Antique Restoration Shop "Recherche"

Evanston Gets "Dangerously Close"

Eight "Green" Resolutions for 2006

Evanston Gets "Dangerously Close"
By Kathleen Ratteree

"I became interested in photography when I was eighteen," recalls Evanston photographer Greg Slocum, whose exhibit, "Dangerously Close: Intimate Portraits of Vanishing Creatures," is currently on display at Café Ambrosia in downtown Evanston.

Greg Slocum's photographs of endangered animals are  on display at Café Ambrosia, 1620 Orrington Ave.

"My father had an Argus C3, which was a model that was popular after World War II. It was a cheap camera and not a particularly great one, but when my dad explained how it worked, that was it," Mr. Slocum told the RoundTable. Mr. Slocum has been behind the lens ever since, graduating from the Ray-Vogue School of Photography (formerly in Chicago) and photographing a wide array of subjects, from Indy cars to architecture.

Although Mr. Slocum has been a devoted photographer for many years, he only began photographing animals fairly recently. "I visited the Brookfield Zoo about 10 years ago, got some shots that I liked, and decided to do this," he said.

Mr. Slocum went on to photograph animals at the Toronto, Milwaukee, Seattle, Indianapolis, Brookfield and Lincoln Park zoos. His "Dangerously Close" exhibit features extreme close-up photographs of zoo animals that are endangered, threatened, or live in areas of the world where their environment is increasingly encroached upon by humans. From the curious eyes of a gibbon to the aristocratic gaze of a snow leopard, "Dangerously Close" brings the viewer eye-to-eye with each animal.  Also featured in the exhibit are photographs of a giraffe, Fennec fox, hawk and meerkat.

Mr. Slocum often reminds his viewers that these are what he calls "intimate portraits of vanishing creatures" rather than wildlife photographs. One wonders how much easier it is to photograph animals in a circumscribed area like a zoo enclosure rather than in the wild.

The answer: not as easy as it looks. Mr. Slocum remembers one trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo, where an acrobatic female gibbon foiled his every attempt to get a clear shot.  "I was having a terrible time following her. And then, as if she knew what I was trying to do, she stuck her head right into the frame, looking straight at me." 

Looking behind him at the wall of glossy photographs, Mr. Slocum says, "I don't want people thinking I had to go to Africa and get malaria to get these photos. On the other hand, I don't want people to think that all you have to do is just walk up to a subject, take the picture and that's it. I had to develop a technique of standing near or behind a natural barrier so that the animals wouldn't get annoyed."

This strategy did not always work. Recalls Mr. Slocum with a grin "an elephant that got fed up after awhile and started chucking rocks at me with his trunk." No one would ever guess this behavior when looking into the eyes of the passive pachyderm framed just above Mr. Slocum's head.

Mr. Slocum shot everything in the exhibit with a 1970s-era Minolta SRT 102 using manual exposure/manual focus 35mm film. He digitizes the slides with a high-end film scanner.

Once the image is digitized, he color-corrects, isolates backgrounds and makes other minor changes. He then prints the images, using archival ink on high-quality paper. While to some this process may seem archaic, for Slocum, it is his true modus operandi. The lack of a preview window, standard in today's digital cameras, does not scare Mr. Slocum. "I continue to shoot film, instead of digital, for the simple reason that I know and understand film.  I know from years of experience the photograph will be the way I want it."

The exhibit will be on display through the month of December at Café Ambrosia, 1620 Orrington Ave. Mr. Slocum's work is also featured on his website, www.dangerouslyclosephoto.com.

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Antique Restoration Shop "Recherche"
By Anna Mussa-Ivaldi

In a society where people seem to have everything they need, finding a useful but unique gift can be a challenge. The answer to this problem can sometimes be found at home. What about that little old table that belonged to grandma that, with expert and loving restoration, can become the conversation piece of a son's new apartment?

Evanstonian Paul Shanks examines a puppet in his restoration workshop, Recherche.

"Expert" and "loving" are adjectives that apply to restoration expert Paul Shanks of Evanston. From the Peruvian Amazon valley where he grew up, Mr. Shanks brought a deep love for preserving anything from the past that is salvageable.

Mr. Shanks repairs and restores almost anything he can put his hands on: all manner of wood, metals, stone, aggregates, ceramics, porcelain, glass, bone, shell, gesso, ivory and gold leaf. His Skokie workshop is filled with antique clocks and furniture, old puppets, marble bases, unusual walking-sticks, and even plain old chairs with more sentimental than monetary value.

The son of American missionaries, Mr. Shanks, 52, was born and raised in the jungle of the Amazon valley: "When you are in the jungle," says Mr. Shanks, "you don't run to the shop downtown to fix broken things. You have no choice but to do it yourself."

Direct experience alone does not make an expert restorer. It also takes years of training, and Mr. Shanks did not shy away from it. He did architectural restoration in Chicago's Ukrainian Village; worked for Dudley Greeley, an Evanston restoration craftsman; taught adult evening courses at the Field Museum in the use of specific tools; and, for one year, restored carousels with Lisa Parr of Old Parr's in Chicago.  At Patrick King and Associates in Skokie, Mr. Shanks learned the fine art of post-trauma restoration of objects damaged by floods or fires.

"The only thing I hadn't done," said Shanks with a laugh, "was to own my own business. So, 15 years ago, after 19 years of active training and many more of personal experience, I decided to give it a try. I found this place and opened my shop."

"What makes Mr. Shanks different from other restorers, beside his technical skills," said Harvey Pranian, owner of Harvey Antiques in Evanston, "is his intuition. He sees things others miss. I think the guy has two pairs of eyes."

"I have found my own niche," commented Mr. Shanks, when asked how his business was doing, "thanks to the variety of my expertise. I think I am one of the few restorers in the Chicago area capable of dealing with so many different media."

He works together with his wife, Karen Duffin-Shanks: "We have more work than we can handle," said Paul. " I consider this both a blessing and a curse."

His shop does not sport any sign on its Main Street entrance, although he plans to put one up in the near future: "I try to keep a low profile so I can control my environment," said Paul. "I get most of my clients by referrals. Most of my time is devoted to restoring rather than public relationships."

Mr. Shanks could make more money if he had other people helping. But that would also mean less hands-on involvement, less time spent bringing back to life the things of the past and more time spent teaching.

Asked to identify the most intriguing aspect of his profession, Shanks answered without hesitation:  "The challenge," he said. "I never turn my head away from any object, because there is something to be learned in any of them. I also like the fact that my job is never a static process but, rather, a journey of successes and failures."

Asked if he had any suggestions for young people who would like to start careers in restoration, Mr. Shanks paused to reflect and then said: "I always tell people to do what they love best. Just go for it. I would also like to tell them, you know, that money will follow, but … who really knows that? I can only guarantee them one thing: they will look forward to going to work in the morning."

Mr. Shanks's laboratory is located at  Recherche, 3346 Main St., Skokie. His phone/fax is 847- 673-7172.

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Eight "Green" Resolutions for 2006
By Perry S. Ames

It is the time of year when everyone makes New Year's resolutions...to lose weight, save money, exercise more, etc. Here are some resolutions for 2006 that can make the world a better, greener place to live.

Reduce dependence on fossil fuel – walk, carpool, take public transportation or buy/lease an energy-efficient car.

Conserve energy – do laundry with cold water, turn down the thermostat and put on a sweater, use compact fluorescent light bulbs and turn off lights or appliances when not in use.

Conserve water – turn off the faucet while brushing teeth, install a low-flow showerhead, reuse water from cooking pasta or vegetables to water plants.

Reject disposable products – cameras, razors, batteries, plastic or paper cups and clean-and-toss wipes.

Brown bag for lunch – use reusable containers made from higher grade plastic such as #1 (PETE) or #2 (HDPE) that can be microwaved safely.

Bring morning coffee or tea from home – use a thermal container to keep beverages hot or cold. You'll save money on store-bought beverages and be kind to the environment by using fewer disposable cups. Use mugs for beverages at work.

Buy products such as coffee, chocolate and woven rugs from "fair trade" manufacturers. These companies guarantee workers a living wage and healthy working conditions.

Just say "no" to paper or plastic grocery bags – bring reusable canvas shopping bags from home.

By introducing a few green choices into your everyday life, you can make a difference and feel good about it.

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