Salute! Preview to the July 3rd opening at the Accidental Gallery 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave. Suite 350 Flatiron Arts Building, Chicago, IL 6-10pm  Elise Robison 500 quilted plastic bags 120"x78" Elise Robison, a patriotic southerner from rural North Carolina,
began making flags with colleague Alee Peoples in 2005. Robison is
interest in flags as aesthetic objects, and out of curiosity for their
polarizing effect on people. Robison's "Plastic Betsy Ross Flag" and
"Consumer Banners" from 2008 combine traditional American flags with
Elise's modern quilted shopping bag technique to illustration how
plastic America has become.
Elise works with plastic because she finds it aesthetically pleasing and out of concern for the environmental consequences posed by unrecycled plastic. As plastic from landfills breaks down and enters the water system, it leaks harmful dioxins known to disrupt the reproductive, hormone and endocrine systems in humans.  Alee Peoples "American Flag" Alee Peoples uses iconic visual language of flags as a platform to be taken out of context. She borrows historical signage and erodes easily recognizable signs to
question their original authority and instant meaning. By mixing
different types of recognizable cultural or industrial visual codes
such as street signs or warning labels, Alee plays with the inevitable
closure that occurs in our mind to highlight failure in simple communication.(in reverse) nylon, thread, grommets and pole 72" x 48"  Alex Fedirko "43" oil on canvas 50"x70" With the election coming
around the corner, (this painting was completed in October of 2008), and all the
historical significance surrounding the 44th president, I thought what
better than the 43 US Presidents. So began the painting. It wasn't
until I started working on it that various elements began to surface.
It brought back adolescent memories of memorizing the presidents and
learning about the eras of each term that reflected a significant
moment in history. It was also interesting to see the style change
from term to term. The gray at the bottom is symbolic of the unknown
direction that the US is going. It is dated pre-President Obama so he
will not be painted in, one day id like to paint another with President
Obama.  Joe McDonough Joe McDonough really likes McDonalds. A few months ago he was excited to receive
coupons in the mail for a free Big Mac. Included, also, were coupons
for McDonalds new Snack Wraps, and McDonalds Breakfast Cinnamon Melts.
Both of these items were tasty to the utmost and he enjoyed eating them.
To no one's surprise, he also enjoyed eating the Big Mac, although he's
never understood why ketchup isn't included in the sandwich.McDonalds #4 (framed) acrylic on canvas 23"x14" Joe made these four paintings about McDonalds and what McDonalds means to the American landscape. He holds no grudge against McDonalds and see the March of Progress as essentially being the March of The Golden Arches. To Joe that is a beautiful thing. He can't wait to see what McDonalds does next for our country.  Matt Hilker "In the Company Of" Oil on Canvas 36" x 48" Matt Hilker is a prolific Chicago artist who excels at capturing the character of individual faces while exploring the space
between group and person. His images contribute to the basic human desire to document personal experience through the memory of standing next to someone, in addition to painting plainly generatonal changes in look, stature and style.  Alexis Petroff "Migration" framed guash painting on archival cotton paper 20"x25" Alexis Petroff was born in Bordeaux, France in 1955. At the age of seven he
moved to Paris. Five years later his family relocated to New York City
where they joined an uncle who was attending art school. Alexis describes
the experience of immigration to the U.S. as “…being deposited
onto another planet by a spaceship - a total mind fuck.” Based
on these early experiences, identity - from the vantage point of the
immigrant, becomes an important subject.  "Memories of an Era, Reflections of Our Time 72"x60" Jeanine is an artist and a daughter
dealing with a loss that resonates with many across the
country. She is a firm believer that art heals and that we dream through our individual memories and in many ways
live out our lives in accordance with our previous experiences. This work was developed from family snapshots and photos taken during Hill-Soldner's Father's first tour of duty during the Vietnam War in order to establish a narrative around stories that should be told. The orange skies
represent Agent Orange, a dioxin based herbicide that was liberally sprayed in
Vietnam from 1961-1970. The men in the paintings and photos are members of the Bravo Company 3rd Recon Battalion, United States Marine Corps. These were the first ground troops to enter Vietnam in 1965. This work is dedicated to Hill-Soldner's Father, all of those who have gone to war, those who have not returned, and their families.  Michelle Nolan "Miss July 2009" Digital Photo Michelle Nolan is a people Photographer, known for her elegantly surreal visual style and her innate ability to elicit her subject's deepest secrets into her photos. In 2009, artist Elise Robison appeared with her quilted "Plastic Betsy Ross Flag" as Miss July, for the "Tyk-Thought You Knew" bike calendar benefit for the Chicago
Women's Health Center.  Mike Runge "Untidy State of America" mold grown on plexiglass 6.5" x 10" Aspiring art teacher who settled in Indianapolis upon returning from
his National Guard tour of duty in Iraq, Runge is predominately a
sculptor known for his puppet making and irrefutable whimsical
optimism. Community and performance are major driving forces in Runge's
work. Runge's events are inclusive to create an environment where
creativity thrives in addition to his larger puppet works requiring up
to 15 individuals to operate. The work this Salute! show is focused on
Runge's interpretation of the political climate before the 2008
election and documentation of his time at war with photographs and
cartoon letters.  Founded in 1981 by a few Vietnam combat veterans who put together a historical collection of art inspired by combat and created by veterans. The
rare collection blossomed in the
post-war era and has now grown into the National Vietnam Veterans Art
Museum (NVVAM), the world’s only museum with a permanent collection
focusing on the subject of war from an artistic perspective. Visitors
express that this perspective is a universal message to all
generations, and cultures.The
artwork presented at the Museum provides a unique viewpoint on the
controversial subject of war to all visitors. It is a tenuous and
reflective balance of beauty and horror, giving unique insight into the
psyche of combat veterans and consequential hindsight war leaves on its
survivors. Selections from the NWAM will be on display for Salute! Art Show.  "Saw" paper made from US Marine uniform 12"x14" Through papermaking workshops veterans use their uniforms worn in
combat to create cathartic works of art. The uniforms are cut up, beat
and formed into sheets of paper. Veterans use the transformative
process of papermaking to reclaim their uniform as art and begin to
embrace their experiences as a soldier in war.  "Fleurs de Guerre" paper maché flowers installed to field artillery 2008 Stuart
Hall served in the Navy and is now a political artist who takes fun art
seriously. This piece was a temperary voting day instillation intended
to remind us that America is a country that is still at war. The
"Fleurs" were placed with field artillery at several Chicago locations
without permission but no one seemed to mind.  Mitchell Lara "Up against the Bulkhead" Mitchell Lara served as a Sergeant in the United States Marine
Corps and participated in up-to-your-armpits combat for the campaign in the war in Iraq. Mitchell is a painter who has been reintroducing himself to art after his 8 year tour of duty in the Marines. His pieces for this show
are inspired by the frustration, anxiety of war and long rush to get there. Surviving the war brought the realization that freedom can only be granted once it is taken away.
 Michael Wasniowski Collage 13"x19" In my
collage; I incorporate magazine and newspaper clippings as well as my
own photographs and illustrations. Thematically my work in this media
is primarily social commentary. Since
I was a child I enjoyed constructing things out of the materials my
father had lying around his shop including wood, metal, plexiglas,
plaster and cement. I also spent alot of time drawing and designing
things like fonts, logo's, cars, clothing and working with mechanical
things like bicycles. During my teenage years I began to experiment
with screen printing and photography.  Andrew Herner As an artist Herner's primary concern
is that his work have a strong sociological relevance. His images engage in a visual dialogue and explore what a new narrative
will be for future generations by reordering and breaking up historical
sequence from time to time. He often pins different ideologies against one
another to leave the answer to his new future narrative open. "Civil Service and the Nature of Progress" photo 30"x38"  Jacqueline Patrice "Working Class Hero" Oil on Canvas 28"x36" Jacqueline Patrice is self taught painter who uses the medium as a voice to express what otherwise would be pent up inside. Highly influenced by metaphysical ideas and the romanticized world she lives in, she sees the blank canvases as pages in the story book of her imagination. Known predominantly as a
portrait artist, Patrice treats the process like stepping inside a person, and is inspired by the
mystery of her subjects personality.  Mathew Morgan Mathew Morgan is a self taught artist who studied classical voice and piano with intentions of becoming a professional musician, until in 2004 he was diagnosed with a severely disabling chronic illness. Mathew found himself compelled to draw and paint after struggling toward recovery while house bound for nearly two years. Having taught himself to draw from cartoons, Morgan began his art endeavor as a hobby to pass the time while lying in bed and ended up focusing on art as a serious vehicle for expression and emotional catharsis. Mathew is still struggling with his illness everyday, but has found he is much stronger and more able to focus on artwork professionally. His paintings incorporated images of people, places and things that hold a position of importance in his daily life. He chooses vibrant colors and a slightly less than realistic perspective to represent an unencumbered version of reality that avoids being bogged down in the minutiae of daily living."Lincoln Memorial Statue" Acrylic 24"x48"  Peter Bullock "A Few Brave Men" collages composed of old US postage stamps and oil paint 7"x8" Peter Bullock includes materials such as candy wrappers, postage stamps, and foreign currency in his painting, separating them by color and enhancing them with oils. The resulting paints can be viewed on a number of levels: as the total interplay of form and color; as the interaction of elements and textural values within the painting; and at the most intimate voyeur level as the incorporated objects themselves. This juxtaposition of object and art in a revised visual context creates a new paradign of art and reality.  Carolina Reyes "Not Winning the War" Painting  "Bhutto" India Ink Painting with Collage Since
the beginning of civilization, atrocities and conflict have occurred
constantly; what has changed in our era is the speed, convenience and
aggressiveness of commerce to accelerate our opportunities to learn
about them. Through our culture we are acclimated to the absurdity of
viewing strife as simultaneously interrupted and distracted by products
to bring serenity to our unbalanced individualistic worlds. By this
corporate ran system, an audience may never notice the effort put into
manipulating our viewpoints - to explain a story in a certain angle
or a certain amount (be it video, words on a page, or photographs),
to keep us informed but as well detached. My work responds to this awareness
by mimicking tactics used by news media. The appropriated images ask
for your attention, aiming to lure you in with the attraction of realism
battling against commodity to win your gaze.
Contact Salute! Kevin Lahvic - Flatiron Artist's Association kevin@kevinlahvic.com Stuart Hall - the accidental gallery stuarthll@mac.com Elise Robison - Miss July 2009 Elise@rapidtransitcycles.com |