Artist on Artists: Revolution 2012
By Scott Gordon Wills at January 22, 2012 | 7:37 pm | Print
Two hundred brave souls defied the blizzard to attend the opening reception for Revolution 2012 this past Friday evening, Jan. 20, at the Jackson Junge Gallery. The capacity crowd was a testament to the visceral power of this group exposition featuring local and national artists.
Serving as a visual referendum on the state of the union and its effect on “ninety-nine percent” of the population, Revolution 2012 is also an eloquent and emotionally resonant collective statement of both protest and hope by the thirty participating artists, who were asked by the curators to address ideas and issues that are being acted out in the streets of many American cities. The artists responded with images of corporate rapacity, war profiteering, economic and social inequality, police brutality, bank foreclosure and homelessness–and of the promise offered by green technology and political activism. The work spans numerous mediums: painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, fiber arts, installation, and performance.
Although each artist’s contribution carries the sting of indignation and urgency, several works stand out for their emblematic presence.
With mordant wit, Joseph Robert Knox’s “Foreclosed Former Selves” superimposes a layer of the shells of former homeowners over a backdrop collage of actual foreclosure listings.
Brian Morgan’s acrylic and vinyl on wood, “Inciteful,” – Pictured at right- is a wry commentary on the media’s coverage of the Berkeley protests, harking back to the underground political cartoons of the sixties by artists like Robert Cobb and R. Crumb.
“Peoplescapes”, a painting by Rachel Sager, pictured at top, suggests a mass protest by Tibetan monks, a blank spiritual slate seeking the stroke of social justice.
L. Lee Junge’s installation piece “The Power to Change” depicts, according to the artist, the pollination of ideas to a population by one strong individual; the rows of armored figures also suggest ranks of ceramic soldiers from a Chinese imperial tomb.
Revolution 2012 runs through February 26, Jackson Junge Gallery, 1389 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Mon.-Sat 11AM-8PM Sun. Noon-5PM.
"Mirror" by SGW
Scott is a Chicago-based designer, sculptor, and educator.
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