Firsts

Edmonia Lewis

When an artist is the first to do something, I take note. Forging ahead as an artist is an investment, and artists who do so while simultaneously breaking down a color barrier, or setting a new cultural precedent...they are courageous. Included in this exhibit is the story of Edmonia Lewis' Cleopatra, which was found in a mall storeroom in the Chicago suburbs. The story of the man who discovered it and the art historian who wanted to save it is very interesting.

Also included is an article about Jeff Donaldson and the work he was doing at the time in Chicago with AFRI-COBRA. Lucia Lerner was an innovative illustrator and single mother working from Chicago who purportedly designed the Morton Salt girl. Nathan Lerner, who recently passed away, innovated at every turn. Geraldine McCullogh, William McBride, and the first 12x12 show at the MCA round out the show.

Photography

My husband is out of town, and while I remembered almost everything this morning--kids allergy medicine, dimes for the first grade store, check for the 4th grade party, snacks, lunches, walk the dogs, lock the doors--I did forget my notebook with my notes on the archive in it. I was due to install a new mini-exhibition, so when I realized I had forgotten it, I figured I would just wing it.
For the first time since starting to read, I browsed back through the archive, starting at A. I flipped through the files looking for photographs I remembered and found ones I had forgotten. I think I have put together the best show yet.

lots of good photography in a tiny space

There is a proof sheet from Flo-tilla, when artist made boats were floated down the river through the city. I included a haunting infrared photograph by Joan Moss. There are two of my favorites from previous exhibitions, a Jeanne Dunning announcement and two early Kenneth Josephson prints with his annotations. Announcements from shows by Joseph Jachna, Pamela DeMarris, Stephen Albair, Jane Fulton Alt, Pam Frederick and Mary Jo Bangs round out the show.  The show includes work by a photographers with commercial practices as well, including Steven Gross, William Frederking and Sam Hong.

Georgios Katsagelos

It felt like curation on speed! I imagined a museum curator going through flat files and simply pulling his or her favorites (or an emerging theme) without researching it first, without presenting an argument. It was selection as a subjective loving act—finding and showing with only a few constraints. The recent show on Ray Yoshida at SAIC curated by Corbett and Dempsey had this feeling: I think that is why it was such a moving show. So many of the early Yoshida paintings were from his own collection. I imagined them tucked away in corners of his home and studio. The related artists' works had a similar feeling of intimacy and relationship: lets use this one, Ray always loved this one, they might have said at their studio visit with the curators.

As usual I have an immense feeling of joy when I pull these mini-exhibits together: there is so much wealth in this archive. These photographs show the rich experimental honesty of artists taking pictures in Chicago.