendering of an author’s emotions and reactions to the past enrich the story. Lois Roelofs, Ph.D expresses her feelings about her career as an R.N. in various capacities, from staff nurse, to nurse researcher, to nursing professor in Caring Lessons. The book chronicles the author’s life from nursing student days through her retirement.
As an RN myself, I could easily relate to Lois’s story, written with candor and humor, and her ongoing struggle to find the position which best suited her unique talents. She writes with honesty about the episode of depression she suffered during her early years of marriage. Feeling overwhelmed with caring for her two small children and having set aside her own ambitions in the 1970’s, she dared to examine her life, to look within. Roelofs expresses what other married women might feel but are perhaps not willing to speak aloud. It is risky for a woman who has a caring husband, beautiful children, and a nice house to admit she is not perfectly happy. Some might say such a woman is ungrateful and has no right to complain. But Roelofs’ story reminds us that it is all right to be discontent, to refuse to settle, to keep seeking fulfillment in our lives despite the inevitable obstacles we encounter.
After reading about her episode of depression, it was not surprising to me when Roelofs later described her decision to specialize in psychiatric nursing. The best healers are often those who have journeyed through their own pain and developed hearts of compassion. There are many who admire nurses and the work they do. Caring Lessons is a wonderful reminder of why those who enter the profession are often earthly angels.
Susan Cheever says that “memoir is the novel of the 21st century.” The stories we write about our own lives are, perhaps, a form of fiction. Dreams, impressions, feelings, combine in this increasingly popular art form. Consider reading Tiberghien’s or Roloefs’ book today. Both Looking for Gold and Caring Lessons are available for purchase online.
More than a decade ago my father, James Bohaty, thought to create a montage of illustrated nursery rhymes for my son Matthew’s room. Dad was a graphic designer by trade and employed by R.R. Donnelly and Sons his entire adult life, as was his father before him. As a designer of books, annual reports, and trade show displays, my father did not consider himself a fine artist. Somehow, the man who was not a artist created the finely rendered depictions of Wee Willie Winkie, the Mouse and the Clock, and the Robin that you see here.
It took my father a number of months, perhaps close to a year, to finish his pen and ink and watercolor masterpiece. He presented the gift to my son with little ado. I gazed in amazement at the intricate details–autumn leaves, a tiny mouse, a street lamp–drawn with masterful precision. I encouraged my dad to do more of these watercolors. Surely, he could sell his drawings, or perhaps he could illustrate children’s books. But he did not seem to think there would be much of a market for his work. “I’m a designer,” he said.
My teenage son has since replaced the illustrated nursery rhymes that used to hang in his room with slick photos of urban street scenes. But someday, James Bohaty’s nursery rhyme montage will be hanging in another little child’s bedroom. He or she will know all about Grandpa Bohaty, who was an artist, in spite of what he said. Miss you, Dad.
Mayor Rahm wants to change things here in Chicago, even for the artists. Says Julie Burros, the city’s new Director of Cultural Planning, the mayor wants to grow the city’s reputation as a center of creativity and excellence in the arts. Last night I attended the Literary & Publishing Cultural Plan Meeting hosted by the Chicago Literary Alliance, in collaboration with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. After offering a succinct overview of the Cultural Plan 2012, Ms. Burros opened up the floor. The discussion that followed revealed the abundance of literary projects taking place here in our city. It also revealed the ongoing struggle experienced by Chicago’s literary community. Maybe the Mayor’s new plan can help.
Up till now, literary creatives have been relying on the work of Chicago Publishes, under the direction of Danielle Chapman, to spread the word about their events and projects. The website, Chicagopublishes.com, offers resources for artists and a well-written blog featuring the latest literary happenings–Chicago’s goings on about the town. The community stands to lose the valuable support of Ms. Chapman and staff under the new plan, although it was suggested that some aspects of Chicago Publishes might remain intact. I hope so.
What remains a mystery is why so few Chicagoans seems aware of the books being produced right here in their own city. We have Academy Chicago Publishing, Agate Publishing, and Allium Press, just to start with the “A’s.” These are, for the most part, small, independent presses that release fresh, quality titles rivaling anything coming out of New York City. Then why is it that Chicago’s major newspapers, radio and television stations pay such precious little attention to local works? It is the opinion of at least one major Chicago book reviewer that readers are not interested in locally produced books; they want to hear about books from New York, books that are invariably published by one of the big six publishing companies. (As exceptions to this policy I mention the Sun-Times‘ wonderful Theresa Budasi and reviewers at New City and the Reader, bless them.)
What we need then, in this bright new Cultural Plan 2012, is a willingness on the part of Chicago’s major media to stop ignoring the work of Chicago artists. Once and for all, let’s get over the second city mentality and embrace the fact that Chicago is home to an abundance of literary talent. Though we may love New York and many of the books on the New York Times bestseller list, lets create our own bestsellers. One of the goals put forth in the mayor’s new plan is to retain artists and creatives in Chicago. If this is so, Mr. Mayor and Ms. Burros, please encourage Chicago’s newspapers, radio and television stations to frequently feature the work of local publishers and authors.
Water Tanks of Chicago: A Vanishing Urban Legend
It is a role of the artist to bring attention to what might otherwise be missed. So it was that I discovered the plight of Chicago’s crumbling water tanks when I picked up Larry W. Green’s slim book of photographs and paintings, Water Tanks of Chicago: A Vanishing Urban Legacy. (Chicago: Wicker Park Press, 2007). The tanks—treasures of redwood and cypress, symbols of the city’s past—might be dwindling to the point of extinction, but Green’s art continues to celebrate the brawny artifact of Chicago’s ever-changing landscape. The artist himself, having been diagnosed with renal failure a few years back, knows something of the struggle for survival.
The artist in his studio
Green, born in Terre Haute, Indiana, is a 1975 graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago. On a sunny Thursday morning in April, I drove to meet the artist at his studio in East Garfield Park. When I arrived, Green came around the side of his old van to greet me and lead the way through the artists’ co-op, up to his second story, light-filled studio. A profusion of rooftop tanks—dark silhouettes against blue skies and sunsets, lone sentinels posted in forgotten urban landscapes, and miniature versions the size of my palm—bespoke of the strange and mysterious passion which overcomes many an artist. Green’s fascination with the subject matter has served to keep the water tanks alive in the memory of many a collector.
The water tanks are a legacy of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. After the disaster, it was decided that every public building and warehouse would have its own means to fight fire—an ingenious solution powered by gravity in an era before there were electric-powered water pumps. In an effort to keep the last remaining tanks part of the skyline, preservationists have sought ordinances, and in 2006 Mayor Daley sponsored an architectural contest in which the purpose of the defunct tanks was to be re-envisioned. In the minds of the contestants, the tanks became bird sanctuaries, giant planters, wind turbines, or sculpture gardens. Despite the visions of the architects, the tanks—prone to decay when devoid of water—continue dwindle in number.
Artist Larry W. Green
Although the water tanks might be losing their battle, the artist who paints them and who only recently suffered from end-stage renal failure is now fully recovered. About two years ago, Green grew weary of waking up at 5:30 a.m. and reporting to the Logan Square dialysis clinic three times a week. Taking matters into his own hands, he decided to put a “kidney wanted ad” on craigslist. While a fee for organ donation was not offered (and cannot be legally offered), Green received three replies to his request. A young woman from Haiti turned out to be a match. Inexplicably the woman, seeking no financial reward, felt compelled to help a complete stranger in this manner. In a matter of months, Green got his life back.
I asked him if the experience of being diagnosed with end stage renal disease and the miraculous recovery that followed changed him and his art. He replied that it had. Small, everyday problems we all face seem inconsequential in comparison with the matter of life and death. Furthermore, he has managed to persevere in the practice of his chosen craft. At a time when it is difficult to convince much of the public of the virtue of art over mass merchandise, he has accomplished an amazing feat. Over four decades, he has maintained his identity as a painter and amassed an impressive body of work. He shares his sunny studio space with his wife—who is also a talented painter—and enjoys his two bright, nearly grown children.
It was impossible for me to leave Larry Green’s studio without purchasing one of his pieces. I selected a miniature—a dark silhouette against a cerulean blue sky. It now hangs in my kitchen, offering a reminder of my visit to his studio. I imagine the wooden tanks will continue to disappear from the rooftops of Chicago, but at least Larry Green’s paintings and photographs will keep the memory of the forgotten skyline alive. Art has a way of reminding us who we are, of where we have been, and what is important.
Larry’s book, Water Tanks of Chicago: A Vanishing Urban Legacy is available for purchase on Indiebound (or on Amazon if you must). The book is perfect for father’s day. Buy art, support artists, and your community. You can view more of Larry Green’s work at http://larrywgreen.blogspot.com.
To learn about resources for those fighting kidney disease or to make a donation, you can visit the Renal Support Network.
Here at Off the Grid I’ve been working behind the scenes, getting ready to introduce you to a few remarkable talents. In the meantime, the BookPixie–a young and talented dynamo of a blogger–kindly invited me to write a guest post for her blog , which features a wonderful assortment of mostly YA reviews, interviews, giveaways & book news. (For a chance to win a free copy of Nonna’s Book of Mysteries via the BookPixie, click here. ) My topic: forgotten feminist themes in young adult literature and why the heroine of Twilight is, well, a step backwards for young women. Here tis:
Twilight, Patriarchy, and Forgotten Feminists
Before Twilight, exotic vampire stories from Eastern Europe traveled west, leading to occasional episodes of mass hysteria and inspiring Bram Stoker to write the quintessential vampire novel, Dracula, in 1897. The success of the book gave rise to a trendy new genre of fiction, later popularized by Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles and Stephanie Meyer’s series. While I am not a fan of horror fantasy and am too chicken to watch scary movies, I was in some ways drawn to the dark themes and imagery of Twilight. The story evokes strong archetypes and explores hidden desires. I tore through the five-hundred page book in just a few days. Still, there is something about the vampire craze and the Twilight books that unsettles me. Could it be the fact that Stephanie Meyer sold about 10,000 times more books than I have? Well, maybe. But I think it has more to do with the underlying patriarchy of the vampire theme: the heroine, Bella, is an unexceptional mortal who stands in awe of her love interest, the supernatural Edward, who surpasses her in every way. Twilight is entertaining, but Bella is a far cry from the strong-willed characters of classic literature like Jo March, Jane Eyre, or the more recent Hermione Granger. The Twilight books are highly readable, and that may be enough. What they teach women about themselves is another matter.
As Twilight begins, Bella is something of a misfit, feeling quite out of place when she arrives in Forks, Washington State, from Phoenix. An ordinary girl, she considers herself hardly worthy of Edward Cullen’s notice, and she spends most of her time pining away for him. While century-old Edward is depicted as stunningly handsome, smart, and rich, Bella is just a plain teenage girl, possessing little in the way of talent, interests, or hobbies outside of her vampire lust. There are, of course, positive messages for teens in the book. Bella and Edward remain chaste and devoted to one another. Catholics appreciate the message that is offered when the newly married Bella chooses to carry her baby to term, despite the fact that doing so might kill her. As far as feminist ideals and the movement toward greater equality, the book is a step backward from books that celebrate the strength and independence of women.
For better or worse, I was not thinking of the popular trends in teen fiction when I wrote Nonna’s Book of Mysteries. The story is about a young woman who dreams of becoming a painter in Renaissance Florence at a time when apprenticeships for women do not exist. Emilia Serafini’s quest is guided by a mystical book of alchemy that is passed from mother to daughter in her family. Nonna’s won an American Library Association Bloomer nomination for best feminist books for teens, but the book is best loved, I think, by readers who prefer Little Women to Twilight. While Emilia is often preoccupied with thoughts of romance, like Bella Swan, she cannot easily sacrifice her ambition for love.
In Twilight, Bella derives her meaning and power from her love interest. Feminist characters like Jo March and Emilia Serafini discover their personal identities and earn their rewards when they pursue their individual passions, work hard to achieve their life goals, and learn from past mistakes. In Nonna’s Book of Mysteries, Emilia also learns from her grandmother’s legacy, the mysterious alchemical text. While alchemy refers to the transformation of base metals into gold, it is also a metaphor for the personal transformation which occurs when you commit to finding your highest destiny. To the alchemist, the achievement of inner wisdom matters more than the fulfillment of material wants and desires.
It may well be that Bella’s highest destiny was to marry Edward. I do hope they live happily ever after. For girls in the real world, my wish is for them to become smart, bold, and brave. Having a loving and supportive life partner is an undeniable blessing in life. But in my experience, ultimate happiness is achieved when you make use of your unique talents and stop at nothing in order to accomplish the thing you were born to do.
