Michael Weinstein

Although Ed Paschke is dead, he remains virtually among us in the most garish and self-revealing form of a PHSCologram confected in 2002 that transforms his scanned head, which he then painted over, into a computer-generated three-dimensional disembodied face. Working with virtual-reality mavens (Art)n Laboratory, who scanned a snapshot of the self-portrait sixty-five times to compose an image with depth, Paschke portrayed himself as a neon harlequin with pink hair, blue lips, green ears, blue eyes, orange skin, and deep-orange four-leaf clovers on his cheeks. All the meaning resides in Paschke's mouth, which is agape and poised between horror and wonder--a perfect representation of the awe that stands hidden behind and must have driven the artist to imagine the cool enigmatic and conventionally expressive faces that he so frequently painted.

The Ed Paschke Memorial Exhibition is at the Maya Polsky Gallery, 215 West Superior, (312)440-0055, through March 15.

(2005-02-08)

Also by Michael Weinstein

Tip of the Week
Chicago's El never looked so stunning as it does through Keith Hackett's lens
(2005-02-01)

Tip of the Week
The Joel-Peter Witkin of scenario photography, Elizabeth Ernst sculpts her own freaks out of clay and sets them up to perform and to pose for head shots in her "G.E. Circus," named after the manufacturer of the oven in which the figurines are baked solid
(2005-01-18)

Tip of the Week
In the most complex conceptual photo-installation on record, Christopher Schneberger has invented Dr. Charles Addison, an early twentieth-century Chicago portrait photographer
(2005-01-11)

Tip of the Week
Among the twenty-two photographers in this dense show celebrating the various modernist genres, the standout artists deploy their straight-shooting talents to highlight unfamiliarity
(2005-01-04)

Tip of the Week
(2005-01-03)

Tip of the Week
(2004-12-21)

Tip of the Week
(2004-12-14)

Tip of the Week
(2004-11-22)

Tip of the Week
(2004-11-03)

Tip of the Week
(2004-10-20)

Tip of the Week
(2004-10-06)

Tip of the Week
(2004-09-14)

about Newcitychicago | about Newcity magazine | advertising | privacy policy | FAQ | employment