Catherine Edelman & Stephen Daiter Galleries

            Upon walking into the Catherine Edelman Gallery, located on 300 W. Superior Street, viewers will recognize that the space is warm and quite inviting. Once they take a look at the artwork housed here, they might also recognize that variety of contemporary pieces are hand-selected by Catherine. She chooses work that she believes in, and the ultimate goal is for these pieces to be portrayed in museums. Currently, Kelli Connell’s “Double Life” series is being shown here. At first, the viewer simply sees two women in a variety of intimate or personal shots then might become uncomfortable or confused at the similarity between the two. Connell photographed one model in two positions to establish a relationship. This is to show the different levels of oneself, perhaps different personalities in various situations. The photos are so seamless that viewers don’t even realize that Connell used a stand-in for most of the shots and then edited them.

The Catherine Edelman Gallery is focused on contemporary photography; though this slightly differs from surrounding galleries, each location works together to show the public a variety of artwork. The age group of visitors varies, as the gallery attracts regular individuals in their forties or older, as well as younger groups. The gallery has a blog in order to reach out, along with a Twitter, Facebook, and regular email blasts. Furthermore, through public artist talks, the community can be more involved in this gallery. The gallery is artist driven and advocated, and the main priority is that work is sold primarily for the artists; it’s ensured that the gallery only does secondary marketing minimally. From the beginning, Catherine has constantly showed work, especially by traveling, which was a large factor of her success.

                The Stephen Daiter Gallery has a dissimilar vibe, as the gallery is more simplistic and basic, perhaps to emphasize the work. This gallery is the only handling classic work, which is rather surprising for such a large city as Chicago, specializing in black and white vintage photography. Since its start, it has housed work already accepted by the markets due to the fact that the gallery can’t afford to be ‘cutting edge.’ Originally the gallery started with social documentary and experimental pieces. Like Edelman’s gallery, the Stephen Daiter Gallery also places an emphasis on giving back. They organize images, find the artist, and have scholars write about the work. Artists receive a lot of publication through interviews and catalogues. Unlike Edelman’s gallery, this gallery caters to a collecting base, one of the reasons so much effort is invested in attaining (sometimes rare) photographs.

                Alex Webb’s “The Suffering of Light” is being exhibited at the Stephen Daiter Gallery. His work is illuminated by track lighting, and all of the pieces are one of two large sizes. They’re matted and none have a label, most likely to emphasize the content and unity of the collection. Webb has mastered capturing unsettling moments, using natural bold colors to attract attention to the images. Originally, Webb was a black and white photographer but was drawn to borderlines. One of the notable social documentaries Daiter’s gallery has contained, Webb’s photojournalistic approach is evident in that his work is purposeful and sheds light on the forgotten beauty of neglected foreign areas.

Commercial Art Gallery Response; "Dolls & Masks" and "Avante-Garde Art in Everyday Life"

                There aren’t many rules in the art world; however, Edward Winkleman recommends that potential gallery owners abide by his helpful tips in order to effectively run a commercial art gallery. A degree isn’t necessary, but knowledge of or the natural ability to run a small business is quite helpful. Originally, art dealers served as the “middlemen between collectors and artists,” but evolved into individuals almost as noted as artists themselves.

                Art dealers must tirelessly promote the work of the artists that might not even be successful for another decade or more, such as the Impressionists. With a large sum of money and faith, Paul Durand-Reul was able to convince the public that this artwork was extremely notable. It was unknown to me that there are two different types of art dealers: those that promote unknown artists out of enjoyment and those that act as salesman to profit off of successful artists. However, both must have the common talent of recognizing commendable pieces in order to become prosperous and reliable. They also must please the public, the press, and the artists.

                Jen Bekman’s story represents the true devotion and passion for art that a gallery owner should have. Without much experience and after scraping up the money, Bekman was able to use her own creativity to aid in her success. Winkleman shows that not only artists are the innovators but the promoters of these artists are, too. Bekman’s ingenious idea to use the Internet as a connection between emerging artists selling their work and buyers looking for a reasonable price was a large part of her success. Today, technology can make this communication and art dealing so much easier than in previous decades. Nevertheless, a good business sense and a natural drive like Bekman’s is the most ideal combination for a successful art dealer.

                Winkleman points out that opening a space is certainly not accompanied by immediate success. Several competitors and unsound business are the major setbacks of the job. As stated, “Art is something no one needs. Selling lots of it, therefore, requires commitment, knowledge, and connections.” A knack for networking and socializing is necessary, as in any job in the art world. Furthermore, a confident knowledge in the gallery’s work and overall identity is needed to promote the space and the owner. An art dealer is similar to an artist in that both should have a mission statement, a vision, communication skills, and above all, passion.

                Ralph Eugene Meatyard’s intimate exhibition of family photographs serves as a memorial to his extended family. All of the photographs among Dolls & Masks are quite personal in that they’re his own prints but more significantly because he uses his immediate family as his subjects. A first look at these scenes might lead the viewer to believe that Meatyard’s work is dark and haunting; however, his intention was to trigger emotional associations, create wonderment, and establish a universal effect.   His children and wife are masked in many of the pictures and they’re portrayed among decrepit Kentucky scenery. His scenes are controlled and many of them contain props, such as dolls. Meatyard’s closeness with the viewer is enhanced by the dim lighting of the room, smaller image size, and black and white photographs. This series is meant to be a timeline and portrayal of a fictional story, not a grim account but a commemorative one.

                Avante-Garde Art in Everyday Life is a historical collection show containing a collaboration of prints, drawings, photos, and various objects from the Bauhaus era in Eastern Europe. These works overlap, as the ideas of the artists in the exhibit were inspired by, taken from, or formed with one another. So that the viewer notices that the artists are similar, works meticulously face a particular way to be in a certain line of sight. An example is the display of Ladislav Sutnar’s utilitarian dishware and Josef Sudek’s advertising photos for the china. His photographs show new ways the china can be arranged or even thought about. Like many of the prints in the exhibit, these are hung on wood panels covered by mustard yellow fabric. Others hang on a deep red; both of these colors resemble those that are used in some of the works in this exhibit. The viewer might notice the various prints, book covers, and photomontages on display, a start to graphic design as we know it today. Political posters represent the historical approach taken to set up and unify this large collection. Compared to Meatyard’s work, this collection is intended to be a vast, informative experience, rather than an intimate story.

The Universal Survey Museum & MoCP Exhibit

                The universal survey museum is seen as an elaborate and richly decorated building, housing pieces of art significant to history. However, it is much more than this; Carol Duncan and Alan Wallach relay that a visitor’s journey through a museum is an aesthetic and social experience. The museum is ceremonial, as rooms of art are deliberately placed, and the structure of the building itself is reminiscent to Roman architecture similar to that of a palace or religious monument. The pieces that lie in a city or town’s public museum are a reflection of historical achievements. Overall, the museum is intended to be an “experience of art” for every person that walks through.

The term ‘ritual’ is used throughout the article to describe the way in which visitors view the artwork in a museum. Duncan and Wallach state that the visitor is “prompted to enact and thereby to internalize the values and beliefs written into the architectural script” (451). Different types of museums adhere to their own “characteristic iconic programme,” meaning that the artwork and unifying collections within the museum shape the history the viewer is learning about. A museum belonging to a smaller city might contain collections significant to the development of that location or it might include artwork from a specific era. Large, well-known museums house breathtaking pieces from masters such as Da Vinci. This artwork allows for the general public to have a firsthand, memorable encounter with a significant piece of history.

                The public art museum has evolved from a private, political experience into a more public, historical visit. A trip to the princely art gallery was essentially a visit to the prince, as it was a royal art gallery dedicated to the monarch rather than a dedication to history itself. The public museum is not for the king but for the people. Originally, artwork was meant to impress and had more of an underlying political influence, sometimes meant to glorify the ruler. Upon the Louvre’s transformation into a historical building, most other museums were also arranged as such. Even now, museums illustrate important events in history with artifacts and works of those considered skilled or even masterful at creating artwork. Once museums became more public, they were relatable to the middle class. As stated in the text, “..art could speak only of individual genius and achievement” (456). Visitors weren’t being convinced of a leader’s greatness but could simply admire the accomplishments of fellow mankind on both a national and individual level.

Since the Louvre, many great universal survey museums have been instituted; in America, the Metropolitan and the National Gallery serve as such. Presently, the museum is a shared social experience between viewers, as we’re allowed to reflect on local, national, and world history in the same direct manner. A visit to the museum is a historical experience that immerses viewers in the purposeful arrangement of magnificent artwork and the architecture surrounding these pieces.

 

Our Origins represents conditions of life as we know it today, developed from the origin of our species back in primal times. The exhibit featured art reflecting the relation of human to primates, as well as our scientific attempts to find answers about our past. Upon walking into the exhibit, Allison Ruttan’s work was a significant portrayal of basic human behavior. Her photographs, arranged in clusters, served as a storyboard narrating scenes of humans interacting with one another as chimps. Based on Jane Goodall’s accounts of chimps, Ruttan shows that these “chimps” were calculated and aggressive but also that the drive of human behavior is by basic instinct. She uses snapshot lighting to capture a moment in a cinematic way, creating a distance between the viewer and characters. In her other work, she humanizes a colorful array of chimp portraits with drawn on hairstyles. As chimps only pull their hair in captivity, Ruttan uses different hairstyles to give the chimps a form of identity, emphasizing the similarities between humans and primates.

                Throughout the rest of the exhibit, a more scientific approach was taken to many of the pieces. Aspen Mays, who has collaborated with scientists, shows the ethereal qualities of space and the unknown in her work. She displayed the one percent of cosmic radiation found in television static (using photo paper) to produce colorful, shapely results. Jenny Akerlund’s highly rendered drawings of photocopies of the moon show that the moon is intimate and spiritual; humans can’t ever quite get a close look. Her inclusion of the photocopied area represents this distancing of information. Mark Ruwedel’s photographs of dinosaur tracks bring these ancient species to life to the viewer. He parallels this with human tracks, suggesting that we’ve taken a similar path. These black and white photographs are timeless and create a sense of unity in that layers of creatures existed on the planet simultaneously. Other scientific replicas and photographs were included in the exhibit. Our Origins is a representation of the unity of the human species and other life forms, as well as our attempts to truly understand how we came to be.