Kelly Reaves – Intuition, Meditation & Exorcising Demons

As a talented painter, musician, and writer, Kelly Reaves has traversed a variety of creative fringe microcosms since arriving in Chicago from Florida in the early 2000s. In her portrayal of moments of intense ecstasy to an intimate embrace there has been a consistent adept fluidity in her ...
February 28, 2023
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Miguel Cortez – Recurring Abstract Themes: Tactile & Virtual

At this point in my career I have become interested in revisiting artist's studios and musician's practice spaces. Reflection, persistence, rejuvenation, and change-in-focus, tend to be recurring threads in these encounters. This week, the COMP Magazine took the Pink line down to Marshall Square (Little Village) to do a ...
February 7, 2023
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Karen Azarnia – A Convergence of Fragments & the Cinematic

Karen Azarnia culls memory, time, and family occasions to produce felicific paintings that are informed, in part, by art history and immediate personal experiences. Recently, the COMP Magazine made a visit to Azarnia's studio at Mana Contemporary to discuss her ongoing curatorial and painting practice, how she balances family ...
May 7, 2019
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Dan Gamble – Visual Meditations: Otherworldly & Quotidian

There's pause...followed by deep thought that is applied with precise technique in the aesthetic practice of painter Dan Gamble. For more than two decades Gamble has produced drawings and paintings that are multifaceted in terms of formal and spiritual investigation. This week the COMP Magazine jogged on down to ...
June 11, 2018
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Vesna Jovanovic – Foreign Bodies & Visual Prompts

The intersection of art and science has long been fertile terrain for visual representation. And, today in the drawings, paintings, and sketchbooks of artist Vesna Jovanovic one will find insightful, subtle, and preternatural commentary. Assimilating her ongoing studies in art and science, Jovanovic raises questions surrounding scientific representation, empiricism, ...
May 31, 2018
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Gwendolyn Zabicki – Disoriented & Reflective Moments of Pause

While visiting the Humboldt Park studio of painter Gwendolyn Zabicki one may note a sense of disorientation. On the surface the space appears to be a traditional painter's studio, organized around utilizing the best natural light. Yet, in time, one will notice unseen activities are currently in process. These ...
May 10, 2018
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James Kao – An Idea, Reference or Sensation

There is a quiet sensibility in the painter James Kao. Upon initial observation of his drawings and paintings one may recall artistic concerns and practices employed during the early 20th c. However, through deeper inspection one finds an investigative practice that questions the present. This can be seen in ...
May 6, 2018
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Tom Torluemke – Blindfolded with Hands Stretched

With adept skill in transforming two-dimensional space into compelling commentary, Tom Torluemke creates layered narratives that are informed by his upbringing, a coterie of symbolic imagery, and our contemporary social and political milieu. This week the COMP Magazine trekked down to Dyer, Indiana, to talk with Torluemke about his ...
April 20, 2018
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Phyllis Bramson – Affectionate Arbitrary Anecdotes

Phyllis Bramson’s oeuvre addresses sexuality, gender issues and stereotypes of “good behavior” in complex narrative-based mythologies layed out upon canvas. The COMP Magazine recently visited Bramson’s Greek Town studio to discuss her affinity with the Windy City, romantic nature, thoughtful and sometimes irrelevant meditation, and why painting is still ...
January 23, 2015
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Anna Kunz – Invitations & Reflections

Anna Kunz produces experiential works that invite the viewer to immerse her or himself into a space that intersects formal complexity in thoughtful rhythmic arrangements. The COMP Magazine recently visited her East Garfield Park studio to discuss her affinity with performance and painting, the relevance of early 20th c. ...
January 9, 2015
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