Apr 8th 2016

Lee Godie: Self-Portraits

@ Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art

756 N. Milwaukee Ave. Chicago, IL 60622

Opening Friday, April 8th, from 5:30PM - 8:30PM

On view through Tuesday, July 5th

A prolific self-taught artist and a fixture on the steps of the Art Institute of Chicago, Lee Godie (1908-1994) became well-known in the Chicago arts scene in the 1960s. Self-portraits are prevalent throughout Godie’s portfolio of work but most significant are those taken in automatic photo booths in Chicago bus stations. Godie used the booths as an experimental space where, away from the busy streets, she could explore multiple personae with the aid of costumes, props and physical expression. The resulting black-and-white photographs were embellished by hand and sold individually or attached to larger works as the artist’s signature. Today, the 5-inch by 4-inch gelatin silver prints are among Godie’s most sought-after pieces.

Curated by Karen Patterson of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Lee Godie: Self-Portraits is the first exhibition explicitly showcasing a selection of Godie’s photo booth self-portraits. A departure from Godie’s more familiar paintings and drawings, more than 50 photographs provide viewers with an authentic glimpse into the artist’s complex and imaginative personality.

Godie’s work can be found among the permanent collections at the American Folk Art Museum in New York, Milwaukee Art Museum, Arkansas Arts Center, Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

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