Arts & Life

The Gallery @ NPR Illinois

00000179-2419-d250-a579-e41d38c20001The Gallery @ NPR Illinois is in the studio complex and facilitates listeners engaging with Illinois art. Additionally, artists works from each exhibit are digitally captured and posted here and shared with other public radio stations.Each exhibit kicks-off with an opening mixer where listeners are invited to attend and refreshments are provided. Each exhibit is open for viewing for a few weeks after the opening during business hours: weekdays 8 AM - 5 PM. Viewing by appointment can also be arranged by contacting Carter Staley. Many newsmakers come through the studios to be interviewed on-air and see the art during an exhibit as do attendees for other events like Live at the Suggs.To participate in a future exhibit or stage one of your own, click here to submit your art exhibit idea.Featured Artists:Bill AblerRL BostonDelinda ChapmanRita DavisColleen "Cookie" FerratierSandra FinneyRich FordCathy J. GanschinietzAneita Atwood GatesGeorge KingRachel LattimoreGinny LeeDouglas Levi (Brackney)Gwen LewisBenjamin LowderMarcia McMahon MastroddiDebbie MegginsonHugh MooreShannon O'BrienMaggie PinkeSheri RamseySue ScaifeMary SelinskiCarolyn Owen SommerJan SorensonElizabeth TroneKate Worman-Becker

100 Expressions: Thom Whalen

NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS | By Thom Whalen

Published May 24, 2017 at 3:30 PM CDT

Thom Whalen, Chatham

Title: 4 Legs are Better-Keystone

Medium: Oil

Narrative: “4 Legs are Better-Keystone” reiterates the Animal Farm story by George Orwell. The trial of tears launched by Andrew Jackson relocated native Americans to the region of Oklahoma in 1839. Stereotypes of Indians are masqueraded in various memes throughout the work. Forced into a life not known to the native people they struggle in a white man’s world with casinos, salmon farms and their connection with nature left mutated by the Keystone pipeline.

LISTEN TO AN INTERVIEW ABOUT THE WORKS:

Title: Build the Wall

Medium: Oil

Narrative: “Build the Wall” echoes the sentiments of America found on Ellis island. The efforts of immigrants to better their lives has an asterisk of exception on freedom policy under the Trump presidency. Fascist flags wave to not take the bait. Our brothers south of the border are portrayed as thieves, rapists and murderers who struggle against Chinese factories and American domination. Praying hands with trowels are clotheslined as a symbol of construction against impending persecution.

Title: Bad Harambe

Medium: Oil

Narrative: “Bad Harambe” is a visual metaphor of both the gorilla killed in Cincinnati and Trayvon Martin who was slain in Florida. Both victims were in a gated community built to keep them in or out. The hooded figure wears the “Keep America Great” hat as a reminder of the 54 number of times Harambe’s death was broadcast through media outlets, 54 times more than the Chicago shooting. The circle graph shows the media reports of the Trayvon murder shared between the various right/left wing news agencies. The logo of Pepe the frog emblazons the emoji used on twitter feeds by the alt-right. The skittles are used as a symbol of what was found on Trayvon at the time of death as well as the statement Trump Jr. made of Syrians: If four poison skittles were in a bowl would you eat from the bowl?

Title: He Bro

Medium: Oil on found objects

Narrative: "He Brow" is a response that challenges a sacred image of the black Last Supper reproduction. Who owns religion reverberates with Trump’s response to black lives matter in Chicago where he stated we should go in and take over. The doughboy represents fat-white America and arrogantly leans in on the Trump costume with the cracker insult of urban language.