art.chicago

© Doug Dubois, New Catalogue, Ed Ruscha, Mike + Doug Starn, Sarah McKenzie

Marilu and I spent a long day at Art Chicago and NEXT on Saturday. I haven't been able to attend in the past few years, and I have to say that I prefer the lower ceilings of the Merchandise Mart to the former exhibition hall. But man, those art fairs really knock you out, both physically and visually. A few highlights:
- The small crowd, which was nice for viewing work, but was perhaps worrisome for the dealers.
- Chatting with Jen and Jeffrey Teuton in the Jen Bekman Gallery booth, and briefly meeting Sarah McKenzie, who had lovely paintings on display.
- A photograph of a 1970's Woolworth's store by Grant Mudford.
- A Brian Ulrich sighting at the Weinstein booth
- Blank Signs by Ed Ruscha.
- Photos by Susana Raab at Dean Jensen and Amy Stein at Robert Koch.
- Harry Callahan Color Test #2, by New Catalogue
- At the Aperture booth: a lovely Kelli Connell print, Doug Dubois' book, and a talk by Chicago photographer Barbara Crane.
- Starn Twins' snowflakes.
- And lastly, an attempt at a joke: Gallerist: "Have you seen the meat flower (a photograph in his booth of raw meat shaped like a rose)." Me: "Oh, but it's been done." Gallerist: Pause. "Really?" Me: "I was just kidding."