Galleries & Museums

Browse listings of Openings, Galleries, Museums, and Special Events.

Critic's Choice
Busted Amp

Ohh, I Think We Are Almost There
by Keith Herzik

Not to advertise the ten-foot pole I keep where the sun don't shine, but the press copy Columbia College's A+D Gallery put out for Busted Amp -- its spectacular show of veteran Chicago silk screen poster artists—makes rather egregiously patronizing use of terms like "awesome" and "gig." Chicago institution Keith Herzik has taken his signature Day-Glo happy-acid style to a level that defies stoner-dude reductionism, maintaining formal delicacy and technical sophistication while layering on patterns, colors, and monster faces with a hallucinogenic density. And the rich textures of Daniel MacAdam's architectural landscapes make it hard to believe they were achieved using subtly differentiated monochromes. Local masters Jay Ryan and Steve Walters are also represented, as are prolific collaborations like Sonnenzimmer and Delicious Design. In addition to contributing both show posters and uncomissioned work, the participating artists have created a free-form installation by screen printing directly on the wall. This is an opportunity not to be missed: to see and purchase beautiful artwork and bask in the local flowering of an international art form that is becoming more abundant and various as galleries die and fine art becomes more ephemeral. Through 7/23: Tue-Sat 11-5, Thu 11-8, A+D Gallery, Columbia College, 619 S. Wabash, 312-344-8687, colum.edu/adgallery. --Bert Stabler

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