The thread and fabric pieces at Vale Gallery are part of a group of Lauren Camp’s compositions that have traveled museums in North America for the past few years. “The Fabric of Jazz” depicts famed and anonymous jazz performers in action. Camp’s artwork is enhanced by her knowledge of her medium and her musical training. In “Conguero,” a double panel depicting a man playing the conga drums, Camp uses cool and warm colors to convey the feel of the music. Visually the piece keeps time by the dynamic structure of the threadwork. The thread zigs and zags making it possible to imagine the pulse and reverberation of the drums. “Stride” portrays a musician’s hands playing the piano. Camp uses a mix of smooth and rough fabric so that the observer can almost feel the keys on the skin of their fingers. Camp’s works are like textured photographs. Each tapestry is accompanied by a poem; the gallery did not provide a copy so visitors should download their own from Camp’s Web site. (Rachel Turney)
Through August 30 at VALE CRAFT GALLERY 230 W. Superior (312)337-3525.
The Craft of Reparations: DePaul Art Museum Connects Local and International State Violence “Remaking the Exceptional: Tea, Torture, and Reparations | Chicago to Guantánamo” at the DePaul Art Museum examines the question of reparations by tackling two cases: the well-documented tragedy of Chicago police torture and the ongoing international scandal of Guantánamo Bay.
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.
