Glenn Wexler
Encyclopedia
Glenn Thomas Walksler is an American contemporary artist based in Chicago. He is known primarily for works involving silkscreen printing and photographic site-specific installations. His Far East travels and interest in the urban environment have influenced his subject matter and themes.
. In the late 1980s he began pursuing a career in graphic and visual arts. His first studio was a live/work space in the Wicker Park, Chicago
neighborhood on the near northwest side. In what was then mainly an artist community, he became very active producing screen-printed works and exhibiting frequently. By the early 1990s he became part of a group of artists associated with events and venues in and around the areas Flat Iron and Tower Building.
It was during that time, Wexler met renowned artist Ed Paschke
, of the Chicago Imagists
, and they soon became friends. Conversing and working with Paschke in his far north side studio, Wexler learned much about the art world and was profoundly influenced to continue developing as an artist.
and Andy Warhol
, Wexler’s early work involved screen-printing, painting and image appropriation. He drew source material from magazines, catalogs and newspapers mainly published in Japan and Hong Kong. The images were made into silk screens, and then printed onto paper, canvas, steel, glass, as well as found objects and other unconventional surfaces. The results were often brightly colored, graphics-inspired works reminiscent of 1960s-era Pop Art.
By the mid-to late 1990s, after exhibiting in and visiting several cities throughout Europe and Asia, Wexler’s work changed. He developed an interest in the urban setting, specifically, the relationship between architectural design and nature. He largely abandoned painting, focusing more on photography, printmaking, fabrication, and installation.
According to the artist, "I have mainly been interested in the existence or placement of nature within the proximity of architecture and the co-existence of the traditional and the contemporary. By connecting several photographs together I’m attempting to recreate personal journeys and passing moments in a city."
History
Glenn Wexler was born in Chicago and grew up in the west side Austin neighborhood and Oak Park, IllinoisOak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
. In the late 1980s he began pursuing a career in graphic and visual arts. His first studio was a live/work space in the Wicker Park, Chicago
Wicker Park, Chicago
Wicker Park is a Chicago neighborhood northwest of the Loop, south of Bucktown and west of Pulaski Park within West Town. Charles and Joel Wicker purchased of land along Milwaukee Avenue in 1870 and laid out a subdivision with a mix of lot sizes surrounding a park...
neighborhood on the near northwest side. In what was then mainly an artist community, he became very active producing screen-printed works and exhibiting frequently. By the early 1990s he became part of a group of artists associated with events and venues in and around the areas Flat Iron and Tower Building.
It was during that time, Wexler met renowned artist Ed Paschke
Ed Paschke
Edward Francis Paschke was a Polish American painter. His childhood interest in animation and cartoons, as well as his father's creativity in wood carving and construction, led him toward a career in art...
, of the Chicago Imagists
Chicago Imagists
The Chicago Imagists is the name of a group of representational artists associated with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago who exhibited at the Hyde Park Art Center in the late 1960s. Their work was known for grotesquerie, surrealism and complete uninvolvement with New York art world trends...
, and they soon became friends. Conversing and working with Paschke in his far north side studio, Wexler learned much about the art world and was profoundly influenced to continue developing as an artist.
Early work
Inspired by the likes of Robert RauschenbergRobert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg was an American artist who came to prominence in the 1950s transition from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art. Rauschenberg is well-known for his "Combines" of the 1950s, in which non-traditional materials and objects were employed in innovative combinations...
and Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
, Wexler’s early work involved screen-printing, painting and image appropriation. He drew source material from magazines, catalogs and newspapers mainly published in Japan and Hong Kong. The images were made into silk screens, and then printed onto paper, canvas, steel, glass, as well as found objects and other unconventional surfaces. The results were often brightly colored, graphics-inspired works reminiscent of 1960s-era Pop Art.
By the mid-to late 1990s, after exhibiting in and visiting several cities throughout Europe and Asia, Wexler’s work changed. He developed an interest in the urban setting, specifically, the relationship between architectural design and nature. He largely abandoned painting, focusing more on photography, printmaking, fabrication, and installation.
Early Installation
A pivotal work was Haven (2001–02) a multi-space installation project in which Wexler affixed cut vinyl images of a shell—a haven within nature—to discreet locations inside of 25 Chicago area galleries and art centers. (A few remain.) Seeking a dialogue with each site, Haven was Wexler’s first foray into environmental art.Contemporary Artwork
Transit a series of site-specific installations, uses lighting and backlit photographs—shot in and around the transit systems of Tokyo, Osaka and Bangkok—to create a continuous though disjunctive cinematic narrative. These installations take a different shape and length at each location, engaging the space of the interior architecture. Imagery includes signage, lighting, shrines, people, and plant life, some blurred—shot while in motion, and others while stationary, as if momentarily arrested.According to the artist, "I have mainly been interested in the existence or placement of nature within the proximity of architecture and the co-existence of the traditional and the contemporary. By connecting several photographs together I’m attempting to recreate personal journeys and passing moments in a city."
Exhibitions
Wexler has exhibited his work at many venues including:- Art Fiera, Bologna, Italy
- Bridgewater/Lustberg Gallery, New York
- Chicago Cultural Center
- Galerie Bernsteinzimmer, Nuremberg, Germany http://www.galerie-bernsteinzimmer.de/
- H Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
- Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago http://www.hydeparkart.org/exhibitions/2009/02/glenn_wexler_transit_2.php
- Marwen Foundation, Chicago
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
- Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, Illinois
- Union League Club of Chicago
- Zolla/Lieberman Gallery, Chicago http://www.zollaliebermangallery.com/wexler.html