Continuing through August 31, 2012
In “My Idea of Fun,” the curator/Chicago artist Michael Rea presents us with precisely that: the sort of surprise, delight and humor he embraces within his own practice manifested through the works of seven of the friends, students and teachers who have crossed paths with the artist throughout his career.
With works like Ethan Gill’s paintings of local male artists wearing "A Clockwork Orange"-style cut out sweaters, and Kate Ruggeri’s "Tree Gremlin" in which a goopy, sinister-looking creature is perched above viewers’ heads on a tree branch wrapped in wire and blue jeans, the show is a prime example of the kind of art that other artists like: cheeky, obscure and (as in Chris Naka’s Yolo) up-to-the-minute contemporary. In this exhibition, Rea not only thematically characterizes his idea of fun, he also highlights the camaraderie that exists amongst the works and at the core of this show's curatorial vision.
