ARTISTIC SUITE AT UTOPIC
A purple vibe filled the lobby. It came from a black light that lit up a mural of Space Invaders floating on the wall across from the elevator. Everyone’s eyes looked satanic when they arrived at Utopic’s biannual gallery event.
A hostess handed out dayglo writing utensils and encouraged people to write or draw whatever they wanted on the dark canvas that beheld the pixelated aliens. A screenwriter turned one of them into a geek with wire rim glasses. A producer drew a duck and wrote a caption, “Gracefully gliding across the surface of the water while paddling like hell underneath.”
Beyond the reception desk, a bowl of cooked and peeled shrimp dominated a buffet in the glass walled conference room. There were also plates of cheese and meats and mini-roast beef sandwhiches and roasted peppers and they were totally fine but it was impossible not to over-shrimp. In an adjacent nook surrounded by skyline windows, a wine bar served glasses of red and white from Francis Ford Coppola’s estate. There was other stuff to drink, too, but only a moron would care about other stuff to drink when the vintage of a multiple Oscar-winner is flowing for free.
Around the corner hung a collection of paintings from Chicago artist Jason Brammer’s “Remembering the Future” series. Strategic eyeballs, elegant squids and graceful machinery transformed the area into a sepia-toned industrial dream. It echoed the permanent installation he completed for Dark Matter, a coffee shop and roasting facility in the Ukranian Village. Described as “a half submerged submarine,” it features “coffee roasting machines” that “look like antique contraptions with lots of gears, tubes, and gauges,” according to his website. The effect reminded one guest of the sets in Martin Scorsese’s recent Oscar-winning feature, “Hugo.”
The images proceeded to a corner office down the hall featuring the photography of New York City high school students. Mentored and motivated by a non-profit organization called NYCSALT, the stunning excellence of their work contrasts the challenging circumstances of their lives. According to NYCS’s Founder and Executive Director, Alicia Hansen, the participants are chosen from students who are on the city’s free lunch program. They learn not only how to take pictures, but also how to make money doing it. Their inspiration ranges from cool urban kids looking cool and urban to thoughtful abstracts and beautiful cityscapes. Their vision holds consistently at a level that compares to the stuff published by National Geographic. For real. Alumni accomplishments include substantial scholarship funding, professional gigs and shooters who are ranked among the highest in the nation.
Scott Allen, a Chicagoan and NYCSALT board member, popped in for an impromptu Q&A. His experience includes 26 years of service as a photographer for the US Military. His dedication to the art and the truth it communicates was strong enough to feel. He praised the discipline, maturity and passion of the students, then told a story about Navy Seal Nick Norris, who returned from the nation’s wars with more than 150 confirmed kills to accept a position training future Navy Seals.
The way out was protected by a big tall security guard wearing an earpiece and a trench coat. He had a facial expression that looked serious enough to kill you, but still allowed some alcohol wielding guests walk right on by. They passed through the main lobby into the street, where the entrance to the building stands several feet above Wabash Avenue. Bordered by metal rails, the scene was perfect for smoking cigarettes, talking about art and pretending to be on a cruise ship floating through River North.