Gallery VICTOR Paintings

This classically painted figure study demonstrates the artists understanding of the human figure. A study for a series of larger paintings based on motion capture studios. Here the model is placed in a contrived position on a midcentury modern chair surrounded by props used in the motion capture process. Andrew S. Conklin Maro on Chrome & Yellow Vinyl Modern Side Chair, 2016 oil on panel 18h x 13w in 45.72h x 33.02w cm Motion Capture Paintings, Chicago My recent painting series describes the reality of motion capture environments by showing the interplay between female athletes and male technicians. These paintings are meant to explore conventions of female representation in Western figurative art and to contrast this past practice with the contemporary imagery of that subject via computer-based image technology. This project was instigated by a number of things: first, by my abiding interest in depicting the human form in paint, as I find its versatility in a design, its invitation to empathy, and its difficulty, to be something worth attempting to depict with success. In addition, my curiosity regarding the new ways to depict the form using electronic technology seem to challenge to the traditional methods I rely upon, and I wanted to comment on the similarities and differences between the studios of the painters and the technicians. In this way, I aim to continue my investigation into what I see as the contrasting quality of human nature, and symbolically represent opposites such as mind and body, analog and digital, realism and idealism, terrestrial and the transcendent. Andrew S. Conklin is a figurative painter. He holds an MFA from the Academy of Art University, and studied painting at the National Academy of Design in New York City with Harvey Dinnerstein...

Andrew S. Conklin Artist Statement—Motion Capture Studio Series Andrew S. Conklin, a native of Chicago, Illinois, is a figurative painter. Conklin's paintings are a product of his ...

At first glance, this is a peaceful and serene landscape done with exacting precision. However with a closer view, a single figure is in the background biking along the path that le...

This is a painting in realistic detail of a woman in profile using subtle tones. The oval shaped panel is framed in a custom frame with classic details. Matthew Cook...

Matthew Cook The Artist in Profile oil on aluminum 10 x 8 in. oval MATTHEW COOK b. Toledo, OH, 1987 EDUCATION 2017 MFA, Bowling Green State University...

Classical Portraiture takes on a very casual feel in Peter Lupkin's painting entitled "Hamburger Hat". The composition is in the formal portraiture style with the subject gazing out...

Caleb O’Connor b. 1979 Honolulu, HI EXHIBITIONS 2018 BloodSport, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago 2017 Grand Opening: Coming Attractions, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chciago 2010 Contemporary Realism Biennial, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN 2008 “Art Chicago,” Merchandise Mart, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL “Palm Beach 3 Art Fair,” Ann Nathan Gallery, West Palm Beach, FL 2007 “SOFA (Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art)” Park Ave. Armory, Ann Nathan Gallery, New York, NY “Art Chicago,” Merchandise Mart, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL “Palm Beach 3 Art Fair,” Ann Nathan Gallery, West Palm Beach, FL 2006 “Art Chicago,” Merchandise Mart, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2005 “Caleb O’Connor: Dreams to Reality,” Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL “Art Chicago in the Park,” Butler Field, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2004 “Introducing Caleb O’Connor,” Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL “Art Maui,” Annual Juried Exhibition, Maui Arts and Cultural Center, Maui, HI 2003 “Rustica,” The Palazzo Bonini, Fivizzano, Italy “Group Show,” Fondatzione ARKAD, Seravezza, Italy “Facing the Real,” the Artists House, Museum of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel “20/30 Vision,” Hui Noi Au, Makawao, HI 2002 “Summer Show,” Gallery K, Washington DC 2001 “Serving Youth,” Gallery K, Washington DC (solo) “New Works,” Caleb O’Connor, School 33, Baltimore, MD (solo) “Small Works,” Gallery K, Washington DC Juried Exhibition, Gomez Gallery, Baltimore, MD Juried Exhibition, MICA Fox Gallery, Baltimore, MD 2000 “The Nine from MICA,” Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Art Gallery, Baltimore, MD GRANTS AND AWARDS 2003 Fulbright Grant to Italy, Project: Painting and Sculpture Elizabeth Greenshields Award, Quebec, Canada 2001 Elizabeth Greenshields Award, Quebec, Canada 2000 Morris Louis 32 Scholarship, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD 1999 Painting Department Award, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD 1996 Presidential Scholarship, Washington DC PUBLICATIONS 2002 Linda M. Grossman, “Meet an Emerging Artist, Caleb O’Connor,” American Artist Magazine “20/30 Show,” Maui News, Arts and Entertainments, October, Maui, HI 2001 Jessica Dawson, “The Beast Within,” The Washington Post, January 11, Washington DC Steve Purchase, “School 33 Opening a Great Show,” The Baltimore Guide Enterprise, MD “A Star is Born,” The City Paper, Baltimore, MD “Best Exhibition of the Year,” The City Paper, Baltimore, MD EDUCATION 2003 Studied under Israel Hershberg...

Oberon is historically known as a king of the fairies in medieval and Renaissance literature. Here he is pictured aloft, floating in space, with elongated arms and legs that twist i...

This is a classically painted portrait of artist and muse by Chicago based artist Andrew S. Conklin. Andrew's passion for Dutch and Northern Italian Baroque painting...

This small surreal landscape shows a line of row houses that are exaggerated and seemingly floating off the panel on which they are painted along with what seem to be seeds from the over sized plant. The two figures depicted are central to the composition - one on the phone and one with his back toward the viewer but we wonder what they are doing. Possibly the title, "Lost in Dinard" give us that clue. Ben Duke...

Andrew S. Conklin Lily in Blue Tights on Pluff Chair oil on linen 24h x 18w in 60.96h x 45.72w cm ACK012 Andrew S. Conklin Artist Statement—Motion Capture Studio Series Andrew S. ...

A study for a series of larger paintings based on motion capture studios, this painting combines classic technique with modern sensibility. Here the model balances next to a midcent...

In his painting entitled "Small Motion Capture Studio", Andrew Conklin uses a loose paint brush to capture the scene. Relaxing in a sparsely furnished room, except for the desk and ...

In this serene landscape, Jeff Aeling uses deep greens and browns in the open field and a sapphire blue in the endless sky above. The painting is fra...

"True North - Brief" is a dream-like view of the rising sun turning the deep blue sky into a blaze of orange at the horizon. The surreal quality of the imagery makes the viewer ques...

Oliver Hazard Benson Danubia acrylic on panel 10h x 8w in 25.40h x 20.32w cm OB0107 Oliver Hazard’s paintings are produced directly from his imagination and deals with a mixture of ...

Oliver Hazard Benson Dagon Colapesce acrylic on panel 11h x 14w in 27.94h x 35.56w cm OB0106 Oliver Hazard’s paintings are produced directly from his imagination and deals with a mi...

The classically posed dancer is juxtaposed against the iMac computer in Andrew Conklin's painting entitled "Nina with iMac Snow". While the computer is a technological marvel, it ha...

Seven deadly sins are the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behavior. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th century by St. Thomas Aquinas, they are pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. Each of these can be overcome with the seven corresponding virtues of humility, charity, chastity, gratitude, temperance, patience, and diligence. It is clear that as a subject matter, David Becker prefers the seven deadly sins to the virtues! David Becker Sloth oil on watercolor paper 31h x 22w in 78.74h x 55.88w cm DB0008 David Becker Exhibitions 2017 Coming Attractions, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Cicago, IL 2012 Eye Teeth Group Show, Paint Creek Center for the Arts, Rochester, MI 2011 Art Chicago 2011, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL 2010 Art Chicago 2010, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL 2009 David Becker Retrospective, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Art Chicago 2009, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL The 184th Annual Exhibition of Contemporary American Art, National Academy Museum, NYC Selections, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2008 Art Chicago 2008, Represented by Ann Nathan Gallery, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL 2007 Unruly Muse, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL SOFA NY (Sculptural Objects Functional Art), Ann Nathan Gallery, 7th Regiment Armory, NY, NY Art Chicago, Merchandise Mart, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2006 Palm Beach³, Ann Nathan Gallery, Palm Beach, FL 2005 SOFA NY (Sculptural Objects Functional Art), Ann Nathan Gallery, 7th Regiment Armory, NY, NY Art Chicago in the Park, Butler Field, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Palm Beach³, Ann Nathan Gallery, Palm Beach, FL 2004 Contemporary Prints: National Academy Museum Collection, National Academy of Design, NYC Art Chicago 2004, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Fantastic & Visionary Art, touring exhibit: Orange, Manning, Riddoch, & Ballart Gallery, Australia Return of the Men, Peltz Gallery, Milwaukee, WI 2003 Art Chicago 2003, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Fantastic & Visionary Art, touring exhibit: Orange Regional Gallery, New South Wales, Australia National Academy of Design 178th Annual Exhibition, NY, NY 2002 Art Chicago 2002, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Art of the 20th Century, Ann Nathan Gallery, Park Ave. Armory, NY, NY Outsider Art Fair, The Puck Building @ Houston & Lafayette Sts., NYC Self and Other Portraits, Wisconsin Artists, Charles Allis Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI Return of the Men, Peltz Gallery, Milwaukee, WI 2001  Beyond the 50's, May 4 - July 1, Exhibit A, A Gallery of Art & Design, Birmingham, Michigan Outsider Art Fair, January 26-28, The Puck Building @ Houston & Lafayette Sts., NYC "FANTASTIC ART", April/May, Orange Regional Gallery, Orange NSW, Australia. David Becker: Etchings and Engravings, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, solo exhibition of prints, February. 2000  Four person exhibition, Columbus State University, Columbus, Georgia, Oct. 31 - Nov. 27, 2000. 1999 National Academy 174th Annual Exhibition, NY University of Wisconsin-Madison Faculty, Elvehjem Museum of Art, Madison, WI Treasures Revealed: 19th and 20th Century American Works on Paper, National Academy, NY 1995 Bharat Bhavan International Biennial of Prints, Bhopal, India Contemporary Prints, Selections from John Szoke Gallery, NYC, Drew University, Madison, NJ Collection Update, 1994, National Academy of Design Museum, NY 1994 David Becker and Robert Sholties, Peconic Gallery, Suffolk Community College, Riverhead, NY In Black and White: Works by Four Printmakers, Atrium Gallery, University of Connecticut, Storrs Aesthetics of Athletics: Sports, Games, and Exercise, Charles A. Wustum Musem, Racine, WI GMI IX Award Winners, Art Center Gallery, Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg 1993 Take Home a Nude benefit auction, NY Academy of Art Graduate School Of Figurative Art, NY 1993 American Prints: Last Half 20th Century, Jane Haslem Gallery, Washingtion, DC Outstanding American Prints, Anderson Arts Center, Kenosha,WI National Academy of Design 168th Annual Exhibition, NY David Becker: Etchings, Davidson Galleries, Seattle, WA Portraits, Davidson Galleries, Seattle, WA 1992 The Print Fair, 7th Regiment Armory, NY 1991 166th Annual Exhibition, National Academy of Design, NY Alma College Collection, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan Modes of Expression, Potsdam College, SUNY, Potsdam, NY 1990 With Nothing On, Prints and Drawings of the Nude, New Orleans Museum of Art, LA Prints by Printmakers, Staller Art Center, SUNY-Stonybrook, NY Publications/Reviews 2007 November 60 Years of North American Prints: 1947-2007, Boston U. Art Gallery, Boston, MA 2003 July 11 Isthmus, Madison, “Welcome to My Nightmare,” by Robert Cozzolino. 2001 March 14 The Wall Street Journal, "Time Off: A Week of Diversions." Review of Progressive Printmakers (LVM) exhibition. 2001 February Isthmus, Madison, "America's Printland," by Jennifer Smith. 2001 February Capital Times, "The Crowned Prints," by Kevin Lynch. 1999 July Progressive Printmakers: Wisconsin Artists & the Print Renaissance. 1995 – 1999 Who’s Who in America. 1993 Summer The Journal of the Print World, review. March 14 The New York Times, review. March 12 The Daily Oklahoman, review. 1990 Dec. 13 The Capital Times, review. April 28 The Washingtion Post, review. March 25 The New York Times, review. Summer The Journal of the Print World, review. Selected Collections - additional collections available on requestArkansas Arts Center Foundation, Little Rock, AR Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL Brooklyn Museum, NYC Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH Detroit Institute of Art, Detroit, MI Elvehjem Museum of Art, U of Wisconson-Madison Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu, HI Library of Congress, Washington, DC Metropolitan Museum, Miami, FL Museo de Arte Moderno, Cali, Columbia National Academy, NY, NY National Museum of American Art, Washington, DC New York Public Library, NY Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, MA United States Information Agency, Prague, Czech. Alberta College of Art, Alberta, Canada Albion College, Albion, MI Alma College, Alma, MI Art Center, South Bend, IN AT&T Corporate HQ, Plainfield, NJ Boston Printmakers, Boston, MA Bradley University, Peoria, IL Columbia Green Community College, Hudson, NY Columbus State University, Columbus, GA Davidson College, Davidson, NC Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA Georgia State University – Atlanta Hope College, Holland, MI Hunterdon Art Center, Clinton, NJ Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS Madison Art Center, Madison, WI Marui Imai Inc., Sapporo, Japan Milwaukee Art Center, Milwaukee, WI Minot Art Association, Minot, ND North Carolina Print/Drawing Society, Charlotte, NC North Texas State University – Denton Ohio University – Athens Oklahoma Art Center, Oklahoma City, OK Oklahoma State University, OK Quad Graphics, Milwaukee, WI Silvermine Guild of Arts, New Canaan, CT Springfield College, Springfield, MA St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY State University of New York – Fredonia State University of New York – Potsdam Trenton State College, Trenton, NJ University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ University of Colorado-Boulder University of Dallas, TX University of Louisville, Louisville, KN University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada University of North Dakota – Grand Forks University of South Dakota – Vermillion University of Tennesse – Knoxville West Chester State College, West Chester, PA Western Kentucky University – Bowling Green Private Collections Carla Leighton, New York, NY Marc Hauser, Chicago, IL Michael John Hofer, Chicago, IL Drs. Mark & Helene Connolly, River Forest, IL Jamie Kalikow, New York, NY Dianne & Jim Blanco, Chicago, IL Denise Roberge, Palm Desert, CA Tish & Philip Messinger, Creskill, NJ Brian Wesphal & Michael McVicker, Chicago, IL Ralph Privoznik, Lafayette, IN Candice Groot, Evanston, IL Shomaker/Ruud Collection, Chicago, IL Braden Berkey and Robert Bartlett, Chicago, IL Bill and Karyn Silverstein, Highland Park, IL Steve Weitz, Lovettsville, VA Mary Allice Wimmer, Madison, WI Ann & Robert Avery...

Andrew S. Conklin Paige Seated in White Leotard oil on panel 14h x 10w in 35.56h x 25.40w cm ACK013 Andrew S. Conklin Artist Statement—Motion Capture Studio Series Andrew S. Conkl...

Nereid is a sea nymph, a female spirit of sea waters. She symbolizes everything that is beautiful and kind about the sea. Her melodious voice sing as she dances and twists on a sea ...

Ben Duke b. 1977 Louisville, KY Education 2006 M.F.A., Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD 2002 B.F.A., University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 2001 Summer School of Music and Art, Yale University, New Haven, CT Selected Exhibitions 2017 Distortion, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL Coming Attractions: Inaugural Exhibition, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL 2015 The Suburbs Eyes: Picturing the Sprawl, (invitational), Ernestine M Raclin Gallery, Indiana University, South Bend, IN 2014 21 and Counting, The Painting Center, New York City, NY A River Without Banks, Paul Collins Art Gallery, Grand Rapids, MI The Contemporary Figure, Ben Duke and Robert McCann, Moss-Thron Gallery of Art, Fort Hays, KS 2013 Benjamin Swallow Duke and Nathan Barnes, Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture, Bozeman, MT Benjamin Swallow Duke and Esther Randall, Rosewood Gallery, Kettering, OH Thresholds, Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, Wilmington, DE 2012 Sublime Rupture, Target Gallery, Catalog with Essay by Dominique Nahas, Alexandria, VA 2011 Identity In Itself, Lapham Gallery, Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Center, Glens Falls, NY Benjamin Duke, Tony Shumsky, Roy G. Biv Gallery, Columbus, OH Upheaval, [traveling solo exhibition] University Art Gallery, Saginaw Valley State University, Saginaw, MI 2010 Kuandu Museum Residency Show and Open Studio, Kuandu Museum of Fine Art, Taipei, Taiwan Biennial Faculty Exhibition, Kresge Art Museum, East Lansing, MI Art Chicago, Merchandise Mart, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Upheaval, [traveling solo exhibition] Cloyde Snook Gallery, Adams State College, Alamosa, CO Floating, Fitton Art Center, Hamilton, OH 2009 Disrupted Particulars, Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, Clinton Township, MI Art Chicago, Merchandise Mart, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Notwishstanding, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL SOFA (Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art), 7th Regiment Armory, Ann Nathan Gallery, New York, NY Biennial 25, South Bend Museum of Art, South Bend, IN 2008 We Drew a Circle and Called it and Island, Garden City Art Space, Taipei, Taiwan Benjamin Duke and Teresa Dunn, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Kenosha, WI Imaginary Cities, Moraine Valley Community College, Palos Hills, IL Awakening, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2007 SOFA (Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art), 7th Regiment Armory, Ann Nathan Gallery, New York, NY Art Chicago, Merchandise Mart, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Palm Beach 3, Palm Beach County Convention Center, Ann Nathan Gallery, West Palm Beach, FL Above and Beyond, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Darkness: World and Culture, Caladan Gallery, Beverly, MA Baker Arts Center 10th National Juried Exhibition, Liberal, KS Nude International, Lexington Art League, Lexington, KY 2006 Launch: Graduate Thesis Show, Baltimore, MD (solo) Second Chance: Brewer’s Art, Baltimore, MD (solo) Biennial Faculty Exhibition, Kresge Art Museum, East Lansing, MI Academy 2006, Conner Contemporary, Washington, DC. Opening Exhibition, Touchet Gallery, Baltimore, MD Only Human, School 33, Baltimore, MD Go Figure, Maryland Federation of Art, Baltimore, MD 2005 Emerging Artists, Maryland Federation of Art, Baltimore, MD real vs. Real, City Café, Baltimore, MD Artscape Art Fair, Baltimore, MD Group Show, Hoffberger Gallery, Baltimore, MD 2004 Clamor, Rose Wagner Center for the Arts, Salt Lake City, UT (solo) Boxing, Fox Gallery...

“Ash Wednesday of Ashes” March 4, 1908 At approximately 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 4, 1908, a fire started in the basement near the furnace, under the front stairwell of the school, which blocked the front door. Panicked children were trapped by a crush of bodies in the doorway of the exit of the rear stairwell, trapping the rest of the students and teachers in the upper floors. The community rushed to the school for rescue efforts only to find an impenetrable wall of bodies at the doors. Unable to help, rescuers could do nothing for nearly four hours but watch in horror as some children jumped from the windows to escape, while others remained trapped in the inferno. Firefighters eventually arrived from 10 miles away in nearby Cleveland, but they were too late. 175 perished including two teachers and one rescue worker. Eric Edward Esper Collinwood School Fire, Ohio 1908 oil on canvas 22h x 28w in (29.5h x 34w in, framed) 55.88h x 71.12w cm EEE010 Eric Edward Esper After obtaining my BFA in Illustration from Northern Michigan University in 1996 I relocated to Chicago to pursue my artistic endeavors. Here, I began exclusively oil painting and have assembled a body of paintings chronicling scenes of Chicago done primarily in plein air. Capturing parts of the city’s landscape during its cultural evolution had been my way of conveying history as a painter. My fascination with landscapes and history has led me to create oil paintings of scenes that have affected us in dramatic ways. Recently I have begun painting aerial views of locations that have interesting historical significance, encapsulating true stories that are hard to imagine and harder to forget. My latest paintings capture these places and depict them with historically accurate attention to detail. Using various sources I recreate these scenes with as many photographs of every angle of the incident and research the stories, submersing myself in the event. My newest body of paintings depicts events with a more historically tragic significance, depicting scenes of the darkest hours in America’s Midwest history, where the landscape became the backdrop for tragedy and calamity. These events that irrevocably altered so many lives are important to remember, not only for the people lost and how it affected our culture, but also to remind us that disaster can occur at any time, anywhere. Eric Edward Esper EDUCATION 1995 BFA, Illustration, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan SELECT EXHIBITIONS 2013 Chicago Catastrophes, Conflagrations, and Calamities, Solo show, Linda Warren Projects, Chicago, Illinois 2012 Group show, Metropolitan Capital Bank, Chicago, Illinois 2012 Ten year anniversary show, Sulzen Fine Art Studio, Chicago, Illinois 2010 Group show, Concordia University, River forest, Illinois 2009 Holiday Show, Sulzen Fine Art Studio, Chicago, Illinois 2008 Somewhere, Elsewhere, Group show, Linda Warren Gallery, Chicago, Illinois 2008 Scene in Chicago, Group show, Judy Saslow Gallery, Chicago, Illinois 2007 Holiday Show, Sulzen Fine Art Studio, Chicago, Illinois 2007 Cityscapes, Solo Exhibition, Oculus Gallery, Chicago, Illinois 2006 Solo exhibition, Meztli Gallery, Chicago, Illinois 2005 Around the Coyote 2005, Biannual Art Festival, Chicago, Illinois 2004 Chicago Art Open 2004, Chicago Artists' Coalition annual exhibit. Chicago, Illinois 2004 Chicago Images, Group show, Frederick Baker Inc. Chicago, Illinois 2004 Around the Coyote Winter Festival, Curator's Choice Show, Biannual art festival, Chicago, Illinois 2003 Landscape Unlimited, Group show, Fine Arts Building Gallery, Chicago, Illinois 2002 Chicago Art Open 2002, Chicago Artists' Coalition annual exhibit, Chicago, Illinois 1998 Shoe Show, Group show, Ariana Gallery, Royal Oak, Michigan 1998 Art and Design Alumni Exhibit, Lee Hall...

After 100 years of brutal history at the Ohio State Penitentiary, the botched escape attempt of 3 prisoners caused the deaths of 322 men. On April 21, 1930, a crude wick did not start a planned (by the 3 escapees) fire in 2 empty cellblocks under construction until after 5:00 p.m. when all the prisoners were locked in their cells. At 5:53 p.m., all electrical power went out and the phones went dead. By 6:00 p.m., the roof was engulfed in flames that soon spread to the occupied cellblocks where men were burned alive while locked in their cells. The roof then collapsed, crushing the trapped prisoners. The Ohio militia and guardsmen were called to control the prisoners, but the local fire department was not called until it was too late to control the fire, which blazed until 7:30 p.m. There were many accounts of the heroic efforts of the prison guards, and prisoners alike, who risked their lives attempting to save others. But, unfortunately, in a structure designed to imprison men like this, rescue was difficult. Eric Edward Esper The Ohio State Penitentiary Fire of 1930, 2018 oil on canvas 26h x 34w in 66.04h x 86.36w cm FRAMED DIMENSIONS 30.50h x 38w in EEE009 Eric Edward Esper After obtaining my BFA in Illustration from Northern Michigan University in 1996 I relocated to Chicago to pursue my artistic endeavors. Here, I began exclusively oil painting and have assembled a body of paintings chronicling scenes of Chicago done primarily in plein air. Capturing parts of the city’s landscape during its cultural evolution had been my way of conveying history as a painter. My fascination with landscapes and history has led me to create oil paintings of scenes that have affected us in dramatic ways. Recently I have begun painting aerial views of locations that have interesting historical significance, encapsulating true stories that are hard to imagine and harder to forget. My latest paintings capture these places and depict them with historically accurate attention to detail. Using various sources I recreate these scenes with as many photographs of every angle of the incident and research the stories, submersing myself in the event. My newest body of paintings depicts events with a more historically tragic significance, depicting scenes of the darkest hours in America’s Midwest history, where the landscape became the backdrop for tragedy and calamity. These events that irrevocably altered so many lives are important to remember, not only for the people lost and how it affected our culture, but also to remind us that disaster can occur at any time, anywhere. Eric Edward Esper EDUCATION 1995 BFA, Illustration, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan SELECT EXHIBITIONS 2013 Chicago Catastrophes, Conflagrations, and Calamities, Solo show, Linda Warren Projects, Chicago, Illinois 2012 Group show, Metropolitan Capital Bank, Chicago, Illinois 2012 Ten year anniversary show, Sulzen Fine Art Studio, Chicago, Illinois 2010 Group show, Concordia University, River forest, Illinois 2009 Holiday Show, Sulzen Fine Art Studio, Chicago, Illinois 2008 Somewhere, Elsewhere, Group show, Linda Warren Gallery, Chicago, Illinois 2008 Scene in Chicago, Group show, Judy Saslow Gallery, Chicago, Illinois 2007 Holiday Show, Sulzen Fine Art Studio, Chicago, Illinois 2007 Cityscapes, Solo Exhibition, Oculus Gallery, Chicago, Illinois 2006 Solo exhibition, Meztli Gallery, Chicago, Illinois 2005 Around the Coyote 2005, Biannual Art Festival, Chicago, Illinois 2004 Chicago Art Open 2004, Chicago Artists' Coalition annual exhibit. Chicago, Illinois 2004 Chicago Images, Group show, Frederick Baker Inc. Chicago, Illinois 2004 Around the Coyote Winter Festival, Curator's Choice Show, Biannual art festival, Chicago, Illinois 2003 Landscape Unlimited, Group show, Fine Arts Building Gallery, Chicago, Illinois 2002 Chicago Art Open 2002, Chicago Artists' Coalition annual exhibit, Chicago, Illinois 1998 Shoe Show, Group show, Ariana Gallery, Royal Oak, Michigan 1998 Art and Design Alumni Exhibit, Lee Hall...

A sunset of explosive proportions is the subject of this surreal landscape entitled "True North - Equity". The brilliant light at the end of the end of the road illuminates the high...

"True North - Identity" is a worms-eye view of a brilliant blue sky with a maze of distinctive clouds. The surreal quality of the imagery makes the viewer question reality. Are the clouds actual clouds or made by some other means? Are those fluffy clouds behind the bare branches or mountains? The ellipsed edges confirm the scene as an inner vision rather than a window on the world. The painting itself is painted on a handmade wooden panel with beautifully finished edges so no frame is needed. Mark Bowers True North - Identity oil on panel 9h x 12w in 22.86h x 30.48w cm MJB014 TRUE NORTH PAINTINGS Unconscious systemic biases may guide our actions or direct us---similar to the human construct of “True North”, which holds to coordinate systems. The Earth’s “Magnetic North” moves over time according to polar shifts; flux and correction is enabled by polarity. In these paintings (Privilege, Orientation, Belief, Identity, Equity), I use compositional elements referencing nautical com- passes to suggest that society must navigate not within systems, but naturally through positive relationships and change. I hope that my art represents our present day - but also imparts a dreamful glimpse of hope and faith within. Explanation: A magnetic compass does not point toward the true North Pole of the Earth. Rather, it more closely points toward the North Magnetic Pole of the Earth. The North Magnetic Pole is currently located in northern Canada. It wanders in an elliptical path each day, and moves, on the average, more than forty meters northward each day. Evidence indicates that the North Magnetic Pole has wandered over much of the Earth's surface in the 4.5 billion years since the Earth formed. Mark Bowers- Artist Statement With the depiction of landscape playing such a central role in the history of North American art, it seemed to offer many of the critical possibilities I was looking for, and it felt more and more like something I have always known. Something I could easily apply, stage, and manipulate as a diary. My work consists of small-scale highly detailed landscape paintings. They are inspired by the comfort, trepidation, and beauty found in the mundane Chicago Suburbs. I combine nature, decorative house wares...

Ben Duke b. 1977 Louisville, KY Education 2006 M.F.A., Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD 2002 B.F.A., University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 2001 Summer School of...

-ARTIST STATEMENT- I depict my person in multiplicity with different selves representing dramatis personae. My likeness is both implicit and symbolic in the portrayal of my narrative; the drama involved in creating art and the artist’s role in society. I use realism to invite the viewer into mysterious inner worlds that are layered reflections of the outer. Dehumanizing environments are imbued with art historical references as a critique of power structures. The artist is an Everyman who is at odds with society and his self. Visually my work is a celebration of society’s dark undercurrents and its overlooked absurdities. I use charcoal and printmaking media as their tenebrous values add a fitting metaphor. The nuances of light and shadow seduce viewers into a world their better judgment would have them avoid. This provokes a sense of disquietude that causes viewers to assess our world through the austerity of a colorless, yet not humorless, light. -BIO- Christopher Ganz grew up in Northeast Ohio and from early on had a fertile imagination and an interest in art. Christopher's artistic education truly began at the University of Missouri, where his love of the human form led to many figure drawing classes and his exposure to the wonders of printmaking. Christopher's then went onto graduate school at Indiana University and a summer abroad program in Italy was a dream realized. Christopher then grasped charcoal with a renewed vigor and large, sfumato-laden drawings ensued. Christopher's artistic influences are many; from a seminal exposure to Dore's engravings of the Divine Comedy, to Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Goya, and up to Lucian Freud, Mark Tansey...

***This artwork is currently on exhibit at the Instituto Cervantes, Chicago until September 2025. If purchased this artwork will be available to ship after September 1, 2025. Contact the gallery with questions. This small portrait of a blonde female is exquisite in its execution. A blue replica is behind her which adds to the mystery of the painting. Why is this person here? Why is she painted in blue? Why are her eyes red and a red dot on her forehead? The painting is framed in a silver frame measuring 7.5h x 7.5w x 2d inches. Juan Barragán...

Getting out of one's comfort zone and ending the anxiety by rebuilding the lineal composition, the contrasts of color, textures and even the narrative. This happens just by throwing an impulsive stroke of red paint. While the figure is not in real danger, i.e. actually bleeding, but instead the red paint represents stepping out of one's comfort zone. It means to leave the status quo...

Andrew LeMay Cox "Love Nest" - Overgrown fields of amber grain freckled with flowers of many. On a perfectly sunny day and the wind is strong but gentle. There is no one else in s...

The Firestorm of Peshtigo October 8 1871, the same night of the Great Fire of Chicago, and The Michigan forest fires. A cold front moved in from the west fanning land clearance fires...

Our Children of Angels Around 2:30 PM Monday December 1 1958, the schoolchildren of Our Lady Of Angels were almost ready to leave school for the day when they suddenly realized the h...

Seven deadly sins are the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behavior. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th ...

Seven deadly sins are the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behavior. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th ...

South of El Paso, where time stands still, cantinas and religious relics litter cobblestone streets. The sound of folk music draws you into a dimly lit room. Within the small room is an even smaller room with a hidden door tall enough for a child. Beyond the door, Maximo listens to all your wishes. Illuminated by mezcal and candles, the room opens into another world and you realize this is the wild west. Andrew LeMay Cox Cafe No'Se ink on cheese cloth 25h x 29w in 63.50h x 73.66w cm ALC007 Andrew LeMay Cox Ink Painting Statement Within these works the exploration of visual storytelling and construction propose challenging questions to the traditions of academic painting. Two components that influence these painting practices are process and narrative. The function of materiality within these works attempts to question traditional methods of paint on canvas. They are constructed using ink that is baked at high temperatures and is assembled by painting on skins. The skins hang loosely from the stretcher and add sculptural properties to 2-dimensional surfaces. The other component is to create an aesthetic narrative that allows the viewer to escape their reality and get lost in themes outside civilizations normality’s. These characters occupy a utopian landscape outside the realms of race, religion, or politics. They ignore social or economic concerns. They are ageless and serendipitous. They sing, dance and make love without cause, limitation or destination. CV Education 2007-2011 School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibitions 2017 Let Your Thoughts Flies Away, Group Show, Chicago, IL 2016 Pop-Lore, Jan Brandt Gallery, Bloomington, IL 2016 Love Spells, Linda Warren Projects, Chicago, IL 2014 Unfiltered, Filtered Warehouse, Chicago, IL 2013 Revolving Artist’s showcase, Gold Star, Chicago, IL 2013 Group Show The Squeeze, Chicago, IL 2012 Group Show, Space Camp Headquarters/Grey Ghost...

The Great Cyclone of St. Louis On Wednesday, May 27, 1896, shortly after 5 p.m., there occurred a major outbreak of tornadoes across the central and eastern U.S., lasting two days. A funnel cloud destroyed a path one mile-wide and ten miles long through America’s 4th largest city. In 20 minutes, “the Cyclone” killed an estimated 255 people, left thousands homeless, and caused over 10 million dollars-worth of damage across St. Louis and East St. Louis. To this day, it remains the deadliest incident in the city’s history. Eric Edward Esper After obtaining my BFA in Illustration from Northern Michigan University in 1996 I relocated to Chicago to pursue my artistic endeavors. Here, I began exclusively oil painting and have assembled a body of paintings chronicling scenes of Chicago done primarily in plein air. Capturing parts of the city’s landscape during its cultural evolution had been my way of conveying history as a painter. My fascination with landscapes and history has led me to create oil paintings of scenes that have affected us in dramatic ways. Recently I have begun painting aerial views of locations that have interesting historical significance, encapsulating true stories that are hard to imagine and harder to forget. My latest paintings capture these places and depict them with historically accurate attention to detail. Using various sources I recreate these scenes with as many photographs of every angle of the incident and research the stories, submersing myself in the event. My newest body of paintings depicts events with a more historically tragic significance, depicting scenes of the darkest hours in America’s Midwest history, where the landscape became the backdrop for tragedy and calamity. These events that irrevocably altered so many lives are important to remember, not only for the people lost and how it affected our culture, but also to remind us that disaster can occur at any time, anywhere. Eric Edward Esper EDUCATION 1995 BFA, Illustration, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan SELECT EXHIBITIONS 2013 Chicago Catastrophes, Conflagrations, and Calamities, Solo show, Linda Warren Projects, Chicago, Illinois 2012 Group show, Metropolitan Capital Bank, Chicago, Illinois 2012 Ten year anniversary show, Sulzen Fine Art Studio, Chicago, Illinois 2010 Group show, Concordia University, River forest, Illinois 2009 Holiday Show, Sulzen Fine Art Studio, Chicago, Illinois 2008 Somewhere, Elsewhere, Group show, Linda Warren Gallery, Chicago, Illinois 2008 Scene in Chicago, Group show, Judy Saslow Gallery, Chicago, Illinois 2007 Holiday Show, Sulzen Fine Art Studio, Chicago, Illinois 2007 Cityscapes, Solo Exhibition, Oculus Gallery...