Addicted to the beauty of the nude female body and equally passionate about fine platinum-palladium photographic printing, Ted Preuss makes images ranging from extreme abstraction of line and form, through flowing sculptural studies, to accessorized attitude shots. Through all his variations of approach, Preuss emphasizes chiaroscuro, surrounding his voluptuous subjects with shadows so that the aspects of their flesh and pose that he wants to capture show forth sharply etched, yet also subtly toned, which is a trick that can be pulled off only by an accomplished printmaker. Preuss’ most successful images are his most abstract. We see the margins of one side of a woman who stands frontally to the lens —we can barely identify the actual subject, but see instead what appears to be a sinuous tree spreading upwards from an elegant base that we later decode as the woman’s crossed legs. (Michael Weinstein)
Through June 9 at Palette & Chisel, 1012 N. Dearborn. (312)642-4400.
Civics Lesson: A Review of Sculpture Milwaukee Sculpture Milwaukee has returned for a fourth year, transforming downtown Milwaukee’s landscape with A-list artists exhibiting outdoor sculpture.
The Past Is Present: A Review of Birchbark, Wiigwaas All these materials work together to make the stories and experiences of indigenous Americans central to the story of Chicago, both historically and today.
