BLANKSPACE GALLERY - HATCH GALLERY - JOHANSSON PROJECTS
OAKLAND ART OPENINGS
6.12.09
Reported by John Casey

Hatch Gallery : Becoming Non-Object - Nathaniel Crane & Michael Deane.

Review by John Casey: Nathaniel Crane paints recognizable architectural shapes and structures combined with more abstract elements. The result is clean iconographic compositions, like hieroglyphs for contemporary culture. Michael Dean combines elements of sculpture, video, installation and painting to assemble visually rickety but energetic media altars.

Note: This show opened on June 4 and runs through June 27th.

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Johansson Projects : The Echo Fields - Works by Val Britton and Michael Meyers; Show Me - Works by Jennifer and Kevin McCoy (in the Project Room).

Review by John Casey: Michael Myers makes elegant sculptures out wood and other basic materials. Like Rube Goldberg contraptions processed through a minimalist filter, these objects are like an inventor's first visual impressions of machine construction without all the tedious and necessary design elements of functionality. Some of Val Britton's cut and reconstructed paper landscapes evoke star charts or interstellar maps, while others feel like satellite views of planetary landscapes complete with futuristic cities.

In the project space, Jennifer and Kevin McCoy display tiny models filmed with miniature cameras with the results projected onto the wall. There is also a television monitor in the far back room showing DVDs of various actors hired to talk about the art of famous artists as if it were their own. In one vignette, a young woman nervously presents her work (actually the work of Donald Judd) and stumbles through typical art school explanations of the work's intentions and meanings. The result is quite charming.

Note: This show opened on May 9th and runs through June 20.

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Blankspace Gallery : Just Because There are Questions Doesn't Mean There are Answers - New Collaborative Work by Sam Lopes, Joy Fritz and Friends.

Review by John Casey: The press release for this colorful show reads, "The exhibition of drawings and large scale wooden and papier mache artifacts are a result of the artists' use of a game to stay inspired and connected to their queer histories and futures, of laughing in spite of deep pain, and constantly, creatively UNdefining themselves so that there are more questions and less answers."

These playful collaborative works are primarily done by Sam Lopes and Joy Fritz with some input by other art pals. I especially enjoy the figurative sculptures and fireplace.

Note: This show opened on June 5th and runs through July 5.

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