FEATURED ARTISTS

Sex + Art = TULIP

TULIP is not only a revolutionary sex toy shop, but also a cutting -edge art gallery. 

TULIP is committed to showcasing Chicago's most talented, up and coming artists' work through gallery openings.  What better atmosphere to shop for luxe sex toys and accessories than an art gallery?  What better atmosphere to shop for art than a space committed to the diverse pleasures, desires, and ways of being in the world that Tulip represents, a world that serves as inspiration for many artists?

January Through April, Lenny Gilmore's art will be on Display at Tulip's Wicker Park Location

Artist statement and sample images coming soon! Until then, please feel free to check out his projects by visiting his website: lennygilmore.com.

The first thing I photographed was my own nude body and its contorted, bare, fleshy skin. I am drawn to the limits within abstraction and beauty. Most of my work seeks to expose small details, not as a whole or representing what they come from, but just those specific details as the center of attention.
 
Lighting techniques and composition play a major role in my work.  I am exploring the skin's fine texture and using it to create abstractions with faint surface referents that bring the viewer back to the body.

I am also exploring the line in relation to the body. How the body can be contorted, bent, and placed so that it creates an interesting linear composition. A line that might tell a story about what our bodies have been through.
 
Dark shadows also work their way into my images. Shadows that engulf, mask, and mystify. Shadows that create lines too; lines that form something else. In my work, shadow helps create more dramatic compositions, isolating certain details that are sometimes so subtle they can be missed if you don't look close enough.
 
I am constantly brought back to the human body, whether female or male. There is something that always attracts me. Our bodies are just a portal. We use them to transmit information, to do things and interact with the world. I find it very interesting that our bodies are what we identify ourselves with. We are obsessed with the way we look. I find it very interesting to connect our understanding of the world to our understanding of our ourselves through our bodies. We identify ourselves by how we look and then compare ourselves to others.

Sara Stubblefield

                                        Sample Photographs

                               More to see at the Actual Location