Art & Art History
FAXART
The National Alumni Association of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Gallery 400 at the University of Illinois at Chicago have co-sponsored FAXART, the first exhibition in Chicago of artworks all transmitted by fax machine. For this exhibition, almost eleven thousand alumni of the School of the Art Institute and the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Art and Design were invited to use the fax machine to create, transform, and transmit two-dimensional images. Works arrived in the gallery via fax from across the country and from around the world. This groundbreaking show provokes excitement in the art community and captures the imagination of the public and media alike.
A total of 284 artists from both schools participated. In response to a National Public Radio interview, numerous non-alumni artists also faxed work to the gallery. True to the spirit of the show these works were exhibited on the doors and columns in the gallery. The span of work crossed generations of alumni, some of whom used the fax as a means to simply transmit their art, while others created art commenting on the medium. The diversity of work reflects the diversity of programs offered at both schools. The work ranges from light-hearted cartoons to works of a more serious nature, including computer-generated images, drawings, books, photography, and architectural and sculptural renderings.
The positive media coverage was extensive, ranging from the aforementioned NPR interview, spots on Voice of America, coverage of opening night by NBC Nightly News, as well as local TV coverage. The story was picked up by AP Wire Service, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun Times, and Crain’s Chicago Business, along with numerous other print media.
EXHIBITION CHECKLIST
FAXART, 1990
Collaborative installation of 284 facsimiles
MEDIA COVERAGE
Caro, Mark. “Alumni of UIC, Art Institute Fax It for Art Exhibition.” Chicago Sun-Times, July 15, 1990, sec. 5, p. 5.
Caro, Mark. “Ring! Whirrrr . . . Is It Art or Just a Facsimile?” Chicago Sun-Times, July 13, 1990, sec. 5, pp. 1–2.
Gillespie, Mary. “Artists Fax Stacks of Work for Show.” Chicago Tribune, July 13, 1990, p. 7.
PRINT COLLATERAL
Facsimile Transmittal Submission Form: FAXART
EXHIBITION SUPPORT
FAXART is supported by the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Art and Design’s College of Architecture, Art, and Urban Planning.
This exhibition is also made possible in part by the Illinois Arts Council, and by the Chicago Office of Minolta Business systems, which generously donated tax and copy equipment, and the National Alumni Association of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, in conjunction with the School’s Office of Development and Alumni Affairs.
PRESS RELEASE
FAXART
Gallery 400
Chicago, IL
July 13–August 17, 1990
Opening Reception: Friday, July 13, 1990, 5–8pm
The National Alumni Association of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Gallery 400 at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) are co-sponsoring the first exhibition in Chicago of artworks all transmitted by fax machine. FAXART opens with a public reception from 5 to 8pm on July 13, 1990, and continues through August 11, at UIC Gallery 400, 400 South Peoria Street. Admission is free.
For this exhibition, almost eleven thousand alumni of the School of the Art Institute and the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Art and Design have been invited to use the fax machine to create, transform, and transmit two-dimensional images. Works are expected to arrive from across the country and from around the world. The number of the fax machine at Gallery 400 is 312-996-6115. It will be online 24 hours a day to accept faxed art starting July 2 through the July 13 opening reception.
Gallery 400 is open to the public Monday through Friday from 10am to 5pm. For more information or to obtain FAXART submittal forms, call Rita Price, director of alumni affairs at the School of the Art Institute, at 312-899-5217; or Karen Indeck at UIC Gallery 400 at 312-996-6114.