Never a Lovely So Real: Photography and Film in Chicago, 1950–1980 runs until October 28, 2018 at the Art Institute of Chicago. For more information, visit http://www.artic.edu
© Danny Lyon / Magnum Photos, courtesy Gavin Brown’s Enterprise
Danny Lyon, "Uptown, Chicago," 1965. The Art Institute of Chicago. Gift of Mr. Danny Lyon.
Chicago's unique culture and history, as seen through the eyes of its residents, is on view in a striking new photography exhibit opening at the Art Institute of Chicago on May 12. In his 1951 book "Chicago: City on the Make," Nelson Algren offered bittersweet praise for the city: “Like loving a woman with a broken nose, you may well find lovelier lovelies. But never a lovely so real.” Capturing the distinctive flavor of diverse Chicago neighborhoods during a time of intense social and political change, Never a Lovely So Real: Photography and Film in Chicago, 1950–1980 showcases the work of a number of street photographers, many of whom focused on Chicago’s South Side during the emergence of the city’s Black Arts Movement. These intimate, unflinching portraits document the cultural hallmarks of neighborhoods that were often rigorously segregated from each other. Together, these photographers celebrate the complicated diversity of Chicago’s rich cultural heritage.
