SAN FRANCISCO ARTS COMMISSION - STEVEN WOLF - MARKET STREET
REAVES - PAINTED BIRD - AMPERSAND - PING PONG
GOTEBLUD - KALPALACE - GARAGE GALLERY - HYDE STREET
SOMA ARTISTS STUDIOS - LOWER HATERS - HOTEL DES ARTS
05.08.09
(with assistance from Lynnore Goldfarb )

San Francisco Arts Commission : Trace Elements.

Artists: Michelle Blade, Jason Jagel, Dan Nakamura, Ferris Plock, Clare Rojas, Deth P. Sun, Kelly Tunstall, Porous Walker, Marci Washington, Hamburger Eyes, Chris Duncan, Maya Hayuk, Kyle Ranson, and Brion Nuda Rosch. Curated by Meg Shiffler with assistance from Ferris Plock.

Comment by AB: Group show undertakes to strip away the veneer and explore beyond the obvious, hopefully to reveal some of those fundamental bits and pieces (trace elements, as it were) that make San Francisco what it is today. Leading the pack in this endeavor to decode the DNA of our dearly beloved City's cosmic dealie bob would be one Porous Walker who trumps up an ersatz event in local history and materializes it into a preposterously believable display (complete with fog emitting diorama) which, I might add, could pass muster at most any historical society or museum. Also buffing up the docket are Deth P. Sun's elaborate map of San Francisco's less familiar landmarks, and a raw wall of photographs by the uncompromising documentarians at Hamburger Eyes.

***

Steven Wolf Fine Arts : Tim Sullivan - You Feel Me?

Comment by AB: Tim Sullivan, ever the amuser, factors out the emotions from the classic film, Rebel Without a Cause, in the precise order in which they appear on screen, and then photographs himself consecutively experiencing each emotion. Those photographs, sequentially arranged, comprise the chef-d'oeuvre portion of the show. Plus special added bonus-- at absolutely no charge, other than perhaps a modicum of mild embarrassment, Sullivan will seat you in a photo booth, read you the list of emotions, photograph your expression of each one, and then you can be part of the plotline too. Isn't that exciting? I thought so... so I did it.

***

Market Street Gallery : Skate this Art - Fundraiser for Roaddawgz.

Artists: Jeremy Fish, Matt Gonzalez, Terry Marashlian, Jason Norelli, Randall Sexton, Zabrina Tipton, Randall John, Richard L. Perri, many more.

Review and images by Lynnore Goldfarb: I am instantly swept up into the frenzy of the night, with TV interviews taking place out front amongst the hipsters, Market Street street people, and the muffled tones of people inside discretely discussing whether or not to put their names on the auction slips located next to the painted skateboard decks up for auction. I see a lot of skateboard decks; brand new and wrecked boards are painted, and a few are also reshaped by the artists. I am tempted to sit in the lounge chair made up of skateboards, because there is a piece of paper scotched taped to it that says not to. There is so much interest in the art from the hoards of people here, I am exhilarated.

***

Reaves Gallery : Blair Bradshaw & Matthew Frederick - H2O.

Review and images by Lynnore Goldfarb: I take too long to snap a photo of Blair Bradshaw, whose mixed media pieces are hung on the wall located on the right side of the gallery, and people keep coming up to shake Matthew Frederick's hand congratulating him while I am taking his picture. However, that is the worst of it here, where the gallery is lit with pride, fun, and excitement. Blair Bradshaw's large iconographic mixed-media pieces are vibrant with color, balancing out the pomo (post modern) style of the objects presented in his work. Matthew Frederick's lush, thickly layered, and carefully executed oil paintings dreamily remind me that Stinson Beach is not that far away.

***

Goteblud : Grand Opening Reception.

Comment and images by Lynnore Goldfarb: This is a grand opening party for Goteblud who publishes a comic book called Wuvable Oaf Comics out of a little office located in one of the buildings belonging to the now defunct New College of California. The little room is split in two by a table with refreshments. On the left-hand wall, way overhead, is a collection of old-- I mean vintage-- punk rock fanzines (mostly Slash) in clear plastic sleeves hung on the walls in nice neat rows. I throw out into the ether that we used to call these "rags" back in the days when they were being circulated, which lands with a thud and a few disapproving looks... oops. On the right side of the table is a rack filled with plastic sleeved comic books spanning the wall with overhead lights, making it easier to peruse. Both the fanzine collector and the artist who creates Goteblud are very gracious hosts, personably speaking with each person who enters the room.

***

Painted Bird : Moses Saarni - Newer Works.

Review and images by Lynnore Goldfarb: Painted Bird is a vintage clothing store that has art openings. I like the art I see, mostly pencil drawings with intricate detail and precision. The pieces are so high up, I almost ask the girl standing behind the counter to take one down, because I'm so short. Set against the backdrop of colorful 1980's clothes, a DJ in his invisible cocoon nodding to the music, and a group of young adults "too cool for school," I sense an earnestness in both the artist Moses Saarni and his work that is refreshing, to say the least.

***

Ampersand International Arts : Christina La Sala - Petrified Forest; Vanessa Marsh - Always Close But Never Touching.

Comment by AB: Wow! I trundle my way from top to bottom of the Christina La Sala show synopsis and it makes absolutley no mention of what type of art she's showing-- I'm pretty sure that's a first. In case you're interested, it's sandblasted panes of glass, if I recall correctly, blasted to replicate giftwrap paper patterns, and it's labor intensive and professionally executed. I ask La Sala if the glass is tempered in any way, 'cuz it's like totally exposed and leaning unprotected against the walls on wood supports about four feet off the floor. She tells me it's just regular old glass. And I'm thinking, "You break it, you buy it," as I back gingerly away. In the rear gallery, Vanessa Marsh creates diminutive dioramas, mainly architectural in nature, nuanced just enough to impart a preternatural impression. Or maybe Marsh here prognisticates a future where environmental profligacy prevails.

***

Ping Pong Gallery : Live + Direct.

Artists: Erin Allen, John Chiara, Renee Gertler, Scott Hewicker, Donna Huanca, Bessma Khalaf, Travis Meinolf, Nyeema Morgan, Erik Scollon. Curated by Amanda Curreri. 

Comment by AB: This chaotic cacophony of an affair combines art and action, the art part on display here at the gallery, and the action part happening at various intervals throughout the month at the gallery as well as at outside locations. Each artist provides a work (or works) of art and an "action" (or actions) to go with it. The action can either be related to or mutually exclusive from the art. Them's the rules. It's that simple and no more complicated.

***

Kalpalace, somewhere way South of Market, San Francisco, CA: Kal Spelletich - Interactive Robotics/Machine Performance.

Review Lynnore Goldfarb: Hmmm... Let's see, there is a chair that is rigged to literally flip up and backwards with a push of a button, a remote controlled mannequin with a camera in its head that captures its view on a monitor, and a platform on wheels made stand on, that which moves when a remote controlled claw-type metal structure goes up, then comes down, and scrapes the ground thus propelling the structure forward-- and that's just what's in the entryway. The industrial space is large, dimly lit and full of crazy contraptions that hit, bite, ignite, play music, and cook hotdogs, among other things derived from the imagination of Kal Spelletich.

Comment by AB: Contrivances also on view in the Batcave include a complex suspended kinetic device, complete with video monitor, that slowly dispenses bourbon from a bottle into a shot glass, a bramble of branches that creeps along the floor, and more more more. Brain warp!

***

Garage Gallery : SOMA Spring Open Studios.

Artists: Henry Epstein, Alan Mazzetti, Daniel Newman, Dona Turner, Susan Tuttle.

Review and images by Lynnore Goldfarb: The Garage Gallery is an art gallery located in a garage south of Market Street. The exhibit is called "Open Studios" however it looks like a group show to me. The place is completely absent of any notion that art is actually created here. Each artist has their own section of wall space located around cars for sale in the center of the large loft-like-- OK, OK, I'll say it-- garage space. This is the cleanest garage I have ever been in. A few of the artists are photographers and a few are painters. Dan Newman explains to me that the old wooden window frame with multiple panes where a photo is placed, is actually a photograph of a panoramic view of San Francisco placed on top of an enlarged photograph of an old beat up tanker... and the effect is stunning.

***

Soma Artists Studios : Open Studios Reception.

Artists: Louis Bording, Trudy Evard Chiddix, Flora Davis, Renee Eaton, Nancy Ewart, John Fitzsimmons, Kat Flyn, Keiko Fujimoto, Jeremie Garza, Brian Gillespie, Tama Greenberg, Jana Grover, Mark Harris, Carolyn Hinman, Martine Jardel, Rebecca Kerlin, Mike Kimball, Wendy Tremont King, Laurielu, Margaretha Miglo, Elise Odom, Nanci Price Scoular, Suzanne Radcliffe, Linda Sanders Colnett, Anne Subercaseaux, Deloris Thomas.

Review by Lynnore Goldfarb: SOMA Artists Studios is never a letdown with its eclectic mix of emerging and established San Francisco artists.

***

Hyde Street Gallery : Manny Fabregas - Borrowed Time.

Comment by AB: Manny Fabregas sources his art from his collection of over 5000 found and vintage photographs. The essence of his of art is that we're all the same-- our lives as well as our memories-- and we share the same experiences with our parties, vacations, family get togethers, celebrations, and on and on and on.

***

Addendum:

***