2015: Critic's Picks @ Expo Art Week

Chicago's "Expo" art fair was held at Navy Pier, September 17-20, 2015. And I decided to avoid it. Instead, I visited as many local gallery exhibitions as possible. In this article I've drawn from that experience: compiling a short list of works which struck me as someway relevant to the city's recent art history. Making connections between artists herein, I've paid more attention to formal issues than to politics. As always, I apologize for errors and omissions; no slight is intended. Feel free to append a comment.

"Appropinquation"
Leslie Baum, Shannon Finley, Jamisen Ogg, Min Song and Dannielle Tegeder
September 12 – October 31, 2015
Carrie Secrist Gallery
835 W. Washington Blvd.
Chicago, IL
http://www.secristgallery.com/

Above: Jamisen Ogg in "Appropinquation," September 12 – October 31, 2015, at Carrie Secrist Gallery, 835 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, IL; exhibition co-curator Britton Bertran, at right, indicating scale.

Visible both from the street and also the building's entrance, it's inevitable that Jamisen Ogg's sculpture "Rigid Infinity" is the first piece encountered in the group show "Appropinquation" at Carrie Secrist Gallery. And if the work is somewhat interesting as a play upon the momentarily ubiquitous motif of the triangle,[1] it's yet more interesting as an ordinarily hidden architectural object (roof truss) which has been brought into view in the environment of the gallery. Here the anticipated structural forces are reversed, i.e., hanging, the pairing is subject to tension, rather than compression. I don't know whether Ogg, or Secrist, or co-curator and Associate Director Britton Bertran intend any connection to the concurrent Chicago Architectural Biennial. Regardless, it's a timely presentation.

Thirty years ago, Terrence Karpowicz,[2] Fred Nagelbach, Evan Lewis, and others, were seen to have employed the same materials, techniques and architectural vocabulary in large, wooden sculptures exhibited in Chicago. More recently, Conrad Freiburg and Kelly Kaczynski have made great use of the same idiom.[3] All owe some debt to Constructivism.

Above: Dannielle Tegeder in "Appropinquation," September 12 – October 31, 2015, at Carrie Secrist Gallery, 835 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, IL.

Above: Dannielle Tegeder in "Appropinquation," September 12 – October 31, 2015, at Carrie Secrist Gallery, 835 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, IL.

Also within Secrist's main room, immediately opposite Ogg, Dannielle Tegeder repeatedly employs a wooden, triangular form--reminiscent of Ogg's work, but very much smaller. And that's interesting, inasmuch as material, shape, and scale were the historical concerns of sculpture. In all group shows such visual relationships should be evident, rather than vaguely implied by some companion text. Whether I've stumbled upon the curators' concern, the pairing is complimentary.

Above: Dannielle Tegeder in "Appropinquation," September 12 – October 31, 2015, at Carrie Secrist Gallery, 835 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, IL.

That said, in contrast to Ogg, Tegeder presents a collection of objects rather than a monolithic work. And, because of her use of shelving particularly, but also because of her use of sheet material and the wall as a support, I'm made to remember Carol Bove who, it seems to me, was locally imitated by Rashid Johnson, who was in turn imitated for a time by Dan Gunn.[4]

Tegeder's installation is suggestive of a sculptor's studio: of raw materials which have the potential to become some other work. So it's a bit of a shock to realize that she's worked with so many found objects. Are Tegeder's triangular constructions the only items in her installation which she's built?

Above: Leslie Baum in "Appropinquation," September 12 – October 31, 2015, at Carrie Secrist Gallery, 835 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, IL.

Within Secrist's "Appropinquation," still, Tegeder's "collection of objects" links her to Leslie Baum. The artwork in either case presents itself as a cloud-like phenomenon, absent symmetrical distribution or a central point of focus. Having written that, while in the past Baum has worked at a scale comparable to Tegeder--for example, her (Baum's) tabletop and shelving presentations made from 2012-2014 at Peregrine Program, LVL3, and The Franklin--here, in "Appropinquation," scale is the first point of diversion between the two: Baum having shown no individual compositional element quite so small as Tegeder.[5] More, Baum is also distinguished by her preference for decorative surfaces, vivid hues, statuary, and organic or irregular line and shape.

Baum, here, really does present herself as a painter who's making sculpture, or as a sculptor who's making work from paintings: it's as though an Ellsworth Kelly has been taken from the wall, chopped apart, and set on the floor. As a painter would, Baum's chosen to work with sheets of material. Baum and Tegeder both use material in sheet form; Tegeder and Ogg's triangular constructions are built from essentially linear elements. Formally, Tegeder is the bridge between Baum and Ogg in this show.

Above: Dannielle Tegeder in "Appropinquation," September 12 – October 31, 2015, at Carrie Secrist Gallery, 835 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, IL.

By virtue of her post-minimalist sensibility, as suggested by her inclusion of numerous, unadorned geometric solids, Tegeder too is a bridge to other concurrent exhibitions in the city, e.g., Morgan Sims at Bert Green Fine Art.[6] Even Doug Fogelson at Linda Warren might be approached in the same manner: rectangular framing devices, in series, are used to structure Fogelson's exhibition.

"Broken Cabinet"
Doug Fogelson
September 11 - November 7, 2015
Linda Warren Projects
327 N. Aberdeen St.
Chicago, IL
http://lindawarrenprojects.com/

Above: Doug Fogelson in "Broken Cabinet," September 11 - November 7, 2015, at Linda Warren Projects, 327 N. Aberdeen St., Chicago, IL.

Acknowledging the geometric structure of the framing devices, and the pleasant range of hues contained therein, there is, for the second time in one of Fogelson's installations in this gallery, a less obvious, macabre theme undergirding the work: his artistic enterprise has been, at least in part, concerned with dead or dying things.

Here and now, a sort of museological display case houses biological artifacts, e.g., a bat, a shell, a spider, a snakeskin, etc., all of which were used by Fogelson to create the photograms hanging on opposing ends of the space. Such display cases, or vitrines, have been fashionable of late.

Three years ago, in December of 2012, Fogelson staged an elaborate floral presentation which was supported a circular, multi-tiered, clear acrylic pedestal.[7] Appearing freshly cut at the opening reception, the flowers within the piece were left in place to die, slowly, throughout the two-month period of the exhibition. The artistic use of encased, withering botanicals (not to mention a background in photography) connects Fogelson to former Chicagoan Heidi Norton.[8]

Above: Doug Fogelson in "Broken Cabinet," September 11 - November 7, 2015, at Linda Warren Projects, 327 N. Aberdeen St., Chicago, IL; gallery patrons provide scale.

Above: Doug Fogelson in "Broken Cabinet," September 11 - November 7, 2015, at Linda Warren Projects, 327 N. Aberdeen St., Chicago, IL.

Above: Doug Fogelson in "Broken Cabinet," September 11 - November 7, 2015, at Linda Warren Projects, 327 N. Aberdeen St., Chicago, IL.

Above: Doug Fogelson in "Broken Cabinet," September 11 - November 7, 2015, at Linda Warren Projects, 327 N. Aberdeen St., Chicago, IL.

But it's Fogelson's encased fauna--shed snakeskin especially--which link him to Chanel Von Habsburg-Lothringen at Boyfriends, some four miles to the west of Linda Warren Projects. Operated by New Capital's Ben Foch and The Hills' Leo Kaplan in the space formerly occupied by Peregrine Program, Boyfriends is a new gallery, whose inaugural exhibition was timed to coincide with the 2015 edition of Expo. And, attendance at the opening reception was significant.

"Seduced and Abandoned"
Chanel Von Habsburg-Lothringen
September 18 - October 18, 2015
Boyfriends
3114 W. Carroll St.
Chicago, IL
http://boyfriendschicago.com/

Above: Hope Esser and Boyfriends proprietor Ben Foch attending the opening of Chanel Von Habsburg-Lothringen's "Seduced and Abandoned," September 18 - October 18, 2015, at Boyfriends, 3114 W. Carroll St., Chicago, IL.

Above: Boyfriends proprietor Leo Kaplan with Sarah Shikima attending the opening of Chanel Von Habsburg-Lothringen's "Seduced and Abandoned," September 18 - October 18, 2015, at Boyfriends, 3114 W. Carroll St., Chicago, IL.

Above: Art F City's Paddy Johnson, visiting Chicago for the Expo art fair, attending the opening of Chanel Von Habsburg-Lothringen's "Seduced and Abandoned," September 18 - October 18, 2015, at Boyfriends, 3114 W. Carroll St., Chicago, IL.

Above: Brandon Alvendia attending the opening of Chanel Von Habsburg-Lothringen's "Seduced and Abandoned," September 18 - October 18, 2015, at Boyfriends, 3114 W. Carroll St., Chicago, IL.

Von Habsburg-Lothringen presents large-scale photographic prints in which masked figures confront--and disturb most--viewers. What's disturbing? I think it's the homogeneity of the disguise set against the various idiosyncrasies of the wearers: the smooth, artificial skin of the mask seems to be a particularly hideous imitation when compared to the flesh of the most aged model.

Broadly, the pieces might be interpreted as a critique of cosmetics, fashion, pharmaceuticals, plastic surgery, etc., to the extent that such industries, or their marketers, promise the unattainable, for which the mask stands in metaphor. In fact, our bodies are imperfect; and, whether quickly or slowly, they will fail. That's the inexorable truth.

Here, following the interpretation above, Von Habsburg-Lothringen offers us a reminder of our mortality; and it's possible to approach the show as a little group of "memento mori" works. Implied by the mask, the Faustian bargain, the deal with the devil, is the worldly gain of the illusion of youth at the cost of one's identity.

I agree with Paddy Johnson that Von Habsburg-Lothringen's work is reminiscent of the New York-based artist Narcissister.[9][10] And I'm reminded that, locally, Iowa native Amber Hawk Swanson occupied the Chicago Artists’ Coalition's BOLT Residency, 2011-2012, offering a solo exhibition which featured the surgical partition of what was once her own likeness cast in silicone.[11] Too, at the Chicago venue at Aspect/Ratio, San Fransisco-based artist Desirée Holman's ghoulish "Not Cliff" mask was included in a group show which ran through August of 2015.[12]

Above: The press image for Chanel Von Habsburg-Lothringen's "Seduced and Abandoned," September 18 - October 18, 2015, at Boyfriends, 3114 W. Carroll St., Chicago, IL.

Remembering Jamisen Ogg's "Rigid Infinity" from the beginning of the article, I found a second abstract sculpture depending from the ceiling during Expo's Art Week: In the Chicago Artists Coalition's new group show "The Annual," Noël Morical presented a hanging, paracord macramé piece. And that seems worth mention in a discussion of recent, local art history, inasmuch as Chicago-based Texas-native Brent Fogt too placed a hanging, crocheted jute piece (resembling macramé) at the Chicago Artists Coalition in 2013.[13]

"The Annual"
Alfredo Salazar-Caro, Kiam Marcelo Junio, Macon Reed, Michelle Anne Harris, Noël Morical, Susy Bielak, Alejandro Figueredo Diaz-Perera, Chelsea Culp, Danielle Dobies, Jean Alexander Frater, Jeroen Nelemans, Neha Vedpathak, Phaedra Call, Sherwin Ovid, Bryan Volta, Anna Martine Whitehead, David Alekhuogie, Danny Giles, Krista Franklin, Esau McGhee, Johana Moscoso, Sonja Thomsen, Meg Leary and Sarah Beth Woods
September 18 - 20, 2015
Chicago Artists Coalition
217 N Carpenter St.
Chicago, IL
http://www.chicagoartistscoalition.org/

Above: Noël Morical in "The Annual," September 18 - 20, 2015, at the Chicago Artists Coalition, 217 N. Carpenter St., Chicago, IL.

Above: Noël Morical in "The Annual," September 18 - 20, 2015, at the Chicago Artists Coalition, 217 N. Carpenter St., Chicago, IL.

Above: Noël Morical, work hanging at left, in "The Annual," September 18 - 20, 2015, at the Chicago Artists Coalition, 217 N. Carpenter St., Chicago, IL.

ABOVE:

Photographs (1-15 & 17-19) September 18-19, 2015;
Copyright Paul E. Germanos

Photograph (16)
Copyright Chanel Von Habsburg-Lothringen / Boyfriends, press image:
http://www.thevisualist.org/2015/09/chanel-von-habsburg-lothringen-seduced-and-abandoned/


NOTES:

[1] See below a group of related, abstract, geometric, two-dimensional artworks demonstrating a sort of tessellation which employs isosceles or equilateral triangles; all were produced in Chicago sometime between 2008 and 2014. Artworks are copyright their ascribed authors and are presented here in low-resolution for the sole purpose of supporting original scholarship in a non-commercial, publicly accessible work of art criticism and commentary, as "Fair Use" is defined. Contact the respective artists, or their agents, for commercial use, high-resolution images, and acquisition of original work.

Above: Todd Chilton, 2011

Above: Samantha Bittman, 2009

Above: Cole Pierce, 2014

Above: Samantha Bittman, 2010

Above: Steven Husby, 2008

Above: Todd Chilton, 2012

Above: Michael Milano, 2012

[2] See, for example, a wood sculpture by Terrence Karpowicz from 1981 entitled "Art Ark," which employs multiple triangular shapes, as found at the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park, Governer's State University, IL:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nathanmanilowsculpturepark/3842624547

http://chicago-outdoor-sculptures.blogspot.com/2010/03/meeting-with-sculptor-par-excellence.html


[3] See below a detail of a wooden, architectural sculpture installed by Kelly Kaczinski at the now defunct Ben Russell Gallery (#2F, 1716 S. Morgan St., Chicago, IL) in which bracing creates a series of triangular forms. Original artwork copyright Kelly Kaczynski; photograph copyright Paul Germanos.

Above: Kelly Kaczynski, 2009

[4] See below examples of sculpture from 2002-2011 which feature: (a) shelving; (b) sheet material presented in circular, square and rectangular shape; (c) the gallery wall employed as support; and (d) "curated" groups of found objects. Compare to Tegeder above. Artworks are copyright their ascribed authors and are presented here in low-resolution for the sole purpose of supporting original scholarship in a non-commercial, publicly accessible work of art criticism and commentary, as "Fair Use" is defined. Contact the respective artists, or their agents, for commercial use, high-resolution images, and acquisition of original work.

Above: Carol Bove, 2002

Above: Rashid Johnson, 2010

Above: Heidi Norton, 2011

Above: Dan Gunn, 2011

[5] See below Leslie Baum at the now defunct Peregrine Program (3311 W. Carroll Ave. Chicago, IL) in 2013: the scale of her work appropriate for the tabletop which was incorporated into her presentation. Original artwork copyright Leslie Baum; photograph copyright Paul Germanos.

Above: Leslie Baum, 2013

[6] See below the press image for Morgan Sims at Bert Green Fine Art, contemporaneous with Tegeder's own exhibition at Secrist. Artwork is copyright the ascribed author and is presented here in low-resolution for the sole purpose of supporting original scholarship in a non-commercial, publicly accessible work of art criticism and commentary, as "Fair Use" is defined. Contact the respective artist, or agent, for commercial use, high-resolution images, and acquisition of original work.

Above: Morgan Sims in "Metropolis," Sep 12 - Oct 31, 2015, at Bert Green Fine Art, 8 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 620, Chicago, IL.

[7] See below Doug Fogelson at Linda Warren Projects in 2012. Fogelson's installations, both in 2012 and also in 2015, invite a comparison between the photographic representation and the thing represented. It isn't quite Dorian Gray, but lends itself to consideration of similar themes. And Amber Hawk Swanson is good to remember here too. Original artwork copyright Doug Fogelson; photograph copyright Paul Germanos.

Above: Doug Fogelson, 2012

[8] See below Heidi Norton at the now defunct Ebersmoore (#3C, 213 N. Morgan St., Chicago, IL) in 2011. Taken as resembling slide preparation for microscopy, Norton draws near to Fogelson's "flattening" and protracted examination of the subject via film. Original artwork copyright Heidi Norton; photograph copyright Paul Germanos.
.

Above: Heidi Norton, 2011

[9] Paddy Johnson, September 22, 2015: "Narsisster and Rona Yefman also use masks in their work..."

http://artfcity.com/2015/09/22/four-photographs-of-women-in-masks-chanel-von-habsburg-lothringen-at-boyfriends/


[10] See especially Narcissister's 2013 show at Envoy Enterprises in New York City, wherein a mask was paired with fashion/textile photography:

http://www.narcissister.com/theater/#/narcissister-is-you2/

http://hyperallergic.com/64359/narcissisters-art-hates-you-but-loves-narcissister/


[11] Not per se an artist known for the use of a mask, Amber Hawk Swanson did use synthetic material to create a human-scale likeness of herself. Did her likeness retain her identity? It seems helpful to remember the "Amber Doll" body of work when thinking through the questions posed by Narcissister and Von Habsburg-Lothringen

http://amberhawkswanson.com/home.html

http://blog.amberhawkswanson.com/tilikum-sculpture-details


[12] See below the press image for "Uncommon Commonalities," which was a group exhibition at Aspect/Ratio, curated by Sandy Guttman and Jeroen Nelemans, including work from Einat Amir, Guy Ben-Ner, Rashayla Marie Brown, Glen Fogel and Desirée Holman. Holman's piece, "Not Cliff," dates from 2007: contemporaneous with Amber Hawk Swanson's "Amber Doll"project, which was begun in 2006. Artwork is copyright the ascribed author and is presented here in low-resolution for the sole purpose of supporting original scholarship in a non-commercial, publicly accessible work of art criticism and commentary, as "Fair Use" is defined. Contact the respective artist, or agent, for commercial use, high-resolution images, and acquisition of original work.

Above: Desirée Holman, 2007

http://www.aspectratioprojects.com/past-exhibitions

http://www.thevisualist.org/2015/07/uncommon-commonalities/


[13] See below Brent Fogt in "The Terrestrial, The Celestial, and the Imagined Inbetween," Oct 4 – 24, 2013, at the Chicago Artists’ Coalition, 217 N. Carpenter St., Chicago, IL. Original artwork copyright Brent Fogt; photograph copyright Paul Germanos.

Above: Brent Fogt, 2013

END

2015: Corinna Kirsch on Leaving Chicago

Paul Germanos: Hold old are you? Where are you from? When did you come here? Is Chicago one of many stops on your journey?

Corinna Kirsch: I grew up in a rural part of Texas which was like suburbia, just about a 45-minute drive north of downtown Houston. I ended up choosing to go to Chicago for the Master of Arts in Art History program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. But I’ve always liked Chicago; my dad is a Midwesterner. I arrived for my degree in 2007, and stayed a little bit after that. I moved away for good during a snowstorm in January of 2011. And a lady never reveals her true age.

Above: A portrait of Corinna Kirsch by Mark Dorf; black and white (halftone) filter applied; resized for publication.

PG: For what did you hope when you came to Chicago? A degree? A job? What did you think that you'd find here? What was your first impression of the city?

CK: Pretty much, I just wanted a degree in Chicago. A job--I’d take one anywhere. I came to Chicago straight from Austin, Texas. The cities are, um, very different. I didn’t have much in the way of expectations other than that I’d see a lot of art, meet a lot of artists, and hopefully become a better art historian. This is going to sound so "basic," but my first memory of Chicago was the sight of all the Art Deco buildings; coming from Texas, where everything is new, having some sort of history visible in the built-environment was incredible. Oh, that, and nobody else in my MA program smoked cigarettes. I’ve since quit.

PG: Did you attend a school here? Which school did you attend? How long were you in school here? Did you receive a degree here? When did you receive your degree?

CK: I attended SAIC from 2007 through 2009. I received my MA in Art History in 2009.

PG: How long were you in practice here? Did you enjoy success on your own terms? Can you recall some peak experience? If you felt frustrated, what frustrated you? Poor sales? A lack of publicity? High rent? Crime? Inefficient transportation? Public apathy? Bad weather? What was the total amount of time that you spent as a resident?

CK: Hmmmm. I thought SAIC was a great place to be in school. But afterwards I was running an apartment gallery and having a difficult time finding a job (this after working as a curator at the University of Minnesota). One reviewer came out to my space; and, while we were chatting, he ended up saying something along the lines of: “You’ve made it.” I wanted to die. I was working for just above minimum wage at an awful hair salon and paying for exhibitions out of pocket. I didn’t have enough time or resources to support the type of programming I wanted. All in all, none of that is what I considered “making it.” I was poor. I was on food stamps--a survival trick I learned from an artist [we'll call him Greg] who has since left Chicago. And it wasn’t just about being money-poor: I just wasn’t having fulfilling conversations on the state of the art world.

PG: How does Chicago know you? Does Chicago know you? Have you been misunderstood?

CK: Those are great questions. I have no idea of what Chicago thinks of me now! I haven’t been back in a couple of years--oh, I did visit last year for a conference--but I do try to stay in touch with what’s going on in the city by staying in touch with what artists and organizations are doing there. I love writing about Chicago! Let me know what people think of me when you find out.

PG: Was there an event which precipitated your departure? For which other city did you leave? What was waiting for you in that other city?

CK: This is pretty funny. I ended up moving because I didn’t think I’d be able to get an arts-related job. (That’s not a great reason to leave; but that’s what I did, when I was 26.) I went to New York because I had a place to stay for a couple of weeks for free--and because I was receiving unemployment insurance from my former curatorial gig. So, yup--it was mostly the unemployment insurance that let me move to New York on an $80 Amtrak ticket. And for some reason I assumed that there would just be more jobs available in New York. Now I love New York for different reasons. In part, I became a critic because I see injustices, whether aesthetic or political, in the art world. I wasn’t as attuned to them while I was a happy go-lucky grad student with the world ahead of her (I know!!!). It’s nothing you can predict until you’ve had that life experience.

PG: Does Chicago look different to you since your arrival to it and/or departure from it? Do you have advice for someone about to begin what you've finished?

CK: I’ve only been back once, briefly, for three days. I do remember being shocked that Logan Square [subject to rapid gentrification] looked like "Jocksville." My advice to anyone in Chicago would be to stick with it, and try to overcome the insularity of the SAIC world. Move south; try to be involved with people in your community who aren’t artists. Be critical. Be digital. Fight for the type of art world you want.

PG: Do you expect to maintain a connection to Chicago and its art world? What's your incentive to stay connected? Have you left friends or family here?

CK: No family. No close friends. Honestly, I just believe there’s a bunch of creative, caring artists and other people in Chicago; and I want to see them succeed however they see fit.

PG: By what means do you stay abreast of developments in the arts in Chicago? Print? Social media? Visits?

CK: I try to keep up with Chicago by being online.

PG: In the end, is place important? Is physical location a matter of consequence in 2015?

CK: Digital spaces are becoming more important. I’m starting a PhD in the fall, and I hate to admit it, but one of the reasons why I chose Stony Brook University is that I didn’t want to leave New York, at least not yet. There’s so much activity here that I end up going to panels, talks, and openings several nights a week--when I have time. I’m a country mouse at heart, though, and hope to someday write and blog from a place that I own. Maybe with a horse. I love writing about horses and art. But for the moment, I like the speed of New York. I like not having a car. I like public transportation which is reliable and frequent (sorry, Chicago). I like being surrounded by other workaholics, by artists and critics who see a purpose beyond aesthetics. Digital activism, too, is a topic that more people are comfortable discussing here than in Chicago, in my experience. Maybe that’s changed? New York is prohibitively expensive for most people. I wouldn’t work as many hours as I do--if I didn’t have to do it in order to stay here. So in that sense I definitely miss Chicago. I’d go back in a heartbeat if someone wanted me to teach a class on criticism, or blogging, or reporting.

PG: Was some important subject omitted from this query? Please introduce it.

CK: Just let me know if I can answer any questions more fully.

PG: OK. In Chicago, you were associated with two galleries--Concertina Gallery and The Exhibition Agency--which operated from 2009-2010 at the same address (2351 N. Milwaukee) in the Logan Square neighborhood. Is that correct? If so, were there any particular exhibitions or artists from that period of your life which are now memorable? What would have helped you, as an apartment gallerist, to continue to operate a space? Is it all, in the end, a question of money? Any thoughts on being on the receiving end of press coverage? Did it affect your work (inform your perspective) as a writer?

CK: Yes, that's correct. All of it was memorable: the good and the bad. Here are some anecdotes, not necessarily in order of importance. I remember getting poked all the time by Matthew Paul Jinks' spiky metal sculpture, which took up our entire living room. We'd have to tread carefully to get past it, just to go to the bathroom or kitchen. Ugh, and then there was the red glitter, left over from a performance, which we couldn't get out of the wood floors. (We rarely had furniture in the apartment so that we could have exhibitions.) The back courtyard was my favorite part, even though you had to walk down through the laundry room, there was a gorgeous backyard to escape into--as we all know, apartment galleries can get scorching-ly, sweating-ly hot. I remember having to negotiate with artists in ways I wasn't yet comfortable. School, studio visits, working in a gallery--none of it compared to having your own microcosm of a gallery/museum/laboratory all-in-one. Artists weren't always happy with the way their work was presented, or who they were put in a show with--that's the sort of usual stuff you'll always find. I take it back: My absolute favorite experience of running Concertina was on opening night I managed to find a professional concertina-player to serenade the event. He was a really nice guy, sat in a kitchen corner all by himself, and played us something that may have been a waltz. That's the sort of playful thing you can do when your project space is on your own terms.

PG: As a writer based in Chicago you contributed to Edward Marszewski's "Proximity" in 2008-2009 and Stephanie Burke's "The Gallery Crawl and So Much More..." in 2009. Is that correct? Were there other publications to which you contributed while a resident of Chicago?

CK: I think those were the only ones. Oh, and the SAIC school paper: F Newsmagazine.

PG: Is there a website in addition to Art F City which you'd like linked from the article? A personal site or another publication? Do you want to leave contact information?

CK: Sometimes I write for Vice. I'm also a reporter for The Art Newspaper. And I'm starting my PhD in Art History at Stony Brook University in the fall.

PG: You earned your MA at SAIC in 2009. Are there any classmates or instructors who had a lasting effect upon you? Do you keep in touch with anyone from school or is that a closed chapter in your life? Was SAIC worth it? Was it a good choice for you?

CK: Most of the friends I made in my program don't live in New York. I try to keep up with them on social media. I think I've probably become better "online friends" with some people than I was in real life. In the Art History department at SAIC, David Raskin is great, and totally funny. I was really scared of him at first (hi, David), but he's down-to-earth. Michael Golec and David Getsy, too. It's funny, but when I was in the Art History program at SAIC, I was nervous, I think, of speaking my mind. Maybe I was a little shy? I didn't take as many risks as I would have liked in my coursework, which may have been due to my shyness. (This is also related to the fact that I was working all the time I was in school, a bad idea all around.) With writing, and being a somewhat public figure (at least on the Internet), I've had to deal with all types of conflicts (like trolls and working with a variety of editors) that have contributed to me being a somewhat more outgoing person who's willing to speak my mind about aesthetics and activism. As for Chicago people, it's hard to say who I've become better friends with since leaving. Maybe Eric Fleischauer and Jason Lazarus? I saw them the last time I was in town. Dana Basset? There's a lot of really talented, down-to-earth people who live in Chicago, but who I wish I could see them all the time. In general, I like running into former Chicagoans in New York.

PG: Do you have any advice for a young person who's trying to work as a critic? operate a gallery?

CK: If you want to work as a critic, talk to me. But really, if you want to work as a critic I would say that the top five things I can think of are:

1) Lose the academic art speak. Write sentences that sound like they just came out of your mouth. The world does not need more Deleuze-robot criticism;

2) Go see a lot of art. I don't just mean where you are. You need to be online, on Twitter, and know what people are making everywhere. Always be sniffing out for artists;

3) Don't be scared to say you don't like something;

4) Sorry--here's a fourth. Do not bury your lede. This is my number one editor grumble;

5) Write all the time. Blog if you must. Even if you don't have an affiliation yet, you've got to write. Practice.

If you want to operate a gallery, just don't. There's already too many out there. Unless you're providing an alternative to the current art-as-commodity sales model, then don't do it.

- June 5-12, 2015 (C) Corinna Kirsch

Learn more about Corinna by visiting her website: http://corinnakirsch.com/

Corinna Kirsch is Senior Editor at Art F City: http://artfcity.com/author/corinnakirsch/

Read Michael Weinstein's 2009 review of Concertina Gallery: http://art.newcity.com/2009/11/02/review-anthea-behm-and-aron-gentconcertina-gallery/

Read Julia V. Hendrickson's 2010 review of the Exhibition Agency: http://jayveeaitch.blogspot.com/2010/09/review-uncrumpling-at-exhibition-agency.html

Image above provided by Corinna Kirsch; original artwork by Mark Dorf; black and white (halftone) filter applied; resized for publication.

Edited by Paul Germanos. Apologies for errors and omissions. Contact using the information at right.