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Megan Troppito
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CHICAGO, April 14, 2015 – The Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA) presents three exhibitions this summer from artists Richard Renaldi, Timothy J. Clark, and Andrei Rabodzeenko. Touching Strangers, In the Presence of Sacred Light, and Technotropic Romance open May 23 and run through August 2, 2015.

In Touching Strangers, Renaldi creates spontaneous and fleeting relationships between strangers for the camera, often pushing his subjects beyond their comfort levels. These relationships may only last for the moment the shutter is released, but the resulting photographs are moving and provocative, raising profound questions about the possibilities for positive human connection in a diverse society. The exhibition causes us to reflect on the power of human touch and face-to-face interaction—especially in an age when digital communication is a primary tool for social interaction.

Renaldi was born in Chicago in 1968 and graduated from New York University with a BFA in photography in 1990. He has presented solo exhibitions both in the US and abroad, including at Fotografins Hus, Stockholm; Robert Morat Galerie, Hamburg; and Yossi Milo Gallery, New York. Renaldi’s work has also appeared in group exhibitions, including Strangers: The First ICP Triennial of Photography and Video at the International Center of Photography, New York (2003). Touching Strangers is Renaldi’s third book, following Figure and Ground (Aperture, 2006), and Fall River Boys (2009). 

LUMA is proud to present this exhibition in partnership with Loyola University Chicago’s School of Social Work. This exhibition was organized by Aperture Foundation, New York. Curator: Ann Pallesen, Gallery Director, Photographic Center Northwest, Seattle. The traveling exhibition Touching Strangers was made possible, in part, with the support of the Robert Mapplethorpe foundation. 

In the Presence of Sacred Light: The Master Watercolors of Timothy J. Clark presents over 40 paintings by an artist who has honed the craft of watercolor. Clark concentrates on the small moments that cause us to pause and take in what is around us.   

“The exhibition recalls the era of the Grand Tour, when 19th-century artists, writers, and tourists—especially Americans—traveled through Europe and the Near East, recording their impressions in sketchbooks and journal,” said Pamela Ambrose, director of the Loyola University Museum of Art and cultural affairs at Loyola University Chicago. 

Clark reproduces the quality of light that varies from city to city. Paris has a blue-tinged light; New York City’s sky is gray, running to lilac; Southern Italy basks in a golden glow; and Southern California, a tangerine brightness.

The artist’s work is represented in numerous public collections, including the Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio; El Paso Museum of Art, Texas; Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, Maine; Museum of the City of New York; National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC; Springfield Art Museum, Missouri; and the Whistler House Museum of Art, Lowell, Massachusetts.

Technotropic Romance focuses on a series of graphic works in which the artist visualizes a “subtle side of being, something that is beyond verbal vocabulary.” These graphic works—executed in charcoal, photography, ink, and ink wash—incorporate written word and embody impromptu, spontaneous action.

Rabodzeenko also presents two Biblical references from the Old Testament: The Tower of Babel and the Book of Job. Both series are illustrated using a controlled palette of black, white, and red.

Since emigrating from the Soviet Union in 1991 where he trained, Rabodzeenko has become recognized as an emerging Chicago artist. He has participated in several group exhibitions, including: Not Just Another Pretty Face, a show of commissioned art exhibited at the Hyde Park Art Center; Background, an exhibition of four Ukrainian artists at the Butcher Shop; and Bratwurst, a presentation of prominent Chicago artists mounted in Philadelphia.

For additional information on these exhibitions, museum hours, and more, visit LUC.edu/luma. 

About LUMA

Opened in 2005, the Loyola University Museum of Art is dedicated to exploring, promoting, and understanding art and artistic expression that illuminates the enduring spiritual questions of all cultures and societies. The museum is dedicated to helping people of all creeds explore the roots 

About LUMA
Opened in 2005, the Loyola University Museum of Art is dedicated to exploring, promoting, and understanding art and artistic expression that illuminates the enduring spiritual questions of all cultures and societies. As a museum with an interest in education and educational programming, LUMA reflects the University’s Jesuit mission and is dedicated to helping people of all creeds explore the roots of their faith and spiritual quests. Located at Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus, the museum occupies the first three floors of the University’s historic Lewis Towers on Chicago’s famous Michigan Avenue. For more information, visit the museum’s website at LUC.edu/luma.

Art illuminating the spirit!

-LUMA-