Chicago Fine Art Photography
In recent years, Chicago’s fine art photography scene has taken off. Homegrown photographers are picking up where talented predecessors left off. Legendary photographers like Victor Skrebneski, Vivian Maier, John H. White, and Walker Evans called Chicago home at one point, firmly putting Chicago on the fine art photography map. Other than these big names and a handful of others, Chicago’s fine art photography scene has been rather quiet. Until now. Galleries such asHilton Asmus Contemporary, The Rangefinder Gallery, Alan Koppel Gallery, and the Carl Hammer Gallery represent some of the world’s most sought-after, talented photographers.
What is Fine Art Photography?
Limited Edition Fine Art Print of 6 — Scattering — Derek Nielsen Photography
Fine art photography… as defined by Wikipedia — “Fine-art photography is photography created in line with the vision of the photographer as artist, using photography as a medium for creative expression. The goal of fine-art photography is to express an idea, a message, or an emotion.” This contrasts with the photo-journalistic style of news organizations or documentary accounts of live events.
What is interesting is the subjective nature of the phrase “fine art photography.” Who defines what is and what is not fine art? Based on the definition, it sounds like it is the artist’s choice. I love that. Fine art photography can be landscapes, wildlife, cityscapes, portraits, abstracts, or a combination of the above. Does it express an idea, a message, or elicit an emotion? The longer I spend in the art field, the more I see storytelling’s importance. Let’s add…”Does it tell a story?”to the definition of fine art photography.
When looking at the powerful image of Mohamad Ali standing over his fallen opponent, Sonny Liston, taken by Sports Illustrated photographer, Neil Leifer, you can see how an image intended to be a documentary now falls into the grey area of fine art. Leifer now fetches a cool $20,000 for a 20x24 inch limited edition print of this shot any collector would be proud to display in their gallery.
Chicago Fine Art Photography Galleries
Hilton-Asmus Contemporary Gallery
With 2 locations, Hilton-Asmus planted itself in 2 of Chicago’s hottest art markets, River North and Bridgeport. Their flagship location in River North, located at 716 N. Wells, is a smaller gallery, but they use the space incredibly well. With enough wall space to display large, powerful pieces and enough room to move around, they pull off an impactful opening night for their featured artist.
Their second location, inside the Morgan Arts Complex, located 15 minutes outside of downtown Chicago, is a much larger event space. Able to hold hundreds of guests, this space hosts collaborative shows with several artists, all under a curated theme. The gallery owners also use this space to host fundraising events or special openings on the red carpet.
Along with legendary photographers like Julian Wasser and Norman Parkinson, Hilton-Asmus is now featuring the works of conservation photographers Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen. Cristina and Paul have a combined 8.9 million Instagram followers. They have spent time in their careers photographing for National Geographic and have started Sea Legacy, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving the ocean’s ecosystems. Hilton-Asmus is currently running an exhibit called “Storytelling,” the work of photographer David Yarrow.
The Rangefinder Gallery
One unique Chicago fine art photography gallery, The Rangefinder Gallery, only features art taken with the Leica camera. Their small rotating gallery on 213 W Institue Place in the West Loop of Chicago is located inside Tamarkin Camera. Browsing through their online archive is a treat for any serious street and travel photographer. They feature collection after collection of talented artists with work spanning the globe.
Alan Koppel Gallery
While not strictly a Chicago fine art photography gallery, the Alan Koppel Gallery does rotate photography into its exhibits. From November 5th, 2022, to January 7th, 2023, they featured the work of Chicago photographer Vivian Maier at their second location in Glencoe. Vivian Maier was an American street photographer who accumulated over 100,000 negatives over five decades of work that went undiscovered until an auction in 2017. Photography exhibits in the past have featured the works of Beowulf Sheehan. A portrait photographer covering “the vitality and diversity of literary luminaries in our society.”
Carl Hammer Gallery
The Carl Hammer Gallery carries one of Chicago’s most eclectic collections of mixed medium contemporary, folk art, and photography. Like most businesses today, their revenue streams are multifaceted. They provide services like fine art appraising, collection development and curation, expert and creative art installation, and interior design consultation. This gallery features ultra-talented photographers Sarp Kerem Yavuz, Bill Steber, and Timothy Greenfield-Sanders.
Catherine Edelman Gallery
For over 35 years, the Catherine Edelman Gallery has been a staple in the Chicago fine art photography scene. They have hosted over 250 exhibitions featuring over 200 artists. Unfortunately, as of August 2022, the gallery has closed its physical location and is now operating as an online gallery and art dealer. Currently displaying the work of Clarissa Bonet, an exhibit highlighting the density of Chicago’s architecture, its people, and traffic. As the owner of an online gallery, I felt it was essential to draw attention to this gallery as an alternative to the physical spaces we are used to while still offering high-quality art to collectors.
Derek Nielsen Photography Gallery
Bath Time — Limited Edition Fine Art Print of 6 — Derek Nielsen Photography
Every photographer dreams of having their own physical gallery collectors can stroll through. For instance, imagine having a luxury space where collectors and supporters can mingle. Serve cocktails and tell stories about your latest work. Sounds pretty dreamy. I currently provide my collectors with an online luxury fine art photography gallery with plans to open that dream gallery in the coming months. I have carefully hand-picked these images from my travels to all seven continents. Not only do I feature Chicago fine art photography images but also nature and wildlife images to raise awareness for conservation organizations across the globe. Photography is my passion, and conservation is my calling. Merging these two has allowed me to produce award-winning images and raise over fifty thousand dollars for wildlife conservation in 2022 alone.
Chicago Fine Art Photography Community
In today’s post-covid “what are we supposed to do” mentality, the need for community gathering places has never been more critical. A place where like-minded people can gather and socialize over the things they love, art.
I used to agree it only put the costs onto collectors to purchase art from a gallery. Still, after spending several months attending gallery openings in Chicago, I realize what you are also buying into is a community. The art gallery community is a community putting its reputation on the line. They represent artists with integrity. You won’t find a limited edition print from one of these galleries being replicated by the same artist repeatedly and pawned off to collectors as a limited edition. Buying art online is entirely acceptable as long as you research the artist, but often, that’s precisely what gallery owners do for you.
Check out any of these Chicago fine art photography galleries next time you’re in Chicago. You will not be disappointed.