In a season in which political art suddenly seems to be a rising force in Chicago, the master of photographic depth psychology, Joel-Peter Witkin, has produced the most brilliant and brutal visual criticism of the fading Bush administration that we are likely to see. Reprising the image of “The Raft of Medusa,” painted by Theodore Gericault, which depicts a monstrous scene of human suffering caused by inept and selfish leaders, Witkin has created a scenario photograph of the “Raft of George W. Bush” populated by the president and his minions who disport themselves in the most unflattering ways. Bush is pictured in a McDonald’s paper crown with an American flag across his shoulder as he clutches the breast of a supine Condoleeza Rice. Witkin’s accompanying text that lambastes the regime with rapier rage is a must-read for this must-see. (Michael Weinstein)
Through November 1 at Catherine Edelman Gallery, 300 W. Superior, (312)266-2350
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.
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.
