The summer installment of the Center’s ongoing series of group photography shows contains, as usual, technically proficient work in a wide range of modernist genres. Among the seven artists represented, Juan Alvarez stands out for his sensitive and revealing color studies of intimate details with an accent on hands and feet, alerting us to sights that we pass over in the ordinary course of affairs. In “Rockband,” Alvarez gives us a beautifully composed glowing orange-hued image in which a foot descends on the maze of pedals and wires that are essential to producing the special effects of guitar gods, proving beyond a doubt that rock music is a marriage of man and mechanism—Alvarez does not let us decide which one is the dominant partner in this affair. (Michael Weinstein)
Through August 31 at the Chicago Photography Center, 3301 N. Lincoln, (773)549-1631.
Celebrating the Portrait: A Review of "Face to Face" at WithInSight Gallery Curators Denise Orlin and Federica Ghidelli brought in the master to jury their portrait show. From 242 entries hailing from countries as far flung as Taiwan, Sweden and Chile, Sandro Miller chose just fifty-four. The range is vast.
Home Is Where the Family Is: A Review of Chicago Chiquito at Bridgeport Art Center This small but significant exhibition shows the history of Chicago Chiquito, or little Chicago, the nickname given to La Hacienda, a small town in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. Its families have migrated north to find work for over one hundred years.
Fleeing Desperation: A Review of Ada Trillo at Chicago Center for Photojournalism In this heartbreaking yet visually beautiful exhibition, Ada Trillo implicates herself within her subjects to shine a light on both the hope and the hopelessness of their lives. If you are not moved by these images, surely your heart is made of stone.
The Roots of Pride: A Review of Jerry Pritikin at The Chicago Center for Photojournalism The show “When Then Was Now” gives a glimpse of early LGBTQ+ life in San Francisco—Harvey Milk became mayor and gay activism was gaining momentum. Pritikin, a legend of reportage, takes us back to a time before AIDS reared its ugly head and shows us how the movement looked all those decades ago.
