During the season 1946-1947 approximately 180 works by Chicago artists have been included as a part of the regular program of The Renaissance Society and in exhibitions sponsored by the Student Committee. In its future program the Society intends to continue its policy of including Chicago artists whenever possible.
The artists represented in the present exhibition were invited to participate by a group of students. Each was asked to select a work, not neccesarily recent, but one, which, in his opinion, is among his best.
The exhibition though small in number is large in scope, illustrating many trends in contemporary art. One may find painting in the traditional manner in Robert Lifvendahl’s Artist’s Mother, or in James Gilbert’s* Mary*; And the style which has become known as typically Midwest in William Schwartz’s A Cabin in the Mountains, and Aaron Bohrod’s Circus Backyard. Primitive painting is represented by Ellen Lanyon’s The Duck Pond, and Jennie Siporin’s The Eyes of Mirele; and the new expressive symbolism by pictures such as Eldzier Cortor’s Environment and Todros Geller’s Friday Night. There is Expressionism in Samuel Greenburg’s Young Girl Waiting; while Felix Ruvolo’s Hybrid may be called surrealist. Abstract art is illustrated fiurther by such works as Rudolph Weisenborn’s impression from an airplane, Airconditioned, or June Ives bronze, The Mystery of Formations; and the purely non-objective space-time constructions by the late Laszlo Moholy-Nage.
The exhibition is presented not as an expression of the personal taste of our Committee but to offer opportunity for evaluation, appreciation, and understanding of the manifold aspects of the work produced by the artists in our own environments.
Acknowledgement is made for the assistance and advice given by Babette Kornblith, Frances Strain Biesel, Dr. Julius Rosenthal, by the Department of Art and the University Bookstore.
Peter Selz Chairman of the Exhibition Committee
Committee for this exhibition: Canio Radice Theodore Klitzke Ruth Philbrick Hal Wilmeth Ralph Busheer Theana Brotos Catherine Elmes Betty Bunes Daniel LeBeau Rosalind Rudy Lee Marko Roger Englander
