Lindsay Garbutt, editorial assistant for Poetry magazine, gets her fix at:
Public Works A second-floor Wicker Park gallery a few doors from Big Star, Public Works houses eye-catching exhibitions of contemporary art and design. Recent shows include “Pulled: A Catalog of Screen Printing” and “I Made This for You”—work by the multi-aliased Matthew Hoffman. When I stopped in for Hoffman’s talk at the gallery everyone sat rapt on the floor while Hoffman explained the evolution of his “What Wood You Say” project, outed his various pseudonyms, and showed photographs of his international “You Are Beautiful” installations. Hoffman was frank, modest, and utterly heartwarming. When the lecture/slide show was over, everyone stuck around to talk, drink, and even later (rumor has it) dance. This is what Public Works is all about—exposing the artistic process, breaking down walls between art and design, and fostering dialogue between art and its public.
