Xavier Nuez Gallery 1932 S. Halsted St. #402, Chicago, IL  60608   Owner/Operator: Xavier Nuez Contact the gallery Website: www.nuez.com     GALLERY MISSION Alleys and Passageways Long after dark, I venture into bleak urban settings across the country, seeking out their dramatic stories and elusive splendor.With the city humming in the background, I give myself the task of finding inspiration where there shouldn’t be any. My alleys are an inverted reality. One doesn’t associate life and joy and strength and hope with a dark and decaying alley, but they are there if we look closely. With a family history of homelessness, and with the belief that I was next, I found the need to create monuments out of these shunned places. My outings are a determined and intense adventure in what are often dangerous neighborhoods. Since the early 1990’s, this pilgrimage has repeatedly lead me to trouble. I’ve run from street gangs, have had guns pointed at me, and I’m often questioned and searched by the police, who wonder why I’m lurking in dark alleys. Yet, within this acute urban decay, I find moments of peace in a hectic life. Long after dark, I venture into bleak urban settings across the country, seeking out their dramatic stories and elusive splendor. With the city humming in the background, I give myself the task of finding inspiration where there shouldn't be any.		Click thumbnails to enlarge.