Various Artists
Artworks
ongoing display
When you walk into a gallery — or any building, for that matter — you
instantly and somewhat unconsciously begin to form a notion of what happens
there, who does it, and whether it meshes with your immediate purpose. When I
entered Artworks gallery, I did this and nearly walked right back out. I did
walk up with preconceived notions (a nice gallery/frame shop in a beautiful
high-rent building on West Sixth), but when I walked in and saw the frame shop
and all the artwork with the standard artist/media/price tags, I felt I had
made a mistake in coming there. I had no business to conduct.
But it’s sometimes worth overriding those instantaneous judgments. Once I made
it five feet past the door into Artworks, I noticed the many glass sculptures,
the mixed-media pieces by Annis Allen, a set of hand-colored engravings by Rick
Laudermilk, and many other dispersed examples of pottery, painting, and
assorted media, and I realized there is something worthy of notice here. Though
the works seem commercially oriented (the jewelry case would be equally at home
in a Dillard’s) if not inspired, the quality of the work makes them
legitimately so. At the least, it’s admirable craftsmanship that you’d love to
see in your home, which I guess is sort of the point.
On Friday, July 12, the gallery will celebrate its one-year-on-Sixth-Street
anniversary with an exhibition of glassworks by Kathleen Ash, an Austin artist
known for her fused glass bowls, plates, and light fixtures; and pieces, mostly
room dividers and fireplace screens of stunning stained glass, from the studios
of Sledd/Winger in Virginia. For decorative and utilitarian art (with elements
of original, creative beauty), Artworks is the shop, or gallery, to visit.
— Christopher Hess
Paintings
Doug Whitfield
Chicago `20s
permanent display
Something about the “Roaring Twenties” holds a particularly memorable charm
over other eras; women were showing more skin (and showing up at the polls!),
drinking was an even bigger no-no than it is now, Hollywood was beginning its
ascent to demi-god status, and the mob was god. Icons of that crazy time
are now immortalized on the walls of a new downtown restaurant, Chicago ’20s.
The restaurant’s owners commissioned New York artist Doug Whitfield to paint
four huge, colorful oils, which group Twenties greats — and a few wannabe
greats — together in full garb and regalia. “The Champs” is a boxing moment
frozen in time. As Al Capone looks on, Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunny swing like
mad.
Then there’s “The Mob,” in which the North Side Gang, Capone’s cronies, and
Machine Gun Jack McGurn gaze ahead, looking like mischievous college buddies.
“The Jazz” catches Louis Armstrong et al. in mid-tune. Sitting at the
piano, Satchmo looks ready to rip at the ivories.
Finally there’s “Silver Screen,” featuring perhaps the motliest crew of them
all. The silent screen stars stand together like best buddies, the first in a
long line of idolized Hollywood icons. By the way, did Fatty Arbuckle really
dress in drag? Did Charlie Chaplin really paint his toenails pink? Either
Whitfield took liberties with the stars’ appearances or acteurs have
always been a little eccentric.
Another element of the Twenties ambience are the laminated, framed pictorials
from actual French magazines of the era. The color and style shown here in the
era’s clothing convey simplicity and charm — perhaps the main elements feeding
our fascination of this time of legends and heroes.— Cari Marshall
This article appears in July 12 • 1996 and July 12 • 1996 (Cover).