Chicago

Blue Abstraction from Doug Fogelson in Chicago

February 13, 2013

The new Street Art Abstraction we’ve been talking about continues apace in the public sphere, perhaps buffeted by current shows like MoMA’s Inventing Abstraction and the 100th anniversary of the earth shaking Armory Show that turned modern art on its head.

Not quite as earth shaking, but still a marker on the path in the urban forest, fine artist Doug Fogelson wheat pasted this mural in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago over the weekend. Ecological and environmental intersects the geometry in the photographed patterning – the same sort of study that launched many a cubist and modernist, stripping the angles, lines, and forms to their fundamentals.

 Doug Fogelson (photo © Doug Fogelson)

Read more

Specter Under a Bridge in Chicago

November 27, 2012 , ,

Street Artist Specter stuffed himself with Turkey and hit up a wall under a bridge in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago last week to help Pawn Works with their ongoing project. You would think these guys would take a break for the holiday, but at least the weather was cold and bleak and depressing, so that was a plus. Truth is, Specter is an imaginative twister of perception; a thinking artist who likes to experiment with pre-definitions of art and messaging, so it can be rewarding to spend a day watching him work.

 

 

Specter. Pilsen, Chicago. November 2012 (photo © Pawn Works Gallery)

“The weather during a Chicago winter is not ideal outdoor working weather,” reports Seth, but says they were thrilled to work with Specter on the Thanksgiving Day holiday anyway. “Layered up, with gloves gripping brushes and scarf over his face Specter was hard at work this past weekend as people buzzed by and even a little snow began to come down lightly,” he says of the new piece done in conjunction with Art in Public Places.

And we send a shout out to Alderman Danny Solis, who is the main force behind the project, helping many of the artists procure space to create their work.

Specter. Pilsen, Chicago. November 2012 (photo © Pawn Works Gallery)

Specter. Pilsen, Chicago. November 2012 (photo © Pawn Works Gallery)

Specter. Pilsen, Chicago. November 2012 (photo © Pawn Works Gallery)

<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA

Please note: All content including images and text are © BrooklynStreetArt.com, unless otherwise noted. We like sharing BSA content for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit the photographer(s) and BSA, include a link to the original article URL and do not remove the photographer’s name from the .jpg file. Otherwise, please refrain from re-posting. Thanks!

<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA

Read more

MOMO Paints New Mural in Chicago

November 3, 2012 , ,

Still on his global 2012 painting tour the maximal minimalist MOMO was in Chicago over the last week with Seth and Nick from Pawn Works Gallery to paint a large mural under mostly grey skies while the crippling Superstorm named Sandy jacked a third of the country.

“Chicago was great,” MOMO tells us, not just because of the opportunity to paint a huge wall in his signature style and because he got to hang with a friend who had been stranded by the storm at the O’Hare airport, but because he got a taste of some of the city’s local delicacies with the Pawn Works crew.

“We did our best to share the Chicago experience,” says Nick while he talks about procuring premium encased meats form Hot Doug’s, breakfast at Art’s Drive-In, and tacos from secret hot spots all over the city. Call it Chicago hospitality.  Judging the still-thin MOMO teetering on the edge of the cherry picker, this sort of modern mural making really burns the calories!

Special thanks to photographer Marc Moran for these photos exclusively for BSA readers.

MOMO (photo courtesy of Pawn Works Gallery © Marc Moran)

MOMO (photo courtesy of Pawn Works Gallery © Marc Moran)

MOMO (photo courtesy of Pawn Works Gallery © Marc Moran)

MOMO (photo courtesy of Pawn Works Gallery © Marc Moran)

MOMO (photo courtesy of Pawn Works Gallery © Marc Moran)

<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA

Please note: All content including images and text are © BrooklynStreetArt.com, unless otherwise noted. We like sharing BSA content for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit the photographer(s) and BSA, include a link to the original article URL and do not remove the photographer’s name from the .jpg file. Otherwise, please refrain from re-posting. Thanks!

<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA

Read more

The HotBox Mobile Gallery Presents: “The Good Guys” A Group Exhibition. (Chicago, Illinois)

October 11, 2012 , , , , ,

The Hot Box

 This Saturday the HOTBOX Mobile gallery is opening a new show featuring local chicago street artists.
“The GOOD GUYS” celebrates the good guys who wear masks – a group show with some of the most notable street artists from Chicago.  Left Handed Wave, Brooks Golden, Clam Nation, Don’t Fret, Espir, Nudnik, and ourselves Lucx and Nice-one.  Opening this Saturday 13th 12pm-10pm @  2381 n. Milwaukee (in FRONT of) Gallery F Chicago IL 
Read more

Maxwell Colette Gallery Presents: Goons “Welcome To Goonswood” (Chicago, IL)

September 26, 2012 , , , , ,

Goons

Maxwell Colette Gallery Presents:
Welcome To Goonswood
October 5, 2012 – November 9, 2012
Opening Reception: Friday, October 5th from 6pm to 10pm
 Maxwell Colette Gallery is pleased to announce
Welcome To Goonswood, a solo show of new work from Goons. Known for their
signature big lips, Goons’ characters are as unmistakable as they are engaging. The
exhibition will be on view from October 5 to November 9, 2012 with an opening
reception on Friday, October 5th from 6pm to 10pm.
“Goonswood is a secret city just beyond the sight of eyes. It is a place where anything is
possible. All the colors are brighter, all the shapes are richer and everything is bigger.
Welcome to Goonswood where all dreams come true.” -GOONS
About Goons:
Goons is a native of Chicago who currently resides in Vermont. In July 2012 he was the
judge’s choice winner of the Red Bull Curates Competition in Chicago and in December
2012 will be going to Art Basel in Miami to exhibit work with them. His ‘Clean It Up’
video for Orbit Gum is an viral sensation with over a million views on You Tube.
Maxwell Colette Gallery
908 N. Ashland Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
Twitter: @maxwellcolette
Read more

Overunder and Labrona In Chicago are Full of Characters, History

September 20, 2012 , ,

Overunder continues to expand, explore, rework, reveal – a surrealist stretching the figurative and coupling it with the symbolic and architectural,  and finishing it with overlays of patterning of tattooing or circuitry. In a rising tide of sameness, Street Artists like Overunder are weaving storyline and imagination, innovation, experimentation. His characters are mid-thought and on the move, rooted in history and with a sense of self, these paeans to people and to place. Also it’s interesting to see this new symbol pop up suddenly, this distortion of the smile icon – we’ll have to find out about that and get back to you…

‘Division of Memory and Construction’, 14′ x 100′, Chicago, by Overunder (photo © Brock Brake)

Seth and Nick of Pawn Works continue to curate this, their summer project “Art in Public Places” in the Pilsen Neighborhood of Chicago, and to be on the look out for spots that are choice. Many of the pieces have dealt thematically with the populations and the history of Pilsen, giving a distinctive voice to the neighborhood. With these recent contributions from Overunder and fellow traveler/ painter Labrona just capping off the humid summer season, the character of this project is going wide, and deep.

Chicago contributor and talented photographer Brock Brake captured Overunder and Labrona at work and shares the view through his lens here with BSA readers.

Overunder. Detail. (photo © Brock Brake)

Overunder. Detail. (photo © Brock Brake)

Overunder. Detail. (photo © Brock Brake)

Overunder. Detail. (photo © Brock Brake)

Overunder. Detail. (photo © Brock Brake)

A portrait of a “Young Pilsen Chicana”. Overunder. (photo © Brock Brake)

Overunder. Detail. (photo © Brock Brake)

Portrait of Mondo, the Foreman, by Overunder. Detail. (photo © Brock Brake)

Overunder. Detail. (photo © Brock Brake)

Overunder (photo © Brock Brake)

Overunder (photo © Brock Brake)

Overunder (photo © Brock Brake)

Overunder and Labrona (photo © Brock Brake)

Labrona (photo © Brock Brake)

Labrona (photo © Brock Brake)

 

OverUnder participates in the GEOMETRICKS show this weekend in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

 

<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA

Please note: All content including images and text are © BrooklynStreetArt.com, unless otherwise noted. We like sharing BSA content for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit the photographer(s) and BSA, include a link to the original article URL and do not remove the photographer’s name from the .jpg file. Otherwise, please refrain from re-posting. Thanks!

<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA

 

Read more

Freshly Saturated Labrona In Chicago

September 4, 2012 , ,

Labrona left Chicago looking a bit less “buffed” than usual –  and a lot more colorful after his recent stop as a guest of Nick and Seth of Pawn Works Gallery. Not usually shy about color Labrona is really drenching his modern liturgical portraits and giving them a cubist perspective on outside walls in hidden spots around town. With eyes glancing askance in every direction, you might wonder if they are looking over Labrona’s shoulder as he paints, just keeping an eye out, so to speak.

Labrona (photo © Courtesy of Pawn Works Gallery)

Labrona (photo © Courtesy of Pawn Works Gallery)

Labrona. Detail. (photo © Courtesy of Pawn Works Gallery)

Labrona (photo © Courtesy of Pawn Works Gallery)

Labrona (photo © Courtesy of Pawn Works Gallery)

<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA

Please note: All content including images and text are © BrooklynStreetArt.com, unless otherwise noted. We like sharing BSA content for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit the photographer(s) and BSA, include a link to the original article URL and do not remove the photographer’s name from the .jpg file. Otherwise, please refrain from re-posting. Thanks!

<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA

Read more

Over Under / Labrona in Chicago

September 1, 2012 , ,

 

Overunder (Photo © Nick Marzullo. Courtesy of Pawn Works Gallery)

Seth Mooney and Nick Marzullo from Pawn Works are curating the ongoing “Art in Public Places” project in the Pilsen neighborhood on Chicago’s north side. Here are pictures they sent of Over Under and Labrona.

Overunder (Photo © Nick Marzullo. Courtesy of Pawn Works Gallery)

Overunder with Kashink piece on the right. (Photo © Nick Marzullo. Courtesy of Pawn Works Gallery)

Overunder (Photo © Nick Marzullo. Courtesy of Pawn Works Gallery)

Overunder (Photo © Nick Marzullo. Courtesy of Pawn Works Gallery)

Overunder  (Photo © Nick Marzullo. Courtesy of Pawn Works Gallery)

Overunder x Labrona (Photo © Nick Marzullo. Courtesy of Pawn Works Gallery)

Read more

GAIA New Wheat Pastes in Chicago

August 20, 2012 , ,

“In true form, GAIA found himself in some of Chicago’s worst neighborhoods during one of the bloodiest summers on record,” says Nick Marzullo, owner of Pawn Works Gallery. According to most news reports the city has suffered the most violence in years, and the summer heat seems to exacerbate the duress. “Homicides are up by 38 percent from a year ago, and shootings have increased as well, even as killings have held steady or dropped in New York, Los Angeles and some other cities,” writes Monica Davey in the New York Times, and while July’s total of 49 murders represented a drop, it is hard to feel safe on many streets.

Gaia. Englewood Chicago, August 2012. (photo © Thomas Fennell IV)

How a Street Artist decides to put up work in a dangerous neighborhood is not clear, or what motivates the work. Sometimes it is to activate a space, to humanize it. Other times it is merely an opportunity to get up. These pieces somehow feel contextual, especially the large floating head. While the portrait may not be a direct commentary on the violence, we know that many of the dead in these crimes are fathers, brothers, and sons.

Gaia. Englewood Chicago, August 2012. (photo © Thomas Fennell IV)

Gaia. Englewood Chicago, August 2012. (photo © Thomas Fennell IV)

Gaia. Englewood Chicago, August 2012. (photo © Thomas Fennell IV)

Gaia. Englewood Chicago, August 2012. (photo © Thomas Fennell IV)

Gaia. Englewood Chicago, August 2012. (photo © Thomas Fennell IV)

Read more

GAIA in Chicago with a Cuban Madonna, Michaelangelo, Masks

August 16, 2012 , ,

Street Artist Gaia visited Chicago last week to hit some walls in his grandly fulsome style with imaginative remixing of classics. Here’s a guy who is perfectly badass about handily switching symbols, metaphors, cultures, belief systems, history, art history. The results are perplexing if you think too hard about it, thrilling if you are willing to detach the forms from their original contexts and appreciate the new associations that their juxtapositions can present.

Hosted by the fellas at Pawn Works Gallery and shot by talented photographer Brock Brake, Gaia created his new pieces as part of their ongoing project “Art in Public Places” in the Pilsen neighborhood and in Chicago’s West Town.

Gaia at Nini’s Cuban Deli in Chicago’s West Town. (photo © Brock Brake)

First off is the piece with African masks and a Cuban female figure that references the historical ties of the two regions. “Thanks to the lovely people at Nini’s Cuban Deli,” says Pawn Works Nick Marzullo of this place tucked into Chicago’s West Town.  Gaia says the mural depicts the rich alloy that is Santeria. In it the Catholic twin saints Damian and Cosmas flank the African Ibeji masks.

“These are icons which were imported by the Spanish through Catholicism. African slaves sit underneath a woman performing a ceremony as Oshun, an Oshira of love and the river,” Gaia explains on his Flickr page.

Gaia at Nini’s Cuban Deli in Chicago’s West Town. (photo © Brock Brake)

Gaia at Nini’s Cuban Deli in Chicago’s West Town. (photo © Brock Brake)

Gaia at Nini’s Cuban Deli in Chicago’s West Town. (photo © Brock Brake)

 

Following are images of a considerably longer mural that the Street Artist did while in the Chicago. In a practice that is often his case, this mural is also site-specific. Reflecting the neighborhood of Pilsen, it’s meant as a visual representation of two other cultures merging that have successively defined it. Gaia says that he is exploring the notion of the word “immigrant”.

Gaia in the Pilsen Neighborhood with The Chicago Urban Art Society and Alderman Danny Solis (photo © Brock Brake)

“It is about the confluence of Polish and Mexican culture, says Gaia, “I just used Michaelangelo figures from the Sistine Chapel’s Last Judgement scene primarily because both cultures share Catholicism – and because the bodies are so dynamic.” That explains why some of the figures looks so Michaelangelic  – but with animal heads replacing the original figures human/god-like ones.

Gaia did this one in coordination with Pawn Works, the Chicago Urban Art Society and the office of Alderman Danny Solis.

Gaia in the Pilsen Neighborhood with The Chicago Urban Art Society and Alderman Danny Solis (photo © Brock Brake)

Gaia in the Pilsen Neighborhood with The Chicago Urban Art Society and Alderman Danny Solis (photo © Brock Brake)

Gaia in the Pilsen Neighborhood with The Chicago Urban Art Society and Alderman Danny Solis (photo © Brock Brake)

Gaia in the Pilsen Neighborhood with The Chicago Urban Art Society and Alderman Danny Solis (photo © Brock Brake)

Gaia in the Pilsen Neighborhood with The Chicago Urban Art Society and Alderman Danny Solis (photo © Brock Brake)

<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA

Please note: All content including images and text are © BrooklynStreetArt.com, unless otherwise noted. We like sharing BSA content for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit the photographer(s) and BSA, include a link to the original article URL and do not remove the photographer’s name from the .jpg file. Otherwise, please refrain from re-posting. Thanks!

<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA

 

Read more

ROA and a Half-Eaten Carcass in Chicago

August 13, 2012 , ,

Belgian Street Artist and painter ROA continues his USA Summer 2012 tour and his next stop after New York was Chicago last week. Hosted by the folks at Pawn Works Gallery, ROA was invited to participate in their ongoing outdoor project “Art in Public Places” in the Pilsen neighborhood.

ROA (photo courtesy Pawn Works Gallery © Nick Marzullo)

ROA’s  unsentimental fascination with animals goes well beyond the wild realm to give the urban fauna spotlight on public walls. He reprised this bit of visual trickery that we first remember him doing in Miami last year – an engaging image goes very wrong when you turn the corner.  It demonstrates the duality of nature and one we shouldn’t get freaked out by, but a carcass is still kind of gross, right?

The project continues to bring new artists in conjunction with the Mexican Museum of Fine Art and The Chicago Urban Art Society.

ROA (photo courtesy Pawn Works Gallery © Nick Marzullo)

ROA (photo courtesy Pawn Works Gallery © Nick Marzullo)

ROA (photo courtesy Pawn Works Gallery © Nick Marzullo)

<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA

Please note: All content including images and text are © BrooklynStreetArt.com, unless otherwise noted. We like sharing BSA content for non-commercial purposes as long as you credit the photographer(s) and BSA, include a link to the original article URL and do not remove the photographer’s name from the .jpg file. Otherwise, please refrain from re-posting. Thanks!

<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA<<>>><><<>BSA<<>>><<<>><><BSA

 

Read more

Featured Video | Martin Wong’s “Houston Street”

Recent Articles on BSA