Exhibit Information
TroubleNew Paintings by Jay Ryan
April 22-May 22, 2011
Opening Reception & SigningFriday, April 22, 2011, 7-10PM
Jay will be in attendance.
Music by DJ Carrie Weston, Sodas by Goose Island and Snacks by Fritz Pastry.
About the Artist
Jay Ryan is a Chicago-based artist and musician. He learned to screenprint beginning in 1995, working under Steve Walters at Screwball Press. Jay printed posters for his own band (dianogah), his friends' bands and the clubs they played at. Slowly, work from other clubs and other bands came in.
In 1999, Jay started The Bird Machine print shop in the basement of his apartment building, and soon hired fellow Chicago artist Mat Daly to help with the printing responsibilities, working with Jay until the end of 2007. In 2002, The Bird Machine moved to a proper commercial space in Chicago's Ravenswood neighborhood, during which time the national poster community really took off, as reflected by Jay's constant travel, showing posters and talking to students around the country. In 2007, The Bird Machine moved a final time, to a small building in Skokie, a near-north suburb bordering Chicago, where the print shop runs now.
In addition to his full schedule creating screenprinted gig posters and performing with dianogah, Jay publishes a good number of fine art prints every year and does occasional art exhibitions of both paintings and prints. His work has appeared in several books including two dedicated to his posters: Animals and Objects In and Out of Water: Posters by Jay Ryan, 2006-2008 and 100 Posters, 134 Squirrels: A Decade of Hot Dogs, Large Mammals and Independent Rock: The Handcrafted Art of Jay Ryan.
About the Exhibit
This is Jay's second exhibit at Rotofugi Gallery. He last showed with us in January 2010, when his "I've Been to Europe" exhibit very, quite nearly, sold out...hint, view that exhibit by clicking the title in the previous sentence. We're super excited and honored to be hosting Jay in our gallery again.
