Since we began Trunk Show, lo that whole year and then half year ago, Philip von Zweck has been on our minds and in our ears. We were aware of his various clever and unique platformist projects: Temporary Allegiance, the open-call flagpole hosting hoisted civilian entrees into vexillology; D Gallery, presently run out of his office; Something Else, the all-submission radio show; VONZWECK, the Humboldt Park apartment gallery. We were also made quickly aware of HONK IF YOU LOVE SILENCE, the bumper sticker he produced in 2000 (still available from Western Exhibitions). More on that later.

Last month Philip’s studio suffered an accident as fortunate as it was predictable: very un-. The bright side was that a renewed attention to old materials. Looking through the reams of drenched sketchbooks, Philip discovered that there had been more than one bumper sticker idea back in those days. Our interest in the piece kept shifting—should we reprint a scan of the sketchbook? should we try to mirror the aesthetics of the other sticker? should its design be guided by its content, as if there is no silent honking, as if this sticker was and always has been? We tried on the analogies of a found demo or something re-recorded, we tried inhabiting a parahistory where this was that (or wasn’t). The work itself is enigmatic: its multiple reads only heightened by the boldness and flatness of its delivery. There’s a very decent chance you’ll love the new sticker.

We’re excited to be presenting the work as an amuse-bouche to Philip’s upcoming show at 65GRAND. This is Philip’s third solo exhibition at the gallery, which itself has a storied history and an interesting, flirtatious experience with the fluidity between alternative space and commercial gallery. We’ll be the car that’s a gallery in the loading zone in front of the gallery named after the bus route.

Last month’s opening, for Jason Lazarus, went wonderfully. RECORD the POLICE, a clarion re-call toward Brandeis’ notion that sunlight is the best disinfectant was graced by the first sunny day in too long. Gallery 400 was a happy host, Jason produced an informative pamphlet (available here) and we raised a modest sum for a valiant cause. The stickers are still available and the message is still important. In other city news, Newcity graciously listed us in their Top 5 of Everything and we were featured in Chicago Reader here.

ABOUT PHILIP VON ZWECK
Philip von Zweck is an artist, educator and administrator living in Chicago.. His work has exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Performa 11, Gallery 400, the Storefront, Threewalls, Medicine Cabinet, Important Projects, INVISIBLE-EXPORTS and 65GRAND, where he opens a solo show March 6th, fourteen landscapes or all everyone wants to talk about is the end of the world. Platformist endeavors include: VONZWECK, Something Else, Temporary Allegiance and D Gallery. A native of Louisiana, he graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (BFA) and the University of Illinois at Chicago (MFA). He is represented by 65GRAND.

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Tags: 65GRAND, Philip von Zweck, trunk show