Ainsworth Photography

New Exhibit at the Ainsworth-Gallery

‘Iberian Impressions’  Photographs by Jon W. Balke

      The Ainsworth-Gallery, 721 Taylor Street in Joliet, will feature the art work of Jon W. Balke in an exhibit called ‘Iberian Impressions’.  The show will open with a reception for the artist Saturday the 17th of September from 7:00 to 9:00pm.  the exhibit will run to the 14th of October 2011.

      Jon W. Balke, of Plainfield, IL, is a retired public school administrator by profession and a fine art photographer by volition.  Balke graduated from North Central College, Naperville, IL, in 1969 with a degree in biology.  Jon earned advances degrees in Administration and Supervision from Roosevelt University and Illinois State University.  He retired from education as the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction in Plainfield School District #202.

      A largely self taught photographer, Balke has been photographing nature and travel subjects for more than forty years.  His environmental studies are created with a large format view camera and printed using the traditional silver gelatin process.  Balke’s prints capture the world with unique lighting and spatial relationships which adds to the timeless appeal of his black and white prints.

      The Spanish peninsula was named Iberia – Land of Rivers – by its’ earliest inhabitants.  Spain shares the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal and is located at the crossroads of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Europe and Africa. 

      Spain’s history and culture are made up of a rich mix of diverse elements.  From Roman relics to Muslim palaces, from baroque cathedrals and modernist constructions, the country is filled with artistic and architectural marvels displayed across a unique cultural palette.

      In spite of its historical, geographical and generational diversity, Spain’s remarkable light is omnipresent.  Many photographic exhibits of Spain highlight the intense colors of the country.  Balke’s use of traditional film-based black and white photography, however, is a photographic medium well-suited to the nuances of the Iberian light. 

      The images and wet-darkroom printing capture the patterns, contrasts, and textures of the Spanish environment.  Many of the images presented in this exhibit display details and compositions most visitors to this unique country over look.  Balke’s pictures capture the unique lighting and spatial relationships that adds to the timeless appeal of black and white prints.

      The gallery at Ainsworth-Photography is Joliet’s oldest commercial art gallery showing original work by living artists.  All exhibited work is for sale.  The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10:30 to 5:30pm and other times by appointment.  There is never a charge to view the exhibits.  For more information call: 815.726.1840.

“I Dreamt, I Dream”

          The Ainsworth-Gallery, located at 721 Taylor St in Joliet will present a collection of paintings by Leah Tumerman and Rachel Slotnick. The show will run from August 13 to September 9, 2011. There will be an opening reception for the artists on August 13 at 7:00pm. The reception is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

          Chicago artist Leah Tumerman, explores nostalgia, dreamscape, perception and memory, and plays within the boundaries of things both charming and grotesque especially when the difference is indiscernible.  She strives to put into existence, to compose of separate parts, to wish, scheme and dream up something from nothing.  Leah says, “On the maker, myself, I cannot seem to choose a medium.  For instance I am very happy making a cake.” She is the founder of Mitsingen, an artist collaborative exploring the vast potential of visual storytelling, where she produces small and very large scale cooperatively rendered narratives on both public and private commission.  Look for Leah’s city funded mural in Rogers Park, Chicago and in a more distant future, her children’s book, “Caleb and the Moon”.

          Alternatively, Rachel Slotnick, a hybrid artist, invested in both the narrative tradition of text and the personal panorama of imagistic storytelling, she conducts investigations in memory and nostalgia. She incorporates these aspects into life size books utilizing a projector and painting materials.  “We grew up with stories.  We became accustomed to the rubric of beginning, middle and end.  Today, rather than traditional stories, I’m writing letters.  My letters, while baring minimal traces of narrative, borrow more heavily from influences in abstraction and poetry”. Lately, she has been writing to her father who was a fisherman in Alaska in his youth, and respectively, told wild fictions.  The fish serve as fictions in these letters, as they are untamed, vivid, and timeless.  They also serve to feed the fictional hunger she is deconstructing, as she uses her father as an entry point into a larger discussion about memory loss.

Both artists have their own unique style and technique that make them incomparable to the next.  Collectively, their work has been displayed at the Joan Flasch Artist Book Collection, Smart Gallery in Chicago, Verge Art Fair in Miami, ThreeBirds Gallery in Chicago and FamilyWash in Tennessee.  As a duo, their work flows effortlessly along the walls on which they are hung. They gather their inspiration from distinct sources and transform it into paintings that are sure to bring out emotion in the viewer.
Whatever their inspiration may be, this will be an exhibit worth visiting. With two very talented artists from the Chicagoland area and a gallery offering the perfect space and lighting to house such talent, this will surely be an event to remember.

            The Ainsworth-Gallery, Joliet’s oldest commercial art gallery showing original work by living artists, is celebrating its eleventh anniversary at the Taylor Street location.  All exhibited work is for sale.  The gallery is open 10:30 to 5:30 Monday through Friday and other times by appointment. Call 815.726.1840 for more information.

A new collection of photographs by Joliet area artist Michele Farkas will be on display at the Ainsworth-Gallery, 721 Taylor Street in Joliet, from the 21st of May to the 1st of July. There will be an opening reception for the artist from 7:00 to 9:00pm on Saturday the 21st at the gallery.

Michele Farkas is a contemporary visual artist that uses photography as a basis for her abstract imagery, her unique style brings a new perspective to visual art. Michele is known for taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary. She is a self-taught photographer that accepts all interpretations of her art. Her own personal judgments of life, natural instincts and personality allows for this creative output, without concern for the traditional rules.

Farkas is a member and current president of the Photographic Arts Society. She is also a member of the Chicago Society of Artists and the Viewfinders Camera Club. She has exhibited her work extensively in the Midwest and Chicago area. Farkas has authored two collections of her photographs and a self-help book titled Bring Balance Back to Your Life. She is also a freelance writer and photographer for Examiner.com writing weekly photography articles and has been a contributing artist to several non-profit auctions and programs.

The Ainsworth-Gallery, Joliet’s oldest commercial art gallery showing original work by living artists, is celebrating its eleventh anniversary at the Taylor Street location. All exhibited work is for sale. The gallery is open 10:30 to 5:30 Monday through Friday and other times by appointment. Call 815.726.1840 for more information.