The best plein air paintings in the world are in Chicago (some say)—so it’s no surprise that an enthusiasm for making as well as collecting this genre here has hardly diminished over the past hundred years. In the early decades of the last century, Chicago painters set up their easels on crowded city streets as well as traveling to scenic destinations like the Ozarks, Brown County, or even nearby Fox Lake. And they’re still at it—even if their best efforts are way beneath the radar of the contemporary art world. If only we had a local institution that would sponsor exhibits that attracted entries from the very best regional artists in this modern genre (like the Art Institute used to do on an annual basis). But failing that—we still have the Plein Air Painters of Chicago—an eclectic group of professionals and amateurs that actually puts on a very good show three or four times a year. The trick to plein air painting is knowing the limitations of what can be accomplished in a few hours. It’s a short form of expression—like oriental brush painting—that rewards those who can learn from experience—and when it works—the spontaneity can be thrilling. Since PAPC exhibits are un-juried (like the No-Jury Chicago modernist exhibits of the 1920’s), you can expect to see some things that should only be seen on a refrigerator door. But you can also expect to find a wide variety of personal and sometime unexpected visions—from gritty urban realism to verdant bucolic landscapes. Some of them are memorable, some are quite enjoyable, and all of them are small and quite reasonably priced. The best paintings in this month’s show come from: Nancy Albrecht, Bill Gram, Errol Jacobson, Tim Leeming, Kathleen Newman, and Marci Oleszkiewicz. (Chris Miller)
Through September 14 at Palette & Chisel, 1012 N. Dearborn, (312)642-4317
