Pullman — Local artists will meet at a photo show at Pullman this weekend.
Pullman-based photographer Soren Spicknall collaborates with other photographers to create “As Stewarded – Photographic Stories of the Built Environment.” The exhibition begins Friday at the BlockHouse Gallery at Pullman Art on 11137 S. Langley Ave with a reception from 6pm to 10pm.
There are food from Tacos Sublime, which raises money for food trucks, and drinks from Marz Community Brewing.
Curated by Spicknall, the show features the work of eight photographers and explores stewardship and how it relates to architecture, infrastructure, preservation, demolition, construction, neglect, and more. increase.
“‘As Stewarded’ is all about how the Chicago space and the area around Chicago are shaped by stewardship,” Spicknall said. “It can mean personal ownership. It can mean the policy environment surrounding demolition, construction, etc. Who talks, who focuses on which object or which aspect of the physical space. Depending on what you are doing, it can mean a lot. ”
The show allows artists with vastly different life experiences to explore how stewardship and physical space have affected their lives, Spicknall said. Spicknall is also interested in how these spaces affect policy changes and decisions.
Tonika Johnson, creator of the FoldedMap project, will present her work at the show. Introducing the work of Johnson’s project to visually connect and pair residents living in the corresponding parts of Chicago’s north and south sides.
Johnson said the Folded Map Project believes it has become more relevant since it was released in 2018. A photo of her Folded Map project shows what she calls “Map Twins.” The addresses are very similar, but they live miles away. Racially and economically different.
“In 2018, my project was aimed at visualizing how separation is rooted in Chicago’s built environment, infrastructure and investment,” she said.
credit: Colin Boyle / Block Club ChicagoJohnson believes the photographs will serve as a starting point for participants “as stewards” to understand the racial inequality of the country that was revealed during the pandemic, she said.
“We’re all isolated, so I think it’s very important to have an exhibition project like Folded Map in every community in Chicago,” Johnson said. “Being in Pullman is a great opportunity for those residents to learn about inequality in the city, but more importantly, think about it and do something in your personal life. It is to be invited. “
Oscar Sanchez, the organizer of the Southeast Environmental Task Force and co-founder of the Southeast Youth Alliance, will also showcase his work at the exhibition. This is the first time his photo has been shown in the gallery.
credit: Oscar SanchezSanchez has previously worked with other community organizers to move Southside Recycling, officially known as General Iron, away from the Southeast Side. Like his community-organizing work, Sanchez’s photographs investigate how industry and negligence affected the Southeastern side, he said.
“Many of my favorite photos show the South East Side, some of the industry here, and some of the stranded areas,” says Sanzhez. “And I like to traverse areas that aren’t open to the public-I’ll be very honest.”
Sanchez hopes his photographs show how his community often feels ignored and underestimated, and its inhabitants build homes from places that often don’t feel like homes. He said he was out.
“These pictures for me … [are] It gives you a unique perspective on what it means to be a community member here, not only to capture the community, but also to actually create metaphors like “what’s left behind what we’re trying to do”. Do you also capture this one set of photos you have? ‘” Said Sanchez.
Cain Baum, Andrew Elders, Maclovio Orozco, Aidan Piper, Isiah “ThoughtPoet” Veney and Spicknall will also be on the show.
You can buy prints and framed works. Items cost $ 20- $ 1,000.
Following the reception, the gallery will be open on Thursdays and Saturdays for the rest of July.
Spicknall is excited to bring together a huge number of Southside photographers who do not always have access to high quality gallery space and large opening events.
“We see the Blockhouse Gallery, an organization and space for Pullman Arts, not only reflecting that Pullman is a very artistic community, but also the large South Side is generally the hometown of so many people. We want to reflect that. A great artist who is often excluded from traditional gallery spaces, “said Spicknall.
credit: Tonica Johnson
credit: Maclovio OrozcoListen to “It’s All Good: A Block Club Chicago Podcast”:
