On November 20th, Packer Schopf Gallery presents an important artistic and social event to cap off Chicago's fall art season.  Ann Ponce and Maria Ponce collaborate for ON TV, OFF TV, two intertwined yet distinct solo shows.

These two artists explore the identities of television anchors, reporters, and journalists, mostly after the cameras have been turned off. The paired bodies of work challenge the roles we create for these celebrities and news personalities.

Ann Ponce is Chicago's preeminent contemporary portrait painter. In one of the show's signature pieces, Ponce appropriates John Singer Sargent's infamous portrait of Madame X (Madame Gautreau 1859-1915).  Ponce parallels this idea of "the x factor"...and chooses as her model, the NBC TV personality and journalist Ana Davlantes.  With a stark X hovering in the background, Ponce does a contemporary version of this classic work... and adds what is now an obsolete tiny portable television for humorous effect. 

Maria Ponce follows in her mother's artistic footsteps, except she carries a camera.  Photography critic Michael Weinstein described her as " the coolest, toughest, photographic portraitist in Chicago - or maybe on the planet."  She is currently working on shooting the 9 newest dancers of the Joffrey Ballet for their newest ad campaign.

For ON TV, OFF TV, Maria captures her subjects, in their own "decisive moment".  She loves the challenge of shooting someone who is not used to having his or her picture taken.  Ironically, many of the reporters were surprisingly nervous about having a still frame taken of them.  Working in black and white with a diptych format (two images in one photo split screen), creates just the right amount of animation ... and also up-ends the television reference, as we usually see these subjects in color.

Maria directly pays tribute to the television dynasty she is a part of...by virtue of her medium. Her father is Phil Ponce (host of WTTW's Chicago Tonight), and both of her brothers, Dan and Anthony are TV reporters (ABC and NBC).

Linda Yu, Mark Suppelsa, Warner Saunders, Alison Rosati, Kathy Brock, and Carol Marin, are just a few of the names we will drop.... who are subjects in the exhibition.