"Art that Works for a Living" Illustrations by Thomas Gianni

January 8 - 30, 2018

Presentation by the artist and reception: Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at 3:30 p.m.
Please Note: The SXU Gallery will be closed Monday, January 15.

Thomas Gianni is the official courtroom sketch artist for WGN-TV, CNN, NBC, WTTW, and Chicago Tonight, having covered the Rod Blagojevich trial, Michael Jordan vs. Safeway, and the Jennifer Hudson family murder trial. His illustration expertise also includes book covers for Random House and the Robert E. Howard Foundation, cover art for Moonstone Comics and the Harry Potter Collectable Card Game. A mural he painted resides in the Children's Literature Room of the Eisenhower Public Library.
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Mr. Gianni describes himself as "a working artist. The work I do is known as illustration. The origin of the word 'Illustration' comes from Latin meaning to illuminate, to shed light upon, to make something clear. Illustration is a way to illuminate through imagery. It is visual story telling. The prehistoric cave paintings of Lascaux and such like places are illustrations. To this day those primitive yet sublime images painted by some ancient hand continue to illuminate, to tell us stories of primordial existence. The stained glass windows in the great cathedrals of Europe tell stories from the Bible, not for the glory of God, but for the edification of Humankind. Michelangelo did the same with the Sistine Ceiling. Rembrandt was a story teller, as was Van Gogh and Norman Rockwell. That is quite a lineage. I consider my self to be in mighty good company for I too, tell stories. My illustration is my art, my work, my life."

SXU Art Gallery
L-114 of the Warde Academic Center
3700 W. 103rd Street 
Chicago, IL 60655

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