General comment: Summer is a pause in the art world, the "established" art world, that is-- particularly those bastions of creativity-meets-commerce on lower Geary. Time for our haute aestheticians, our arbiters of taste, our vendors of visuals, to relax, take it easy, go on vacation, strategize for fall, and work on those tan lines. But wait... the body still twitches... it has a pulse! You just have to know where to find it. So c'mon along-- yes, you-- and let's see if we can catch a rare glimpse of that elusive commodity: Good Art.

Dolby Chadwick Gallery : Gary Edward Blum and Michael Pauker.

Blum paints big paintings where the canvas serves not only as the finished art, but also as the working surface as well as the palette. So you have these little stand-alone paintings, usually trompe l'oeils in the upper centers of the canvases, surrounded by large areas of raw work space which is neatly incorporated into the compositions. You see the painting and the process on the same canvas, so finely painted as to survive very up-close scrutiny, but their ability to engage on a long term basis seems open to debate. Pauker makes collages mainly out of old letters and postage stamps, also very well done, but once again, one wonders whether the love affair will last. So much for the art. The big news is that the martini guy's got some hot new rims, and the sax guy on the fire escape is as mellow as a melon in the hot valley sun.

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Catharine Clark Gallery : Finesse

Artists: Daniel Zeller, Chris Ware, Mark Dean Veca, Ginna Triplett, Masasmi Teraoka, Josephine Taylor, Tag Team, Laura Splan, Art Spiegelman, Cary Smith, Tim Sharman, Alexis Rockman, Walter Robinson, Thomas Plagemann, Kara Maria, Joan Linder, Phil Knoll, John Keen and Brian Dewan, Erick Johnson, Warren Isensee, Elliott Green, Dan Fischer, Sandow Birk, and Ray Beldner.

Comment: A group show of drawings by artists from around the country. According to the press release, which, by the way, I can actually understand (very possibly a first for words penned at Catharine Clark), drawing has enjoyed a resurgence of interest in the past year. So I guess that makes the show a contribution to a resurgence assuming the resurgence is still resurging, or an homage to a resurgence if the resurgence has already resurged. But what's this I see? A lightweight, easy to dust, polychromed styrofoam sculpture group, three animals and a puddle, by Walter Robinson in "the project room." Ahhh... our first good art sighting. Apparently the San Jose Museum thinks so too, 'cause they're gonna show it from July 24 - October 31.

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Hang Art : Dave-a-palooza.

Artists: Dave Fullarton, Dave Warnke

Comment: Any show with Dave Warnke (aka DAVe) in it is gonna be fun, and this one's no exception. Fullarton's art, by the way, makes a perfect complement, equally as entertaining, albeit a tad more weighty in the rigors-of-life department than Warnke's, but then again, whose art isn't? Candy, kids, a wacky striped putting "green," paddle ball, a dog, happy laughing people, a complete and total lack of pretense, and art for as cheap as two-- count 'em-- two bucks, make this event the delight of the night. Art can be so many different things to so many different people, one of those things being that it just plain makes you feel good, and this show proves it.

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Rx Gallery : Recombinant Flux.

Artists: Scott Draves, Marie-Jose Durquet, Josh Feldman, Alice Kelley, Christina McPhee, Loren Means, Aaron Ross, Shirley Shor, Daniel Shulman-Means.

Comment: Ready for some slummin'? Well, slip into your hip boots, and let's slither on down to Rx Gallery bar/exhibition space. The gallery's fine once you're inside, but the block it's on is el grossarino maximus. No biggie-- it just reminds us to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Anyway, the show's about art generated with computers, mildly amusing, but beyond it's look-what-I-can-do-with-my-computer aspects, a bit light in the depth department, and typical of much of the computer art you see today. That said, several pieces seem marketable, either as stand-alone graphics or possibly as wall treatments. Pretty decent party, too.

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111 Minna Gallery : ketchup & mustard.

Artists: Kim Cogan, Kyle Ranson, Lee Ballard, Dave Schubert, Caitlin Kuhwald, Sam Flores, David Lee, Rogelio Martinez, Anthony Skirvin, Kari Byron.

Comment: 111 Minna's got some of the best art of the night. Highlights include small full-length portraits by Caitlin Kuhwald, large pink and black silkscreens by Anthony Skirvin, off-kilter cityscapes by Kim Cogan, and the grand prize winner of the night-- a black and white portrait head, arresting in its stark raw energy, compelling in its message that something's gone horribly wrong somewhere. Please email if you know the artist's name so I can write it in. Silly me... I was so overwhelmed with inner turmoil that I forgot to ask. Update on the first update that was not the right update : His name is Lee Ballard.

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Future Primitive Sound : Rethink, Redesign, Reconstruct.

Artists: Plinko Design

Comment: A book release/art show with some documentary you-had-to-be-there photographs thrown in, not really an art opening, but notable for Plinko's client list, as impressive as it is varied, including American Express, Motley Fool, Future Primitive Sound, Hyatt, and Matt Gonzalez, among others. Plinko graphics have that magic that appeases both corporates and progressives. The company's obviously about more than piling up the cash reserves, and that's as uncommon as it is commendable in today's consumptive what-can-you-do-for-me economy. Limited edition Plinko graphics are for sale, most $20-$100; photos run $50-$150. Since I'm right across the street, I'm gonna grab me some quick ribs at Memphis Minnie's . See you in a bit.

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Punch Gallery : Unseen Works, A Photo Exhibition.

Artists: B+ (Brian Cross), Eric Coleman.

Comment: Coleman takes pictures of clothes hanging on clothes lines. B+ does a photo essay of nondescript places in South Florida, particularly areas where ballots and polling places mysteriously vanished and/or changed location on Election Day 2000. So don't forget to vote, and if you can't find your polling place, track it's ass down. I'm outta here; see you next First Thursday.

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Straggler: Amalia Schultess at Steven Wolf Fine Arts

June First Thursday; June 3, 2004

May First Thursday; May 6, 2004