ArtChicago 2008

This past weekend was the largest gathering of the arts that annually happens in Chicago. An event appropriately enough called ArtChicago in which galleries both local and international come together under the roof of the Merchandise Mart in the loop. Multiple levels hold far too much art to take in even if you were there everyday. My personal take on it was one of claustrophobia as I was elbowed, pushed, and rushed as I tried to look at the things on display.
I went to two days of the weekend long excursion, once on Sunday which was bustling and frantic, and again on Monday. Then I was free to walk around without being shoved but with much of the artists and galleries already at the end of their weekend, packed up, defeated from lack of sales, or just generally ready to go back to their respective homes it seemed depressing.
As expected of an event of such magnitude, there was a whole lot shit and there was a fair amount of good stuff too. I couldn't do justice to all that was good there if I tried but I will talk about a couple of the things that were sort of awesome....

RICHARD STIPL -

Richard Stipl is a Czechoslovakian born artist who is possibly one of the most technically proficient sculptors I've ever seen. But his sculptures probably aren't even what would ordinarily come to mind when you think sculpture. There isn't a large space taking piece that draws you into an abstract idea and it's not really meant to be too pretentious. Stipl creates miniature busts of himself out of wax that bring to mind images of Norwegian death metal bands. The sculptures look so lifelike in their detail that it's a little unnerving.
Stipl's intention is to record himself through his life in these sculptures. The poses make it a little more comical however since, afterall, not too many people spend their life covered in blood or having crosses burned onto their foreheads (save for the singer of Deicide).


'Breathehead 1'

'Breathehead 3'

MATHIEU LÉVESQUE

So this guy had some stuff that I thought was kind of nice eye candy. It was essentially just generic contemporary pop art with images of nostalgia for the 80's generation painted on top of aluminum. But then it got even more generic when I read his statement which I won't justify by reprinting here. I'll just say that it was a boring little diatribe that used the word "juxtapositions" more than once and described the work as "mediatic". When you paint Hulk Hogan on aluminum don't give me some bullshit about how it's important. Because guess what; it is totally not important. It just looks cool.


'Eddie'

'Massacre'