My Bike Betty

Category: An Extension To All

• Observation, Affect, and Response

  Posted at 7:16 pm by jan, on December 27, 2016

  

  

  Alphawood Gallery, 2401 North Halsted Street

  Now through April 2, 2017, Chicago-based Alphawood Foundation presents,

  ART AIDS AMERICA Chicago

  BEAUTY

  SEX

  LOSS

  COURAGE

  POLITICS

  With the objective to advocate the rights of the LGBT community, this year’s Alphawood grant award presents this exhibit. In the show, Alphawood identifies the diverse work with labeled icons defining the artist’s point of reference. They include, Body, Activism, Camouflage, and Spirit.

  Originally a bank, the exhibition space lends itself to many aspects of isolation, entrapment, and loneliness conveyed in the work. Below is only a fraction of the art.

  

  Every 12 Minutes, Nayland Blake, video, 1991

  

  Untitled (Water), Feliz Gonzalez-Torres, installation, 1995

  

  By Punchinello’s Bed and The Lamentation, Patrick Webb, oil on canvas, 1992

  

  Homosexual Holocaust, Study for Pink Triangle Torture, Judy Chicago, sprayed acrylic, photo-silkscreen, and oil of canvas, 1989

  

  Untitled, Ferenc Suto, gelatin silver print, 1986

  

  (left) AIDS, Time, Death, Luis Cruz Azaceta, acrylic and ink on paper, 1989
  (right) Icarian I Incline, Daniel Goldstein, leather, sweat, wood, copper, felt, and plexiglass, 1993

  

  Altar Piece, Keith Haring, bronze with with gold leaf patina, 1990

  

  The Uninvited, Rudy Lemcke, video installation, 2003

  

  Red Spill, Kiki Smith, glass, 1996

  

  The End from Where You Are, Jim Hodges, silk, polyester, thread, 1998

  And last, an opportunity to share your story…

  

  StoryCorps records your story to document and then (with your permission) shares it publicly by partnering with Chicago’s WBEZ 91.5 radio.

   

  Alright friends, Betty and I are off on our next adventure and wrapping up 2016. Along the way we extend to you the invitation to explore, look for art and artistic expression everywhere and lastly, SHOW ME WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW!!!

   

   

  Posted in An Extension To All, Museums, Galleries, Cultural Centers | 0 Comments | Tagged Alpha wood Gallery, ArtAIDSAmerica Chicago

• Where Can You Find a Dinosaur in a Cubs Jersey?

  Posted at 6:49 pm by jan, on November 11, 2016

  

  

  The Field Museum of Natural History, that’s where!
  1400 S. Lake Shore Drive

  Now through April 30th exhibition, Tattoo explores many aspects of the practice of tattooing including cultural influence, the tools used, the history of tattooing, and live tattoo demonstrations.

  I visited this show over a week ago and what continues to come to mind is the characteristic of tattooing that identifies a person regardless of whether it is received by choice or not. These characteristics then exemplify a dichotomy of extreme intention, representation, and meaning.

  

  Auschwitz survivor, Dr. George Brent

  Photographer: John Weinstein Wilmette

  

  Auschwitz survivor Livia Ravek’s grandson Daniel Philosoph proudly displays his grandmother’s identifying number as homage to her.

  Photographer: Uriel Sinai

  

  A practice of the Ottoman government, during the Armenian genocide, was to force women into slavery and prostitution and then identify them as such by tattooing their faces and chest.

  Photographer: unknown

  

  Photographer: Marc Garanger

  

  Famous Phillippine master tattoo artist Fang-Od Odday practices and trains the art of Kalina tattooing. For women, the marks are signs of beauty along with the belief that the adornment will carry over into the afterlife.

  Photographer: Jake Verzosa

  

  A woman from the Chinese Drung culture with marks that identify rights of passage among her tribe.

  Photographer: Michael Laukien

  

  Yakuzas or Japanese mafia identify themselves traditionally by full body tattoos.

  Photographer: Irina Ionesco

  

  Salvadorian gang member’s marks convey symbols of gang loyalty and defiance to authority.

  Photographer: Isabel Munos

  

  Photographer: Isabel Munos

  

  A late 19th/early 20th century sideshow featuring a prisoner being tattooed by natives.

  Photographer: unknown

  

  Mid 20th century trunk and suitcase of a traveling tattoo artist.

  Last, I want to show some work of contemporary artist.

  Artist: Guy le Tatooer

  Photographer: Zoe Forget

  

  Artist: Yann Black

  Photographer: Zoe Forget

  

  Artist: Musa

  Photographer: Zoe Forget

  

  Artist: Kostek

  Photographer: Zoe Forget

  A really interesting exhibit and keep in mind only a fraction of it is shown here.

  Alright! Betty and I are off on our next adventure and considering Thanksgiving is around the corner, and I’m super thankful for this project, the next entry will reflect gratefulness!

  Remember fellow explorers, art and artistic expression is everywhere. Look for it. Document it. Then please, post it here and SHOW ME WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW!!!

   

  Posted in An Extension To All, Museums, Galleries, Cultural Centers | 0 Comments | Tagged The Field Museum of Natural History Chicago

• When Home is Where the Creativity Is

  Posted at 6:25 pm by jan, on October 25, 2016

  Greetings All! This blog entry is inspired by my love of cooking shows and competitions on the Food Network. A favorite, hands down, is Chopped where competitors create a dish within a specific time from a mystery baskets of ingredients. Dishes are judged on creativity, taste, and presentation.

  So I was delighted when my best friend agreed to shop for mystery ingredients for three courses and, when presented, timed me while I got my COOK-ON!

  

  Thanks mom!

  

  1st Round: Appetizer-20 minutes.

  

  Mystery Basket Ingredients-Parsnips, Uzu juice, Fennel, Popcorn chips

  

  Veggie Spring Rolls with Popcorn Crisp, a Soy Fennel sauce, and Uzu Sake

  2nd Round: Entre-30 minutes

  

  Basket Ingredients-Spaghetti Squash, Rapini, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Cubed Buffalo

  

  

  Roasted Buffalo with Rapini Cream, Spaghetti Hash Cakes and Citrus Cucumber Martinis

  Final Round: Dessert-30 minutes

  

  ingredients Mascarpone Cheese, Cranberries, Banana Moon Pies, Jr. Mints

  

  Creamed Cranberry-Banana Crumble, Espresso-mint Martini Pie

  Now that was fun! However, for the record, after eating and critiquing my work we were three shades of queasy…HA and EW! Still we’re up for doing this again and loved the creativity and game of it. Thanks again mom!

  So Betty and I are off, hitting the streets for our next adventure and inviting you to do the same! Look for art and artistic expression everywhere and then please, SHOW ME WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW!!!!

   

  Posted in An Extension To All, Eats | 0 Comments | Tagged Chopped, The Cooking Network

• Ode to Betty

  Posted at 5:24 pm by jan, on September 28, 2016

  This week I’m dedicating the post to Betty. Coming up on the blog’s 3 year anniversary, I am filled thankfulness for all the adventures we’ve had and can’t wait for those ahead!

  Betty! YOU ARE…

  

  So recently, when we checked out West Loop Art Fest, we stumbled across these gems.

  

  LINKS by Annette recycles bike parts to create super kewl personal and household treasures. Check it out at linsbyannette.com!

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Inspired by the love of riding and discovering, I couldn’t help but think about the good mojo these creations carry from their past lives.

  Alright fellow adventurers! Let’s hit the road! Look for art and artistic expression everywhere, post it here, and SHOW ME WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW!

  Posted in An Extension To All, Theaters, Festivals, Music, Parades | 0 Comments | Tagged LINKS by Annette

• Without Agenda

  Posted at 7:52 pm by jan, on September 15, 2016

  So one of Betty and my favorite things to do is just RIDE. Without an agenda we explore and discover. This week we headed past the south loop and found these hidden treasures.

  

  New additions to the Wabash Arts Corridor. Above is the work of Marina Zumi

  

  Within the same block,Wabash and 9th street, another new mural by Collin Vander Sluys. I found this giant piece so stunning and was fascinated by how beautifully it worked against the building it’s painted on.

  

  

  

  Next we headed over to Reggie’s for a beer and bite and found these guys in the back…

  

  2109 S State St. (alley)

  

  

  

  

  So with thoughts of swirling flowers, magical animals and Frank Zappa and Grateful Dead mojo Betty and I cruised on to our next discovery.

  And so, my dear readers, we’re inviting you to do the same! Take off, explore and discover. Along the way post your experience here and SHOW ME WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW!!!

  Posted in An Extension To All | 0 Comments | Tagged Reggies Rock Club, The Wabash Arts Corridor

• A Chi-boy Citing

  Posted at 6:13 pm by jan, on August 31, 2016

  On our journeys of late, Betty and I are sensing the transition from summer to fall. An early morning ride to Albany Park was filled with cool temperatures, earthy smells, and discoveries along the way.

  

  North Shore Channel Trail

  The 6.5-mile riverside trail is so lovely and with sounds like tree frogs and children playing you feel like you’re far away from the hustle of the city.

  And then there was this…

  

  at W. Lunt and Ravenswood Ave., Hebru Brantley’s earlier work from the Chi-boy series. 

  

  

  

  You know this artist, remember this posting on 7/15/15…

  

  At 1132 S Wabash Ave. and…

  

  CTA’s Red Line at Lawrence on 6/22/2016

  Awesome discoveries and even better, there’s more to come on the North Shore Channel Trail. Research tells me that if we stay on it through Lincolnwood we’ll meet up with the Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park and last the Ladd Arboretum in Evanston. How’s that for my next adventure with Betty?!

  Alright fellow explorers! We are off and inviting you to come along. Discover art and artistic expression everywhere, post it here and SHOW ME WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW!!

  Posted in An Extension To All | 0 Comments | Tagged Hebru Brantley

• A Spiritual Pursuit and Practice

  Posted at 4:33 pm by jan, on August 17, 2016

  This week Betty and I headed over to Great Lakes Tattoo Chicago.

  

  Great Lakes Tattoo and Great State Gallery, 1148 W Grand Ave

  Now until the end of the month check out the work of tattoo artist and painter Robert Ryan. The exhibit, in the Great State Gallery below the shop, features paintings and his book release, The Inborn Absolute. Merging classic American tattoo style and Eastern religious iconography, Ryan’s spiritual practice both informs and is reflected in his paintings and tattoos.

  

  Chinamasta

  

  Shiva Nandi

  

  Creator Sustainer Destroyer

  

  Maha Smashan Kali

  

  Shankara

  

  Nataraja

  

  Sri Ganesha

  

  Maha Ganapati 

  

  While visiting the gallery don’t miss the tattoo shop itself. A welcoming atmosphere invites you to enjoy art along the wall and encased tattoo memorabilia.

  

  

  Super kewwwwl! Alright! Betty and I are off on our next journey and inviting you to do the same. Look for art and artistic expression everywhere, post it here, and SHOW ME WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW!

  Posted in An Extension To All, Museums, Galleries, Cultural Centers | 0 Comments | Tagged Great Lakes Tattoo, Great State Gallery

• What Do Art and Beer Have in Common?

  Posted at 5:31 pm by jan, on July 24, 2016

  DRYHOP BREWERS! Activist for Support Local Art, Dryhop (3155 N Broadway) exhibits the acrylic paintings of Chicago artist, Frank Quintero all while serving up delicious micro-brew and scrumptious eats.

  Interested in how his work defines the viewers space, Quintero’s illustrations and abstractions are on display until September 12. 

  

  

  

  

  

  Last, I wanted to share a moment everyone should experience during and after an awesome ride…

  

  And then there was this…

  I couldn’t be more thankful for these experiences! They fire me up to reach out to you and say, get out there, look for art and artistic expression EVERYWHERE! Along the way post your discoveries here and then SHOW ME WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW!!!

   

  Posted in An Extension To All, Eats, Museums, Galleries, Cultural Centers | 0 Comments | Tagged DryHop Brewers Chicago

• Informed by Family

  Posted at 5:00 pm by jan, on July 14, 2016

  This week’s adventure begins at the …

  

  Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St.

  Both exhibitions featured below share a common thread where bodies of work are informed by family culture. Regardless of medium, I am always drawn to artist’s visual biography and how they present these ideas.

  Carlos Rolon/Dzine exhibits, I Tell you This Sincerely, where installations, sculpture, and paintings reference memories with family and pay homage to the hopes and dreams of immigrants, in particular his parents, who come to the US for a better life.

  

  

   

  

  

  

  Phyllis Bramson’s, Under the Pleasure Dome, displays assemblages and paintings layering family memories and it’s cultural influences then and now.

  

  Adam and Eve (The Perfumed Garden and The Loss of Happiness) , mixed media, 2016

  

  

  Rapunzel’s Scenario, mixed media, collage and oil on canvas

  

  3 Dilettante Artists (The Love of Outsiders), mixed media, collage and oil on canvas

  

  Serial Longing, mixed media, collage and oil on canvas

  

  The Good Keeper of the Animals and Birds, mixed media, 2016

  Thanks to the Chicago Cultural Center for presenting these personal stories where art connects us all.

  Ok explorers, we’re off on our next adventure and inviting you to do the same. Along the way, look for art and artistic expression EVERYWHERE! Post your experience here and SHOW ME WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW!

  Posted in An Extension To All, Museums, Galleries, Cultural Centers, Theaters, Festivals, Music, Parades | 0 Comments | Tagged Chicago Cultural Center, The Hideout

• A Continuum of Color

  Posted at 6:11 pm by jan, on July 3, 2016

  Greetings all! This blog entry is brought to you by my number one fan, mom! As a very special birthday treat we headed over to Briar Street Theatre for this…

  

  Woo! Blue Man Group!

  New York street performance artists and original founders, Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton, and Chris Wink give an incredible show that dates back to 1987. Accompanying the music they create is constant color, light, and energy that fill the theatre transforming it into a space where artists and audience participation converge. My favorite part of the show was when the Blue Men were playing pc pipe instruments and the entire audience stood up and danced all while gigantic neon balls bounced above our projected hands. We were giddy, laughing like the five year old beside us!

  Although pictures weren’t allowed in the theatre they certainly were in the theatre-front gallery where this happened…

  

  True to the Blue Man project, where collaboration is an emphasis, the gallery also features artist’s work inspired by Blue Man performances and gives visitors the opportunity for interactive play.

  

  Mom singing happy birthday through a series of tubes that line the walls and ceiling

  

  

  Water-driven art installations

  Lastly, some of the original art work that lines the outside of the theatre…

  

  Audrius Plioplys, Blue Consciousness, digital painting

  

  Kuzana Ogg, Khshathra, oil on canvas

  

  Kathy Czopek, Blue Frenzy, watercolor and ink on cotton paper

  

  Candace Wark and Shirley Nannini, Tangled All in Blue 5, photo

  Wow! Super thankful for a joyous event where artists collaboration saturates the entire experience. Many thanks to my beautiful mother and all those who make up the Blue Man Group.

  Betty and I are off on our next adventure and extending you an invitation to join in. Of course as you look for art and artistic expression everywhere, don’t forget to SHOW ME WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW!

  Posted in An Extension To All, Theaters, Festivals, Music, Parades | 0 Comments | Tagged Blue Man Group Chicago

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