Allston Skirt Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of an exhibition of new work by painter Laura Chasman, whose gouache portraits of her friends, family and neighbors - and in this show, herself, as well -- capture a range of personalities and appearances that are unmistakably contemporary, yet at the same time reveal something timeless about the human face and figure. Chasman, who was awarded the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s prestigious Maud Morgan Prize in 2001, calls her striking portraits “a visual journal of my life.” For the past five years, she has focused her artistic attention on preteens and teenagers; young people who are the contemporaries of her adolescent son. Her straightforward depictions of their fresh faces, expressive body language and contemporary clothing offer a poignant view on the transformation from childhood to the teenage years, when self-image, fashion sense, and comfort in our own skins and bodies can change from moment to moment. Chasman’s unique work seeks to present real moments, true to her subjects, and true to her own vision as an artist. The portraits appear direct and straightforward, but offer great complexity.

In this show, Chasman presents her most recent work, a series of young people in tee-shirts. In her words, “There have been few exceptions. Almost all of the kids that I have come in contact with were wearing tee-shirts embellished with words and/or images. We have become walking billboards, and I began focusing in. This cultural phenomena transcends all age groups. (In this respect, there are two portraits of ‘ older’ people in this show -- my husband, John Anderson, and a self-portrait.) What initially repelled me, now intrigues and delights me.”

In the Mini Skirt this month, Allston Skirt Gallery presents “A Social Event Archive”, a project by Milwaukee, Wisconsin based artist Paul Druecke. Druecke began this project in 1997 after seeing a particularly sad photo of himself isolated from an upbeat group of friends. This experience caused him to consider the wealth of moments captured in the ubiquitous informal snapshot, and to ask himself: “What stories do these photos, harbored in bottom drawers and shoe boxes, have to tell? What information within them is veiled by their commonness? What impact would removing these photos from their intended personal world into a public, commingled presentation have on their ability to communicate?”

These questions led Druecke to begin going door to door throughout Milwaukee in a quest for informal snapshots, inviting whomever answered their door to contribute a photo to the project. After visiting hundreds of houses, he reports that the collection was 15 photos strong. A flier campaign followed, producing another 12 photos or so. Meanwhile, Druecke enlisted family and friends to both contribute a photo, and pass along the invitation to participate to their friends and family. Slowly, the process has extended beyond an immediate sphere of influence, reaching other countries and cultures. The Archive now holds approximately 600 photographs in its collection, and visitors in Boston are enthusiastically invited to contribute their own photos to the group -- one per contributor, please.