I am so tired. Regardless, here are the picks…

1. Big Sky at 65Grand - 

Work by Jerome Acks.

65Grand is located at 1369 W. Grand Ave. Reception is Friday (tonight) from 7-10pm. 

2. YOU ARE LOOKING AT ART ABOUT LOOKING AT ART at Noble and Superior Projects - 

Work by Joseph Grigely, Eric Fleischauer, Jason Lazarus, and Anonymous.

Noble and Superior Projects is located at 1418 W Superior St, 2R. Reception is Friday (tonight) from 6-10pm. 

3. New Work at Monique Meloche Gallery - 

Work by Justin Cooper, Robert Davis/Michael Langlois, Jason Middlebrook, Karen Reimer, Joel Ross, and Carrie Schneider.

Monique Meloche Gallery is located at 2154 W. Division St. Reception is Saturday from 4-7pm. 

4. Double Exposure (House Portrait Number 1.) & Rise over Run at What It Is - 

Work by Katya Grokhovsky, Mara Baker and Rafael E. Vera.

What It Is is located at 1155 S Lyman Ave in Oak Park. Reception is Saturday from 5-9pm. 

5. Ethan Breckenridge / Sean Dack at The Suburban - 

Work by, you guessed it, Ethan Breckenridge and Sean Dack.

The Suburban is located at 125 N Harvey Ave in Oak Park. Reception is Sunday from 2-4pm. 

Eric Fleischauer and I have a great discussion after the opening of his new show entitled Post-Cursor currently up at threewalls (until July 3rd). We talk about how his work relates and/or responds to technological cultures and production through a diverse array of perspectives.

Eric’s work – both within and outside of this show – critically examines our tendencies to celebrate and memorialize technology. In our discussion, I suggest that Eric combats these desires in his work by offering up poignant minimal (in construction and presentation) solutions through the lens of art and media history. Eric counters this by also pointing to an important conceptual art history that informs his work (his A Scan of the Space Under My Mouse (enlarged 2x) is a direct reference to Bruce Nauman, for example).

We talk further about how these influences are condensed (from an art historical standpoint) into strategies for navigating contemporary media; a thread that is interwoven throughout his practice. A good example of these concerns can be seen in Eric’s organization/curation of the End of Analog show that he put together last year for Roots and Culture. He admits that the titles of both End of Analog and Post-Cursor are intended to be hyperbolic gestures. In doing so, he hopes to point out how the content of popular media has gone (relatively) unchanged in the past three decades and that exploring the transience of media formats can be a more productive undertaking.

The last bulk of our discussion uses Eric’s blog work as a spring board to talk about the growing popularity of tumblr within certain circles of young new media makers. I propose that the mobility that blog formats like tumblr create a rich environment for cross-medium discussion, collaboration, and non-committal sharing of ideas. Tracing this (micro)history to surf-club group blogs like Loshadka and Spirit Surfers shows how this medium of quickness and real-time response unburdens makers from the stringent policies of a gallery space setting.

R.I.P. Louise Bourgeois and Dennis Hopper. A depressing weekend two-fer. Well, what can ya do? My solution: go get drunk off free gallery booze and look at some weird shit. Mmmm…box wine.

1. Patrick Ryoichi Nagatani and Carolyn Bernstein at the International Museum of Surgical Science

Perhaps some archaic chromatherapy to cure what ails you. Two shows opening at IMSS: Patrick Ryoichi Nagatani’s Chromatherapy and Carolyn Bernstein’s Yew Tree Project.

The International Museum of Surgical Science is located at 1524 N. Lake Shore Dr. Reception is Friday, from 5-8pm.

2. Sense Objects at Noble & Superior Projects

Another exciting paring at the corner of Noble and Superior. This round they present Kate O’Neill’s Third Law and Rebecca Kressley’s ON THE SOUTH LOCK OVER SHINE.

Noble & Superior Projects is located at 1418 W. Superior St. Reception is Friday, from 6-10pm.

3. Post-Cursor at ThreeWalls

New work at ThreeWalls by Chicago-based artist Eric Fleischauer, including video and an artist book.

Threewalls is located at 119 N. Peoria St., #2A. Reception is Friday, from 6-9pm.

4. Our First Sixty-Nine at Monument 2 Gallery

A quick turn around from last week’s show for another collaboration. This weekend Natalie Labriola and J. Patrick Walsh create Our First Sixty-Nine. How intriguing.

Monument 2 Gallery is located at 2007 N. Point St. Reception is Saturday, from 6-10pm.

5. Exhibition 7.06052010 at MVSEVM

Another chronologically, numerically titled show from the MVSEVM kids of Humboldt Park. The dance card is packed for this one, including the work of: Chad Kouri, Rachel Niffenegger, Jes Takla, Omair Hussain, Brookhart Jonquil, Robert Andrade, Luke Willard, Scott Jarrett, Carson Fisk-Vittori and Mark Beasley.

MVSEVM is located at 1626 N California Ave, #2. Reception is Saturday, from 6-10pm.

Hello again!

The madness of Artopolis is over my friends, and I’m glad for it, it was a long weekend. But this by no means indicates a lack of awesome art. This weekend is surprisingly busy, and here’s what I think shouldn’t be missed:

1. Immersioni/Immersions at Johalla Projects

A primarily, though not exclusively,  video based exhibition jointly curated by Anna Cerniglia and Susanna Horvatovicova, and featuring the work of Elise Blue, Ben Russell, Rakele Tombini, and Chiara Tommasi.

Johalla Projects is located at 1561 N. Milwaukee Ave., 2nd fl. Opening Reception Friday, from 7-11pm.

2. Alphabetization at Noble & Superior Projects

An exploration of language curated by Ania Szremski, and featuring the work of Brandon Alvendia, Scott Carter, Eric Fleischauer, Brookhart Jonquil and Daniel Lavitt.

Noble & Superior Projects is located at 1418 W. Superior St. Opening Reception Friday, from 6-10pm.

3. The Home Front: What You Can Do! at Pritzker Military Library

WWII motivational propaganda posters. Have you started your war garden?

Pritzker Military Library is located at 610 N. Fairbanks Ct., 2nd fl. Show begins May 7th.

4. Flat 6 at Floor Length and Tux

Experiments in spicy with Jon Bollo, Luca Scala, Jonathan Ozik, Matty Colston, Catie Olson, and EC Brown.

Floor Length and Tux is located at 2332 W. Augusta, #3. Reception Saturday, beginning at 7pm, DJ at 11pm.

5. As you pass by and cast an eye as you are now so once was I at Western Exhibitions

Creepy sculpture and flat work by Rachel Niffenegger. John Parot’s show Hobbies also opens at Western Ex.

Western Exhibitions is located at 119 N Peoria St. 2A. Reception Saturday, from 5-8pm.