Jackson Junge Gallery’s fix for an insatiable visual appetite
November 10, 2023
Jackson Junge Gallery’s fix for an insatiable visual appetite
Works by over 300 of Chicago’s emerging and seasoned artists are on full display in “TEN by TEN” at Wicker Park’s Jackson Junge Gallery. Spanning styles, mediums, and themes, the exhibition features over 400 bold and intricate pieces. Guidelines for submissions were limited to only two requirements: each piece must be 10 inches by 10 inches and must be hangable. The result is an enormous variety of work that curbs visual hunger.
Because of the staggering number of works showcased, the exhibition fosters an air of healthy competition, with each piece fighting for the viewer’s attention. The exhibit is arranged in a grid along two of the gallery’s main walls, spanning six pieces high and running the length of the walls. Whether utilizing a thicker canvas or physically reaching out toward viewers, the pieces that incorporate three-dimensional elements resonate most.
Dominic Sansone’s Turgid Limnations, Doodle May Jenkins’s Certain, and Michele Silvetti-Schmitt’s Flutter are among the three-dimensional pieces that catch a viewer’s eye. Glossy black fabric pulled taught, felt figures emerging out of a sneaker, and dangling fragments of clay, respectively, prompt a consideration of what went into creating each intricate piece, and how the artists intend their work to interact with audiences.
Jon Beskin’s Every Word That Was and Wasn’t Said is an effective two-dimensional work. Beskin’s use of cool colors around the silhouettes of two figures contrasts with the vivid orange and yellow of the sunset collage, guiding the viewer’s eye in a circular motion around the piece.
In several spots along the gallery walls, pieces seem to align perfectly with their neighbors, no easy feat in a show with a surplus of work. The wide array of art in this year’s “TEN by TEN” should indicate that its residency at the Jackson Junge Gallery will become a Chicago tradition for years to come.