CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – When I space, the Chicago gallery of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, opened its doors to the public 17 years ago, Jerry Savage curated the inaugural exhibition of works by photographer and U. of I. alumnus William Wegman.
David Bushman Ink-etched self-portrait on Plexiglas
Fittingly, Savage, an emeritus professor of art and design at Illinois, will return to curate one of the gallery’s final exhibitions, which opens Nov. 20.
“The Philosophe’s Tango: Permanence and Flow: The Last Works of David Bushman 1945-2008” includes some of the long-time Illinois art and design professor’s final works: a series of 13 small portrait drawings (some of them self-portraits) ink-etched into Plexiglas.
Landscapes, still-life etchings of food and other works – some dating back to the 1960s – are included in the exhibition, along with photographs of the artist.
A consummate draftsman, painter and printmaker, Bushman was unabashed about what Savage calls his “Dionysian view of life,” which he expressed consistently over the course of his career as an artist.
“David expressed this to me by stating that his life and art was about excess,” Savage said. “To him, more was more and less was less. David always tested limits. Would enough ever be enough?”
Savage noted that the works selected for the I space exhibition – despite their execution using a range of materials and processes – are bound by their similar characteristics of flow and flux.
Also opening at I space on Nov. 20 is the exhibition “Architecture of Crisis,” curated by U. of I. architecture professors Roger Hubeli and Julie Larsen and their U.S.- and Swiss-based firm Aptum Architecture, along with collaborator Beat Steuri.
The exhibition was organized as a commentary on the recent crisis in the condition of U.S. suburban housing. Citing a Virginia Tech study, Hubeli and Larsen draw attention to the prediction that by 2025, the U.S. will have a surplus of large-lot homes of 22 million.
The interactive exhibition features three large boxes constructed from vinyl siding, prefabricated wooden trusses and asphalt roof shingles.
“These constructs serve as frames for views onto drawings that show different opportunities on how one could engage construction materials in a broader discussion about architecture,” Hubeli said.
The drawings can be viewed through binoculars, which project visitors into the world of the drawings. And while looking at the drawings, visitors will be able to call a phone number to get more information on each drawing.
“The information explains how the building materials relate to broader issues, such as the financial crisis or migration,” Hubeli said.
An opening reception for both exhibitions is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. on Nov. 20 at the gallery, 230 W. Superior, Chicago.
I space gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The new exhibitions will remain open until the gallery closes on Dec. 19.
According to I space director Mary Antonakos, the university’s School of Art and Design and School of Architecture will continue programming in Chicago in temporary venues in the future.
Information about upcoming art and architecture exhibitions and events will be available on the I space Web site, and Facebook group page.
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