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Art Mon Sep 30 2013
Chicago Artists Month "In the Neighborhoods": Wicker Park
Gallery season is in full swing now, with October marking the beginning of Chicago Artists Month. This month's theme is "In the Neighborhoods." Honoring said theme is Wicker Park After Dark, the solo photography exhibition by David Szpunar, a West Side native who began capturing the lively and eccentric nightlife of Wicker Park."
Spzunar who is also a local musician attended the reception supported by his band mates from "Matthew Morgan and the Lost Brigade." Chemistry professor by day and photographer/musician by night, Szpunar began shooting the series after his Friday night band practices in the neighborhood, trading his instrument for a camera just after the sun went down.
Wicker Park after Dark was inspired by Brassaï's "Paris by Night," and captures the energy, drama, and mystery of the local weekend revelers. There is a voyeuristic feeling to the series, as if Szpunar has for but the briefest moment captured the visceral and magnetic draw of being a part of the Wicker Park late-night scene. Close and wide-angled shots pull the viewer into the intimate setting, creating a sense of inclusion and closeness to the subjects.
The exhibit opened on Sept. 20 at Jackson Junge Gallery, 1389 N. Milwaukee Ave., and will run until Oct. 27.
Photography courtesy of Catherine Charpentier.