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In a world so immersed in popular culture, artist Chris Kienke strives to take a deeper look at the implications of American consumption.
“You Promised Me Poems,” a collection of paintings by Kienke exploring American cultural identity, will be exhibited Oct. 25 through Dec. 13, 2018 at Northwestern University’s Dittmar Memorial Gallery, located at Norris University Center, 1999 Campus Drive on the Evanston campus.
“You Promised Me Poems”examines ideas of representation, citizenship and sexuality, as well as how media influences common beliefs about American values. The exhibit visually renders a dialogue about social, political, historical and economic issues filtered through nationalistic and patriotic ideas found in images on social media, film and television in the United States.
Kienke uses his images to consider what people watch or listen to and who has access to what information. He considers whom various images apply to and to whom they do not.
Kienke is currently on the faculty of the School of Art and Design at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has been exhibited in over 70 shows, including recent solo exhibitions at Fuchs Projects, the University of Kentucky, the Art Center at National Central University in Taiwan, Amos Eno Gallery and the University of Wisconsin. His work is in permanent collections such as ABN Amro Bank in Dubai, Savannah College of Art and Design, Sharjah Art Museum (UAE) and the United Kingdom National Collection. He received his Master of Fine Arts from Southern Illinois University - Carbondale and his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Kansas City Art Institute.
An opening reception with Kienke will take place on Oct. 25 from 4 to 6 p.m. The artist will also give a talk at the University on Nov. 15 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Dittmar Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Sundays, except when a new exhibition is being mounted.
For more information, visit the Dittmar website, call the Dittmar Gallery at 847-491-2348 or email dittmargallery@northwestern.edu.
Dittmar Gallery is a member of the Northwestern Arts Circle, which brings together film, humanities, literary arts, music, theatre, dance and visual arts.
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