Sixteen Chicago Veggie/ Organic Restaurants

chicago diner,, originally uploaded by no sex, bone dragon.

The Chicago Reader just posted this compilation of sixteen Chicago-based veggie stops to check out. I need to work on this list!

Nancy Spero

Provocative article, titled Political Nostalgia, by Catherine Spaeth, spurred by the Oct. 18th, 2009 death of Chicago feminist artist Nancy Spero.

Trunk Show: Press Release

TRUNK SHOW: Luggage, Travel, & Place
Opening Reception: Saturday, October 24th, 7-10pm
For Immediate Release
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// Storage // Shelter // Transport // Convenience // Place //

What is unique about travel today? How do we choose those few, valuable objects to take with us when we travel? Do these basic necessities define us?

Is 21st century travel primarily a physical experience (getting from one place to another), or a digital one (the movement of thoughts and ideas)?

Is a suitcase a microcosm of a home or a self? Is it a matter of habit and tradition—a purely functional object—or does it imply a new, creative experience each time it is used?
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The opening reception for the TRUNK SHOW will be on Saturday, October 24th, from 7-10pm. Barbara & Barbara Gallery is located at 1021 North Western Avenue (3 blocks south of Division), near the Empty Bottle.

The show will run from October 23rd – November 17th, 2009.

Asked to find a suitcase as inspiration for artwork around the theme of luggage, travel, and place, nineteen young and emerging North American artists have packed their bags and filled the walls of Barbara & Barbara Gallery in Ukrainian Village with thought-provoking work in print, painting, drawing, video, performance, sculpture, and photography.

Participating Artists: Sierra Berquist, Ben Bontempo, Peter McLean-Browne, Evan Burrows, Pete Cuba, Fred Frederick, Julia V. Hendrickson, Landon Manucci, Colin Nusbaum, Emma Powell, Scott Reinhard, David Schalliol, Elizabeth Stoutamire, Christopher Sykora, Sean Sykora, Jessie Vogel, Kelly Wallis, Rustél Weiss, Hannah Zurko

Opening Night Musical Performances By: Anna Vogelzang, Vintage Gramma, Julia V. Hendrickson & Marie Barker (accompanied by Chris Gingrich)

For the duration of the exhibit, Barbara & Barbara will be open weekends, weekdays by appointment, and when the gallery owners are present.

Need a trim? Fancy, fabulous, and fun haircuts will be given throughout the evening on the 24th.

Curated by Julia V. Hendrickson & Christopher Sykora, poster design by Scott Reinhard.

My Baby Artist Brain

(From Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag)

(Cover of The Funny Thing)

(Edouard Vuillard, Intérieur à la teinture rose II, 1899)

(Edouard Vuillard, La Patisserie, 1899)

I've been thinking a lot over the past few months about images that I was exposed to as a child that surely had an effect on me as an adult and as an artist. The drawings of Edward Gorey, and this book cover of Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, specifically, were hugely influential. Wanda Gag's illustrations for children's books like The Funny Thing and Millions of Cats have also resided inexorably in my visual database since I first saw them. Louis Slobodkin's painterly illustrations for the Eleanor Estes book The Hundred Dresses are lovely. For some reason I've been reminded of that book after looking at a beautiful series of Edouard Vuillard's 1899 Paysages et Intérieurs suite of lithographs at the Art Institute a handful of times.

The Story of Ferdinand with whimsical illustrations by Robert Lawson, Blueberries for Sal by Robert McKloskey, and any book by Maurice Sendak and Eric Carle-- all of these have drawing styles and really stunning imagery that has stuck with me as an adult. I could go on and on, and probably should just do a separate post about my favorite children's books in general.

Modern Day Handwriting Tips

Check out this chock-full-of-useful-and-interesting-tidbits Op-Art piece from the New York Times on modern handwriting and penmanship.

Artist Spotlight: Hollis Brown Thornton

I've mentioned Hollis Brown Thornton before, but I wanted to post a little bit more about him, because I keep returning to look at his work, to see what he's up to. The first image, of the lights, is one of the most recent. Those ghostly acrylic photo-based transfer images keep floating to the surface of my brain, and have done so continually ever since I first saw his work (possibly first seen in a DesignSponge post in April 2009?)

Tangent! There is a visual link to some of Suzanne Caporael's paintings (she is one of my absolute favorite, favorite contemporary artists--- more on her later). Take a look at this 2005 painting 482 (the hours) at Richard Gray Gallery here in Chicago.

I sense that my interest in her is connected to my interest in Thornton...

Thornton gives a detailed, incredibly useful explanation of the acrylic transfer process on his website, which I would love to get around to trying one day soon, seeing how I've really been immersing myself in photo-based image-making of late.

I was also pleasantly surprised to find out earlier this year that Thornton and I both had pieces in the A5 Art & Design Magazine Heroes Issue (No. 8). Below is the piece of mine, a painting in gouache over an old Wonder Woman comic, that was published.

(Click to view full size)

Vitalic

Vitalic - Poison Lips from Seiji Ito on Vimeo.

This music video by Vitalic is really strange and I love it.

(Found here at Con's Picks).

Word Banquet Hand-made Chocolates

(Photo by Catherine S. Vodrey)

(Photo by Catherine S. Vodrey)

Pure heaven. And made by my incredibly talented Aunt in the beautiful woods of Eastern Ohio! If you're in need of a tasty treat, or looking for a sweet hand-made gift for a loved one, these chocolates from Word Banquet (via Etsy) are out-of-this-world good!