Susana Raab Solo Show in Milwaukee

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Hot Dorothies © Susana Raab

The lovely and talented Susana Raab is having the first solo show of her saturated and smart images that explore America’s fascination with fast food and leisure.

The show opens tomorrow at the Dean Jensen Gallery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I wish I could see it. If you’re in the greater Milwaukee area (I'm looking at you Chicagraphers!), do stop by.

Here are the details:

Susana Raab: Rank Strangers
July 24 - August 29, 2009
Dean Jensen Gallery
759 N. Water Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Opening Reception: Friday, July 24, 6-9pm

Rank Strangers features 24 color images filled with the characters and landscapes of her work deconstructing fast-food consumption and leisure time in America. With a frequency that seems almost uncanny, she regularly has encounters with characters who could people the songbooks of Lyle Lovett and Loudon Wainwright III, among them "The Ronald McDonald's Doesn't Want You to Know About" and a slew of Elvis, Superman and Colonel Sanders wannabes.

I Love Gifts in the Mail: Graham Miller and Kevin Miyazaki

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It's been a while since I wrote a Gifts in the Mail post. This ass-up economy has put a crimp in the gift sending that once made my mailbox an almost weekly pinata of arty treats. Today the negative gift trend was busted in a big way.

Rhonda + Chantelle © Graham Miller

Graham Miller sent me a gorgeous print from his Suburban Splendor series. As I unrolled the image of Rhonda + Chantelle my knees buckled and I let out a series of ooohs and ahhs. Just stunning. It will be on my wall very soon.

© Kevin Miyazaki

Also arriving today was a small print from Kevin Miyazaki's 100 Very Small Observations show at MIAD. It is such a delicate and beautiful image.

Another recent gift in the mail was Susana Raab's self-published book A Sense of Place. Beyond showcasing her great talent, Susana's photos of the homes of William Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, and Eudora Welty challenge us to think about the role of place in the creative process. You should own this book.

Finally on the recent gift list is a copy of Sadkids #5. Sadkids is a self-published photo 'zine featuring the work of the true San Francisco treat, Geoffrey Ellis. You can order your own copy of Sadkids for only $10, but you better hurry because they tend to sell out quickly.

Thank you all for such wonderful gifts.