Art from Flickr Streams

Into The Cave






Exit IV





Chris Duncan





Kent Henrickson @ JCP





Jonathan Edelhuber (carmichael gallery of contemporary art)





Axel_H's art in tattoo form





Head Avia

Sewing an Elephant Animal

Elephant, originally uploaded by libbynicholaou.

I've had this fabric for way too long. Here is phase one for this mammal. Tomorrow I'm gonna get batting and stuff him up.

Pictures from Zefrey Throwell Going Away Exhibit

Genius idea of making ad lib sheets comparing/contrasting New York (where he is moving) with San Francisco (where he's leaving). Best one had the blanks filled with sounds.

Correction: Raylene Gorum at Art Engine Tonight

SFshow, originally uploaded by R.bean.

Steve Rhodes let me know I had the wrong artist for tonite's opening.
Check out her blog: http://www.raylenegorum.com/

Online Interactive Entertainment

Draw a picture, hit the "swap" key, and get another picture in return.
Sketch Swap




Mr. Potato Head reproduced as Mr. Picasso head.
Mr. Piccasohead




Create your own Kaleidoscope.
Kaleidoscope

Gap Artist Tees

The Gap artist tees include work by: Chuck Close, Jeff Koons, Marilyn Minter, Kiki Smith, Cai Guo-Qiang, Barbara Kruger, Ashley Bickerton, Kenny Scharf, Glenn Ligon, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Kerry James Marshall, Hanna Liden and Sarah Sze.

If you're in San Francisco you can catch them on display in Union Square.
Emily Chang has pictures of a few.

Friday at The Lab

Alterations
Featuring Francesca Pastine in the Front Gallery
Exhibition Dates: May 28 – June 14, 2008
Opening Reception: Friday, May 30, from 6-9 PM


"Content is reconfigured as a result of Pastine’s physical interventions with these print mediums. The sensory process of taking in information is made visceral. In this manner, she draws attention to the physicality of objects that are mentally consumed, and then discarded. Through these alterations, Pastine not only subtly shifts cultural output, she also prompts viewers to engage in an embodied experience of disembodied information."








Don’t You Know There’s A War Going On?
Featuring Erika Anderson in the Ticket Booth
Exhibition Dates: May 28 – June 14, 2008
Opening Reception: Friday, May 30, 6-9 PM


"Don’t You Know There’s A War Going On? is a video installation of a cat playing with, dismembering, and eating a bird, paired to a soundtrack of current BBC news radio. The actual event borders on the banal, but the footage is jolting. This piece explores the prosaic nature of violence, its prevalent and consistent presence in our lives, and our obligation, if any, to do something about it."

Katherine Worel at Art Engine

Katherine Worel creates experimental pieces is that examine the roles we accept for ourselves and environments. I haven't seen her work in person and am interested to check out this exhibit.


ART ENGINE 1035 Mission Street (between 6th and 7th Streets)

Pictures from Last Night's Sketch Tuesdays

Zefrey Throwell: A One Night Retrospective

ZEFREY THROWELL: A ONE NIGHT RETROSPECTIVE, 2004-2008
(and going away party)

Wednesday, May 28, 2008 6-10pm
MISSION 17
2111 Mission Street, Suite 401


A TIMELINE OF OIL PAINTNGS, FRANK PRATTLE INTERVIEWS, WATERCOLORS, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, VIDEOS, AND COLLABORATIONS WITH RED 76, THIN ICE COLLECTIVE, NEIGHBORHOOD PUBLIC RADIO, WPS1, AND A SURPRISE LIVE PERFORMANCE

Interview with David King

Hello David King!




How would you explain your work to a blind person?

Traditional cut and paste. People often wonder if it is digital, if I used paint, or involved any other technique. By saying, “traditional cut and paste,” I want them to know that I haven’t taken the easy way out and enjoy the challenge of making it intricate and detailed.

How have your collages evolved over time?

My first collages were much simpler, more figurative, incorporated fewer elements, and contained a narrative touching on the surreal which over time became more abstract.




Your largest work?

My largest piece is 4 by 10 feet.


How do you approach a new collage?

The idea for a series is definitely in my mind before I begin. The current series is about the metaphysical energy that exists on a micro and macro level all around us. I have developed a palate of building blocks that I am using and go in with a general idea of what the composition is going to be like.


How do you know a piece is finished?

I know it is finished, when my eye keeps moving around it and doesn’t get tired. Just as painting has a balance when it is finished and I can look at my collages and ask myself, “does it need some more?” but unlike painting when you glue it you can’t paint over it.




You often allude to painting when talking about your collage process. Do you paint as well?

Never painted. But the more I do collage the more I see that the process is similar.
Mostly work with collage but will get artist in residency at the dump in july and will be working with larger scale objects and space….

Why is collage your chosen medium?

Because I’m really good at it. (smile) It’s the medium where I easily find my distinct voice. For years, I did photography but my photos always looked like someone else’s.




When did you realize that collage was your chosen medium?

Maybe in 4th grade. While gluing different cut pieces together in class my principal asked to have my collage as a piece of art in her office.

When I visit museums, I’m always drawn to the collage work. I like that each piece evokes a story.





Where do you get your materials?

I go to thrift stores and look for books. People will ask, “don’t you feel guilty about cutting this up?” and I will say, “no.” By using images from old books, I am giving life to something that would have ended up in the trash heap. By placing them out of context, I hope to be encouraging people to view old objects in a different way.


Describe this other world you are creating.

I am creating the ideal world, the soft peaceful place that we are all longing for. My quintessential image, “nearly there” (’06), was created during a place in my life when I wasn’t sure where I was. Through making collage I was able to quit my day job and felt like I had arrived at true calling. Now I can say that I am an artist and gardner.



Inspiration:

John O’Reilly, a collage artists, that works with black and white polariods.
Fred Tomaselli creates large major scale collages and paintings. His largest piece is 10 x 30 and uses thousands of elements in to create complexity.

When I visited India in January 2008, I was inspired by the many shapes, colors, and cultural differences.

Also: artistic detail in buildings, forms in nature, and life that I see in the garden.



Favorite Exhibitions

I was included in a cluster of six solo shows at The Lab. Ritual Roasters had a solo exhibit of my work.


If you were to share your work with a blind person…

Fortunately, I would be able to say let me give you a tour and direct their finger over the grooves between the different layers of paper.



Where do you see yourself next on the map?

Next place to approach for exhibitions is LA.

Next places to travel:

Southern tip of Chile where it is desolate beauty, natural large open spaces
Montana
Hawaii (a good beach vacation)

Memorial Day Weekend Opening Photos

This weekend took me to Oakland several times. Since most folks left for Memorial Day Weekend, I wanted some kind of adventure within the city. It was great to be meet Pete and Narangkar of Rowan Morrison and catch up with some other artists I haven't seen in while. The art scene isn't much different over there but can be more laid back, which I like.

Some thoughts about what I saw.

Suzanne Husky at Triple Base- So fun. It was as if you entered the ultimate doll diorama, reminiscent of Barbies and dollhouses. Well crafted and intricately constructed, taking you through different cultures and current events.

Whitney Lynn at Lobot - The story goes that a army general would go up to the opposing side's fort carrying a butterfly net and paper. Claiming he was sketching butterflies, he would instead take down the floor plan of the fort. Whitney uses this concept and gives us butterflies with secret floor plans lazor cut into their centers. Genius right? Definitely goes with the "Decoy" theme for the exhibit. Her butterflies are enhanced but the shadows they cast in the boxes. There is an interesting contrast with the geometric diagram and organic insect's shape. Also think- a sheep in wolves clothing.


Adam5100 at Rowan Morrison- Adam abstracts his stencil pieces by adding actual lamps to outside of the composition. Creating more of an installation piece than just 2D wall paintings. He set a more contemplative mood in this exhibit than at Stussy two months back.

"The Long Road" by Nigel Peake

Nigel Peake was one of the first artists I interviewed. I was flattered to be able to ask him some questions and feature him on this blog. He now has a book of photography out called "The Long Road."

Analoge Books has some photos up of the inside pages.Maybe you can ask him to send you a virtual copy...since they are sold out. But he has other books available on his site as well.

Big Bird? Really?

picture by Matt Furie



Sorry, kids, nannies, parents, older siblings, and anyone who may watch the occasional Sesame Street episode with their little friend (8months-and up). After watching daily tivo-ed episodes, at times more than one a day, while nannying, I have taken a different understanding to it than when I was a kid. We all know its purpose is to to help educate young kids on things such as the alphabet, numbers, sharing, etc. There are the "monsters," the foam and furry characters, who are the life of the show and are named such to help kids not be afraid of the idea of monsters. Really, what it all comes down to is an educational, kid friendly, SNL skit. I laugh while enjoying altered stories about the three little bears and goldilocks and understand why Elmo is a favorite among many. Without examining those who are in between, I will get to it and say that Big Bird is way at the bottom.

Writing about these characters is kind of hard, when they are pretty much gender neutral, at least Big Bird and Elmo.
Anyway here are the reasons I can't get into Big Bird:

Too tall for its body and so always has bad posture
Eyes display a passive personality
Is so huge but not huge in character
Is rarely funny, rarely
Isn't ironic or close to it
Usually is a complement to another character...best used with another character and not alone
Has a hard time being creative
Has a bland voice

I don't mean to hate on Big Bird, but I can't help questioning these characters and their influence on kids. Bert is another flop. I'm sure these less interesting beings on Sesame Street are to help guide kids through picking friends and provide social awareness. I imagine little kids are less interested in Big Bird, as I am, but can't ignore him because of his huge yellow appearance. Sesame Street has been around forever and they make changes when their audience disproves or loses interest, but I'd be interested in learning more about the concept behind Big Bird.

When I said I'm sorry in the beginning, I meant it about enduring Big Bird not the show, because I do love me a good Sesame Street episode.

Amanda M. Smith at Jack Fischer Gallery

I was reading through Alan Bamberger's reviews from last weekend and was bummed that I missed Amanda's opening. Her stuff reminds me so much of Henry Darger's paintings, which I love.

Here are some pieces, done with ceramic and glaze, from this exhibit which will be up until June 28, 2008 at Jack Fischer Gallery in the 49 Geary building.

Video of Suzanne Husky's Exhibit at Triple Base

I'm trying something new with how I document exhibits. You may have seen these little gadgets already and be using one yourself, the Flip video recorder. It could be compared to a camera phone in its accessibility and convenience. It's perfect for me, being someone who doesn't care for distracting cameras and other equipment at busy opening receptions.

But, I don't have much prior experience with video and am realizing that, as I begin to work with it more. Regardless, I like it and want to incorporate video to this blog more. So, bear with me. I thought this mini virtual tour of Suzanne Husky's exhibit, "You Make Me You" at Triple Base, was a good starting point for content and more on the rough side for my technique. If anything, this will hopefully compel you to get over to the exhibit yourself and see it in person for all its greatness!

"seeing yourself seeing" or "sensing yourself sensing"

It was intense to check out Olafur Eliasson's exhibit at the SFMoMa last fall year. He took you into another world where science and art made new environments. Places we often don't allow to entertain our imaginations.

This interview with Eliasson reminds me much of what Dana Gioia the chairman for the NEA, talked about last night. Listening to him, I experienced first hand how magnificent creativity, understanding, and social consciousness can exist in a human being. I was completely blown away with his ability to be a huge political/art leader, while at the same time presenting himself as a flawed human being. His poetry express such, but to listen first hand, it all becomes more real. He never gives a speech more than once and doesn't write them out, apart form a few key words to prompt his train of thought. For this, he is more conscious of his audience's needs and aware of his current environment.

This interview, with Eliasson from the website Bomb, has many of the same currents referring to one's consciousness, of their environment and being.

Here's the first Q&A Enjoy!
Olafur Eliasson
by Chris Gilbert
Issue 88 Summer 2004, ART

Chris Gilbert You often use the phrase “seeing yourself seeing” or “sensing yourself sensing” to describe the way your work functions. It is interesting that this proposition—namely, that the experience of nature is at least partly a human construct—could be taken as a summary of Romantic philosophy’s central idea. Immanuel Kant often referred to his work as effecting a reversal of the Copernican revolution that had put the sun rather than human beings and the earth at the center of the universe. Like the Romantics who followed him, Kant returns humanity to the center with the claim that we are co-creators of the world that we appear to encounter. It seems to me that a similar dynamic, accompanied by an ethics that likewise emphasizes human responsibility, operates in your work. It is indicated with particular clarity in both the title and the function of the work Your spiral view, which puts the viewer in the center of a light-refracting tube.

Olafur Eliasson If so, I hope this happens in a non-normative way. The problem with putting the model of the person seeing at the center is that it often results in normative ideas of spatiality and personhood. I would like to have the model of the subjective and singular experience at the center, but I would also like it to function non-normatively, which I suppose is a paradox. Kantian epistemology always seems to me inescapably normative. As I use these ideas of seeing-yourself-sensing or sensing-yourself-seeing, they are about trying to introduce relationships between having an experience and simultaneously evaluating and being aware that you are having this experience. It’s not about experience versus interpretation but about the experience inside the interpretive act, about the experience itself being interpretive. You could say that I’m trying to put the body in the mind and the mind in the body. Although I am still proposing a model—a way of seeing and engaging and a way of evaluating our surroundings as a human construction—it can operate with an extremely high degree of singularity. And the important thing is to acknowledge that it is merely a construction, which means that we are not offering a higher state of truth or truthfulness. I can’t say, “Now I’ve got the right model.” It’s not about utopia or anything final.

Will Bryant

Will Bryant uses great bright colors and morphs animals with humans. Like that he created a piece on Panda Bear! There are more great images on his site.






Thought provoked by looking through his work:
I go back and forth between raw seemingly unfinished work that is conceptual and definitely finished complex work that is conceptual and fine art. My conclusion is if I connect to the images it is affective and work calling art.

Interview with Erik Otto

Erik Otto paints calm yet tumultuous boats at sea, constructs shelters and boats with recycled materials, and is beginning more abstract pieces with spectacular bright bold colors. His titles tell you a lot about his direction and thought process, using phrases such as, "visible only from a distance," "inner silence," and "blissful moment." With traces of graffiti and illustration, he uses color to enhance the mood of otherwise hard to experience moments. He is able to encompass such depth of the human experience due to his travels and willingness to be exposed to many lifestyles. I am excited to see his work in the near future, as the metaphors become more abstracted and the visuals attach to more to my subconscious than eyes.

He has an upcoming exhibition at the Shooting Gallery in July and is often found creating new work in his studio behind Gallery Three.






You share studio space with Gallery Three's show room, what is that like? How is being on 6th street daily?

I have gained a lot sharing my studio space with Gallery Three. Since we opened the doors to the public in September 2007, I have met a lot of new people and artists. I get the experience of owning a gallery without owning a gallery. I get to see how other artists work, I see all the work that goes into starting a gallery from scratch, and having a space that changes every month is very refreshing. If I had a choice, I wouldn't have had my studio on 6th street, but the affordable rent allows me to continue to do what I do.



Most of the time, when I am working in the studio, the music is on blast and I am too busy to notice what's going on around me. For the times when I do get distracted by the activities outside, the sight is usually pretty upsetting. It takes a lot to come to 6th street everyday and get work done, but it is the sacrifice I needed to make in order to have what I have. I guess the goal every shop owner on 6th street is banking on, is that the block will eventually turn around. We will just have to wait and see.





Your titles and images are centered around oceanic themes, water, perseverance, space, etc. I think Odysseus or some epic journey when I look at your full body of work. What are you trying to convey with these themes? Why are you prone to these ideas right now?

My work is definitely about a journey of soul searching. Nothing too different from what we all are essentially doing, only I have adapted to my visual language as a means of expressing and communicating it. I find water to be the most interesting natural element. It is both a source of life, as well as the one thing that can destroy us all.

The main concept behind my work is protecting and nurturing your hopes and dreams because without them, we are nothing. My work is generally autobiographical, drawing from emotions, in hopes that others will connect with my honesty.



Currently, I feel the world around me, as well as myself, is in a crucial stage referred to as the crisis stage before a much needed change occurs. This is representative by the storms and clouds in my most recent work. The houses symbolize dreams and the boats act as a symbol of hope that will remain afloat even in times of flood.





You have worked with some larger name clients. How was that experience? Now you have your own clothing company, did you get some ideas from them? or cautions for what you want to avoid? What got you into textiles?

I have been fortunate enough to work with some pretty big clients, and the experience ranges from excellent to absolute crap. I now make a conscious effort to choose my battle wisely, and no matter how small the job, always put things in writing. I have been working as a freelance designer for over 6 years, yet the process is never perfect. Fortunately, early on I have become very aware of the absurd practices in business where creatives get the short end of the bargain, while these larger companies thrive.



Overall, complaints aside, it has been a huge learning process for me, and meeting and working with all the people I have come across has added a whole lot to my perspective on how I would like to do things. Since as far back as I could remember, I had always dreamed of working for myself with the sole intention of making a difference. I had it in my mind to start a clothing line in '98, but it wasn't until 2004 did I have the resources to make it happen. At the time, I went into it naively thinking I was just going to print artwork on shirts, but after years of hard work and multiple negative balances in my bank account, it has matured into a very time consuming yet very rewarding job.



You mention in your about statement "traveling to Hawaii, frequenting Arizona and New York", and being "inspired by the stillness of open land." You want to talk about this more?

I was originally going to move to the islands with some close friends after high school, but due to my record (long story), I wasn't allowed to leave the state. I ended up sticking around the bay area and managed to get a degree in Illustration. After graduation in 2005, I rewarded myself with a trip to Oahu that ended up being an epic vacation that transformed my life.

I slept on floors, in parks, and in my tent in the mountains as well as the country side. I also had the chance to hop over to the island of Kuaui, where my friends and I camped out on the beach for 3 days. My parents moved to the country side of Arizona 3 years ago, and it has now become a place where I go to relax. New York is the city if all cities here in the states, and I go there to get inspired and reconnect with friends in Brooklyn.



What keeps your mind thinking of new ideas, enhancing your creativity, and engaging in the local art scene? What art museum in SF is your favorite? How do you approach visiting exhibits on First Thursdays?

In the words of Albert Einstein, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I get my ideas by questioning everything I do, while always searching for new ways to push things further. I feel like I am inspired by all the same things that inspire everyone else, only I am doing my best to leave a trail of things I am proud of.

Favorite museum in SF is the De Young, and believe it or not, it is rare to find me at art openings. It's weird. I always plan on going, then end up getting caught up working on something. Although, I have found, for me, the best way to appreciate the depth of a show is by privately visiting the show during normal gallery hours.

San Francisco is a very inspiring city, and even though my passion is art, I have always been the type to look for inspiration outside of the world I am directly exposed to everyday.




He's all over the web!

www.erikotto.com
www.newleafclothing.com
www.iamavesl.com (coming soon)
www.shootinggallerysf.com/gallerythree

Two Openings You Don't Want to Miss This Friday

Artist: Suzanne Husky
Title: You Make Me You
Gallery: Triple Base
Opening Reception: Friday, May 23, 2008 from 7-10pm
Exhibition Dates: May 22 - June 29, 2008
Address: 3041 24th Street




Artists:
Patrick Blaeser
Robert Burden
Ross Campbell
Diane Derr
Robert Jackson Harrington
Claire Jackel
Whitney Lynn
Jana Rumberger
Brian Stinemetz
Title: Decoy
Gallery: LoBot Gallery
Opening Reception: May 23, 2008 from 7-11pm
Address:1800 Campbell Street, Oakland, Ca

Adam 5100 at Rowan Morrison

Artist: Adam5100
Gallery: Rowan Morrison
Exhibition Title: The Heart Vs. The Mind in a Fight to the Finish
Opening Reception: Saturday May 24, 2007 from 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Exhibition Dates: May 21, 2008 - June 21, 2008
Address: 330 40th St., Oakland, CA



"For 'The Heart Vs. The Mind in a Fight to the Finish', Adam5100 has created artwork that again pushes the limits of the medium of hand-cut stencil artwork. The show features photorealistic and figurative stencil paintings (sometimes using up to 9 different hand-cut color separations), shadow installations, sculptures, prints, and a 48 square-foot outdoor mural. His work takes on a modernist approach, using traditional yet revisited and refined techniques that are truly his own. Adam’s unique voice amid the final result is purely contemporary, yet his reverence for history in both technique and subject matter is palpably universal."

Artforum Picks Daniel Tierney

Daniel Tierney
STEVEN WOLF FINE ARTS
49 Geary Street, Suite 411
May 1–May 31

"Though more lucrative and widespread than film, computer games, and in particular their visual style and youthquake energy, have had difficulty gaining purchase in the art world. This is part of what makes Daniel Tierney’s recent paintings and sculpture so fascinating—at first glance, a gallery visitor would never guess his sources. The show’s slangy title, “Ghost Hesh,” however, does betray roots in scraggly skater scruff. Tierney’s work hangs tough between the dude-friendly realms of computer games, heavy metal, and skating and knowingly experiments with abstraction, color, and the distinctions between real and virtual spaces. The artist's skill allows him to skirt the youthful stigma of his inspirations to create a fresh and sophisticated aesthetic. By manipulating kaleidoscopic color schemes in acrylic and spray paint, Tierney evokes free-floating psychedelic stained-glass windows arranged in what seem like three-dimensional spaces. A number of the paintings resemble melted David Hockney stage sets: Dimensionality is palpable, and yet the thin application of paint is clearly rooted in screen-based media. A few other works initially appear to conflate photographic and painted space—Tierney works in stages, drawing on photographs, rephotographing those compositions, then creating tableaux of his paintings that serve as the subjects for what are essentially still lifes—yet these works are clearly in dialogue with painting’s history. The canvases are treated with conceptual care, and yet the source material seems to be treated roughly—shapes are crumpled, the brushwork sometimes comes across as violent—an approach that serves as an affectionate challenge to the kid-glove reverence that often characterizes the medium’s young practitioners. The show also includes geometric sculptures made from painted two-by-fours, and the forms owe as much to a Grand Theft Auto motorcycle ramp as to Sol LeWitt or Malevich. As a group, the works manage the kind of thrill that Aaron Young should create with his motorbike extravaganzas. But Tierney seems to be having a lot more fun."

—Glen Helfand

Alexis Mackenzie on Fecal Face Dot Com & Gallery

Artist: Alexis Mackenzie
Gallery: Fecal Face Dot Gallery
Opening Reception: Saturday, May 17th from 6-9 p.m.
Address: 66 Gough Street near Market


Check her recent interview on their site.

Rauschenberg

You all know by now that Rauschenberg left us on Monday. I've been reading articles here and there, seeing what others have to say here. Here's an audio clip from NPR, among the coverage I've enjoyed most.

Upcoming Openings and Events

Artist: Tucker Nichols
Gallery: Lincart
Opening Reception: Thursday, May 15, 2008 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Address: 1632 C Market Street





"The show will feature a site-specific wall drawing, a window installation, and elegant groupings of his signature 'note-to-self' drawings. It will also include text-based painted panels that remind us of the absurdity of our advertising-saturated world. "




What: Ping Pong Happy Hour
Gallery: Ping Pong Gallery
When: Friday, May 16, 2008 from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Address: 1240 22nd Street





"Be Fabulous. Play Ping Pong. Absolutely!

Ping Pong Gallery's ongoing social sculpture,
Ping Pong Happy Hour, is our continued commitment
to bringing together artists and friends, and to
provide a playground in which to help foster ideas
and acts of free play.

On the evening of Friday, May 16th, from 6-9pm,
we invite you to come play, drink beer, make friends,
and give shape to the act/art of playing Ping Pong.Ping Pong gear optional, but highly encouraged.
Let's play!"



Artist: William T. Wiley - Punball: Only One Earth
Gallery: Electric Works
Opening Reception: Friday, May 16, 2008 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Address: 130 Eighth Street





"Only One Earth - PunBall Pinball aficionados and fine art appreciators will delight in Only One Earth - PunBall, a show featuring a traditional Gottlieb pinball machine that has been re-figured by William T. Wiley and the staff at Electric Works."