Opening Reception: Available Light, Photographs by Andrew Steiner

An exhibition of new photographs by Andrew Steiner is at Eat Paint Studio from November 12 through December 11, 2021. Beginning at the start of Chicago’s shut-down in March 2020, the black and white prints on view are both a personal documentation of the past two years and an outward search for meaning and beauty. An opening reception will be held on Friday, November 12, from 6-9PM.

Images of subway stations and streets empty of rush-hour traffic, a city without people, recall the disbelieving sense of uncertainty felt collectively as the cogs of modern life seemed to grind to a halt. Considered an essential worker, Steiner continued to travel between his Uptown apartment and downtown job on a daily basis. His portraits of neighbors and local businesses during this early time are intimate and compelling; a gaze signals connection, rather than mistrust.

“It’s like a song,” says Steiner of how he composes an image. “The elements all have to come together – available light, a look or gesture. It coalesces into something else, suggesting a different meaning. That depth of looking – is subversive because it makes us think.”

Masks are required regardless of vaccination status. Gallery hours are Friday and Saturday, noon - 5PM, and by appointment.