Two really great shows opening in Chicago on Friday nite -- curiously enough, both dealing with the oft-discussed human footprint on nature, but approaching the topic from two distinct perspectives.
First, in the burgeoning West Loop,
Thomas Robertello Gallery hosts
Transmissions From the Outpost, works by
Adam Ekberg.
Outpost #1, 2011
© Adam Ekberg is a continuation of Ekberg's solid practice of imposing man-made materials into natural and domestic spaces through careful sculpture and performance.
Levitating Pink Umbrella, 2010
© Adam EkbergThe construction of his scenes results in images that transform and give new meaning to everyday settings and scenarios. By placing equal emphasis on the "happening" of creating the photograph (i.e. the work done prior to composing and capturing the image) as is on the final power of the exhibited photograph itself, his works ultimately exploit an alternative potential of the documentary tradition in photography.
Arrangement #2, 2010
© Adam Ekberg
works by Adam Ekberg
opening Friday 21 October
6-8pm
Thomas Robertello Gallery27 N. Morgan St., Chicago
From there, jet down Halsted to Bridgeport and the south end of Morgan St. to
Co-Prosperity Sphere and check out
Future Perfect, featuring photo, video, sculpture and audio works by
Judy Natal.
from the series Future Perfect
© Judy Natal consists of
four chapters (appropriately titled
2040,
2030,
2020, and
2010) and centers around three scientific research sites: a desert preserve in Las Vegas, an experimental Biosphere in Arizona, and geothermal landscapes in Iceland.
from the series Future Perfect
© Judy NatalNatal's works detail the notion of futurity being explored in these sites, and the subsequent influences of human intervention and land use -- particularly as it relates to environmental sustainability. In her words, "the photographs establish unexpected but compelling resonances that distill and display our hopes, perceptions and misunderstandings of nature, and suggest both the potential and pitfalls of our future on earth."
from the series Future Perfect
© Judy Natal
works by Judy Natal
opening Friday 21 October
6-9pmCo-Prosperity Sphere
3219 S. Morgan St., Chicago
Outpost #1, 2011
Levitating Pink Umbrella, 2010
Arrangement #2, 2010
from the series Future Perfect
from the series Future Perfect
from the series Future Perfect
