Twenty years ago today, a devastating fire ripped through the Huron–Orleans Building in Chicago. Once a billiard table factory, the structure was home to a large amount of galleries at the time and arguably the center of the River North gallery district. It was actually three buildings. One small structure, that I assume contained the original Brunswick offices and two imposing brick structures that took up the rest of the city block bounded by Orleans, Huron, Sedgwick and Superior. Unfortunately, the huge brick complex had a timber core that burned for hours. Today, one would hardly know that it ever existed. The million-dollar townhouses that replaced it seem to have been there forever.

For many, The Fire marked the end of the glory days of the 80s art scene. Galleries were destroyed. Whole bodies of work, literally went up in smoke. In the following months, The Chicago Artists’ Coalition’s Art News chronicled the battles between artists and galleries and insurers. It was ugly.

For some, the end had already begun a year and a half earlier on Black Friday, as the stock market crash of ’87 sent the art world in a skid. The non-profits that were largely in the basement of the Huron-Orleans Building had already moved and was establishing a new, edgier scene in the West Town area.

At the time of the fire, I was working on my first public art project for the city at Navy Pier and remember the huge plume of smoke to the West. Being new to the art world, I wasn’t sure what long term effect, if any, The Fire would have. Looking back there have been some exciting things since; the aforementioned West Town district, The Cold House Group, World Tatoo, Wicker Park and others have always given me hope that there is something good happening here. To me the art scene never fully recovered. Although, perhaps, to a young artist just out of school, what was happening around the Huron–Orleans Building just seemed bigger than it was.

Do you have any memories of The Fire? Were you affected by it? Do you feel too much weight is given to its importance?

Photo credit: Erik Richmond

Chicago seems to have a long list of artists that are important for a couple of decades or so, then sort of all but disappear. Corbett vs. Dempsey is doing a remarkable job of helping the city with its amnesia. Their current show of Robert Donley’s early works is a prime example of the gallery’s dedication to keeping us aware of those that have contributed to the richness of the Chicago Art World.

For years, Donley created very intricate isometric aerial paintings of cities (mostly Chicago and New York). Some of these paintings contained images of local and national personalities. The detail was so fine that he sometimes used a brush with one hair. These are remarkable paintings that have found their way into private and museum collections over the years. For a brief period, he painted buildings on fire and framed the work with skulls and burning skulls. I also remember some odd walking stick-looking poles made with doll heads that had a kind of voodoo feel. I’m not sure what he did with these.

This show, however, deals with his early work. For me it was all new—paintings in the vein of Mark Rothko and other geometric abstract artists. The surfaces are flat and thin, something that his cityscapes are not. This is the early stuff. He was finding his way. They are very well done, but kind of derivative of the abstract art of the time. This may be why he rolled these canvases up 40 years ago and stashed them away. Some of the pieces were rolled up so long, they had developed horizontal cracks that kind of added a new dimension when they were restretched for the show.

The L.A. Paintings are an excellent look into the developing career of a great artist. So many artists paint over or destroy their early work, especially when they go off in another direction that more or less then becomes their trademark. I’m glad he kept these paintings. It’s a great show, but it deserves a follow-up. We also need to experience his mature paintings of cities and the crazed stuff with the skulls.

Two months into the year, and we’ve already had some great shows. Things are looking up for the Chicago Art Scene.