An Evening in the Gallery
OVUM, David Teplica, 1999
Event Type:
ExhibitThursday, May 22, 2008 - 7:00pm
May 22, from 7 – 10 p.m. The gallery (www.dianetaniosgallery.com) is located at 3243 North Broadway, in East Lakeview, and opened in February 2008.
This inaugural exhibit “IntimateDecade: a diverse exploration of human contact from birth to death,” is a provocative and personal series of black and white photographs examining the many stages and forms of human connection. In addition to an interactive discussion of Teplica’s work, An Evening in the Gallery also marks the release of the exhibit’s companion book, “IntimateDecade.” Signed hardbound and limited-edition copies will be available for sale.
Two prominent faculty members from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), and a highly regarded art historian from the University of Chicago, will join Teplica to discuss his works with visitors and guests in an un-moderated, interactive discussion. The guest commentators joining Teplica include:
- Barbara DeGenevieve, Chair of the photography department, SAIC, and one of the leading authorities on contemporary body issues and the interface between art and pornography.
- Lisa Wainwright, Dean of Graduate Studies, Professor, Department of Art History, Theory and Criticism, SAIC.
- Barbara Maria Stafford, the William D. Ogden Distinguished Service Professor, Emerita, University of Chicago, and an authority on the relationship between art and science.
Teplica – who has been board certified as a plastic surgeon while also possessing a Master of Fine Arts degree (MFA) in photography – has dual obsessions. In two dimensions he explores human contact and psychology through a photographic medium. In three dimensions, he changes human form to refocus societal and patient perceptions of the individual.
According to Teplica, IntimateDecade is that exploration and transformation in narrative form. Furthermore, the gallery environment has been customized to express the “fleshy” quality of the work, with walls painted in warm black and chocolate brown. The space envelops its visitors in a womb-like embrace that invites a real and personal connection to the memory, presence and projection of enduring, human experience. For more than a decade, Teplica has fervently collected intimate views of life’s most potent encounters. From the deaths of a loved one and parent to the creation of new life; and from frivolous, erotic encounter to the eventual constancy of familial love, a broad range of moments have been aligned and captured.
“I’m happy to be doing another show here in Chicago after many years of working primarily in Europe and elsewhere,” said Teplica. “I give Diane Tanios great credit for blazing new ground in Chicago’s gallery world and for devising an interactive and inclusive approach to the gallery business.”
Following the discussion, Teplica will launch a live photographic session with willing guests in attendance, allowing them to become part of creative process and not merely observers.
With at-capacity crowds for the exhibit opening on February 29, organizers are encouraging guests to arrive early to guarantee entry. Refreshments will be served. IntimateDecade has been extended and will run through Saturday, June 7. For more information on the event, contact the Diane Tanios Gallery at 773-525-0525 or visit www.dianetaniosgallery.com.