Trained in classical guitar before teaching himself oil painting, Ian Reynold apparently has an affinity for creative forms that trade heavy in meticulousness. His oil-on-linen paintings in the exhibition “Skin and Bones” embody the term photo-realistic, from the accurate capturing of light and the intricacies and idiosyncrasies of the portraits to their texture, applied smoothly and evenly to the surface as if willed there or chemically developed. A feeling of dissociation runs through the works; Reynold’s subjects appear to be looking at us from the bottom of a k-hole, captured in various provocative and vulnerable positions. Standouts “Samantha Lying” and “Samantha” turn conventional poses on their heads. From clothed to topless, the model looks at turns susceptible and in control behind canary-lidded sanguine eyes.
Reynold’s models are canvases in and of themselves, living people replete with piercings and tattoos, brilliant makeup and byzantine jewelry, and the attention paid to their surroundings limits the sense that one is looking at a painting, fostering the feeling that one is looking in on a scene of fully realized beings. Reynold describes his work as “realism with surreal undertones,” and the surreality is in no small part due to the curious effect of his audience being reflected so eerily back at themselves. (B. David Zarley)
Through February 9 at Paperish Mess, 1955 West Chicago
For Us: A Review of "Something from Something" at Engage Projects Kushala Vora and Adia Sykes’ collaboration "Something from Something" tells us as viewers that knowledge, art, creation, inspiration, love—really anything you can think of—has a place of origin.
Women Behind the Lens: A Review of "From Her to Eternity" Courtney Love curates on the street. Just west of Wabash on the corner of Eighth Street, there is a wall of stellar rock star images that includes a special collection made by women photographers over the years.
Looking Down: A Review of Bob Tanner at Perspective After the loss of his wife, Bob Tanner made two photography series, “At Ocean’s Edge” and “At Winter’s Edge,” that are shown in this meditative show filled with graceful visual poetry.
Microcosm: A Review of “Dialogues” at Patron Through each artist-relationship, "Dialogues" offers the viewer a rare opportunity to witness the direct connections that flow through the electric nervous system that both infiltrates and generates Chicago's art world.
