Paul Cordes Wilm

Paul Cordes Wilm mixed media painting

With a name like Paul Cordes Wilm, one might assume this southern gentleman was among the ranks of British royalty. His name, however, is just part of the greatness-that-is Paul, a 30 something from Birmingham Alabama. We met Paul at the Magic City Art Fair last year, and it's been a real pleasure to actually get a chance to converse with him while he's in town for a show tonight at Clothes Optional.

Paul is the kind of guy who has a sharp, yet relaxed wit, the kind that carries the venom of a rattlesnake but goes down warm like a swig of bourbon. He told me about his policy on guests: “I usually make everyone wear a wig when they come over to my place to play board games. It removes the possibility of anyone taking themselves too seriously.” It's this kind of attitude that shows through clearly in his work. From his series Business Beasts, a snake-headed, apron wearing Medusa slaves over a mixing bowl while reading a book on beauty.

His artwork has been described as Folk–Pop, leaning more to the latter; his pieces on wood panel with collaged imagery pulled from 1950’s magazines and comics, and brilliant hues of Superman blues and reds. The characters taking center stage in his works are sometimes animal-headed, sometimes faceless, but always surrounded by caffeinated colors or bold verbiage. His most recent work throws a pie at the face of current politics, with bear headed candidates asking for voter's attention. My absolute favorites are his smaller interactive works, featuring a woman's face, with hooks screwed into her earlobes. “Those are for hanging your keys on, and then she looks like she's wearing earrings,” says Wilm.

If you are in Chicago tonight, stop by and snag a few of his extremely affordable ($15-$150) pieces before they sell out (his last show did). With Valentine’s Day swiftly approaching, this is your chance to grab a few gifts for co-workers and/or secret lovers. It's also a chance to get some free beer and to stock up on Clothes Optional's wide selection of vintage garb (everything is 50% off tonight). The show opens at 9pm and goes til midnight. The address again: 2918 N. Clark Street.

For those of you who don't happen to live anywhere near Chicago, you can still catch Paul's work online and, if you happen to be on the left coast, you can check out Paul's work in person at the infamous Garde Rail Gallery in Seattle.