Three compelling photographic portraitists—each with a distinctive signature style—dominate the Center’s fall show. Amber Ricciardi’s cheeky and almost-over-the-top approach captures her subjects at ordinary odd moments when their expressions are exaggerated, like putting on makeup. Luca Angeli is relaxed and warm-hearted, portraying his Argentine subjects at ease and at pleasure, adding some hedonism to the family-of-man tradition. Lucian Cioata makes everyone a tough guy, each in his or her own way, with a credibility that is nearly convincing; he has gotten his subjects to reduce to their bare minimum their irony about his experiment. In his point of tangency with Ricciardi, Cioata serves up a dude leaning provocatively against a parking meter and sporting a t-shirt on which is written: “let’s hug it out bitch.” (Michael Weinstein)
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.
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.
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.
