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The 12 oil paintings by Ann Worthing at Aron Packer Gallery set a single animal against a softly colored background, but most of their titles--Monkey Business, Squirrely--are words humans use to judge one another. Yet Worthing undercuts any judgment. The open eyes and dead-on gaze of the sheep in Sheepish contradict the title; the mug-shot profile and closed eyes of the goat in Scapegoat suggest a victim--though its raised head adds a hint of pride. And the smile and extended tongue of the cute dog in Bitch don't seem at all bitchy. Most compelling is Worthing's technique. Critic John Brunetti, writing on the show's invitation card, aptly characterizes her animals as "emerging from and disappearing into lush painterly backgrounds." The way these animals seem to be both solidifying and dissolving places the viewer on the dividing line between linguistic and prelinguistic worlds, forcing us to question the stability of objects and thus the whole notion of naming things. And the furry softness of all the paintings suggests unities rather than differences, making the specifics of a feeling or a thing seem momentary, even unimportant. Aron Packer, 118 N. Peoria, through January 4. Hours are 10:30 to 5:30 Tuesday through Saturday; closed December 24 and 25; 312-226-8984.
Copyright (c) Fred Camper 2002
Additional articles by Fred & others can be purchased from the Chicago Reader Archives |
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2008 |
"Ann Worthing, The Weather Outside "
Pocock, |
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2006 |
"Now Showing: A Life in Letters"
Fred Camper, The Chicago Reader
December 29, Section Two, p. 18 |
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"Art Reviews"
Alan Artner
The Chicago Tribune, Dec. 22, Section 7 |
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2002 |
"Critic's Choice"
Fred Camper
The Chicago Reader , Dec. 20, Section Two, p.19. |
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2001 |
"Art Reviews"
Alan Artner
The Chicago Tribune , March 30, Tempo |
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1999 |
"My Favorite Thing"
Todd Savage
Chicago Tribune , April 4, p. 2 (Arts Section) |
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1998 |
"Finding the Still Point"
Ann Nichols
Chattanooga Free Press , July 12, P.1 (Arts Section) |
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1997 |
"Ann Worthing"
Curator's Statement, Edward Maldonado
Chicago Cultural Center New Art Examiner
July, p. 52 |
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1993 |
"New Talent At Alpha"
Nancy Stepan
Boston Globe , June 24 |
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1988 |
"New Realism Show is Real"
Nancy Rice
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 22, The Arts |
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"Still Life Show Avoids Realism"
David McCraken
Chicago Tribune |
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"The Still Life Show"
Amy Rosenbaum
The New Art Examiner |
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"Individuals II"
Michael Bulka
Dialogue, July-August, p. 24 |
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"Emotions just scratch surface in gallery's "Good Painting"
Mary Sherman
Chicago Sun-Times , p. 9 |
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1987 |
"Painters Borrow From Flemish Masters"
Chicago Sun-Times, Feb.27, p. 52 |
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1986 |
"For Your Eyes Only"
Arts Chicago , February, p.20 |
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1985 |
"New Art Exhibitions Prevail in Chicago"
James Yood
The New Art Examiner, December, p. 27 |
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