Michael Workman

Mia Capodilupo draws from varied sources for her art, from feminism and urban environments to the sensitivity of our human bodies to touch. Central to her makeup are her engagements with the cities where's she's lived and was educated, especially Chicago and San Francisco. She first moved to Chicago in 1990 to attend the University of Chicago, where she graduated in 1994. Afterwards, she moved to Boston for a while before relocating to the Bay Area in 1996, where she stayed for several years, pursuing her graduate studies at the San Francisco Art Institute. A little over a year ago, she returned to Chicago, drawn by a love for the city and a need for more affordable, larger space to pursue her work. It's changed how she works. Previously, she focused more on producing work that involved lots of body casting, in plaster and also metals, large-scale steel sculptures and cast bronzes. While studying in the Bay Area, though she still made work of a larger scale, due to the logistical challenges of space she was confined to assembling those sculptures out of many smaller parts. It was essential that they could be broken down easily, a necessity that forced her to stop working in metal and take up fabrics, for instance, or materials that could be assembled into an installation.

That background in making environments and installation art was well-suited to her studies, which focused on space, while at the San Francisco Art Institute, since their program was very concept-based. "They really make you think about using materials based on your concept." How has her worked changed since her return to Chicago? Returning to the city has edged her back the other way, and she's once again thinking about making art on a larger scale--there's more space, it's easier to get materials, Capodilupo thinks it's helped her to branched out again. "I think I really latched onto this idea of assembling parts and reassembling them, using molds and casting materials. But I definitely feel a little more free here, because there's more space and it's easier to make my work."

(2005-10-25)

Also by Michael Workman

The Collectors
There aren't enough collectors in Chicago to sustain a world-class art scene
(2005-10-18)

Eye Exam
If there's an art-world power that rivals the gallery system in Chicago, it's the studio system
(2005-10-18)

Chicago Artist
Before co-founding Pilsen's Vespine Gallery, artist Shawn Sheehy was searching for his voice
(2005-10-11)

Eye Exam
In the midst of Chicago Artist's Month, it's worth turning away from the artist for a moment in order to train our attention on those who constitute art's system of critical reception. Specifically, those who write the first draft of an artwork's history
(2005-10-04)

Chicago Artist
(2005-10-04)

Chicago Artist
(2005-09-27)

Eye Exam
(2005-09-20)

Eye Exam
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Is River North Dead?
(2005-09-06)

Eye Exam
(2005-09-06)

Fall Forward: Art and Museums
(2005-08-31)

Tip of the Week
(2005-08-30)

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