Cyclops » Openings •

PROOF opening reception

Juli Lowe — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 19:22:21 +0000

Last night was the opening reception for our summer show PROOF. We had a great turnout and everyone was excited to be viewing contact sheets along with the selected image. Michelle Keim and Julie Blackmon, photographers in the show, told me they did not want to participate in the show at first. They did not want to show the raw, unfinished images on their contact sheet. As Catherine has said, it is like looking in their underwear drawer or reading their diary. We are thrilled they [and the other 24 photographers] did decide to share with us. They may feel exposed in a way, but as I viewer we learn so much more about their process and how they shoot through the contact sheets. Come check out the show and see some “underwear”!

PROOF opening reception

Artists at the opening reception from left to right: Michelle Keim, Julie Blackmon, Ron Gordon, Terry Evans and Jeffrey Wolin

The PROOF is on the wall

Trevor Power — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 22:31:43 +0000

Below are a few installation shots from CEG’s next show PROOF, which opens this Friday, July 16, from 5 to 8 p.m. This is a rare opportunity to see these stunning photographs along with the contact sheets from which the prints were made. The artists participating in this exhibition include:

Shelby Lee Adams, Julie Blackmon, Keith Carter, Clark & Pougnaud, Kelli Connell, Terry Evans, Ron Gordon, Greg Gorman, Jill Greenberg, Todd Hido, Michelle Keim, Michael Kenna, Herman Leonard, Achim Lippoth, Cecil McDonald, Jr., Robert & Shana ParkeHarrison, Cara Phillips, Holly Roberts, Josephine Sacabo, Howard Schatz, Rocky Schenck, Jack Spencer, Amy Stein, George Tice, Hiroshi Watanabe, and Jeffrey Wolin.

Joel-Peter Witkin the Viking

Trevor Power — Wed, 19 May 2010 20:23:28 +0000

Joel-Peter Witkin posing as a viking while in Stockholm

Joel-Peter Witkin and Catherine are currently roaming around Stockholm before the opening of Joel’s latest museum show at Fotografiska. The exhibit, Bodies, featuring thirty of Joel’s photographs will be one of the shows opening this new Swedish museum dedicated entirely to contemporary photography. The show opens on Friday, May 21 at noon and runs through August 22, 2010. Joel will also be doing a book signing at the Fotografiska Shop on May 21 from 3 – 4 p .m. and leading a free artist talk on May 22 from 4 – 4:45 p.m. We will post more photos from Joel & Catherine’s adventures as we get them in.

Michael Kenna @ the Palazzo Magnani

Trevor Power — Tue, 11 May 2010 18:21:23 +0000

The night after we held the opening of our 17th Michael Kenna show, Michael had another opening at the Palazzo Magnani in Italy. It is one of several museum exhibitions that Michael will be a part of this year, and he sent us a few photos taken in and around the show. We were able to get a crude translation of the “graffiti” on his exhibition poster, but if anyone else can translate it please let us know what it says in the comments section.

Palazzo Magnani exterior

Exhibition poster at cafe

Michael Kenna at exhibition

Exhibition poster with graffiti

Keith Carter opening

Juli Lowe — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:55:25 +0000

Friday night was a great opening for Keith Carter‘s show Seen & Unseen. Keith was busy the entire night talking about his work, telling stories and signing books (a few signed copies are still available). Here are a few photos from the night.

Lauren Wows Chicagoans!

Juli Lowe — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 23:07:57 +0000

Even after 2 days of snow and frigid weather, we still had a great turnout at the opening for Lauren E. Simonutti’s show, 8 Rooms, 7 Mirrors, 6 Clocks, 2 Minds & 199 Panes of Glass. Lauren traveled by train from Baltimore to Chicago to participate in this weekend’s events. At the opening, I overheard her speaking to several viewers about the work; discussing her toning methods, the props included in specific images and her life during her self-imposed isolation. Today, Lauren discussed her work in front of a crowd of people who attended her artist talk. There was a great dialogue between Lauren and the audience throughout the presentation. If you missed today’s talk, check CEG’s website in a few weeks for her Artist Talk. Here are a few photos from the weekend.

Lauren E. Simonutti: 8 Rooms, 7 Mirrors, 6 Clocks, 2 Minds & 199 Panes of Glass

Trevor Power — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 01:38:29 +0000

Lauren E. Simonutti
8 Rooms, 7 Mirrors, 6 Clocks, 2 Minds & 199 Panes of Glass
January 8 – March 6, 2010

OPENING RECEPTION WITH THE ARTIST
Friday, January 8, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Artist talk in the gallery, Saturday, January 9, at noon

She Left a Light on but They Were Never Coming Back (2007) Lauren E. Simonutti

Mental illness is not something easily understood. Most of us only hear about it through television or the cinema, which tends to sensationalize the condition. Rarely do we meet a person truly afflicted with mental illness who can explain it. In 2006, Lauren E. Simonutti started hearing three distinct voices in her right ear, the ear she lost hearing in years prior. After numerous hospitalizations and mis-diagnoses, Lauren was finally given a name to her illness, rapid cycling, mixed state bipolar with schizoaffective disorder, and given proper medicines which allows her to function with great clarity on a daily basis.

Taking pictures since she was twelve, Lauren turned the camera on herself, photographing within the confines of her home, which she has rarely left since 2006. The result of this self-imposed isolation is a haunting, honest body of work about mental illness and a testament to her resilience and need to confront and understand her condition. As she says in her artist statement:

“Madness strips things down to their core. It takes everything and in exchange offers only more madness, and the occasional ability to see things that are not there….The problem with madness is that you can feel it coming but when you tell people you think you are going crazy they do not believe you. It is too distant a concept. Too melodramatic. You don’t believe it yourself until you have fallen so quickly and so far that your fingernails are the only thing holding you up, balanced with your feet dangling on either side of a narrow fence with your heart and mind directly over center, so that when you do fall it will split you in two. And split equally. So there’s not even a stronger side left to win…..Over three and one half years I have spent alone amidst these 8 rooms, 7 mirrors, 6 clocks, 2 minds and 199 panes of glass. And this is what I saw here. This is what I learned.”

Most artists strive to make work that says something – that reaches deep inside themselves to reveal a fear or a desire. Lauren E. Simonutti presents work that is so truthful and so raw that the viewer can’t help but accept her truth and enter a world which may be unfamiliar but undeniably powerful.

Art Miami—opening night photos

Trevor Power — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:20:47 +0000

As promised, here are some photos from the Art Miami VIP reception—taken by CEG artist Gregory Scott. It was a good turnout, the libations flowed, and the attendees were welcomed to a strong selection of work by a number of great dealers. Gregory Scott’s work received a lot of attention and so did CEG’s newest artist, Lauren E. Simonutti. Day two was a tad slow, as many collectors were sure to be at Art Basel for that opening. It allowed us to spend some time chatting with our neighbors across the aisle, Douglas and Wally from Douglas Dawson Gallery. We will be heading over to the booth shortly, and I’ll tweet if anything exciting happens.

Art Miami opens tonight

Trevor Power — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:24:01 +0000

The trip down to Miami and the setup of our booth (#B33) could not have gone smoother. We’re looking forward to the Lotus House reception and VIP Preview tonight—from 5:30 to 10:30 pm. Below are some photos of the booth during install, and tomorrow we’ll post some photos from the opening. Now we are off to the pool.

Gregory Scott – “Outside The Frame” Opening Day

Jen Leutner — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:47:39 +0000

Yesterday was a very busy and exciting day at CEG. It started with Gregory Scott giving a private talk to the Rena Sternberg Gallery, Inc tour group and then headed into his opening reception where we celebrated his first solo show and the debut of seven new works. At the forefront of his craft, Gregory combines photography, painting, and video (all with the latest technology). Every piece reflects the personality of the artist and questions how we look at art. Humorous, narrative, contemplative, and abstract, these fascinating videos have been captivating viewers until now, only at art fairs. We are very pleased to present Gregory Scott’s Outside The Frame exhibition to the greater public and welcome everyone to the gallery to view the work in person. The show remains up through January 2, 2010.

Private Afternoon Talk With the Artist

Gregory Scott Opening Reception