The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) has just unveiled a very special exhibition, “Duro Olowu: Seeing Chicago,” curated by the internationally acclaimed Nigerian-born British designer Duro Olowu.

Olowu is best known for his award-winning womenswear label but that is only the tip of the iceberg to his numerous endeavors.

I was curious when I heard Olowu would be curating a show at the MCA. I knew his work mostly through his designs for First Lady Michelle Obama and his designs available locally at Ikram (15 E. Huron, Chicago).

But there is a lot more to Olowu as I was about to find out.

Why Chicago?

Olowu drew inspiration for “Seeing Chicago” from the city’s political geography and its homegrown artistic movements. In a few words, the Nigerian born artist, put the city in a better perspective than many Chicago natives could,  saying:

“You stand in the middle of Chicago and there’s amazing architecture, great modernism, great Art Deco, but then there are huge areas of underprivileged housing juxtaposed with all of this. So you’re immediately confronted with these divisions.” 

Look at Me gallery. Photo: Carole Kuhrt-Brewer

Olowu recognized a certain independent streak among Chicago collectors, who, as a whole, amassed an eclectic, significant holding of works of great diversity.

He used this vision in order to put together the show making many visits to Chicago as a curator, and spending time learning about art exhibitions, institutions, movements, and galleries in Chicago, including the art holdings in museums and private homes.

The exhibition presents more than 230 works from Chicago’s public and private collections offering a portrait of a city at times riven with racial and class divisions but also unified by a particular zeal for making, collecting, and sharing great art.

Works for the exhibition were loaned from public collections such as the Art Institute of Chicago, Block Museum of Art, South Side Community Art Center, and Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art; artists’ collections including Richard Hunt, and the Estate of Archibald Motley, Jr.; and individual Chicago collectors who have made major, selfless contributions to many cultural institution around the city.

The exhibition is divided into 8 sections: Introduction, Look at Me, Toward Abstraction, Lake Gallery, Lost in Space, Power to the People, Library and Second Look.

For an understanding of his process and revelations behind it listen here for the audio experience that features narration from Olowu himself and quotes from some of the artists in the exhibition.

Second Look

Olowu’s idea of a “Second Look” has become a model for spending respectful time with an object and giving attention to those objects that are either overlooked or even hypervisible to the point of not offering any more discoveries.

A second look is the mode by which Olowu was able to visit Chicago and offer a new connection and meaning into the city’s collections.

The finale gallery is the space that best reflects Olowu’s “Second Look.”

The west wall of the gallery features a collection of magnificent art by Henri Matisse, Kerry James Marshall, Jean Arp, Yto Barrada, and Brice Marden. On the other side of the gallery, the facing east wall features about 30 mannequins all dressed up in pieces from Olowu’s womenswear collections over the past 14 years,”

Olowu sums it up saying, “They are looking at the art, and at you.”

Second Look gallery. Photo: Carole Kuhrt-Brewer

About Olowu

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, to a Nigerian father and Jamaican mother, Olowu’s first eponymous collection in 2004 was a critical hit with the fashion world and sold out internationally. It featured the now signature “Duro” dress, hailed by both British and American Vogue as the dress of the year in 2005. That same year, he won the prestigious New Designer of the Year Award at the British Fashion Awards.

Olowu was also awarded TopShop’s ‘NEWGEN’ sponsorship, and in 2010, he was named Best International Designer at the African Fashion Awards in South Africa and was one of six finalists for the Swiss Textiles Award in Zurich. Alluring silhouettes, sharp tailoring, original prints juxtaposed with luxurious fabrics in off-beat yet harmonious, combinations became Olowu’s signature. His collections are a reflection of his interpretation of an international style that is timeless and relevant. His curatorial projects “Material” in 2012 and “More Material” in 2014 at Salon 94 Gallery in New York met with critical praise by the art world.

He lives between London and New York.

What, When, Where

What: Duro Olowu: Seeing Chicago
When: now through May 10, 2020
Where: Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 220 E. Chicago Ave.
Tickets: Click here

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Barb hates bowling alleys. She probably doesn’t feel great about pool halls either, but she definitely hates bowling alleys. The ones she remembers are filled with smoke, sticky with spilled beer, and smelly from all those recycling bowling shoes. Not to mention those awful polyester bowling shirts that were once the vogue. The net result is that I have not bowled a game (or a line, in bowler lingo) for close to thirty years–back when my nephews had birthday parties at some local lanes.

But my non-kegeling streak came to a gutter pounding end this weekend. With Barb out of town visiting permanent Florida snowbirds, I had my chance to meet up with Marty, the husband of another of Barb’s friends for a heart-pounding, thumb-popping trip to the boards. Yes, after declining Marty’s first two invitations over the past year, I finally said yes.

I assumed that at 2 pm on a weekend when Corona Madness is starting to grip the nation the bowling alley would be deserted, with perhaps one or two lanes occupied by bored oldsters who didn’t know the world has passed them by. I was stunned to find the place packed. A youth traveling-team tournament took up 3/4 of the lanes, boys and girls bowling, cheering, and bumping fists.

The smoke and the sticky floors I remembered from back in the day were gone, the former legislated away, the latter banished by the general sobriety of the kids bowling. Alas, the polyester bowling shirts remained, even more flamboyant than in days of yore, the shirts colored with in-your-face Day-Glo blues, reds, and purples. What was new to me was that many of the teens were bowling with two hands on their bowling ball throughout their backswing, something I had never seen before. Times have changed.

Our foursome settled onto our two quiter lanes, and I noticed something else new and confusing. The bowlers on the alleys to our right were going crazy with high fives every time one of their teammates rolled a nine on their first ball. Nines are OK, but what was the big deal? I asked Marty, and learned that those bowlers were paying something called “9 Pin, No Tap.” It’s a fancy way of saying that a nine counts as a strike. Say, what??? These were grown-ups! Man (and woman) up and admit that is just a way to jack up your scores. You need gutter bumpers too?

OK, enough griping. How did I bowl? My bowling shoes fit fine. My fingers still fit in my ball. It took me a few frames to nail down my starting point, my stride, and my release. But by halfway through the first of our 3 games, I felt as if I was in midseason form. I was throwing my ball as straight as a Daryl Dixon arrow (I don’t have the superhook most of the other bowlers were throwing) and it was popping nicely into the pocket. I was even picking up a decent percentage of my spares. My final scores were good, or at least good enough for me.

Will I bowl again? Sure, though it may have to wait until Barb goes to Florida again. But Marty, next time it’s on me!

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That’s according to Sen. Deborah Stabenow (D-Mich.) defending Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden for calling a labor union auto plant worker that he is “full of shit.”

Here’s the quote, as provided by the Daily Beast:

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden told a pro-gun auto plant worker on Tuesday that he is “full of shit” for saying that Biden is “actively trying to end our Second Amendment right.” Biden told the worker who confronted him at an auto plant in Detroit that he “supports the Second Amendment,” adding, “If you yell ‘fire,’ that’s not free speech…I have a shotgun, I have a 20-gauge, a 12-gauge. My sons hunt. Guess what? You’re not allowed to own any weapon. I’m not taking your gun away at all. Do you need 100 rounds?” The worker, wearing a hard hat, accused the former vice president of threatening to “take our guns away,” which he said he heard on a “viral video.” Biden quickly snapped back at him, asserting that he “did not say that” and called the accusation a lie.

Stabenow said on Fox News, “Well, you know we’re all human. The president does that a lot and I think he had a human moment.”

I don’t recall Trump saying that to a voter. That’s probably because he is smarter than Biden. At least in Biden’s present state of mind.

So here comes another “Imagine if Trump had said…” moment. If Trump called a voter that, the uproar about his potty mouth would be around as long as the Coronavirus scare is around.

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www.dennisbyrne.net 

My historical novel: Madness: The War of 1812

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Have you heard about the Coronavirus? (heavy sarcasm)

It’s gone from what was called a hoax to the biggest, and in some cases, the only topic on every news program. The virus is now a worldwide pandemic. Entire countries have gone under quarantined conditions. Other countries have shut down their borders to outsiders.

While it’s not quite as desperate in the United States, yet, people are starting to freak out. Yesterday at the stock market, the Dow Jones dropped more than two thousand points. Two senators and some members of the House of Representatives have self-quarantined themselves after maybe coming in contact with someone has the virus at CPAC. Normally sane citizens have been hoarding hand sanitizer and other essential items.

Sporting events worldwide have been cancelled. Colleges are sending their students home and having them finish the semester online. I can go on and on, but you’ve heard all of this and more.

What if you have a vacation planned? What do you do?

A week ago, I got on an airplane to Las Vegas. The flight was full. A week ago, people were nervous, but they didn’t stop going wherever, especially if it was in the U.S. Yeah, they looked around at every cough and sneeze, plus some wore masks that didn’t really help, but it made them feel safer. They still traveled.

A week later all that has changed. Folks are being way more careful. Way more…

A former classmate just cancelled a bucket list trip to Japan. I know people who have postponed vacations to Los Angeles and Miami. Last night I was checking out flights to Omaha, Nebraska. I was planning on going there later this month. I found flights for $98/round trip/ Let me repeat that…NINETY-EIGHT DOLLARS!! Normally, I would have booked it immediately, but there aren’t normal times. I at least want to think about it before going ahead. Most likely, Nebraska can wait.

What about cruises? What do you do if you have a cruise planned?

Obviously if your cruise is leaving soon, you’re going to cancel or postpone. We’ve seen how passengers on cruise ships have been quarantined for up to two weeks. Imagine being stuck in your stateroom for fourteen or more days. No one wants that. No way you’re going to risk that.

But what if you have a trip planned for some time in the future? Let’s say it this summer….three or so months from now. Do you anyone with those plans? If not, you do now. ME!!!

I have plans, along with my sig other, to get on a ship and head to Alaska for a week. Yeah, I know it’s too early to make any definite decisions, but is it really?

We had this discussion over the weekend and decided it was too soon to make any decision. The cruise leaves in late June, so there’s plenty of time to decide what to do. But every day it seems like the news about the virus is getting worse. As I was watching this yesterday, my thoughts were “we aren’t going.” SIGH!

I realize that’s not rational thinking. After all, three months is a long time. This could be over by then. It also could be the next plague. No one really knows. I do know one thing. I don’t want to be part of that new cruise joke, “Book one week. Get two weeks free.”

While writing this, I had a new idea. We could move the trip from June to later in the summer. They run these cruises through September. We both have plenty of free time, so why not? I guess we’ll have to wait and see….just like most everything in life.

But for today, the only thing I need to do now is wash my hands. I better hurry. It’s been a half hour since the last washing.

Related Post: Are you afraid to fly during the Coronavirus scare?

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Trump reportedly told aides he fears journalists will purposefully try to infect him with coronavirus on Air Force One

Covid-19 has made Trump so annoyed.

He now thinks the media wants him destroyed.

He fears they’ll infect him

Which won’t reelect him.

I’d say positively that he’s paranoid.