Opening Reception: Saturday 29-Jun 6:00 PM 9:00 PM

Alan Sue

Born 1949, Chicago, Illinois

Alan Sue received his Bachelors of Science / Photography in 1974 from Southern Illinois University and his Masters of Fine Arts / Photography from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1981.  He has received awards in photojournalism and was the recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and three Illinois Arts Council Fellowships.  Alan's work has been published in many regional and national publications.  Since 1980 he has participated in solo and group exhibitions.  Sue’s extraordinary ability to capture profound moments in remarkable places, coupled with meticulous craftsmanship place him among the best photographers of his generation.

ALAN SUE: WATER WIND SAND ICE

This series from master photographer Alan Sue (1976 – ongoing) includes documentation of water, sand, and ice around the beaches of Lake Michigan on Chicago’s north shore. These images depict the ephemeral constructions that are created from simple elements. The images blur the line between monumentality and intimacy and are at once both familiar and exotic. Long exposures allow time to manifest as tangible elements in his compositions.

It is worth considering Alan’s process and images in relation to the historic traditions of Literati Artists working in China and Japan from the 9th through the 17th centuries.  During this period, scholarly painters and poets wandered through the landscape, contemplating nature and seeking an integrated and enlightened personal vision - embodied by nature but originating in metaphysical concerns.  

Rare Nest is proud to offer to the public for the first-time signed, archival, pigment prints from digital images of the Water Wind Sand Ice series.