"Art is the medium of visionary soothsayers, speaking the truths of humanity" ~R. Sperry
I’m nothing if not persistant… relevant is, as relevant does, see me, feel me, touch me, fullstop.
I had known about part 2 at Wrightwood 659, but the exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary art was recently found info. So, I got a thing, a thought in my head and persued it, as the limits we create for our selves are in not doing, not in doing. So, I began to go through me archives/storage for a painting I had done in 1989. 35 years ago. How i thought, how I saw and expressed myself, muchless my skill level were very different, still this pieces spoke volumes on, not just me, but the world we lived in especially here in the USA & the Chicago area, during my coming out and the HIV/aids epidemic.
We are here. Incredibly important & I'm looking forward to them both. We have 2 queer art events coming in Chicago 2025. Ones at Wrightwood 659, The First Homosexuals: Global Depictions of a New Identity, 1869-1930 and the other at the Museum of Contemporary Art, City in a Garden: Queer Art and Activism in Chicago, Jul 05, 2025 - Jan 25, 2026.
Assistant Curator,
I recently became aware of an upcoming exhibit at the MCA, City in a Garden: Queer Art and Activism in Chicago. I grew up in Elmhurst, Il. and graduated High School in 1982. I was the Bi guy then and while the HIV/Aids crisis was taking its foothold in gay communities across the American/World society. I married two different women, soon after h.s., me still playing my bi-guy persona, both of whom knew I was inclined toward men. The marriages were short lived, soon after and by the time I was 21-22 I met the man who I have now lived 38 years of my life with.
When I came OUT, it was in your face OUT, and my artwork reflected that sentiment. In 1988-89' there were several events that prompted this piece. The death of art photographer Robert Mapplethorpe from Aids complications and the attempted censorship of his work at a major exhibition, the painting of former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington in drag, plus the performance art piece, regarding freedom of speech, where as an American flag was placed on the floor and the viewers were asked to walk across it to sign in on a guest book.
My work was more surreal and of a sexual theme, at the time, as I was a huge fan of Dali. I brought it and another dozen like artworks to an Art Gallery called 'World Tattoo', Chicago in an attempt to gain my foothold in the art world. It was reviewed and I was told they liked it, but it wasn't really the kind of work they were looking for at the time, as it didn’t fit in with the theme, but, come back in 6 months. Being a young man, it was devastating. It took a decade to brush myself off and begin again. My husband and I decided to integrate into the community as a whole, rather than do the gay ghetto thing, both for basic survival as well as feeling that we could do better showing the straight world who we were and what we were about, to lessen the fear of the unknown. My artwork also began to lean that way, as well. I still do a fair amount of queer themed art, but the body is more contemporary representational & abstract as a statement on how we think, feel, see, as fractals, chaos & the oneness of being.
Though it was painted, "Freedom of Speech, My Foot", 35 years ago, I feel this piece may be relevant too and fit in with the vision of your upcoming exhibit and I hope that you do as well. Love's, Lines, Circles, Angles & Rhymes 40”x40” mixed media on canvas, which is on my website may be a perfect complimentary juxtaposition, if you were to showcase a then & now, of the artist. I spent a lot of time in Chicago growing up and still go there 1-3 times a month for art, museum, theater, opera, music or other cultural events & I love Chicago.
“Richard Sperry, an American artist residing in Saint Charles, Illinois, paints his life as he experiences it. He defies categorization as merely an abstract painter, a landscapist, or a figurative artist. Instead, he finds inspiration in both internal and external mechanisms, compelling him to depict his thoughts, emotions, experiences, and existence itself through his art.
Sperry's paintings serve as a personal diary, catalog, and chronology of his life's events, reflecting nearly six decades of personal and artistic growth. Each of the contemporary/abstract pieces are meticulously crafted, starting with an acrylic paint base and then layered with oil paint, oil pastel, ebony pencil, charcoal, oil stick, and 18k gold paint and leaf. The presence of the 18k leaf and an infinity symbol across his artworks serves as his signature, a trademark that distinguishes his work.
Through his unique artistic process and autobiographical expressions, Richard Sperry invites viewers into his intimate world, where every stroke carries the weight of his life's journey and the depth of his artistic vision.” -Circle Foundation for the Arts
"Art, whether abstract or representational, like the night sky, invites us to imagine, participate and create stories. As we view and gaze endlessly, subtle changes in our perception and vision transform what we see, at the speed of light, in our mind's eye."
My work is featured in the international, contemporary, Artist Closeup Magazine, Amsterdam,as well as has received a few honors via the Circle Foundation for the Arts, France, who has also, awarded several pieces, in recent years. My bio and CV are on my website.
Thank you for your consideration,
Richard Sperry
I had sent this out in three emails and MCA responded, later the same day:
Thank you for your email. While we do not accept any unsolicited submissions or donations, our curators are out looking at art and performances constantly around the city, the country, the world, and are looking for works that stand out for their originality and relevance to our current conditions. If you would like to call our attention to a particular exhibition or performer, please feel free to send an exhibition card to the curatorial department:
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
220 E Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
Thank you,
MCA
So now I’ve sent a hard copy and my exibition/business card. From the time I saw the Christina Quarles exhibition 2021-22 I began to entertain and set goals. Then about 6 months ago I set my sights on being an exhibiting artist here MCA. Now then I’m well aware some will think, What an Ego, others perhaps, That boy has Moxy, as for me, well, I simply believe in myself and that all things are possible when you put your mind to it. As for now, so it goes & I wait with baited breath.
Thank for your support and as always your questions & comments are welcome,
Richard
A small selection of figurative artworks over the past 40 years
The life we've created
Freedom of Speech, My Foot 36"x 48" oil on canvas (1989)
. Love's, Lines, Circles, Angles & Rhymes 40”x40” mixed media on canvas (2021)