juniortown

artwork by Shelby Donnelly and Gabriel Villa

2006-10-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

artwork by Shelby Donnelly and Gabriel Villa
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

pilsen open studios

2006-10-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

pilsen open studios
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

http://artpilsen.blogspot.com/

2006-10-20T16:34:00.000-07:00

Michael Hernandez De Luna, Erinn Kennedy,
Shelby Donnelly, Julie Smith, Duk Ju L. Kim,
John Salhus, Gabriel Villa, Rodrigo Avila

Opening Drinkies -- TONIGHT!
Friday Oct. 20th 7 to 9 pm
Sat. and Sun. 11am to 7pm

MORE INFO HERE:

http://www.subaltern.org/pilsen.html

Abstract Adjust

2006-10-01T06:59:00.000-07:00

Abstractitude Adjustment
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

Paintings left to right: Erinn Kennedy, Carl Virgo

AA

2006-10-01T06:58:00.000-07:00

Shelby Donnelly, Erinn Kennedy
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

Artwork left to right: Shelby Donnelly, Erinn Kennedy

Abstractitude Adjustment

2006-10-01T06:56:00.000-07:00

Abstractitude Adjustment
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

John Salhus

On the set by Shelby Donnelly

2006-09-26T17:59:00.000-07:00

On the set by Shelby Donnelly
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

Abstractitude Adjustment

2006-09-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

Juniortown!
presents:

Back to Basics-4
Abstractitude Adjustment

Erinn Kennedy, Carl Virgo
Shelby Donnelly, Jacob Smith,
John Salhus, Rodrigo Avila

Opening Reception
Friday- September 29 - 6 to 9 p.m.
Juniortown!
1255 W.18th St. Chicago 60608
Sept 29--Oct 14 Open Saturdays Noon to 5pm
Appointments 312-666-3237

Let's try to rectify our conflicted emotions regarding the turning seasons together with some colorful paintings and a nice, social gathering :)!

Mawkish Clavicle my eye

2006-09-17T13:39:00.000-07:00

Kaylee Wyant

2006-09-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

Gabriel Villa

2006-09-17T13:27:00.000-07:00

Detail

2006-09-17T13:07:00.000-07:00

2006-09-05T22:22:00.000-07:00

Juniortown! is Back!

2006-09-05T09:32:00.000-07:00

Yes frrrriends September is here again, no longer will the cursed little heathens known to civilized society as ''children'', prowl the streets begging for ice cream and stealing pets. Luckily for us regular size humans there is something called the Chicago public schools which handles this scourge every year 'bout this time.
Ah! September, the time when any two bit storefront with some lights and a paint job can open its doors and call itself cultural destination.
Liebefraumich and Wisconsin cheddar. Free!

JUNIORTOWN!
1255 W.18th
Pilsen

RE-OPENS THIS FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 8TH 6PM
WITH PART #1 of our '' BACK TO BASICS'' SERIES:

''DRAWING''

FEATURING THE WORK OF:

JOHN SALHUS
KATHLEEN JUDGE
PETER POWER
ANDREW PACZOS
KAYLEE WYANT
DUK JU L KIM
E WILLIAMS
GABRIEL VILLA
JOHN ESSEN
LISA YU

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Mailing List

2006-06-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

Juniortown will be hibernating for the summer -- taking catnaps in front of the oscillating fan. Do please get in touch with us for exciting information on upcoming shows.
Gracias

Saturday

2006-06-10T07:29:00.000-07:00

A perfectly rainy, gray day here in Chicago -- why doncha come on over to jrtown for something pretty..?

kisses,

jr

jr speaks

2006-05-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

Foreword and Disclaimer

[Dear gentle reader,

I am only a humble Mexican house-cat, and your faithful servant, but as sole proprietor of Juniortown I feel it is my obligation to apologize in advance for Mr. Rosenberg's coarse language and imagery, not to mention his unsavory remarks about the Master Itten. It is not our policy, however, to censor or alter the content of literary contributions, especially when they have been donated gratis. Also, let it be said that we here at Juniortown are in no position to be interpreting the Master Itten's words and meanings, however, I cant help but believe that Mr. Rosenberg missed a wonderful opportunity in his treatise by overlooking the sly juxtaposition of ''enlightened'' and ''craftsman '' meant to illustrate the ethereal conflict inherent in a work of art. I am not so arrogant as to try to define specifically what that undefinable is. It is visual art after all. It can only be truly understood with the open eyes and an open mind.

Best wishes -- Sincerely, Jr.]

jrtown

2006-05-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

jrtown
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

Message to Pretty: A Review by Eddie Rosenberg

2006-05-24T08:19:00.000-07:00

SO, I was at my rich friend's house drinking a martini, flipping through a shiny local magazine when I came across a listing for this Juniortown gallery in Pilsen. The show: ''Message to pretty'' was being touted as your classic art vs. craft catfight, a 4-woman show, my favorite kind if you know what I mean. I instantly thought about my friend Mose, who goes to art galleries and sells them lightbulbs. I said to myself, ''Hey Eddie! You have a PHD in art history from Columbia, ok so the thesis was on the northern rennaissance but, that's pretty close." I says to myself, "Hey Eddie, you are underemployed, you AINT a bad scribbler by any means, so why not do like Mose, and go and make a few bucks. This is what it is you do: get your butt down there to Pilsen, review this art show, then sell it to a magazine or the Trib maybe even the Times?" "Fucking brilliant", I thought, "Ma will be proud, plus I might meet one of them art dames that's in the show. Hey you never know!" I had about four more martinis, and began to feel like a true genius. Next morning, I dusted off my old art history tomes, had me some runny eggs, tough coffee, and jumped the Halsted bus headin south. The ride took fuckin' forever, what with the crosstown classic, and the Dan Ryan and crap... plus, its a hell of a long bus ride from Skokie down to Pilsen. The good thing was that it gave me a chance to get my act together, take a little nap, and brush up on the Art thing. When I finally got down there two hours later, I bought me a couple of tamales from a guy on the corner, those were pretty good. Then I brushed back my hairs, put a big smile on my face, and stepped into Juniortown. I was a little let down because there was just this one guy in there, no chicks, shit I thought. Oh well, I'm here, might as well get to it. I began to writing...

''Message to Pretty"

by Eddie Rosenberg

Johannes Itten, the legendary teacher and founding member of the Bauhaus, defined the artist as: ''an enlightened craftsman''. "Enlightened" is a difficult word to pin down. One Random House definition could roughly be understood as: ''one imparted with an intellectual or spiritual light.'' ''Intellectual'' and ''spiritual'' are words that unfortunately in this day and age seem in opposition. Also, historically both terms have been used as hierarchical and elitist code, a line in the sand (or sand in the face) to separate the unclean from the better people. "Craftsman" seems more straightforward: (a man) practicing an art, trade, or occupation requiring special skill. There is no definition listed for craftswoman. Goddamn it Johannes!

Happily, all the artists in ''Message to Pretty'' seem not too concerned with the ramblings of an old garlic-breathed Swiss Mazdazan, and have moved on past the gender issues and political gauntlet as if breezing past a Chicago construction site at lunchtime. Apparently unscathed and without a second thought, well... of course, it is 2006 after all, isn't it? Most of those qualities that were once considered by the art dictators (you know who you are!) to be ''feminine'' or ''girlie'' have been embraced and encouraged in this show. A proud goofiness abounds in all the work, and it's a real relief for this critic to witness an all-woman exhibition that does not include nudity.

Erinn Kennedy's paintings are deceptively cool and distant, her minimally treated floral patterns seem to float on the top layer of immaculate surfaces, upon closer examination, however, the subtle color shifts and shape differences create depth and spatial shifts that mesmerize and confound with an overall effect reminiscent of Agnes Martin's quiet immersions into color.

Elizabeth Doherty's finely crocheted creatures are stunning little works. With Anime as a departure point, she has invented her own unique characters with pre-teen looks and issues, these are highly-tuned pieces that technically amaze, but this doesn't overwhelm the shy, somewhat melancholy personalities of the little dolls.

The hilarious crocheted cheerleaders by Julie Smith exist in their own individual dioramic spaces which include paintings and small shiny objects inside a sort of tiny theatrical stage. Appropriate enough, since each scenario seems like a little one-woman morality play expounding on the consequences of excess and vice, opium and suburbia, and yes...cheerleading.

Olivia Ortega's bright canvases touch on those fleeting fever-ream moments which intrigue and repulse simultaneously. It's that instant when you see mice being born, or when velvet tickles your nose (if only Paul Elouard were here, he'd have a word for it). These works are disconcerting and sensually sweet-grotesque, all accompanied by a technical dexterity and paint-handling that dazzles. Miss Ortega is one to keep an eye on, especially considering she's still in high school...scary.

The individual works interlock and play off each other nicely in this cute little space with menace laying just below the surface ready to suffocate with its syrupy pink goo. I began this review concerned with formal issues but I forgot about that and was quickly overtaken by the work itself. So, is it art or is it craft? The answer, I would say, is both. You can't have one without the other. Craft requires the same physical, intellectual, and spiritual muscles that art does. But the real answer is: IT DOESN'T MATTER, not one bit. To quote the Duke: "There is only good music and bad music...that's it''. Sometimes it all works together just right, the stars and the moon line up just so and you miraculously end up with a possible work of art. Other times, for some unknown reason, it just don't work and you end up with a well-crafted piece. I suppose history and time decide whether either is art.

Maybe.

E. R.

jrtown

2006-05-24T05:57:00.000-07:00

jrtown
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

Olivia Ortega -- Mutant, Teddy, and Jar Duck

2006-05-24T05:56:00.001-07:00

Olivia Ortega -- Mutant, Teddy, and Jar Duck
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

Elisabeth Doherty -- Babette

2006-05-24T05:56:00.000-07:00

Elisabeth Doherty -- Babette
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

Julie Smith -- Frak series

2006-05-24T05:55:00.000-07:00

Julie Smith -- Frak series
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

Erinn Kennedy -- Untitled 2006

2006-05-24T05:52:00.001-07:00

Erinn Kennedy -- Untitled 2006
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

Elisabeth Doherty -- Rosetta

2006-05-24T05:52:00.000-07:00

Elisabeth Doherty -- Rosetta
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

Olivia Ortega -- Self Portrait

2006-05-24T05:50:00.000-07:00

Olivia Ortega -- Self Portrait
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

hey

2006-05-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

jrm2p12
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

aw

2006-05-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

jrm2p6
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

oh

2006-05-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

jrm2p7
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

ooh

2006-05-22T07:25:00.000-07:00

jrm2p2
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

you are invited

2006-05-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

5506

2006-05-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

2006-05-02T09:35:00.000-07:00

Detail -- Rodrigo Avila

2006-05-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

Ramona

2006-04-30T14:08:00.000-07:00

Ramona
Originally uploaded by hiheidi.

by Erinn Kennedy

Swiss Miss

2006-04-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

Swiss Miss
Originally uploaded by hiheidi.

by Erinn Kennedy

Denver show

2006-04-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

Denver show
Originally uploaded by hiheidi.

by Erinn Kennedy

gwen2

2006-04-30T14:05:00.000-07:00

gwen2
Originally uploaded by ElisabethD.

by Elisabeth Doherty

group2

2006-04-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

group2
Originally uploaded by ElisabethD.

by Elisabeth Doherty

Bea

2006-04-30T14:02:00.000-07:00

Bea
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

by Julie Smith

mixed clan

2006-04-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

mixed clan
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

by Julie Smith

oo

2006-04-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

oo
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

by Olivia Ortega

oo

2006-04-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

oo
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

by Olivia Ortega

Olivia Ortega!

2006-04-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

Olivia Ortega!
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

Olivia's gorgeous piece from the Birdhouse Museum show

2006-04-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

m2p

2006-04-25T09:02:00.000-07:00

MESSAGE TO PRETTY
May 19 – June 10
Opening Reception May 19, 2006
6:00 to 9:00 pm

Juniortown! Gallery
1255 W. 18th Street
Chicago, IL 60608
Hours: Saturdays 12-5pm
Contact: Rodrigo Avila
312 666 3237

Juniortown! is pleased to announce: Message to Pretty, a four person group exhibition of new works by Erinn Kennedy (paintings), Elisabeth Doherty (amigurumi), Olivia Ortega (paintings), and Julie Smith (amigurumi). The show will address issues of craft vs. art, pretty vs. not necessarily so. What is pretty? When is it too pretty and bordering on the sinister? Message to Pretty brings together four artists with similar sensibilities whose artworks pose and respond to such questions.

Beth Doherty is a native Chicagoan. She graduated on the Dean’s List from Columbia College in 2002 with a B.A. in Fine Art and a concentration in Painting. Her interest in Japanese culture led her to Amigurumi (“stitched doll” in Japanese) which has become a popular crafting craze in Japan, and increasingly here as well. During a short illness when she was unable to paint, Beth became infatuated with Amigurumi crocheted dolls which are inspired by an anime style, and she hasn’t looked back. Beth possesses a keen, trained eye for color and craft with which she designs and produces her wonderful dolls. Beth is quickly attaining a cult status on the internet for her amazing creations.

Erinn Kennedy’s enchanting paintings take a minimal look at the everyday object. She deconstructs decorative things (a beaded necklace, earrings, fabric), and formally reinvents them in her own spare, visual language forging a rare moment in which the overlooked and humble can be freshly discovered. After residing for many years in Portland, Oregon, Erinn currently lives and works in Phoenix, Arizona. She has an extensive exhibition resume, and her work is included in the Portland Art Museum’s collection, the Microsoft collection in Seattle, as well as numerous other private collections. Message to Pretty is her debut Chicago exhibition.

Olivia Ortega paints in an illustrative, cartoon style incorporating an acute, intuitive, personal symbology. Her subject matter is lively, confrontational, and full of humor portraying fetishized objects, cuteness to the point of garishness, and punny one-liners. Olivia lives in Bridgeport, and attends high school in Chicago.

Julie Smith makes Amigurumi dolls designed with a nod to 70’s craft color schemes and places them in small diorama/tableau contexts. Julie was intrigued by the Illinois cheerleader who was recently in the news for persevering, perhaps to an absurd degree, with her cheers despite her grave injury: Kristi Yamaoka. This story has been a point of departure for her current Amigurumi series. Julie is an avid, longtime crocheter, and craftsperson. She lives in Pilsen, and is the curator of Message to Pretty.

m2p listen

2006-04-16T17:45:00.000-07:00

restaurant cups

2006-04-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

restaurant cups
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

ok so I just saw Written on the Wind again, but in the theater -- that incredibly prescient Douglas Sirk movie, and when Lauren Bacall and Robert Stack sit down to coffee in the Miami Beach airport...HOLY Crap!!! That's my coffee cup (the one on the left!) -- the very restaurant ware that they use in the movie. Sigh, so thrilling.

lemon bars

2006-04-12T23:48:00.000-07:00

lemon bars
Originally uploaded by splinkn.

hooowaht