William Bengtson: Photography Art Everywhere
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Date: 1/26/20 - 4/26/20
I have never been an exhibiting artist or photographer, so the photographs in the exhibit have always been personal and private. My attempt to see the irony, contrasting elements, humor or composition to satisfy and entertain myself was my only goal. The images I’ve chosen here reflect the subject matter that interested me in the moment while carrying a camera as I went about my business in and around the city. I like to think of my pictures as one-liners, amusing, confusing, compelling, and/or odd. |
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Vaca Victoria
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Permanent Collection
EPAC is pleased to unveil the newest addition to our permanent collection, Ed Paschke’s Vaca Victoria, thanks to a generous gift made by Averill and Bernard Leviton. Chicago was the first American city to host “Cows on Parade,” from June to October 1999. Over 300 cow sculptures embellished by local artists went on public display throughout the city, but Ed Paschke’s Vaca Victoria was the only one withdrawn from public view. It stood at 215 W. Superior in River North for just three short days before the gang signs Paschke covered it with caused a local controversy. Less controversial were the other elements of his composition. He painted the head in the style of the Chicago Bulls logo and blanketed the body with shapes and symbols already familiar to his work, such as Spades and Clubs, lucky clover, stars and American tattoo flash. His finishing touch was signing his name over the cow’s haunches, similar to a cattle brand. “Cows on Parade” was one of the largest temporary public art projects Chicago has ever mounted. In part due to its success here, it has become an ongoing, international phenomenon that has spread to more than fifty countries around the world. |
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Ed Paschke : Mixed Media
Ed Paschke is world renowned as a painter of outstanding wit and impact. His exploration of the social, cultural and political dimensions of identity challenge traditional standards of beauty and collapse established hierarchies of taste and value.
Much like the layered, multi-faceted readings of his work, Paschke also skillfully translated his ideas across two and three dimensions in a variety of media. Traversing the full arc of his forty-year career, Ed Paschke: Mixed Media features drawings, paintings, sculptures and prints—including lithographs and silkscreens pulled at over half a dozen workshops and presses.
Selected by Paschke’s daughter Sharon and drawn exclusively from her private collection, EPAC’s permanent display of Paschke’s PHSColograms, public art commission, and studio contextualize his creative methods and working process.
Immensely creative and productive, this exhibition is the first to trace Paschke’s ability to isolate, frame and refine what inspired him over time and across materials.
