Art, Nature & Soul #100 — Sperry Fine Art

Fox River Art Ramble SAVE the DATE Saturday, June 7, 10-4pm CHICAGO themed artworks by Richard Sperry Proud Fox Gallery & Frame Shop 213 W. State St. Geneva, Il 60134

Having grown up in Elmhurst a mere 18 miles to downtown Chicago, I have a profound love for it. On a clear day I could see the city skyline from atop Behrens Hill in Elmhurst, near my home. The people, the culture, & the arts define for me the notion, I grew up on, of the American melting pot or as former president Jimmy Carter called it “the beautiful mosaic”. Recently I was downtown to see Twyla Tharp’s 50th anniversary celebration in dance at The Harris Theater. It was just before dusk, we had parked, crossed Michigan Ave, and were walking up Randolph to the theater when I had “obscure reference #205” a Mary Tyler Moore moment of wanting to twirl around, throw my hat up in the air and sing out “We’re going to make it after all…” Not having a hat on, I of course did not do this, but a big smile rose across my face looking up and about the city lights at dusk.

As a child we went there fairly often for various school or family events. When I was 16 and old enough to drive I could get downtown in 15 minutes at the right times of day or night. Now I’m about 35 miles out to the western burbs but can still get there in 45mins to an hour most times, plus the Metra train comes here too. Chicago has always represented “the possibilities” to me, still does and still has and is. The first Black president was raised in Chicago, more recently the first American pope was raised in Chicago and I hope with all my heart that JB Pritzker runs for president and wins the 2028 election making him the first person of Jewish descent to become president of the USA. This for me would be the ultimate trifecta, telling the world CHICAGOI IS. Now I’m not a Black American, Catholic or Jewish, but I recognize what good people are, which is not defined by a color, a religion or an ethnicity, but by "Good thoughts, good words, good deeds" a core principle found in ancient Zoroastrianism, but also a key ideal of all humanity.

The arts for me represent the best humanity has to offer creating narratives in paint, writing, dance & theater that transcend the things we sometimes allow to separate us as people of a world. Over the past 20 years its become more & more important to me to support the many voices and expressions wanting to be heard. We’ve been fortunate and able to explore multitude of venues from here to the surrounding suburbs and downtown Chicago. Don & I would go there for the clubs, film fest and to just walk along the beaches when we first met. These days its more the museums, concerts, theater & opera, dance, tours, Navy Pier and other cultural events that draw us there. I’ve always loved to paint the skyline, from the Sears/Willis tower to The Hancock, you can see it in my work over the past 20+ years. Sometime over the past 10 I started top paint the many venues we go to, as well. While I do paint en plein air, most of my work is painted in the studio alla prima, with a sense of urgency and directness of impression/expression.

My work tens to lean toward the contemporary/abstract/representational. Often times fused into a single notion and frequently separated out by degrees by my emotional state at a given time. Which is to say I try to paint my life as it unfolds in as timely a manner as possible as to capture not just the image but the feeling of the fleeting moments of my life. Below is a small sampling of my more recent adventures in Chicago. In the images below you can see several skylines, including one from a car driving in, 3 of the Salt Shed, a new & happening music venue, The Picasso, The Bean, the Chicago lighthouse, the Neaderlander &Goodman Theaters, as well as my favorite, The Chicago Theater, as well as the Aragon Ballroom, some architectural highlights, the PRIDE parade and my beloved Art Institute of Chicago. Many of my smaller color studies, not pictures here, will be there at the exhibition , as well.

Chicagoland, the only major city that extends its reach 35 miles out into the burbs. This past wekend I participated in Hands Across Chcagoland to to protest the current administrations polocies, & overreach regarding human rights, rule of law & the Constitution. An estimated 18000 people lined Ogden Avenue in the suburbs and 26th Street in Chicago on Sunday for the Hands Across Chicagoland protest. We were 2.

Stop by, check it out & say hi,

asc always, youe comments & questions are welcome,

Richard