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Juror | Dan Addington Director of the Addington Gallery,704 N. Wells Street, Chicago, IL Juror's Statement | Being Human Since the first known drawings appeared on dimly lit cave walls, men have sought to find a voice through the rendering of the human figure. When we consider the complex cultures of other times and places, we invariably imagine them through the lens of how they depicted the human figure in their various indigenous art forms. From ancient petroglyphs to the pictorial message sent beyond our solar system with the Pioneer 10 spacecraft, the most meaningful images mankind has generated have been of themselves.
This long history embodies both curse and blessing. For the artist who feels compelled to respond to the human figure, what could possibly be left to say that hasn’t been said? Is competent repetition the best that can be expected? The blessing is that, when an artist accepts that challenge, they become a participant in an endeavor much bigger than themselves.
Perhaps it’s all just a matter of perspective.
This exhibition, “Being Human”, is full of artists that have, for a time at least, picked up that historic gauntlet and stepped boldly into that stream of art history – and the results are thrilling! Many of the artists in this exhibition show us that, although a unique point of view is required to rise above the ubiquitous and mediocre glut of body images we constantly navigate, the challenge is not about speaking with style, it’s about speaking truthfully.
That’s what I was looking for when I juried these works. Not hip-ness, not style. Just voices that rang out (or whispered) with authenticity, audible above the constant empty visual din of our culture. Intellectual clarity, emotional honesty, and a certain amount of historical sophistication: that’s a short list of desirable traits. But in the end, we’re just human, and we all just want to be touched, don’t we? I was touched, even moved, by a number of the works in this exhibition. I’m pleased that Union Street Gallery has provided a professional venue in which these voices can be heard in a physical space. It’s good to be reminded of what it means to be human.
- Dan Addington
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Dan Addington has lived and worked in Chicago since the mid 1990s. His work is often based on his travels throughout Europe and has been shown in group and solo exhibitions across the United States. In Chicago, his work has been shown in numerous venues, including the Chicago Cultural Center, Contemporary Art Workshop, and various university galleries and fine art centers. He has also served as guest lecturer and visiting artist at colleges across the Midwest. In addition to his role as practicing artist, Addington has served as curator and director of various galleries since 1995, and is currently owner and director of Addington Gallery in Chicago. Addington has juried several exhibitions throughout his career, is a member of the Chicago Art Dealers Association, and sits on the board of the Chicago Artists Coalition.