Gary Stochl is an urban anthropologist, lying in wait on the city streets waiting for the subjects of his study to finally align themselves in the perfect, most telling fashion.
He has been a hidden Chicago artist for decades. Now he is uncovered. Here’s some text from the story of his discovery:
In late Spring 2004, I returned to my office in the Photography Department at Columbia College Chicago to find a cluster of students waiting for the department’s academic ad visor. There was also an older fellow, about my age, sitting there with a paper shopping bag. Our secretary looked at me with a troubled expression, nodded at him, and said, “Uh, Bob, this gentleman wants to show someone some photographs.” I was busy, but I invited him into my office. I thought he was a returning student, perhaps an Art/Design major who wanted to place out of his photography requirement. I thought I could handle this matter quickly.
Gary Stochl sat down and told me, no, he wasn’t interested in taking any classes—that wasn’t why he was here. “No?” I asked. “No, I’ve been doing photography for forty years and really haven’t shown my work to anyone. I thought it was time I started to do that. You’re a Photography Department, so I thought I’d come here.” He reached into the bag and pulled out a stack of loose prints perhaps eight inches high. Uh-oh, I thought, this is going to mess up my afternoon. “Listen,” I said, “I have a meeting in just a few minutes, but I’ll be happy to take a fast look at these before I have to go.”