SAN FRANCISCO ART GALLERIES OPENINGS
FIRST THURSDAY; 09.04.08
(with assistance from Jennifer Jeffrey , Jessica Whiteside ,
Margan Mulvihill , Dennis C. Scherzer , and Libby Nicholaou
)


General comment by AB: Goodness gracious sakes alive! San Francisco's gallerists burst forth from August's soporific torpitude-- brash, bold, and proffering cataclysmic cornucopias of visual delights. I practically sprain a retina trying to take it all in. Yes my artful darlings, this time around there's plenty of good stuff for everyone and even some left over for the stragglers. But hey-- don't take my word for it; see for yourself.

In science and technology news, I've had to clone my Pick 'cuz we've got more than one tonight, plus a Near Pick, plus several Honorable Mentions. Woah! Somebody hold me back! How many accolades altogether, you ask? Uh uh. I ain't giving away the ending. And don't be so antsy anyway; you'll find out soon enough. All you have to do is scroll...

***

John Berggruen Gallery : Al Held - Watercolors.

Comment by AB: Bright vibrant dimensional nonrepresentational watercolors in a variety of sizes by Al Held (1928-2005), hard-edge geometric abstract expressionist in nature (if that makes any sense). Most are mounted on board which makes 'em look almost like oil or acrylic paintings rather than watercolors. An artist who's work is not often seen here in SF and worth a look.

art by Al Held

Paintings by Al Held.

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Art.

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Art.

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Art.

***

Gallery Paule Anglim : J. John Priola - Plain Sight; Andrew Masullo.

Comment by AB: In the main gallery, J. John Priola photographs walls along sidewalks, specifically, the kinds of walls you walk by and barely ever notice. Brilliantly composed, each photograph includes just enough sidewalk and adjacent surroundings to render the images simultaneously realistic and abstract-- kinda like a two-fer. I'll never look at "nothing much" the same way again. Near Pick of First Thursday. Excellent.

Also on display, Andrew Masullo's peppy little abstracts perk up the parlour. They're not exactly cheap though, weighing in between $5-$10K per for the most part. Perusing Masullo's resume, he appears to have the requisite credentials, but still...

J. John Priola photography

Photography by J. John Priola.

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Photos (J. John Priola).

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Small photographs are available too (J. John Priola).

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Photography & video (J. John Priola).

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Art (Andrew Masullo).

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Art closer (Andrew Masullo).

***

Robert Koch Gallery : Joel Meyerowitz - The Elements, Air/Water, Part 1.

Comment by AB: Old meets new here with a selection of Joel Meyerowitz's classic color landscape and portrait photographs from the early 1970's contrasting his latest series, "The Elements, Air/Water, Part 1," deep blue interactive intermixes of surface tension, air bubbles, spashes, and human beings in swimming pools. Like 'em.

photography by  Joel Meyerowitz

Photography by Joel Meyerowitz.

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Photographs.

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Photos.

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Photography.

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Photographs.

***

Haines Gallery : David Maisel - Library of Dust; Zhan Wang - Gold Mountain.

Comment by AB: According to the proclamation, David Maisel presents "largescale photographs of individual copper canisters, each containing the cremated remains of a patient from an Oregon state psychiatric hospital." Without getting into any issues having to do with how Maisel gets permission to photograph dead people in their "caskets" or whether family members are notified, the stark hypnotic beauty of these corroded canisters perhaps evidences how "life" continues even beyond the grave. In the rear gallery, Zhan Wang's installation of real rocks and stainless steel art rocks comments on the California Gold Rush in general, and on the role of the Chinese immigrant miners in particular. Both shows worth seeing.

David Maisel photography

Photography by David Maisel.

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Photos (David Maisel).

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Photographs (David Maisel).

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Photography (David Maisel).

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Photos (David Maisel).

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Installation (Zhan Wang).

***

Gregory Lind Gallery : Sarah Walker - Beacons, Floaters and Lost Objects.

Comment by AB: Complex labor-intensive layered abstracts by Sarah Walker are open to a multiplicity of interpretations ranging from depictions of expansive microscopic environments to cartographic fantasies to theoretical structures to fill-in-the-blank with your preferred take.

paintings by Sarah Walker

Paintings by Sarah Walker.

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Art.

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Sarah Walker - art.

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Art.

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Pinkie cam detail of above painting.

***

Brian Gross Fine Art : Roy Thurston - New Work; Anna Valentina Murch - Dissolving.

Comment by AB: The main gallery serves up shimmering iridescent color field "paintings" borne from applications of acrylic polyurethane to finely sanded and "milled" metal surfaces by Roy Thurston. In the side suite, Anna Valentina Murch's "dissolving" landscapes softly gently remind us of the fragility of the environment.

art by Roy Thurston

Art by Roy Thurston.

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Art (Roy Thurston).

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Piece above photographed from the bottom looking up (Roy Thurston).

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Digitally manipulated photography (Anna Valentina Murch).

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Digitally manipulated photo (Anna Valentina Murch).

***

Don Soker Gallery : Victoria May - Residuum.

Commenty by AB: Victoria May sews and needleworks up an impressive array of fabric works, gratifying not only with respect to technical mastery, but also from editorial perspectives, discoursing on a plethora of topics including war, society, the environment, and more. Well done.

art by Victoria May

Fabric art by Victoria May.

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Victoria May - handmade translucent silk mattress art.

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Fabric art.

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Fabric art - ambience.

***

Toomey Tourell Fine Art : Stephanie Weber.

Commenty by AB: Depthy vertical, horizontal, and diagonally striated abstracts on aluminum panels by Stephanie Weber.

art by Stephanie Weber

Painting by Stephanie Weber.

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Art.

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Art.

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Art.

***

Scott Nichols Gallery : Joel Leivick - In the Garden.

Commenty by AB: Joel Leivick photographs gardens, but his gardens appear to have evolved into random states of overgrowth and chaos. He tricks it all out with atmospheric effects more typical of grand nineteenth century landscape photography, the upshot yielding mysterious inconclusive realities. Like 'em.

Joel Leivick photography

Photographs by Joel Leivick.

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Photos.

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Photographs.

***

Steven Wolf Fine Arts : Charles Fahlen - Let's Pretend.

Review by Margan Mulvihill: The sculptures of San Francisco-born artist Chuck Fahlen are an airier version of minimalist sculpture. In contrast to the monumental size of other minimalist sculpture, Fahlen uses unassuming materials to create works that have dynamic and sometimes reserved interactions with their surrounding space. His works range from Eve Hesse-type fiberglass accordian wall sculptures to puzzle-like metal grids to web-like sculptures. Fahlen's wire construction, "Darkside," seems to defy gravity, its thin metal wires seeming to hover on the wall, yet is also about the gravity, which is brought on by colored wooden balls that hang from and pull on the wires. His work is beautiful in its simplicity and interesting in its use of its Home Depot-like aesthetics and materials.

Charles Fahlen sculpture

Sculpture by Charles Fahlen.

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Sculpture.

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Sculpture.

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Sculpture.

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Sculpture.

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Sculpture.

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Sculpture.

***

Stephen Wirtz Gallery : Mysteries - Group Exhibition curated by Melissa E. Feldman; Paul Schiek - the thing about you is you will end up like me.

Artists from Mysteries: Vija Celmins, Anne Collier, Bruce Conner, Emilie Halpern, Wally Hedrick, Jamie Isenstein, Janice Kerbel, Karen Kilimnik, William Morehouse, Laurie Reid, Allen Ruppersberg, Bill Viola

Comment by AB: Hang a Louie (turn left) just inside the gallery entrance to discover Paul Schiek's photography and book stack installation set against a stark white background which, according to the briefing, "reflect(s) a view of the world in which nature, godlike, is as essential to us as it is dismissive of us." I suppose I can live with that. As for the conceptualesque extravaganza in the main gallery, Melissa E. Feldman writes, "Art, by its very nature, is mysterious." And why is it mysterious? I'm gonna go out on a limb on this one and suggest that it's possibly related to the endless cascade of convoluted chroniclings which, rather than attempt to decipher anything in language ordinary human beings can understand, opt to obfuscate The King's English in servitude to pomp, inscrutibility, and bombast.

art by Marcos Rosales

Conceptual art from the "Mysteries" show.

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Conceptual art from the "Mysteries" show (like that broadside).

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Conceptual art from the "Mysteries" show.

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Diminutive conceptual art from the "Mysteries" show.

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Conceptual art from the "Mysteries" show.

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Installation & photography by Paul Schiek.

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Installation & photography by Paul Schiek.

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Installation & photography by Paul Schiek.

***

Mark Wolfe Contemporary Art : Jeremy Mora - Waiting for the Water.

Review by Margan Mulvihill: 27-year old artist Jeremy Mora draws inspiration from our postindustrial landscape. His detailed small-scale works dot the gallery walls and floors, beckoning the viewers to crouch or bend over in order to discover their intricacies. Mora combines manmade materials such as vulcanized rubber found on the sides of highways with natural materials, such as tree branches, to create miniature environments that reflect the increasing impact of man on our changing environment. Taking a close look at Mora's miniatures is essential because it allows you to delight in the tiny figurines, palm trees, rocks, and little houses that might otherwise be missed by the undiscerning eye, or perhaps even dismissed as piles of dully colored junk. By using found, or old, materials to produce never before seen architectural landscapes, Mora creates dialogues between the past, present, and future. Good art; go see.

Jeremy Mora sculpture

Sculpture by Jeremy Mora.

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Floor sculpture closer (photo c/o Margan Mulvihill).

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Sculpture.

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Detail of above right sculpture (photo c/o Margan Mulvihill).

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Pinkie cam sculpture detail (nicely done).

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Sculpture.

***

Marx & Zavattero : Andrew Schoultz - In Gods We Trust.

Review by Jessica Whiteside: Andrew Schoultz's much anticipated exhibition certainly meets the high standards of art making that he has set for himself. Andrew's iconic style is mind-boggling to look at when you consider the amount of labor-intensive work that certainly goes into it. His art has a continuous theme that is even more apparent in this new exhibition, commenting on the relationship between man and nature and, and also the effects of globalism and capitalism on the world.

When you look at the work up close you can see all the tiny cut up pieces of money he incorporates into his mass explosions of color and pattern, and his compositions take on the shape of symbols that represent America's capitalist society like the American flag, the Statue of Liberty, and of course money. What's really interesting is how he incorporates very subtle symbols that represent the global economy and environmental issues as inextricably linked to American economic needs, like pieces of paper with Arabic writing on them, or references to oil. Overall I think Andrew has to be one of the most prolific, effective, and exciting artists of this generation and I'm extremely impressed and inspired by his latest work.

Review by Libby Nicholaou: From the few art classes I took in college, I remember much talk about how your eye can move throughout a piece. While some people find that talk annoying, I can't help but notice how Andrew Shoultz's paintings and sculpture do that. You can't keep your eye from moving all over a given work. His art is color rich, layered in depth, and connects with humanity's lot. This exhibit's bright colors and glitter excite.

Comment by AB: Andrew Schoultz, true to his mettle, installates the gallery dense with paintings and dimensional works embodying ample opinations on the current global state of affairs. The best part about Schoultz's tempestuous creative terrains? Component parts that stand alone equally as effectively as they stand together. The verdict? Pick of First Thursday.

Andrew Schoultz painting

Art by Andrew Schoultz.

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Art.

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Andrew Schoultz & Hilary Pecis out front.

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Art.

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Detail (photo c/o Jessica Whiteside).

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Detail (photo c/o Jessica Whiteside).

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Art.

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Art.

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Art.

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Art.

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Art.

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Overview.

***

Togonon Gallery : Terra Fuller - Adventure Art II-XIX; Xuchi Naungayan Eggleton - Transitions,Transformations and Transcendence; Hybrid.

Comment by AB: Adventures in pencil drawing by Terra Fuller, done in the tradition of early American itinerant artists. Curiously appealing sculpture by Xuchi Naungayan Eggleton.

Xuchi Naungayan Eggleton sculpture

Xuchi Naungayan Eggleton sculptures.

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Sculpture (Xuchi Naungayan Eggleton).

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Pencil drawings by Terra Fuller.

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Detail of drawing on left in above image (Terra Fuller).

***

Rena Bransten Gallery : Joseph Park - Leave it on the Dance Floor; Matthias Hoch - New Work.

Review by Jennifer Jeffrey: The front room of the gallery is hung with paintings by Joseph Park in a collection cleverly titled "Leave it on the Dance Floor." Each piece portrays subject matter-- fish parts on ice, a coffee maker-- that seem composed of fractals. The back room displays new works by photographer Matthias Hoch. The compositions of Matthias' photos are precisely framed to reveal a keen eye for isolating arresting forms and shapes from everyday structures. He captures the curve of an escalator or the contours of a pool in ways that render them suddenly profound.

Comment by AB: Matthias Hoch's superb serene abstracted extractions are surely worth a First Thursday Honorable Mention. And they're far more impressive in person than they are here. Visit and witness the difference.

Matthias Hoch photographs

Photography by Matthias Hoch.

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Photos (Matthias Hoch).

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Matthias Hoch (center).

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Photo (Matthias Hoch - photo c/o Jennifer Jeffrey).

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Photographs (Matthias Hoch).

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Paintings by Joseph Park.

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Art (Joseph Park).

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Art (Joseph Park - photo c/o Jennifer Jeffrey).

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Art (Joseph Park).

***

Patricia Sweetow Gallery : Jonathan Burstein - Visage; Bayet? Ross Smith - Pomp & Circumstance, First Time to be Adults.

Review by Jennifer Jeffrey: Photographer Bayet? Rose Smith immortalizes teenage students in the East Bay, San Francisco and Oakland on their high school prom nights. I love these portraits for the sheer fact that they're so much fun. The backdrops (street scenes painted on canvas tarps with the seams showing, acres of shiny silk, fake flowers) are unapologetically tacky, and the kids in them vamp, sulk and preen for the camera. No one has been airbrushed, and there's more than enough lip gloss to go around. These are fresh, exuberant and real; I can't stop smiling. In the front gallery, Jonathan Burstein has created a series of mixed media pieces made up of paint and small strips of paper culled from art magazines, which he uses to create remarkably detailed portraits. The longer I look at them, the more I like them.

Comment by AB: Jonathan Burstein's unrestrained portrait collages of de Young Museum security guards and people he met as a Djerassi resident artist, generated from the strangest little bits and pieces of paper, come at you with unexpected gratifying delight. Don't believe me? Check 'em out. First Thursday Honorable Mention.

Jonathan Burstein decollage

Collage by Jonathan Burstein.

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Collage art (Jonathan Burstein).

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Jonathan Burstein - collage art.

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Collage closer (Jonathan Burstein - photo c/o Jennifer Jeffrey).

Duncan Hannah paintings

Collage pinkie cam close (Jonathan Burstein).

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Photography by Bayet? Ross Smith.

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Bayet? Ross Smith - photograph (photo c/o Jennifer Jeffrey).

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Photographs (Bayet? Ross Smith).

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Photos (Bayet? Ross Smith).

***

Scott Richards Contemporary Art : Robert Silvers - Photomosaics.

Comment by AB: Oversized photographs made up of miniature photographs, each miniature photograph relating directly to its oversized one-- the big Marilyn is made up of mini Marilyn's, the Elvis of mini Elvis's, the currencies of mini currencies, and so on and so forth etc etc etc.

Robert Silvers photography

Photography by Robert Silvers.

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Photos.

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Photographs.

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Photography.

***

Hespe Gallery : Eric Zener - Between the Layers.

Review by Jennifer Jeffrey: On one of the hottest evenings of the year in San Francisco, the walls of Hespe Gallery are hung with works by Eric Zener depicting swimmers plunging into deep water trailed by effervescent bubbles. Eric stands in one corner of the gallery, explaining how he creates the shimmering sense of depth in his work. His complex process involves painting a layer, dipping the piece in resin, painting another layer, and so on. "You can't even imagine how heavy they are," he grins. The swimmers' bodies reflect light from the surface of the pool, evoking a serene quality that recalls the blissful silence upon being submerged in water. The art may not be able to cool the room down, but it certainly refreshes the eye.

Eric Zener paintings

Paintings by Eric Zener.

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Life attempts to imitate art.

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Eric Zener (right) explains art (photo c/o Jennifer Jeffrey).

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Detail of Eric Zener painting (photo c/o Jennifer Jeffrey).

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Art.

***

Dolby Chadwick Gallery : Emanuel Bernstone - Paintings.

Review by Jennifer Jeffrey: Set against the gallery's polished wood floors and bright white walls, the dark, lustrous paintings of Emanuel Bernstone both reflect and absorb the light. Bernstone paints hallways, corridors, and cross-sections of rooms in moody tones of black, grey and white; his floors are slick and glossy, revealing smudged reflections of the architectural elements around them. Elegant and austere, the pieces capture the lonely beauty of urban spaces.

Comment by AB: Emanuel Bernstone's paintings straddle the line of demarcation between abstract and representational about as capably as any I've seen. Deceptively subtle and uncomplicated, if you don't think for a moment about what you're looking at, you miss everything. First Thursday Honorable Mention.

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Here we are (photo c/o Jennifer Jeffrey).

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Art.

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Art.

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Art.

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Art.

***

NOMA Gallery : Strokes from Beyond - Curated by Nikolai Atanassov.

Artists: Hawk Alfredson, Nikolai Atanassov, Gina Brezini, Teodor Dukov, Grigor Malinov, Mark Millene, Kosio Minchev, Georgi Tushev.

Comment by AB: New gallery, grand opening, group show, tony location.

Art

What it is.

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Art.

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Art.

***

Meridian Gallery : Art of Democracy - War and Empire. Curated by Anne Trueblood Brodzky, DeWitt Cheng and Art Hazelwood.

Artists: Scott Anderson, David Avery, Will Barnet, Jesus Barraza, Sandow Birk, Fernando Botero, Mark Bryan, Enrique Chagoya, Guy Colwell, Robbie Conal, Francisco Dominguez, Eric Drooker, Ala Ebtekar, Kevin Evans, Bella Feldman, Stephen Fredericks, Juan Fuentes, J.C. Garrett, Art Hazelwood, Mary Hull Webster, Frances Jetter, David Jones, Hung Liu, Roberta Loach, Mary V. Marsh, Fernando Marti, Doug Minkler, Claude Moller, Malaquias Montoya, Pat Oliphant, Ariel Parkinson, Francesca Pastine, Patrick Piazza, Phyllis Plattner, Gary-Paul Prince, Rigo 23, Favianna Rodriguez, Ben Sakoguchi, Jos Sances, SF Print Collective, Mark Vallen, Gee Vaucher, Howard Whitehouse and Richard Linder, William T. Wiley, Bruce Yurgil.

Comment by AB: Exceptionally compelling group exhibition of activist political art cries out in opposition to the catastrophic domestic disasters of recent years including war, reduced personal freedoms, the concentration of wealth among the few at the expense of the many, environmental degradation, and more. Three floors of overwhelmingly well-placed outrage exemplify freedom of speech at its finest (take advantage of it while we still have it). Must see-- and there's far more to see than the fraction seen here. Pick of First Thursday.

Jeffrey Beauchamp paintingsw

Why we're here.

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Art.

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Art.

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Art (Bella Feldman).

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Mark Bryan - art (photo c/o DeWitt Cheng).

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David Avery and satirical etching (photo c/o DeWitt Cheng).

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J.C. Garrett and digital artwork (photo c/o DeWitt Cheng).

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Art.

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Art.

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Guy Colwell - art.

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Art.

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David Jones - lead shirt art.

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Art.

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Art.

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Art.

***

Hangart Gallery & Annex : Addie Shevlin - Colorfields, Colored Skies; Intentionally Unintentional - A Group Exhibition.

Artists from Intentionally Unintentional: Heather Patterson, Jeff Loehmann, Jessica Martin, Hang Nguyen, Brett MacFadden.

Review and photos by Jessica Whiteside: The solo show currently up at Hang is a calming display of earthy toned paintings by artist Addie Shelvin. Her work has a very quiet, soothing feel to it. Created in oil, these paintings also have an old world look about them as they are reminiscent of 19th century landscapes. Addie is friendly and approaches me to talk about her work, which I find very rare and a welcome surprise.

Addie Shevlin art

Painting by Addie Shevlin.

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Art (Addie Shevlin).

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Art (Addie Shevlin).

***

Frey Norris Gallery : Shen Shaomin - Experimental Studio.

Review by Margan Mulvihill: The living and once-living sculptures of Chinese artist Shen Shaomin beautifully decorate the Gallery. On the lower level, Shaomin's Bonsai series maintains the natural beauty associated with these little trees which grow from traditional Chinese blue-and-white pottery. Yet, Shaomin manipulates the trees with clamps and metal grates that restrict the outward and upward extension of the trees' branches and leaves. This juxtaposition between the natural and the manmade is an extension of the practice of growing bonsai trees that restrict the growth of the trees to small pots; however Shaomin is more explicitly displaying the influence of man over nature. Also on the ground level are his "Oil Gaming Machines," reminiscent of the children's game of paddle ball. However the rubber ball that normally bounces off the bottom of the paddle is replaced with a wooden bomb that when swung in a circular motion makes the three oil rigs on top of the paddle 'drill' into the surface of the paddle. What the machine lacks in childhood game-like pleasure is more than made up for in conceptual intrigue.

The upper level of the gallery displays Shaomin's "Thousand Hand Buddha" that looks like something one might find in a laboratory or a museum of natural history, the difference being the unnatural quality of the human skull and bones that comprise the eight-armed sculpture. The reference is to the Hindu God, probably the four-armed Vishnu. By portraying the god in bones, Shaomin calls into the question the physicality versus otherworldliness of the gods.

Shen Shaomin art

Art by Shen Shaomin.

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Art.

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Art.

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Bone installation upstairs.

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Bone installation upstairs.

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Art.

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Circumstance.

***

Gallery 291 : Jock McDonald - The Perspective Show, Straight Lines in a Round World.

Review by Jessica Whiteside: Jack McDonald's black and white platinum print photographs have a mysterious, uneasy look about them as if you are looking into a world you've never seen before. Some of his photos are large and sectioned off by black lines in grid formation which I guess is where the title of the show comes from. I like the treatment of his platinum photos especially around the edges which have rough black borders. The images are mainly of eerie looking landscapes or laborers, overall compelling and beautifully executed. They seem to have a range of color in their tones even though they are black and white.

Comment by AB: Prominent San Francisco portrait photographer Jock McDonald artfully documents rural life at locations around the world. Visually as well as technically impressive body of work.

Jock McDonald photography

Photography by Jock McDonald.

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Photos.

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Photograph detail (photo c/o Jessica Whiteside).

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Photographs.

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Photography.

***

111 Minna Gallery : Serena Cole and Tahiti Pehrson - GOLDEN.

Review by Dennis C. Scherzer: "...the lost gazes of fashionistas frozen in a moment of fantastical escapism..." So states Serena Cole in a brief description of her work. It is a poignant statement, totally on point. It can not be said better.

Let's step back from the message for a brief moment and look at the artist's craft. Serena Cole has excellent drawing and painting skills. She combines colored pencil and watercolors along with appliqu?s of metallic foil creating proto-photographic imagery from post-production printed portraits. It's as though her works are emerging, transforming into the photographs that inspired them-- and those photographs have already morphed from camera image to printed image. This inherent cycle of re-creation imbues the work with a lifelike resonance.

Serena explains that she is "exploring bizarre images of beauty." These are iconic figures of beauty rather than "genuine beauty like Marilyn Monroe." She derives her subjects from magazine images, and they manifest a darker side to the representation of what is beauty, what is fashion. She writes, "The work hypothesizes that the result of a life spent in the pursuance of vanity ultimately leads to isolation, sadness and alienation."

This having been said, Serena Cole's art is quite beautiful in itself. It is well worth the effort to visit the 111 Minna Gallery.

Tahiti Pehrson is also exhibiting at 111 Minna. He is a master at removing paper, painstakingly excising portions of a whole sheet of paper to reveal fantastic images. These images are accentuated by the gallery lighting creating shadowbox variations resulting in stunning 3-dimensional depth. I'd say that they are sculptures-- they have that impact. That impact is increased when the intricate detail of his work is considered along with the fact that once you remove a piece of paper by cutting, it can never be put back. Something as thin as paper combines with the mutability of shadow to form emerges. The mind is engaged. The intellectual thirst is satiated and wants more.

Review by Libby Nicholaou: A two person exhibit featuring portraits by Serena Cole done in watercolors and fine cutout silhouette scapes by Tahiti Pehrson. Females featured in the portraits remind you of models in fashion magazines, sometimes with a twist. The cut out silhouettes remind me of stencils; some have great detail, and surprisingly, in considering foreground as well as background, two layers of detail.

Serena Cole art

Art (Serena Cole).

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Art (Serena Cole).

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Serena Cole - art (photo c/o Dennis C. Scherzer).

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Art (Tahiti Pehrson, left - Serena Cole, center).

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Piece on left in above image closer (Tahiti Pehrson).

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Art (Tahiti Pehrson, left - Serena Cole, right).

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Art (Tahiti Pehrson).

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Layout (photo c/o Dennis C. Scherzer).

***

Cafe Royale : Christina Empedocles and Leah Rosenberg - New Paintings.

Review by Jessica Whiteside: Christina Empedocles creates realistically painted objects which she says, "stand in for the things I've lost touch with over time." She paints them in a trompe-l'oeil realism style to give the illusion of reality. Since they are only painted objects, the artist is making a commentary about the distance between the objects of her past years and her life now in the present. Leah Rosenberg's work is a noticeable contrast to Christina's as her work is very abstract and entirely nonrepresentational. However Rosenberg's work is also very labor intensive because of her use of patterns. The repetitive labor of building up these patterns is a statement about being fully present in the moment of creating her work. "When Is Now" is the last show being curated by Alicia Escott who is moving on to focus on her own work in her graduate school program. She passes the torch on, but will be greatly missed as she has done a tremendous job as curator at Caf? Royale, consistently putting together quality shows of compelling work. Sorry, no pics.

***

Addendum:

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Fantasy & satire in contemporary prints at Warnock Fine Arts .

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One more from contemporary print show at Warnock Fine Arts.

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Karl Struss, Pictorial Modernist, at Robert Tat Gallery .

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Pinkie cam detail of Karl Struss photo at Robert Tat Gallery.

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Susanne M. Winterling photographs at Silverman Gallery .

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One more from Susanne M. Winterling photo show at Silverman Gallery.

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Wanna do a little of this ? If yes, profound appreciation instantly ensues.

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First Thursday; August 7, 2008

First Thursday; July 3, 2008

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Articles and content copyright Alan Bamberger 1998-2008. All rights reserved.
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