James Jankowiak’s one-person includes paintings and a wall installation constructed from repeated, small, ornate black and red candies. The artist’s intention behind the work in this show is how individuals “express faith through repetitive rituals in our everyday lives.” From the work this concept may not be completely clear, but Jankowiak’s work succeeds on a visual scale alone. When artists venture into novel or new mediums many times it is for the novelty of the medium itself, however the candy Jankowiak has chosen to work with in this show works so seamlessly with his paintings that the candies seem like he created them himself. Jankowiak is a born and raised Chicago artist who has never taken a painting class. He has, however, graduated with honors from the university of Graffiti, beginning his career writing the name Casper. Graffiti, a medium that directly contradicts the laws of commercial art, with its emphasis on innovation, saturation and dynamic visuals, continually produces some of the most commercially successful artists. Jankowiak maintains his past visual creativity and soul while making new work that has mass appeal. It is difficult not to describe his work as “tasty,” especially when he incorporates candy. (Sara McCool)
James Jankowiak, “Southside Spiritual,” shows at 32nd & Urban Gallery, 3201 South Halsted, through February 29.
Lost in Translation: A Review of Crip* at Gallery 400 The strongest works in the exhibition succinctly express the ways the artist relates to their own body while calling out how the artist’s body and body of work has been perceived or coded against norms or ideals.
Repurposing AI: A Review of Stephanie Dinkins at Stamps Gallery While this show is timely for everyone, I consider its setting within a university art gallery and emerging tech hub like the city of Ann Arbor a subversive provocation which Dinkins invites the greater public—including members of the university community—to consider our own positionality to AI and technology.
