Artist, Educator, Photographer

I found this odd billboard just before Inauguration Day.
I wonder what will go up next…

One of the most entertaining things about openings and listening to people talk about my work is the assumptions they make about their location. A large part of this comes from the vast selection of Brutalist and other modern structures on almost every university campus and many city civic centers across the US and the entire world.
When I was picking up work this week the gallery director was asking the locations because one patron was certain that one image was from a new hip restaurant they recently ate at. The image was in fact a large church. I intentionally strip my images and titles of clear identifiers to preserve and exaggerate the anonymity.

One of my greatest fears is the destruction of this architecture (especially if i never get to experience and photograph it). Jörg Colberg discusses two of the major American landmarks of Architectural Brutalism in a post today, a reaction to this Wall Street Journal Story.

Gordon Muehle
Till April 30, 2009

Gordon Muehle is currently showing work at Schneider Gallery. Inspired by David Hockney, Muehle was captivated by the power of photography and its endless possibilities from a young age.
Muehle has engaged in extensive exploration of the media and has literally developed his own way of seeing. He shoots his subjects with Polaroid film and a modified camera that allows him to push the boundaries of the film itself. His camera, which took two years of trials to perfect, enables him to take extreme close-ups, control shutter speeds, and apertures. The completed image is a one-of-a-kind grid of Polaroids. The effect of the tiled image is engaging, playful, and very much his own. Variations in value and shifts in color dance across the surface of the work. Perspective pushes and pulls from frame to frame creating a unique distortion, yet maintaining an overall vantage.
Muehle’s newest body of work, Heroes is a series of portraits, which tribute influential people and critical moments in his life.

As I now live in Dupage County, I find I am drawn back to COD over and over again. This may be for convenience, but I still live 14 miles away from it. There simply so little to choose from in the area that fits my subject matter. Time for another road trip!

After raving reviews of elbow patches I thought I would give the look a try at a gathering last night with a traditional jacket. What do you think?

I tried it with dressy trousers (the tall guy in the center), but it seems it could work with denim…

Is there a dress code for Professors of Photography?

In a recent conversation with some of my friends from grad school we were discussing how nicely one of our professors always dressed. On that particular day it was a real sophisticated gray three-piece suit with a red handkerchief fitting the season. An important note would be that he was a professor of the history of photography. As our conversation continued I mentioned my own dress and whether I should refine it to stronger separate myself from my students.

This is not to say I am a slob when teaching, but I don’t think I am old enough to wear a tweed jacket. For lectures I typically dress smart casual (dress trousers, a long-sleeve dress shirt, and loafers).

The trouble comes when working in the darkroom. At the school in which I teach darkroom classes I have no teaching assistant or other staff. A professor cannot be expected to dress well when mixing chemistry on a daily basis. In the darkroom I tend to wear denim and a sweater or put on a Fleece to get dirty.
So I am wondering what other young professors in the arts do to maintain authority while being comfortable and not ruining good clothing (or going home smelling like fixer)?

Here are a few ideas:
Lab Coat to go over nice clothing

Revival of sweater vests from my old preppy days

Or add elbow patches to everything: jackets, sweaters, long sleeved shirts…

Let me know what you consider appropriate or if you have any other amusing ideas.

I had the pleasure of hearing the Artists talk last night at the MoCP for the opening of their new show PhotoDimensional (through April 19th). The show deals with the translation of 3D objects into 2 dimensional Photographs (or vice versa).

I particularly enjoyed the work of Katalin Deér. This was first due to her sculptures that incorporated photographs, but I really love that she used concrete within her work. Anyone who can convince a museum to allow them to pour concrete on the wood floor easily wins my admiration over.

Tonight is the opening of Intervention at Vespine Gallery with works by Brandon Blunden, Andrew McComb, and my good friend Allison Grant.
Opening 7-9p, February 13th
Show runs through February 28th
Vespine Gallery
1907 S. Halstead Ave.

Also up the street this Thursday, February 12
5:00 p.m. – Reception
6:15 p.m. – Lecture
Roosevelt University, Gage Gallery, 18. S. Michigan Ave.

Steel Work

Revealing Chicago



Terry Evans will be giving the first Photography Department lecture this year at Columbia College Chicago.
THIS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2009 at 6:30 PM
618 South Michigan, 2nd Floor.

My good friend from grad school Curtis Mann has a 12×2 show at the Museum of Contemporary Art opening this Friday 6-10pm. The show runs February 7 to March 1, with a lecture on Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 6:30 pm.

This is a must see if you are a Chicagoan interested in photography.
Congrats Curt, see you Friday!