photo: Sculpture by R. Taplin, courtesy of Linda Warren.
Chicago is lucky to have Linda Warren. You see, this is a city divided into two artistic camps: One revolves around business (artwork that will sell), the other around experimentation (upstart galleries devoted to concepts, ideas and the spirit of art). Since opening her gallery on Fulton Market in 2003, Linda Warren has been merging these two worlds. By exposing emerging artists to art-buying Chicagoans, she gives the underground a chance to succeed. A recent chat with Linda in her gallery showed me that her enthusiasm for this art stuff, coupled with her rock-star flair (gorgeous long black hair, boot-cut jeans and a low belt), make her one exciting art dealer in Chicago.
What keeps you motivated?
I can sell a lot of art because I'm passionate about what I do in a legitimate way. People ask me, are you picking this art because it's going to sell? I never have any idea what will sell. I pick it because I like it. This is my space and I get to do whatever I want. I came into this business loving to paint myself, and I gave that up, but I still want to be creative with what I do. I would die if this would be just a business.
What ties together all of the work that you carry in the gallery?
Quality. The work is invested in on a serious level, and simultaneously I can appreciate it. I like a lot of different work. I have shown a lot of different styles. I do believe the work tends to have narrative quality, but that's not across the board.
So many galleries are specializing in specific mediums, whether photography or sculpture or conceptual art...
I'm not like that. I like a lot of different kinds of contemporary art. People really like to come in here and see that the current show is really different from the last one. It's taken me this long to not be consistent with a certain style.
This gallery has a lot of young energy, a lot of young talent on board � is that on purpose?
I wasn't planning on that. I guess I do give emerging artists a chance. They wind up making money here! Sometimes I have felt bad that I even got such high prices, but why shouldn't I? There's also a part of me that feels that the world has this frenzied approach to what is hot, new and young, and I think that's ridiculous. You become better as you get older. I'm always trying to give mid-career artists a venue; these are the forgotten, underdogs in the art world.
Do you feel the Chicago art scene changed since you opened the gallery?
I hear that there's a finite amount of time you'll be in business...everybody retires. I think there�'s a perception out there these days that some of the ultimate galleries in the city will not stay in business that much longer...
How long do you want the Linda Warren gallery to be here?
Definitely until my kids go to college, that's about 10 years down the road. At that point I'll probably move back to California...if things are good I'll keep two galleries (this one in Chicago, and another one in California). I just like the weather better there.
Who was the first artist you showed in this gallery?
The first was a group show with Paula Henderson from Chicago, Dale Edwards who followed me out from L.A., he was the trigger of it all, and Patrick Maisano. Dale now lives in Beloit, Wisconsin. He's an outside artist, this talented African American guy in his 60s who's a friend. People wanted his work when we were L.A., this is how I got into this business. He had 100 pieces of sculptures and he asked me to store them in my house. Immediately I started selling his work out of my house in Silver Lake, and I started putting on shows out of my house. Every bathroom had art; there was art on the terraces outside, sculpture in the backyard. On the morning that I woke up to all this art around my house, I realized it was the happiest day of my life.
Linda Warren Gallery is located at 1052 W. Fulton Market, and is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Read more online.
Subscribe in your favorite reader using the links below. To learn more about feeds and RSS, click here.
