TWENDING

• Headlessness
• Pointed Shouldews
• Space Tennis
• “Inappwopwiate beadwok”
• Empty suitcases
• Gas masks
• Tunics
• Veils
• Abstwact bulk
• Inconvenient pockets
• Pockets-as-hand-passageways
• Deconstwucted Camo pattewns
• Bustles (many of them)
• Expanding spatial wadius via bulky, geometwically shaped layews
• Mad Men on sizzuwp
• Anime
• Neon yellow, khaki combo

• Man clothes
• Visible body

Special report by twend tracker Caroline Picard.

Move over, Judy Chicago!

While you were busy rubbing up against undergrads who rock BO like its spring Givenchy at the latest apartment opening, What’s the T? was doing rigorous “research” on how the other half lives. The half that attends a monthly live talk show catered by a guest chef in a West Loop winery.

The April 1st Dinner Party featured actually funny stand-up from Brian Babylon and made me fall in love with Peggy Macnamara. The pork chop was bangin’ and the food was totally worth the price of the ticket alone.

Unsurprisingly, What’s the T? is particularly star-struck by the inclusion of Jordan, the creator of CandidCandace.com and a social columnist for the Trib at the May 6th installment of the live broadcast event.

Writing gossip and being gossip are usually considered mutual exclusive endeavors, but Candace Jordan has managed to work both sides of the column. Jordan was named playboy bunny of the year in 1976 and currently spends her time covering the juiciest events in town. Michael Jordan’s wedding much?

Buy tickets for the May 6th Dinner Party featuring Candace Jordan, Lin Brehmer of WXRT, and Nick Bowling, Associate Director of the Timeline Theatre. Hosted by Elysabeth Alfano at City Winery.

.gif of the week

Peep this outtake from Kris Harzinski & Will Haughery’s May 26th exhibition at ACRE.

Telephone Cords Snap Back

Local fav, Gel Set’s new video for “disconnected” features everyone you’ve ever seen at party and really works the telephone cord trend.

Karthik Pandian’s Rhona Hoffman exhibition has also been trending hard, recently inciting a comment war on New City’s website. The Incomparables Club featured a circle of red telephone cord placed aptly above the desk, which can still be seen in Pandian’s on-going video installation, Reversal in the upstairs gallery.

Say what!?

News broke this weekend that artist, Walter Latimer, is a former Junior Olympics jump rope record holder! Check out the soon to be viral video of his performance at the SAIC Art Bash.

T of the Town

Spotted: Matt Austin at the opening for Todd Diederich’s Luminous Flux opening at Johalla Projects with a proof of Diederich’s forthcoming book printed by LATITUDE and available through The Perch.

Spotted at the Katelyn Farstad opening: Julius Ceasar throwing shade at The Propeller Fund in their half-hearted donation appeal.

• We heard there’s going to be a secret (not anymore!) extension of ACRE Residency’s April 15th Application deadline. So there’s really no excuse, APPLY TODAY! You won’t regret it. (Disclaimer: I didn’t.)
• In a characteristic move, Pedro Velez calls out an unsuspecting Ryan Coffey on twitter. #RUDE
• Chicago closet-cum-gallery, Queer Thoughts, holds successful benefit auction, city continues to wonder why?



Spotted: Independent Art Champion and Champion of the Arts, Anthony Stepter at the opening of Has the World Already Been Made? x4 by Daniel G. Baird & Haseeb Ahmed at Roots & Culture.

Dubya takes to painting

Many of history’s greats are known to have painted a sun-dappled landscape or two in their day. Everyone from Winston Churchill to Dwight D. Eisenhower, and even Adolph Hitler have handled a palette. Just like Van Gogh and Gaugain’s portrait exchange, Eisenhower even painted a portrait of his venerable ally, Churchill.

Surprisingly, 43rd President George W. Bush has finally managed to join their ranks, not in political savvy, but through his newfound pastime of “makin’ paintin’s.” By now the entire internet is aware that George W. Bush is a prolific artist, having painted at least 50 dog portraits as well as some landscapes and even a couple n00dz. For once, What’s the T? couldn’t be more proud of our former Commander in Chiefing, and we have created a special hypothetical art collection based on his oeuvre.

In other news, everyone’s a critic.

Reading is Fundamental

• We know you’re tired of reading them, if you ever did in the first place, so why not just stop writing artist statements once and for all? Iris Jaffe breaks down each and every terrible category. File under: So true. (Article courtesy of Emily Green.)
• Can 20×200 be saved?: Based on this article, things don’t look good. Is “art [not] for everyone”?
• “Spotted[:] Oak Park writer, fashion icon, and media mogul Tavi Gevinson“ From Kim Gordon’s performance with White/Light at the MCA, Britt Julious muses on museums attracting new audiences for WBEZ’s tumblr.
• Bro, have you seen The Chicago episode of the Anthony Bourdain eating food show? Normally we’d be loathe to mention the Travel Channel, but he is totally spot on! #theHideout #Longman #Skylark #someplaceintheburbs
• Jason Lazurus talks Tampa, Chopin and what’s nice about being 37: Worth a listen, especially because things heat up towards the end during the Q&A, it’s just unfortunate you can’t actually see any of the work Lazurus is talking about.

#best.gif

Progress, 2013
by James T. Green

“T” around Town

The stars must be aligning on April 6th since damn near every gallery in the city is having an opening. It’s ridic. In Logan Square, it’s finally Spring and the Comfort Station is reopening with an exhibition by Isak Applin and Adam Ekberg. Chicago’s fav Italian artist living in Vienna, Helmut Heiss, has also triumphantly returned for his upcoming ACRE show at Slow in Pilsen. Happy sources report that Heiss’s contribution is large and shiny.

Furthermore, Anthony Romero and Jesse Butcher have an opening at Happy Collaborationists that we heard is inspired by hippies and mud. Word is that Haseeb Ahmed and Daniel G. Baird’s opening at Roots and Culture will dramatically change the gallery space, incorporating a fountain and maybe even fish (but don’t quote us).

Auctions have been trending, so it’s no surprise that LVL3′s 4th Annual HArts for Art is also this Saturday. Guilt free, a portion of the proceeds will benefit local not-for-profit Better Boys Foundation, but the work is going fast. Almost a week out and work by Israel Lund has already been claimed. We heard that the raffle is going to be bangin’ too.

At least the SAIC MFA show isn’t this weekend. Good luck.

Got any T? email me!
(or get @ me on twitter)

MCA programming edgier than a basement party in Pilsen

In her recent AFC review, Robin Deluzen wrote that the MCA is “on a roll” and What’s the T? couldn’t agree more.

This Tuesday will mark the opening of Jason Lazurus’ much anticipated and hotly discussed 12×12 BMO Harris Bank Chicago Works Exhibition. The exhibition appears to actually be three in one and has more programming than Michigan Avenue has drunk people on St. Patricks Day. The schedule includes (but is not limited to) signs for strolling, piano performances, a gif film screening (April 18th at Gene Siskel Film Center/ Conversations the Edge), and sign-making tutorials. The exhibition(s) and performances will be on view through June 18th.

Next Tuesday, March 26th, Chicago’s White/Light will be performing with [freaking] Kim Gordon. The only thing more exciting would be a Sonic Youth secret reunion show, but WTT? isn’t complaining. Tickets are free (!), but space is limited. Get our your camping gear out, this will be one for the ages.

As if all that and a bag of chips wasn’t enough, Oak Park natives, Tavi Gevinson and Jonah Ansell will be at the museum on April 23rd to discuss their work on the animated short, Cadaver. No offense Jonah Ansell, but OMG TAVI! The event includes a screening of the short and a discussion with Gevinson and Ansell moderated by Heidi Reitmaier, the MCA’s Beatrice C. Mayer Director of Education.

Reading is Fundamental

• Don’t let his deep commitment to the creation of a sustainable music scene fool you. Chicago free jazz impresario, Mike Reed, initiates plan to take over the world…
• Cave of the Forgotten Field Museum: Lascaux replicas on display for first time ever in United States.
• “Online documentation will not do this justice!” But Hiba Ali’s review of Tony Balko’s Storefront exhibition tries anyway.
• Dialogue finally trending? Writer’s everywhere from Hyperallergic to Bad at Sports are considering the dangers of “International Art English” and if you haven’t read this J. Swift-style gem you’re missing half the fun.
• Is it curating or collaborating? Who cares? This IRL Tumblr Alex Da Corte show looks pretty cool regardless.

Local bands play music at bar

If you’ve ever walked by The Mutiny, you’ve probably noticed the “Bands Wanted” notice prominently displayed in their front window. If you’ve ever actually been inside the Fullerton Ave bar, you probably know why.

Regardless, a consortium of artists from The Hills to The West Pilsen Sculpture Garden have somehow managed to further expand their practices and are now “with the band, man.” The innocuously named “Chicago Music CDs showcase / CD release party” promises to be a glorious happening of music and stuff.

The show will feature “emerging new chicago music and experimental performance talent” such as FREE THE UNIVERSE (members of Fish, New Capital, Auditor), Fish (members of FREE THE UNIVERSE, Auditor), Ghosts (members of My Bad) and My Bad (members of Ghosts), amongst other bands no one has ever heard of because they probably didn’t exist until this show.

At least it’s free.

Thursday, March 28th at 8PM. The Mutiny 2428 N Western Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60647.

Michelle Obama has bangs!

Show was worth the trek to Bridgeport. His practice invigorates others and that’s what’s important.

Performance on masculinity not particularly manly

Boston based performance artist Garrett Yahn proved himself to be a grade-a sissy this past Saturday when, during his exhibition and performance “Old Work/New Work” at Happy Collaborationists, he applied women’s makeup to his face for nearly an hour.

Yahn’s solo show in collaboration with ACRE and Happy C’s also featured two video works highlighting repetitive manual labor, the artist’s meticulously handwritten CV and a photo of Yahn with the goopy black mascara beard that his performance culminated in. One of the video works starred the artist’s father, who is probably horrified by the fact that his son parades around, wearing mascara in public.

Attendees of the show sheepishly sipped their beer while pretending to “get it.” Afterwards, many returned home to experiment with makeup and ponder the relationship between factory work and male drag.

Blog Roll

Sometimes life imiates art. Other times art imitates life. But occassionally life kicks arts ass so hard that art gets really embarassed and has to stay home from school for at least a week. Internet gem “You Had One Job” is one of those times.

We would mention that the MCA Chicago killed the Harlem shake, but can it be considered murder when the vicitm has been dead for years? #beatingadeadhorse

Girl Don’t be Dumb, because you shouldn’t be. And you can never get enough pink.

“Does this cyanotype make me look fat?”

John Neff killed it last night at his opening and artist talk The Renaissance Society. The 58 chronologically titled black and white photographs in the show, produced with a MacGyvered scanner camera were striking and solemn, framed identically and hung on dark gray walls that bisected the gallery.

Neff and Walker’s discussion at the opening nothing short of enlightening. Spanning 16 years of the artists work and evolution, topics discussed ranged from John Cage to instagram and went well over the allotted time, though no one in the packed and captive audience seemed to care. Footage of the conversation will soon be available on the Ren’s vimeo page.

More information on the exhibition can be found here.

Kate Moss commissions portrait

Its been reported that the model/badgirl recently commissioned British street artist Bambi to create a painting of Moss for her home in the Cotswolds. Ever humble, Moss simply requested that her portrait be “similar to the iconic ‘Marilyn’ by Andy Warhol.” Since Kate’s country retreat has wall space to spare, What’s the T? has taken the liberty of creating a hypothetical art collection specially curated for the contemporary English Marilyn.

More hypothetical art collections: Rick Ross and Martha Stewart.

Momin L.A.N.D.’s at EXPO

After announcing an in-depth partnership with the City of Chicago during a recent press conference, EXPO Chicago made a puzzling move this week by naming Los Angeles-based Shamim M. Momin as the curator of their IN/SITU program for the 2013 fair. No T, No shade; Momin is obviously qualified, but is the goal of EXPO Chicago ultimately to showcase the city or to become a platform for touring curators? Is there room at the young fair for both?

What’s the T? would like to note a clarification concerning this article: EXPO Art Week is meant to be a separate city-wide initiative of arts and culture programming while EXPO CHICAGO is still the International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art.

Watch out QT

Following a preview launch at the closing of 24hours/25days at New Capital, Forever and Always, the joint curatorial venture of Billy Joyce and Brook Sinkinson Withrow debuted at their Pilsen location last Friday night with a screening of Dreamgirl by Sarah Condo work and a musical performance by Younger.

While the Forever and Always main focus is on programming (they have a lecture by Willy Smart scheduled for March 5th), the space features an ongoing “exhibition” of artwork as well. Whether or not this is a clever ploy to decorate the curators’ apartment remains unclear.

“Its not like someone is trying to hide that it’s an apartment. The art is just where it is. It’s like a return to not giving a shit.” – unnamed source (Michael Kloss)

Blog Roll

Can’t get enough irreverent internet in your tumblr digest? Is The Jogging becoming too relevant for your taste? Enter #NYCartlife. Just a couple SAIC to NYC transplants and their NY Advanced Painting analogs posting selfies and bad art history jokes. #thankmelaterorneveritscool

At last weeks opening for #WITH at ACRE Projects, exhibiting artist, Kristina Paabus, introduced What’s the T? to “#SOYEAHDUH” and we are forever grateful. After doing a little research WTT? learned the blog was created by Wicker Park’s Lisa Frame. Frame is also the creator of “Mugshot-Monday,” which is unfortunately just a bunch of people and their coffee cups.

State of IL belatedly endorses love

Following hundreds of Valentines Day’s without half of an endorsement from the Illinois State Legislature, queers and homosexuals alike can finally rejoice as “The Democratic-led Senate delivered a Valentine’s Day victory to gay and lesbian couples [today], passing legislation for the first time that would allow same-sex marriage in Illinois.” Dubbed the “Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act,” What’s the T? wonders why the title couldn’t be something catchier like “The Freedom to Love Whomever You Damn Well Please Which Should Have Been Passed 50 Years Ago Act” or “The Let’s Make Marriage Fabulous Again Since Straight People Obviously Don’t Care About It Anymore Act.”

The legislation furthermore provides this blogger with the perfect context in which to repost the recent Temporary Alliegance flag by h.melt. The installation of the flag pole outside of UIC was concieved by Philip von Zweck and functions as an opportunity for others to exercise freedom of expression.

It’s a National Holiday!

In honor of President’s Day, a work by Erin Washington.