William Conger: This / That by Bruno David Gallery

W IL L I A M CO N G E R This / That

bruno david gallery

WILLIAM CONGER This / That

May 4 - June 17, 2017 Bruno David Gallery 7513 Forsyth Boulevard Saint Louis, 63105 Missouri, U.S.A. info@brunodavidgallery.com www.brunodavidgallery.com Director: Bruno L. David This catalogue was published in conjunction with the exhibition William Conger: This / That Editor: Bruno L. David Catalog Designer: Yihuang Lu, Peter Finley & Thomas Fruhauf Design Assistant: Claudia R. David Printed in USA All works courtesy of William Conger and Bruno David Gallery Cover image: Solstice I, 2016 (detail) Oil on canvas 24 x 24 in. (60.96 x 60.96 cm)

CONTENTS

CONGERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INTUITION by Jack Heinz AFTERWORD by Bruno L. David CHECKLIST AND IMAGES OF THE EXHIBITION BIOGRAPHY

Congerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Intuition by Jack Heinz 2

I happen to know that William Conger has done some of his work on pleasant summer days while seated on the large, screened porch of a Victorian house in a small town in central Illinois. The porch is ten feet wide and 40 feet long, open on three sides. The breezes pass through. Only a thin screen separated Conger from the birds. Why do I tell you this? Do the circumstances in which the paintings were made matter? Well, they might. The “plein air” tradition suggests that being close to nature is inspiring. But I can also testify that the view from the porch, while quite pleasant, does not closely resemble the shapes, forms, and colors in the paintings – at least not in a literal sense. Did the view and the air influence the work? I think, quite possibly, they did. When I asked him about this, Conger replied that “the nature-soaked immersive environment of the porch aided my working. The porch screens were covered in places by the leafy vines and even then when it rained they protected the space. Of course I could also experience the daily outside life – neighbors, the birds, the breezes.” Conger holds that all art, any assemblage of forms, shapes, colors, has meaning outside itself. It has some referent. The referent for you, however, may be different than what it is for me or for the artist. We have different ways of looking at things – our experiences, acculturation, and values affect the ways in which we see the image. But Conger asserts that we “will never tolerate the sensation of something that represents nothing.” His work is, of course, partly concerned with formal matters – color, line, contrast, textures – but he, in effect, asks us to think about what else the work suggests. The “what” need not be a thing or a place. It might be an emotion, a question, a poem, a moral issue. In some works of art – Picasso’s “Guernica”, or the antiwar paintings of Francisco Goya, Otto Dix, and George Grosz – the artist’s intention is relatively unambiguous. In others, the “meaning” is much more obscure. Is that a liability or a virtue?

I confess that, when I look at Conger’s paintings, I am often puzzled. Perhaps that is a good thing. Puzzlement is an honorable state, a sign that one is thinking. But the lack of clarity may be uncomfortable for the viewer. Did the artist have a clear intent? Do I need to feel guilty if I cannot think of a referent? Am I not permitted merely to luxuriate in the sheer glory of the color, the subtlety of shadings, the elegance of line? Does a warm bath have another meaning? Does it need to? How much clarity should we require or expect in an artist’s intent? If meaning can vary with the viewer, why should it be unambiguous for the artist? Why should he or she not provide for a variety of interpretations, or for puzzlement? For that matter, does the artist “know what it means”? Should he? I served on a committee that was designing a major university building. At one of our meetings, the principal architect, who was the main design partner in a distinguished firm, said that a stairway should be in a particular location. I asked why. He hesitated, and then said, “The stairway wants to be there.” It was intuitive. Many novelists tell us that the characters take on lives of their own. The author hears a character’s voice. “The stairway wants to be there.” William Conger is extraordinarily articulate, both with paint and with the written word. He would, perhaps, have a more fulsome, more reasoned explanation for his choices. But the explanation does not make the artistic choice more or less valid. The architect put the stairway in the right place. I suggest that these choices, inevitably, rely in large part on intuition, on judgment. Some call it talent. Conger’s distinguished body of work speaks for itself. He need not provide explanations. We see the paintings; we enjoy them; we are challenged by them. Sometimes we can find the words to interpret them, sometimes not. Sometimes we are puzzled; so much the better. In any case, we can be grateful for the revelations he continues to give us.

Jack Heinz is the Owen L. Coon Professor Emeritus at Northwestern University School of Law and was formerly the director of the American Bar Foundation. He is the co-author of “Women, Work, and Worship in Lincoln’s Country” (U. of Illinois Press, 2016) and of three books analyzing the social structure of the legal profession. He has written about boxing for “Sports Illustrated”, the farm bloc for “Harper’s Magazine”, and jazz for “The Hudson Review”. This essay is one in a series of the gallery’s exhibitions written by fellow gallery artists and friends.

AFTERWORD by Bruno L. David 6

I am pleased to present an exhibition titled “This / That” by William Conger at the Bruno David Gallery. This is the artist’s first solo exhibition with the gallery. William Conger continues his lifelong investigation of formal non-representational abstraction (This) nuanced by the suggestion of illusionism to evoke an ambiguous welter of private and cultural memories, allusions, feelings, places and events (That). Conger is a Chicago-based artist whose work has been exhibited extensively in museums since 1958. Museum collections include Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL; Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, Michigan State University, East lansing, MI; Mary & Leigh Block Museum, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL; Wichita Art Museum, Wichita, KS; University of New Mexico Art Museum, Jonson Collection, Albuquerque, NM; DePaul University Art Museum, Chicago, IL; Georgia Museum of Art, Athens, The University of Georgia, GA; Tarble Museum, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL; Madsion Museum of Contemporary Art, Madison, WI; Loyola University Art Museum, Chicago, IL. He is professor emeritus of art and theory and practice at Northwestern University. Conger earned a B.F.A. from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NW in 1960 and a M.F.A. from University of Chicago in 1966. Support for the creation of significant new works of art has been the core to the mission and program of the Bruno David Gallery since its founding in 2005. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Jack Heinz for his thoughtful essay. I am deeply grateful to Yihuang Lu, Thomas Fruhauf and Peter Finley who gave much time, talent, and expertise to the production of this catalogue. Invaluable gallery staff support for the exhibition was provided by Cleo Azariadis, Ashley Lee, Charis Schneider, Yihuang Lu, Thomas Fruhauf , Peter Finley, and Viola Bordon.

CHECKLIST & IMAGES OF THE EXHIBITION

Verse, 2014 Oil on canvas 16-1/2 x 16-1/2 inches (41.91 x 41.91 cm) 10

Commuter, 2016 Oil on wood 12 x 12 inches (30.48 x 30.48 cm)

Rotunda, 2016 Oil on canvas 12 x 12 inches (30.48 x 30.48 cm)

Captive, 2013 Oil on wood 12 x 12 inches (30.48 x 30.48 cm)

Jazztown, 2014 Oil on wood 16 x 12 inches (40.64 x 30.48 cm)

Public Space, 2015 Oil on wood 16 x 16 inches (41.91 x 41.91 cm)

Distant Kin, 2015 Oil on wood 14 x 14 inches (35.56 x 35.56 cm)

Savannah, 2016 Oil on canvas 24 x 24 inches (60.96 x 60.96 cm)

Hyde Park, 2014 Oil on wood 16 x 12 inches (40.64 x 30.48 cm)

Siren, 2012 Oil on wood 20 x 16 inches (50.8 x 40.64 cm)

Outside, 2013 Oil on wood 12 x 12 inches (30.48 x 30.48 cm)

September, 2016 Oil on canvas 24 x 24 inches (60.96 x 60.96 cm)

Shadow, 2016 Oil on canvas 28 x 26 inches (71.12 x 66.04 cm)

Solstice I, 2016 Oil on canvas 24 x 24 inches (60.96 x 60.96 cm)

Moon Reach, 2016 Oil on wood 12 x 12 inches (30.48 x 30.48 cm)

Argyle Dawn, 2014 Oil on linen 16 x 16 inches (40.64 x 40.64 cm)

Visitor, 2013 Oil on wood 12 x 12 inches (30.48 x 30.48 cm)

Night View, 2013 Oil on canvas 12 x 16 inches (30.48 x 40.64 cm)

Evening Beach, 2015 Oil on wood 16 x 16 inches (40.64 x 40.64 cm)

Soloist, 2013 Oil on wood 12 x 12 inches (30.48 x 30.48 cm)

Between, 2012 Oil on board 18 x 18 inches (45.72 x 45.72 cm)

Ajax, 2011 Oil on linen and wood 12 x 16 inches (30.48 x 40.64 cm)

Port View, 2013 Oil on canvas 12 inches diameter (30.48 cm)

Night Gate, 2011 Oil on canvas 12 x 16 inches (30.48 x 40.64 cm) 33

William Conger: This / That (Installation view) 34

William Conger: This / That (Installation view) 36

William Conger: This / That (Installation view) 38

William Conger: This / That (Installation view)

WILLIAM CONGER Lives and works in Chicago, Illinois EDUCATION School of The Art Institute of Chicago, 1954; 1956-57 University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI; 1959 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM; 1957-60, B.F.A. University of Chicago, Chicago, IL; 1956-57; 1964-66, M.F.A. ONE-PERSON EXHIBITIONS 2017 2016 2014 2013 2012 2010 2009 2006 2005 2000 1998 1997 1993

Bruno David Gallery, “This/That”, St. Louis, MO, May-June (catalogue) Zolla Lieberman Gallery, Feb. Studio Vendome Gallery, New York, NY Sept-Oct Tarble Museum, Eastern Illinois University, (gouaches) September Printworks Gallery, Chicago, Gouache Paintings/Drawings on Paper, Oct-Nov Zolla Lieberman Gallery, Chicago, “New Paintings”, Jan-Feb Cedarhurst Museum, “Career Overview”, Mt. Vernon IL, Aug- Oct MetCap Bank, Chicago, (paintings) Union League Club of Chicago, 2010 Happy, Los Angeles, 2010 (gouache paintings) Chicago Cultural Center, “1958-2008 Retrospective of Paintings”, 2009 Tree Studios, Chicago May 2006 Tadu Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM, 2005 Walters Art Gallery, Tulsa, OK, 2000 Jonson Museum, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, Aug.-Oct. 1998 University Club of Chicago, 1997 Tarble Art Museum, Eastern Illinois University. Charleston, IL, 1993

1992 1985- 12 1978- 83 1976 1974- 76 1971 1968 1965

Janus Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, 1992 Roy Boyd Gallery, Chicago, IL. 1985, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 Zaks Gallery, Chicago, IL. 1978, 1980, 1983 Krannert Center for The Performing Arts, University of Illinois., Champaign, IL Douglas Kenyon Gallery, Chicago, IL. 1974, 1976 Burpee Art Museum, Rockford, IL Alverno College, Milwaukee, WI George Williams College, Chicago

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2011 2017 2016 2015 2014

Recession Rejuvenations, Bruno David Gallery, St. Louis, MO OVERVIEW_2017”, Bruno david Gallery, St. Louis, MO, July-August (catalogue) “Another Illiad”, Printworks Gallery, Chicago, IL, Feb-Mar. 2016 “Chicago Paints”, Ohio University, Jan. Feb. 2016 “Bursts of Memory”, Bruno David Gallery, St. Louis, MO, April 2016 “Return of The Exquisite Corpse”, Printworks Gallery Chicago Dec. 2015- Jan. 2016 “La Palette”, Artists Palettes, Ed Paschke Art Center, Chicago, Sept-Oct. 2015 “Greatest Hits, 10 Year Anniversary”, LUMA Loyola Univ. Museum of Art, Chicago, Sept-Nov 2015 “OVERVIEW_2015”, Bruno David Gallery, St. Louis, MO. “Hybrid’s Paradise”, Evanston Art Center, Evanston IL, June-July 2015 “AND/OR”, Bruno David Gallery, St. Louis MO, May-June, 2015. (catalogue) “Macrocosm/Microcosm: Abstract Expressionism in The Southwest”, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, University of Oklahoma, Norman OK, Oct-Dec. 2014. “Summer Show,” Printworks Gallery, Chicago, summer 2014 “OVERVIEW_2014”, Bruno David Gallery, St. Louis, MO., May 2014 “Public Art”, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, Feb. 2014 “An Introduction to Drawing on Difference: An Ambition,” Studio Vendrome Gallery, New York, NY, April-May 2014. Catalog

2014 “Untitled”, Bruno David Gallery, St. Louis, MO., September 2014 2013 “Drawing on Habit: An Ambition”, Drawing Invitational, Betsy Writer’s Room, Miami, FL, Dec. 2013. (catalog). With ArtBasel/Miami 2013 “ArtMiami, Zolla Lieberman Gallery”, Chicago, 2012, 2013. ArtExpo/Chicago, Zolla Lieberman Gallery, Chicago, 2013 “Michelle Grabner Retrospective,” Inova Gallery UW- Milwaukee WI. Show included her choice of works by four of her teachers: Conger, Paschke, Solien, Uttech “100th Year Anniversary Exhibition”, RAM Rockford Art Museum, Rockford IL., Aug. Nov. 2013. (catalog) 2012 “Red-White-Blue”, Bruno David Gallery, St Louis, MO. Dec. 2012 “Self Portraits”, Printworks Gallery, Chicago, Dec. 2012. (catalog) “40th Anniversary Exhibition”, Roy Boyd Gallery, Chicago, Sept.-Oct. 2012 “Art on Paper: Prints, Drawings, and Photographs from the Block Museum”, Mary& Leigh Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, summer, 2012 “Re-Chicago”, DePaul University Art Museum, 2011-2012. (catalog) 2011 “ChicagoOdyssey”, Collaboration Exhibition, Printworks Gallery, Chicago, 2011. (catalog) “Cries and Whispers”, Sam Lee Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. May, 2011 2010 “Overpaper”, Bruno David Gallery, St. Louis MO. Winter 2010-11. (catalog) “Bad at Sports Exhibition”, Apex Arts, New York, NY. April, 2010 “Book Covers”, Printworks Gallery, Chicago, Winter, 2010. (catalog) “Ed Paschke’s Contemproaries”, Chicago Artists Coalition, 2010. (catalog) “Modern Masters”, Lubeznik Center For The Arts, IN. Jan. 2010 2008 “Paper Love”, Devening Projects and Editions, Chicago, Summer 2008 “Print show”, East Side Editions, San Francisco, CA, summer 2008 2005 “Abstract Art”, The Illinois State Museum, Travel Show, 2005-06 “81st Members Exhibition”, Arts Club of Chicago, 2005 “25th. Year Anniversary Exhibition”, Block Museum, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 2005 “Bookmarks”, Printworks Gallery, Chicago, 2005-06. (catalog) “Ed Paschke Tribute Exhibition”, Gallery 415, Chicago, 2005. (catalog) 2004 “That 70s Show”, Northern Indiana Arts Association, 2004. (catalog) 2002 “Abstract Truth”, Hinsdale Art Museum, IL, Jan-Feb. 2002 “Large Scale Paintings from the Permanent Collection”, Rockford Art Museum, Rockford IL, Nov-Jan 2002

2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992

“Self Portraits”, Printworks Gallery, Chicago, 2000. (catalog) “Exquisite Corpse Exhibition”, Printworks Gallery, Chicago, 1999. (catalog) “DePaul University Collection”, DePaul University, Chicago, 1999; 2000 “Cows on Parade”, City of Chicago Project and Commission, Chicago, Summer, 1999. (catalog) “Abstraction 98”, Klein Art Works, Chicago, Il., Dec. 1998. (catalog) “Come Slowly, Eden!”, Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, IL.,1998 “Absolut Vision: Chicago”, Roy Boyd Gallery, Chicago, 1998, 1999, 2000 “Vault Series – Birds”, New Bedford Art Museum, New Bedford, MA, 1998. (catalog) “25th Anniversary Exhibition”, Roy Boyd Gallery, Chicago, 1997 “Under The Influence”, Jonson Gallery, Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 1997 “The Promise Benefit”, Vedanta Gallery, Chicago, 1997 “Art in Chicago 1945-95”, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 1996-97. (catalog) “Anniversary Exhibition”, Ukrainian Museum of Modern Art, Chicago, 1996. (catalog) “Four Gallery Artists”, Roy Boyd Gallery, 1997 “Gallery Artists”, Roy Boyd Gallery, 1995-96 “Printmaking in Chicago 1935-1995”, Block Gallery, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 1996. (catalog) “Chicago Abstract Painters”, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, Il. 1995 “Journals and Journeys: Artists’ Workbooks and Journals”, Columbia College, Center for Book and Paper Arts, Chicago, 1994 “Abstract Chicago”, Klein Gallery, Chicago, 1993-94. (catalog) “Gallery Artists”, Imago Gallery, Palm Springs, CA., 1994 “Benefit Exhibition”, Institute For Psychoanalysis, Chicago, 1994 “20th Anniversary Exhibition”, Roy Boyd Gallery, Chicago, 1993 “Benefit Exhibition”, New Art Examiner, Chicago, IL., 1993 “Benefit Exhibition”, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL., 1997, 1995; 1993; 1994 “Benefit Exhibition”, ARC Gallery, Chicaho, 1993 “Eight From Northwestern”, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL., 1992 “New Acquisitions”, College of Lake County, IL., 1992 “Benefit Exhibition”, Artemesia Gallery, Chicago, 1992 “Tee Shirt”, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 1992; 1993 “Gallery Artists”, Roy Boyd Gallery, Chicago, 1992

1992 “Spirited Visions, Portraits of Chicago Artists”, Photographs of Artists by Patty Carroll; artworks by Chicago artists, Illinois Arts Council Travel Exhibition, 1991-93. (catalog) “Benefit Exhibition”, Rockford College Art Museum, Rockford, Il., 1992 1983- 96 “Professional Members Exhibition”, Arts Club of Chicago, 1996, 1993; 1991; 1989;1987, 1985; 1984; 1983. (catalogs) 1991 “Landmarks”, Roy Boyd Gallery, Chicago, 1991 “Seattle Art Fair”, Seattle, WA.., 1993 “Comiskey Park Chairs, Renaissance Society”, University of Chicago, 1991 “Gallery Artists”, Janus Gallery, Santa Fe, NM., 1991 1990 “Northwestern Collects”, Block Gallery, Northwestern University, 1990 “Albuquerque 50s”, University of New Mexico Art Museum, Alb., NM., 1990. (catalog) “Boyd Gallery Artists”, Grand Valley College, MI., 1990 “Chicago Artists”, Lakeview Museum, Peoria, IL., 1990 1989 “Partners in Purchase”, Illinois Arts Council. (Travel Exhibition), 1989 “Illinois State Museum Collection”, Illinois State Museum, Springfield, IL., 1989. (catalog) 1988 “Benefit Exhibition, Renaissance Society”, University of Chicago; Zolla Lieberman Gallery, Chicago, 1988; also 1993 1987 “Auction 1987”, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 1987 “Chicago Abstractionists”, Grae Gallery, St. Louis, MO., 1987 “Artagogo”, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, 1987 1986 “Elegant Abstraction”, Paine Art Center Museum, Oshkosh, WI, 1986 “La Grande Jatte: Seurat and Chicago Art”, Roy Boyd Gallery, Chicago, 1986 “Painting at Northwestern: Conger, Paschke, Valerio”, Block Gallery, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 1986. (catalog) 1985 “Baseball Cards”, Renaissance Society, University. of Chicago, 1985 “Artists of Chicago & Vicinity”, Art Institute of Chicago, 1985; 1984; 1981;1978; 1973; 1971; 1963. (catalogs). “Then and Now”, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, 1985 “Forum Internationale Kunstmesse”, Zurich, Switzerland, 1986; 1985. (catalogs) “Abstract Painting in Chicago”, Roy Boyd Gallery, Chicago; Roy Boyd Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, 1985 1984 “Abstract/Symbol/Image”, Illinois Arts Council (Travel Exhibition), 1984-86. (catalog) “Chicago Cross Section”, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 1984. (catalog) “Artist Call”, Marianne Deson Gallery, Chicago, 1984

1983 “Fans”, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, 1983 “Chicago, Some Other Traditions”, (Travel Exhibition), Madison Art Center, Madison, WI.; Sheldon Mem. Art Gallery, Univ. Nebraska; Mackenzie Art Gallery, Univ. Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; Blaffer Art Gallery, Univ. Houston, TX; Loch Haven Art Center, Orlando, FL; Anchorage Fine Arts Museum, Anchorage, Alaska; Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AK: 1983-86. (catalog) “Chicago Artists: Continuity and Change”, Printer’s Square, Chicago, 1983. (catalog) “Chicago Abstract Painters”, Sonoma St. College, CA, (Travel Exhibition), 1982-83. (catalog) 1982 “9 Abstract Artists”, Ukranian Institute of Modern Art, Chicago, 1982. (catalog) 1981 “Professors of Art in Illinois”, Illinois Bell (Travel Exhibition), 1980-81. (catalog) “Chicago Artists”, Notre Dame University., South Bend, IN, 1981 “Chicago Artists”, Mitchell Museum, Mt. Vernon, IL., 1981. (catalog) “Art Expo”, Chicago, annually since 1981 1980 “Chicago Prospective”, Navy Pier, Chicago, 1980. (catalog) “Art/Work”, Chicago Cultural Center, 1980. (catalog) 1979 “Selections From Permanent Collection”, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, 1979 1978 “30th Illinois Invitational, Illinois State Museum”, Springfield, IL, 1978. (catalog) “6 X 9 Paperworks”, N.A.M.E. Gallery, Chicago, 1978 “The Flower Show”, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, 1978 “The Chicago Connection”, (Travel Exhibition), Crocker Museum, Sacramento, CA.; 1978 Newport Harbor Art Museum, Newport Beach, CA.; Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ.; Brooks Art Gallery, Memphis TN.; University Museum, 1976 University of Rochester, NY: 1976 - 1977. (catalog) “Visions: Painting & Sculpture, Distinguished Alumni 1945 To The Present”, School of The Art Institute of Chicago, 1976. (catalog) “Midwest Painters & Sculptors”, Krannert Museum, Champaign, IL., 1976 “Gallery Artists”, Douglas Kenyon Gallery, Chicago, 1976. (catalog) “Abstract Art in Chicago”, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 1976. (catalog) 1975 “11-75: Chicago Artists”, Bergman Gallery, University of Chicago, 1975 “Three Chicago Artists”, Midway Studios, University of Chicago, 1975 1974 “The Chicago Style”, Painting, University of Chicago, 1974

1974 1973 1972 1971 1960 1959

“Gallery Artists”, Douglas Kenyon Gallery, Chicago, 1974 “Illinois Painters II”, Illinois Arts Council (Travel Exhibition), 1971-73. (catalog) “Beloit Annual”, Wright Art Center, Beloit College, WI., 1972. (catalog) “12th Midwest Biennial”, Joslyn Museum, Omaha, NE., 1972. (catalog) “Five Chicago Artists”, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1971 “14 Albuquerque Painters”, Great Jones Gallery, NewYork, NY, 1960 “Southwest Biennial”, Santa Fe, NM., 1960 “New Mexico Biennial”, Santa Fe, NM., 1959

SELECTED COLLECTIONS Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL. Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, Michigan State University, East lansing, MI. Mary & Leigh Block Museum, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. Wichita Art Museum, Wichita, KS. University of New Mexico Art Museum, Jonson Collection, Albuquerque, NM. DePaul University Art Museum, Chicago, IL. Georgia Museum of Art, Athens, The Unisersity of Gergia, GA. Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL. Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL. Smart Museum, University of Chicago. College of Lake County, IL. Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, IL. Bucknell University, Samek Art Gallery, Lewisburg, PA. Art Museum of West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV. Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA. Brauer Museum, Valparaiso University, Valpairaiso, IN. Loyola University Art Museum, Chicago, IL. Tarble Museum, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston IL

Purdue University, Northwest Art Collection, West Lafayette, IN. Madsion Museum of Contemporary Art, Madison, WI. Illnois State Museum, Springfield, IL. Mitchell Museum, Mt Vernon, IL. Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, IL. Chicago Public Library, Edgewater Branch, Chicago, IL. McCormick Place, Chicago, IL. City of Chicago, Public Art Collection, Chicago, IL. AT&T, New York, NY. First National Bank of Chicago, London, England. Main Bank, Chicago, IL. NBD Marina Bank, Chicago, IL. Kemper Group, Long Grove, IL. Water Tower Bank, Chicago, IL. Needham-Harper Worldwide, Chicago, IL. Rock Valley College, Rockford, IL. North Park College, Chicago, IL. Exxon Corp., New York, NY. State of Illinois, Chicago, IL. Union League Club of Chicago, IL. IBM Corp. Atlanta, GA. Quaker Oats Company, Chicago, IL. Readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Digest Collection, New York, NY. Richland Community College, Decatur, IL. Mackinsey & Company, Chicago, IL.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Adrian, Dennis, The Chicago Style, Painting, catalog essay, University of Chicago, 1974. Visions: Painting & Sculpture, Distinguished Alumni 1945 To The Present, catalog essay, School of The Art Institute of Chicago, 1976. Chicago, Other Traditions, catalog essay, Madison Art Center, Wi., 1983. Painting at Northwestern, catalog essay, Block Gallery, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 1986. “Painting in Chicago,” New Art Examiner, Dec., 1987, pp. 26-29. Private Treasures, Public Spirit,” Art In Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 1996-97. Catalog essay, p. 78; Biography, pp. 247-248. Artner, Alan, “William Conger,” Chicago Tribune, Dec. 21, 1975. “A Play of Power,” Chicago Tribune, Feb. 29, 1976. “William Conger,” Chicago Tribune, April 21, 1978, sec. 3, p. 10. “Art Institute’s Works on Paper,” Chicago Tribune, Sept. 8, 1978. “William Conger,” Chicago Tribune, May 16, 1980. “Lakeside Exhibit,” Chicago Tribune, June 13, 1980. “William Conger,” Chicago Tribune, Feb. 25, 1983, sec. 3, p. 16. “Chicago Artists,” Chicago Tribune, May 20, 1983, sec.. 3, p. 12. “Hyde Park...,” Chicago Tribune, Oct. 21, 1983. “Artists of Chicago & Vicinity,” Chicago Tribune, Mar. 11, 1984. “Hyde Park Exhibit,” Chicago Tribune, Sept. 28, 1984. “William Conger,” Chicago Tribune, July 5, 1985, sec. 7, p. 45. “Gallery Notes,” Chicago Tribune, July 4, 1985, sec. 5, p. 10c. “Show Celebrates New Era At Northwestern,” Chicago Tribune, Jan. 31, 1986, sec. 7, pp. 46-47. “Terra Incognita,” Chicago Tribune, Sept. 13, 1987, sec. 13, pp. 10-11. “William Conger,” Chicago Tribune, Sept. 14, 1990, sec. 7, p. 68. “Show and Sell,” Chicago Tribune, Sept. 11, 1992, sec. 7, pp 36-37. “William Conger, Chicago Tribune, Nov. 3, 1994, Tempo Section. “Conger’s Works Are Full of Power,” Chicago Tribune, March 13, 1997, Tempo Section, p.2. “High Flying Circus,” Chicago Tribune, Feb. 4, 1999. sec. 5, p.2.

Auer, J., Bacon, S. Barry, E., Behrens, T., Bonesteel, M., Born, Kathryn, Brooke-Schliefer, Kristin, Burleigh, R., Burstein, J., Campbell, L., Camper, F., Carroll, P., Cassidy, V., Cox, W., Chung, N., Cubbage, G., DeBartolo, A., DeKooning, E., Gedo, Mary,

“William Conger keeps it fresh,” Chicago Tribune, March 23, 2001, Section C, p.32. “William Conger,” Chicago Tribune, Sept. 17, 2004. Art Expo score card, Chicago Tribune, April 29, 2005. Art in Abstract, Chicago Tribune, Aug. 18, 2005. “William Conger,” Chicago Tribune, On The Town, Feb. 23, 2007 “Interview With William Conger,” Chicago Tribune, Jan. 30, 2009. “Northwestern Trio Show...,” Milwaukee Journal, Feb. 23, 1986. “Chicago Abstraction,” Grey City Journal, Oct. 5, 1984. “An Extended Exhibit for Illinois Artists,” Chicago Tribune, Sept. 21, 1971. “Abstract,” The Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA.., Feb. 27, 1983. “William Conger,” Art in America, Nov. 1985, pp, 169-71. “Giving Art to Evanston,” Pioneer Press, May 21, 1992, p. D7. “William Conger,” Time Out Chicago, Feb. 12-18, 2009, p. 55. “William Conger,” ArtNews, December, 2000, p. 163. “Nine Abstract Artists,” New Art Examiner, Summer, 1982. “Chicago Abstractionists,” ArtWeek, Los Angeles, Ca., Nov., 1982. “Reviews,” Art News, Feb., 1960, p. 18. “William Conger: Circus Paintings,” Chicago Reader, Jan. 29, 1999. p. 30-31. “William Conger,” Chicago Reader, Sept. 24, 2004. “Inner Canvas - Chicago Artists,” Chicago Tribune Magazine, Sept. 22, 1991, pp. 13-18. Chicago Art Critics panel discussion re William Conger, Oct. 2004. The Chicago Connection, catalog essay, Crocker Museum, Sacramento, Ca., 1976. “William Conger,” Arts Chicago, Feb. 1986, pp. 14-15 “Retrospective Brings Professor and His Paintings Together Again,” Northwestern Magazine, Winter, 2008. p. 9. “Women’s Co-op...,” Chicago Tribune, Aug. 16, 1992, sec. 5, p. 5. “Albuquerque Artists,” New Mexico Quarterly, V. 30, no 1, 1960 “The Secret Idol...,” Arts Magazine, Dec. 1981, pp. 116-24. “The Adrian Collection,” Arts Magazine, April, 1982, p. 9.

“Abstraction As Metaphor: The Evocative Imagery of William Conger, Richard Loving, Frank Piatek, Miyoko Ito”, Arts Magazine, 1982, pp. 112-117. “Interconnections: A Study of Chicago Style Relationships in Painting,” Arts Magazine, Sept. 1983, pp. 92-97. “DataBank Interview,” School of The Art Institute of Chicago, 1985. “William Conger,” Painting At Northwestern, catalog essay, Block Gallery, Northwestern University, 1986. “The Meaning of Artistic Form and The Promise of The Psychoanalytic ,Method,” Art Criticism, edited by Donald Kuspit, SUNY V. 2, no. 3, pp 1-16. “The Grande Jatte as The Icon of a New Religion: A Psycho-Iconographic Interpretation,” Museum Studies, The Art Institute of Chicago, V. 14, no. 2, notes, p. 249. Glatt, C., “Abstract Art at Hyde Park Art Center,” The Herald, Chicago, Oct. 3, 1984, p. 34. “A Look Back...,” The Herald, Chicago, April 17, 1984, p. 30. Glibota, A. “Chicago,” Ciamise, Paris, France, 1981, No. 152, p. 23. Goddu, Jenn., Bookplates, at Printworks, Chicago Tribune, Dec. 30, 2005. Guthrie, Derek, “Bergman Gallery Exhibit,” New Art Examiner, April, 1975. “William Conger,” New Art Examiner, Feb., 1976, p. 13. Hanson, Henry, “Spectator Sport,” Chicago Magazine, Aug. 1985, pp. 94-96. “NU Professors at Block Gallery,” Chicago Magazine, Feb., 1986, pp. 92;94. “ArtWorks,” Chicago Magazine, Feb. 1990, p. 22. “Galleries,” Chicago Magazine, Dec. 1992, p. 35. Hawkins, M., “17 Chicago Artists,” Chicago Sun-Times, Aug. 11, 1985, p. 21. “Challenging Popular Perceptions, Chicago Sun-Times, Sept. 22, 2000, p. 52. “William Conger,” Chicago Sun-Times, October, 2004. Haydon, Harold “William Conger,” Chicago Sun-Times, Jan. 20, 1974. “William Conger,” Chicago Sun-Times, Dec. 21, 1975. “A Wealth of Abstract Art In Chicago,” Chicago Sun-Times, Feb. 29, 1976. “William Conger,” Chicago Sun-Times, May 23, 1980, sec. 3, p. 3. “William Conger,” Chicago Sun-Times, March 11, 1983. Heinz, Jack , “Conger’s Intuition,” Bruno David Publication, Catalogue essay, June 2017 Henry, A., “Auctions,” Chicago Sun-Times, June 28, 1985, p. 84. Holg, Garrett, “William Conger at Roy Boyd,” ArtNews, Jan. 1995, p. 169.

Klawans, H. Klein, P., Krantz, L., Kuspit, D., Leroux, Charles, Link, J., Lyon, C., McCracken, David, McMahon, J., Miller, C., Mullhaney, Tom, Morgan, A., Moser, Charlotte, Morrison, C.L., Nance, Kevin,

“The Collector,” Life, Death, and In Between, Paragon Press, N.Y.C., 1992., P. 81. “A Museum in The Making”, Chicago Life: The New York Times, Fall, 2005. Art at McCormick Place Chicago (book featuring commissioned art), 2008. American Artists, The Krantz Co., Chicago, 1984. Chicago Art Review, The Krantz Co., Chicago, 1989., p. 126. “The ‘Madness ‘ of Art In Chicago,” New Art Examiner, May, 1986, pp. 22-27. “Always Abstractly True to Himself: William Conger’s Paintings,” catalog essay, 2009. The Lakefront, Chicago Tribune, Aug. 22, 2005. “Art Press Review,” New Art Examiner, Nov., 1985, pp. 14-16. “Abstract Painting at Hyde Park Art Center,” Chicago Sun-Times, Oct. 5, 1984. “Coming In From The Cold,” Chicago Magazine, May 1984, pp. 156-169; 196-198. “The Nation,” ArtNews, Dec. 1984, pp. 131-134. “What Chicago Dealers Are Showing...,” Chicago Sun-Times, May 5, 1985, p. 6. “Gallery Scene,” Chicago Tribune, Aug. 14, 1992, sec. 7, p. 60. “Gallery Scene,” Chicago Tribune, Aug. 19, 1992, sec. 7, p.54. “Conger’s Lake Michigan...,” Chicago Tribune, Dec. 4, 1992, sec. 7, p. 84 The Ninth Man Out – Nelson Algren Turns 100”, NewCity, April 2, 2009, p. 4. “Portrait of The Artist – William Conger”, New City, Feb. 12, 2009. “William Conger & Vera Klement” review, New City, Feb 7, 2013. “Union League Club Turns 125”, Chicago Tribune, May 18, 2011. “9 Abstract Artists,” New Art Examiner, Summer, 1983, p. 18. Abstract/Symbol/Image, catalog essay, Illinois Arts Council, Travel Exhibition, 1984. “Regional Revisions, Houston & Chicago,” Art in America, July, 1985, pp. 90-99. “William Conger,” ArtNews, Sept., 1985, pp. 119-120. “William Conger,” ArtForum, March, 1976, p. 73. “Chicago,” Art Forum, Feb., 1977, p. 73. “William Conger,” ArtForum, Summer, 1978, p. 79. A New Museum for Chicago Art, Chicago Sun-Times, Dec. 1, 2005. “William Conger” Chicago Sun-Times, Showcase, Feb 27, 2007 “William Conger, Chaotic and Serene”, Chicago Sun-Times, Feb. 27, 2007,

Newman, M.W., Ostrow, Saul, Palmer, R., Patner, A., Popson, T., Propokoff, Steven, R.E.K., Schulze, Franz, Silverman, L., Soluri, T., Slaughter, A.M., Smith, E.L., Spector, J., Storch, C., Taylor, Sue, Villani, J., Varnell, P., Volk, Carol,

“William Conger at Roy Boyd Gallery”, Art in America, Dec. 2007, p. 164. “William Conger at Printworks Gallery”, Exhibition Announcement essay, 2013. “Artists in Their Studios,” Chicago Gallery News, May-August 2014, p. 22. “Lampoon Draws Harpoons,” Chicago Sun-Times, May 15, 1988, p. 3. “William Conger’s Metaphysics,” catalog essay, Vendome Gallery, NYC, 2014. “Museum’s Exhibit Features Chicago Painter,” Mt. Vernon Sentinel, (IL) Aug. 13, 2012. “Select Galleries in Global Showcase,” Chicago Sun-Times, May 8, 1998, Arts Guide, p. 21. “And Now, A Completely Different Sort of Baseball Card...,” Chicago Tribune, July 26, 1985, sec. 7 p. H. Abstract Art In Chicago, catalog essays, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago & Morrison, C.L.,1976. “Peer Review – William Conger”, University of Chicago Magazine, Jan-Feb. 2009, pp46-48. “Chi-Art Shows Its Formal Side,” Chicago Daily News, 1974. “Bergman Gallery, Chicago Daily News, April 20, 1975. “The Harried Who...,” Chicago Sun-Times, March 13, 1976, p. 10. “Chicago, Nothing But Abstract,” ArtNews, Summer, 1976, pp. 154-157. “William Conger,” Chicago Sun-Times, April 7, 1978, p. 76.. “Chicago,” ArtNews, Feb., 1979, pp. 40-45. “Hyde Park Fans Show,” Chicago Sun-Times, Oct. 9, 1983. “William Conger,”, Chicago Cultural Center Exhibition Brochure, 2009. “Artists by Number,” Chicago Magazine, May, 1984, pp. 170-173. “Reflections On A Decade,” Dialogue, An Art Journal, Sept.-Oct., 1988, p. 22. American Art Now, Phaidon Press, 1985, pp. 128-29. “The State of Psychoanalytic Research in Art History,” Interview re MCA and Art Institute addition, Chicago Tribune, June 19, 2005. The Art Bulletin, March, 1988, p. 75. “Abstract/Symbol/Image,” New Art Examiner, Dec., 1984, pp. 55-56. “Galleries...,” Chicago Sun-Times, Dec. 29, 1985, p. 16;22. “Shaping Images For The Video Age,” Chicago Sun-Times, Feb. 24, 1986, p. 46. “William Conger,” Santa Fe New Mexican, April 3, 1992. “Conger’s Chicago Abstractions”, Chicago Free Press, Feb. 26, 2009, p. 25. “Openings,” Arts & Antiques, April, 1992, p. 23.

Wainright, L., Walch, P. & Wilson, M.L., Wislon, W., Weins, A., Wirth, Steven, Yood, James,

“A Telling Surface,” catalog essay, Sazama Gallery, Chicago, 1991. Albuquerque 50s catalog essays, University of New Mexico Art Museum, Albuquerque, NM, Sept., 1989. “Chicago Connection,” Los Angeles Times, Feb. 20, 1977, p. 78. “Galleries,” Chicago Collection, Winter, 2008, pp. 49-54. “Canvassing Chicago – William Conger”, Chicago Magazine, Jan. 2009, p. 196. “Portrait of The Artist William Conger,” NewCity, Mar. 15, 2007, p. 15. “Imagism - Chicago,” New Art Examiner, May 1984, pp. 8-9. “William Conger,” New Art Examiner, Oct., 1985, p. 57. “Midwestern Art,” Arts & Antiques, Nov., 1988, pp. 50-52. “William Conger,” text in Spirited Visions: Portraits of Chicago Artists, by Patty Carroll, Univ. Illinois Press, 1991. Second Sight: Printmaking in Chicago 1935-1995, Block Gallery, Northwestern University, 1996; catalog essay. p. 78 “Eight From Northwestern,” brochure essay, Evanston Art Center, 1992.

ONLINE SELECTED REVIEWS Golden, Deven, Karabenick, J., Cassidy, Victor, Polanski, G. Jurek, Davis-King, J.B., Klein, P.,

“Beyond Image: William Conger of Chicago”, ArtCritical, Oct. 21, 2014. geoform.net (interview), 2007. “William Conger’s Summer of Paper,” www.artnet.com. (3-4-98) “William Conger: 2000 Collages,” wwwArtScope.net (3-28-01) “Reflections: Artists –William Conger”, Helium, 2009. “William Conger,” ArtLetter, (2-16-07) “William Conger,” ArtLetter, (11-16-09) “William Conger” ArtLetter, (10-28-10).

PUBLIHED WRITING “The M.F.A: Filling The Gap Between Seeing and Saying,” Artists/Alumni, Exhibition Catalogue, Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University, July, 2001, pp. 23-31. “Reflections,” Dialogue, Winter, 1999. “Response to Thierry de Duve, Critical Inquiry (Vol. 26, No. 1), Perspectival Diagram, Manet’s Bar at the Folies Bergere, Critical Inquiry, Autumn, 1998, Vol. 25, No. 1. pp 143-144. Diagrams and discussion of perspective in Edouard Manet’s Bar At The Folies Bergere; related material. In Gedo, Mary, Looking At Art From The Inside Out, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge and NY, 1994. pp. 25, 31, 37-39; 53-55. “Reginald Marsh,” catalog introduction, Douglas Kenyon Gallery, Chicago, 1982. “A Letter,” New Art Examiner, June, 1982, p. 2. “Artist’s Statement,” Abstract/Symbol/Image catalog, Illinois Arts Council, 1984. “A Review of Louise Nevelson: Iconography and Sources,by Laurie Wilson, Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Art, The Analytic Press, edited by M. Gedo, V. 1, no. 1, pp. 317-322. “The Journal of Eugene Delacroix,” Psychoanalytic Studies of Biography, International Universities Press, 1987, pp.375-381; 403-404. “Dreaming in New York and Chicago,” Chicago Art Write, No. 1, June, 1986. “On Drawing,” Whitewalls, #3, Spring, 1986, pp. 32-34. “Abstract Painting” Fact, Fiction, Paradox,” Chicago Art Write, No. 2, August, 1987. “Art Limits,” Chicago Art Write, No. 4, June, 1989. “Toward a New Revolutionary Art, Again”, Pulse, Vol. I No. 1, 2008 (October). “Co-author of Chapter 5, with Mary M. Gedo, Monet and His Muse, Univ. Chicago Press, 2010. “ Abstract Painting and Integrationist Linguistics”, Linguistic Sciences, Vol. 23, Issue 4, July 2011. “An Assessment”, in What Do Artists Know (Stone Theory Institute Symposium), edited by James Elkins, Univ. Penn Press, 2013, p 135 ff. “Kiosk”, catalog essay for exhibition of new work by Dan Devening, Tarble Museum, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston IL, Jan. 2014.

AWARDS AND BIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCE New American Paintings No. 125, 2016 Illinois Arts Council Grant, 2009, 2012 Elected “DistinguishedArtist” Union League Club of Chicago, 2011. Pollock-Krasner Grant, 2011. Honors, School of Art Institute of Chicago, 1957. Scholarship Awards, painting, Univ. New Mexico, 1958, 1959, 1960. Phi Sigma Tau, National Honorary in Philosophy, Univ New Mexico, 1960. Graduate Fellowship, Univ. Chicago, 1965, 1966. Francis Friedman Prize for Painting, Univ. Chicago, 1965, 1966. Bartels Prize for Painting, Art Institute of Chicago, 1971. Cluseman Prize for Painting, Art Institute of Chicago, 1973. Faculty Research Grant, DePaul Univ., 1982. Illinois Academy of Fine Arts, finalist nominee as educator, 1992. City of Chicago Public Art Commission, 2001-02; 2014. TEACHING Professor, Art Theory and Practice, Northwestern University, 1985-2006. Professor Emeritus, Northwestern University, 2006. Assistant to full professor, DePaul University, Chicago, 1971-85. Assistant Professor, Rock Valley College, Rockford, IL, 1966-71.

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ARTISTS Laura Beard Heather Bennett Lisa K. Blatt Michael Byron Bunny Burson Judy Child Carmon Colangelo William Conger Alex Couwenberg Jill Downen Yvette Drury Dubinsky Damon Freed Douglass Freed Ellen Jantzen

Michael Jantzen Kelley Johnson Howard Jones (Estate) Chris Kahler Xizi Liu Kahlil Irving Bill Kohn (Estate) Leslie Laskey Yvonne Osei Patricia Olynyk Gary Passanise Judy Pfaff

Charles P. Reay Daniel Raedeke Tom Reed Frank Schwaiger Charles Schwall Christina Shmigel Thomas Sleet Shane Simmons Buzz Spector Cindy Tower Ann Wimsatt Monika Wulfers