Garin Pirnia

American photographer Mark Powell doesn't just document street life, he gets inside his subjects, delving deep into what makes them tick. His Detroit and Mexico City (where he currently lives) digital pictures detail not-for-tourists, off-the-beaten-path city life filled with enthralling portraits of local dwellers. Focusing on Hispanic culture, Powell snaps close-up photos seemingly random and premeditated at the same time. Sometimes the people are aware of the camera, other times not.

All of Powell's works are untitled but are referred to by names of the subject or personality. A kid holding a Lego gun stares at the camera. A man is caught in the act holding a rhinoceros head. A man covering his face wears a Daffy Duck T-shirt. Powell befriends the people putting them at ease, thus they open up to him in veritable ways.

Powell's landscape photos contain composed lines of symmetry and naturally framed shots, such as a figure wandering through circular walls. The current exhibit at 40000, "V.I.P. & Selections," highlights some of his best prints also available in his book, "V.I.P." An entire soccer team lies on the ground with the ball centered in the forefront. Another picture shows a man writing on a tree stump in a forest with a blurred squirrel jumping into frame. A back shot of two elderly ladies looking at a monument appear as if they were one person with two heads sprouting out. A woman sits in a lobby with a dark cloud mural above offsetting her. What are the people thinking or feeling? No one will ever know.

In his essay in JPG magazine, Powell remarks on the city he resides and works in: "Little secrets show themselves more now as if the city were a dog that now knows me, nudges me, licks me on the hand, points me, urging me to see it as a confidant without the bite." Powell captures the infinitesimal details of daily life yet peppers his photos with a greater sense of humanity. His photographs speak a million words.

Mark Powell shows at 40000, 119 North Peoria, (312)738-0179. Through May 5.

(2007-04-17)

Also by Garin Pirnia

Portrait of the Gallerist
Nurturing burgeoning artists in their twentied and thirties is the reason Robertello opened his gallery
(2007-03-27)

Profile of the Artists
Nascent West Town gallery duchess isn't even a year old, but it has already carved out a niche in the Chicago art scene
(2007-02-06)

Art Break
Josiah McElheny is no stranger to Chicago, having last shown at Donald Young gallery two years ago
(2006-09-19)

Tip of the Week
Avery Preesman was born on the Caribbean island of Curacao in 1968 and currently lives and works in Amsterdam
(2006-09-19)

Tip of the Week
(2006-09-05)

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