SFMOMA Visit

Spent the day at the SFMOMA with my friend Stella and also rand into another friend Tessa. The line for Marclay's "Clock" was really long, so instead we drank Blue Bottle coffee at the cafe and meandered the other exhibitions. It was great to revisit a few of my favorites:

Jenny Saville 

Hem, 1999

oil on canvas

120 in. x 84 in.

Fred Tomaselli

Field Guides, 2003

photocollage, gouache, acrylic, and resin on wood

60 in. x 84 in.

Mark Rothko

No. 14, 1960, 1960

oil on canvas

114 1/2 x 105 5/8 in.

You're W, I'm W, Repeat: Cover

I have been working on the cover of the W magazine. Here is my progress:

SFAI MFA Show

Once again, I find myself perusing MFA art. Tonight it is for SFAI and there were some things I really liked. Overall, I found it stronger than the CCA MFA show.

One of my favorites was beautiful collages/paintings by Dianna Lindquist.

Dianna Lindquist

Dianna Lindquist

Also intriguing was art by Allie Blanchard. It felt like a pagan Xmas fairytale injected with black humor. Great stuff.

Allie Blanchard

Allie Blanchard

Allie Blanchard

Some of the most fun and playful work was by Mie Hørlyck Mogensen.

Mie Hørlyck Mogensen, Device for Listening

Mie Hørlyck Mogensen
Device for Listening, leather & ceramic

Mie Hørlyck Mogensen
Bag to Yawn Into, leather & ceramic

I was really glad to see work by Hanna Kunysz. I look forward to seeing more of her sculptures in the future.

Future Mountain on Wheels, 2013, Found Materials on Wheels, 4' x 2.5' x 2'

San Francisco, Site 30-G, 2045, 2013, Found Materials, 4' x 10" x 10"

CCA MFA Show

Tonight I visit the CCA main campus to see the MFA art show with my artist friend Nikki. There were a few nice moments.

One of my favorites was a series of rooms with painted walls–very simple concept, but powerful.

This was the first room:

The second room:

The third room was a calm taupe room with a gold door. Lovely.

I also enjoyed a series of delicate bruise drawings and a large one complete with flowers and sections of a body by Amber Fawn.

These dog collars were beautiful and whimsical. Funny thing is I would actually wear these myself!

MEGAN MCGAFFIGAN

The pinnacle of the evening was seeing my artist friend's work Kate Nichols. It is fascinating, impeccably completed, and I would love to have one of her art pieces. This oil painting was breathtaking.

multilayer dielectric mirror (fish skin). Oil on panel. 43" x 56", 2013.

Kate Nichols, Maquette

Kate Nichols

The final piece that I was impressed by was a pedestal with a person inside the entire night. It played with objectification and couldn't help myself to gently caress her foot. At the end of the evening, Nikki and I rolled up her pant legs.





As a final note, Nikki and I counted the number of handlebar moustaches and the final count was 9!! Can you say hipster-ville?

Andy Vogt's Art Opening

My friend Nikki and I attended my artist friend's art opening tonight. I've known Andy Vogt for many years now and his work is always nicely controlled and executed meticulously.

Andy Vogt | Submerged on the Surface
May 11 - June 29, 2013
Opening Reception Saturday, May 11, 4-7pm

Eli Ridgway Gallery is pleased to present the gallery’s first solo exhibition by Andy Vogt, Submerged on the Surface.

Based on the sculptural potential of lumberyard detritus and repurposed rough-cut Douglas Fir lath, Vogt's works take on the materials in both graphic and architectural terms as well as the gray area between. His vision of well-worn, structural demise finds a language in the crisp edges and broken off-cuts of discarded plywood and lath and their shadows.

Visible Spectrum, 2013 
salvaged wood
52 x 29 (diameter) inches

Shadeshape 3, 2012
salvaged wood
67 x 34 inches

Another Greeting Card Created

May is always a busy month with many birthdays. I created this card today and fairly happy with it, however her breasts don't feel quite right.

Birthday Cards Created

I've never liked store-bought greeting cards, so I usually make them myself. Here are a couple I created today:

Mausoleum and Cemetery Visit

After attending the open studios, Nikki and I made our way to one of the Colma mausoleums to appreciate the architecture. The stained glass is really extraordinary. We also almost tripped over a dead raven. We both had to touch it's scaled leg, even though it smelled really bad.

Open Studios Visited

I visited open studios for Jim Stewart's Zymoglyphic Museum in San Mateo. I especially loved his "lint ball creatures" and the melted lead piece. I also visited his wife's Judith Hoffman studio that featured homemade pinhole cameras.

Gallery Visit

I attended this recommended art show with my artist friends Scott Tsuchitani, Liz Hickok, and Ilana Crispi. The pieces were motion activated and were programmed with intricate "mating dances". The pieces were great, but one of them seemed to be nonoperative. Once again, this reminded me that I never want my artwork to rely on technology.


Hosfelt Gallery
260 Utah Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
t 415-495-5454
f 415-800-7206
http://hosfeltgallery.com/

30 March - 18 May 2013
Reception: Saturday 30 March, 4 - 6pm

ALAN RATH
Irrational Exuberance

Creativity Explored Art Opening

Tonight I was really excited to attend the new art opening at Creativity Explored. I loved it!

Exhibition

May 2 - June 12, 2013

Venue
Creativity Explored

Location
3245 Sixteenth Street (at Guerrero)

San Francisco, CA 94103

Modules by Makeya Kaiser © 2013 Creativity Explored. Mixed media, 30

SPACE is an immersive gallery experience consisting of sculpture-based work made from repurposed materials, paired with sound, video, and light components. More than a dozen Creativity Explored artists worked collaboratively to create a space of their own, working alongside the exhibition’s curators to create an “out-of-the frame,” conceptual environment.


My favorite piece in the show was this multi-media piece that reminded me of a cadaver emblazoned in brilliant lights.

Hanh Chau

Untitled, 2013

wire, synthetic fiber, steel wire, and wool

Kaocrew "Yah" Kakabutra

Untitled, 2013

paper, air-dry clay, fiber, and glue

I also fell in love with these "heads". They slightly reminded me of one of my art pieces.

Kaocrew "Yah" Kakabutra

Untitled, 2013

plaster, yarn, gesso, and wire

I've always loved this artist's work and would love to own one.

Marilyn Wong

Untitled, 2013

mixed media on paper

These pieces were not part of the curated show, but rather were displayed in the back area where the artists create their work. I was obsessed with this hanging piece. It was made from tightly-wrapped pantyhose and I must have stared at it forever.

Unknown artist

I was really delighted to discover these drawings in a bin. I cannot wait to see future work by this talented artist. The Pieta drawing (the third one) is quite possibly the best version of this iconic scene I have ever seen. Next time I have a drawing session, I will remember this incredible linework!

Charles (Poncho) Cruz

Charles (Poncho) Cruz

Charles (Poncho) Cruz