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mars 14, 2010

Electro Mechanical Pop

by Richard Gleaves


The work in Dave Ghilarducci's current show is extremely generative in its ability to assert questions about the artist's intention: whether it is to explore sound, motion, interactivity, or stochastics, any one of which is a topic sufficient in itself to sustain a career-length investigation.

A conversation with Ghilarducci at the opening revealed that for him all these are but means towards an end, which is to make work that is as accessible as possible to as wide an audience as possible. If a modality exists that he can exploit to engage a viewer, he will use it. And as a professionally-trained engineer Ghilarducci has the software and hardware chops to do so, far beyond the typical skill set of a professionally-trained artist (which he is not).

The central organizing metaphor behind Ghilarducci's work is the notion of conversation: in effect he is making machines that engage in abstract conversations. This positions his work somewhere between the wetware of Tino Sehgal and Maja Matarić’s work on social robots.

In response to Ghilarducci's stated goal of total accessibility, I asked if in essence that made his work a kind of Pop art. His response was swift and dismissive: he associates Pop with the work of Warhol and Lichtenstein, and doesn't want to see his own work so pigeon-holed.

This response itself is interesting, as it's consistent with a key property of Ghilarducci's work that makes it his own: namely, an unrelenting masculinity at a level hardly seen in contemporary art since early Matthew Barney. Historically, Pop has (among other things) been characterized as an effete and ironic rejoinder to the marked masculinity of Abstract Expressionism. Whereas Ghilarducci the person is quintessentially masculine: a quality that manifests in his work, which hews tightly to the gym-equipment esthetic of cold steel, industrial finish, and mil-spec joinery.

It's easy to imagine such works as ad hoc rickety (Tim Hawkinson) or bi-gendered (Sandra Doore), but they're not — they're tough as nails. It's this, combined with their propensity to communicate in odd and somewhat random ways, that makes them such a compelling spectacle, and — lest the artist recoil at the title above — not only worthy of their own branch in the tree of Pop, but fully potential of being something very else.

Matthew Mahoney



mars 10, 2010

Nepotism and Other Character Flaws

from the press release





Nepotism and Other Character Flaws
FILM SCREENING & PANEL DISCUSSION
Friday, March 12th, 8 PM


Nepotism and Other Character Flaws is the title and sole requirement for this evening of artist-made films. Four artists from the Family Matters exhibition are charged by curator Brian Goeltzenleuchter to develop a film series comprised of "artists, friends, and/or colleagues to whom you owe something or from whom you want something." Extending the theme of "family matters" and opening the typically derogatory concept of nepotism up for debate, this evening promises lively discussion between audience and panelists.

Panelists include Lisa Hutton, Andrew Kaufman, Lauren Tyler Norby and Donna Stack

Film and video by Justin Beckman, Mike Celona, Andrew Filippone Jr, Kip Fulbeck, Preston Poe, and Chris Todd

This Film Screening is part of the FAMILY MATTERS exhibition series

Sushi GALLERY HOURS: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, 1 pm to 6 pm

Special Price for our Electronic Friends: Tickets to the March 12th Nepotism and Other Character
Flaws screenings are two-for-one, or $7.50/general public and $5.00/members and students. Email us
with your reservation at info@sushiart.org


mars 09, 2010

Christian Tedeschi: Laminin






March 11 – May 14
Opening Reception: Thursday, March 11, 6pm - 9pm
Free and open to the public
 
Woodbury School of Architecture
2212 Main Street
San Diego, Ca 92113
619-235-2900
www.woodbury.edu
www.telegraphart.com

Gallery Hours:  Mon-Fri / 9-5pm

Woodbury School of Architecture continues the 2010 series of exhibitions featuring work by local artist and designers.

Dave Ghilarducci: Rattle and Hum



RATTLE AND HUM

Rattle and Hum



An installation by Dave Ghilarducci at ART Produce Gallery

March 13 - April 18
Opening Reception: Saturday March 13, 6-9pm

Rattle and Hum is an interactive, room sized installation. The viewer enters a narrow gallery to find what, at first glance, appears to be a postminimalist sculpture: Two identical steel cages, each containing an imposing rusted steel panel, are placed opposite each other. However, motion sensors, electronics and motors are embedded into the artwork, endowing it with the potential for kinetic and acoustic theatricality. When the viewer enters the installation, motion sensors gage the viewer’s position relative to both of the cages and commands motors to vibrate the rusted steel panels. These vibrations change in intensity and duration based on the movement of the viewer. Yet, as the viewer lingers in the installation, the vibrations begin to change with apparent randomness. As the viewer moves toward a cage, the intensity may wax or wane, and the opposite cage may or may not also do the same. Each time the viewer changes direction, the piece randomizes again. Ultimately, an indeterminate relationship between the viewer and the objects becomes the basis for a time- and motion-based spectacle for other viewers.

ART Produce Gallery
3139 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92104
619.584.4448
www.artproducegallery.com
http://daveghilarducci.com
http://davewerld.com


mars 07, 2010

Coatlicue mi Amor

by Richard Gleaves


coatlicue


Half-consciously, though, there is the more indigenous dream that the adventure is everything…

    — Kaprow, Happenings in the New York Scene



Last month Agitprop presented Coatlicue mi Amor, a performance by The Border Corps, a group of San Diego artists, musicians, and performers. In its density of information and feeling, Coatlicue was by far the most ambitious and successful event I've witnessed to date at Agitprop, and not by coincidence it's taken me a month to figure out how to write about it.

Billed as a happening, Coatlicue felt more closely positioned between traditional performance art and current trends in interactive theatre. Its hybrid nature made for a wild ride: rather than simply disappearing, the fourth wall seemed to be in constant motion throughout the Agitprop space, flying up, down, or inverting polarity as various scenes unfolded.

Throughout the fourth-wall gymnastics backstage remained overhead and crucial, as Border Corpsmen Armando de la Torre and Anthony Vasquez worked full-time through the performance spinning a dense web of real-time audio and video around performers Endy, Perry Vasquez, and Shondra Dawson.

The work was structured in three parts: the dreams of two vividly REM-state dreamers; a satirical review of recent and ongoing commercial crypto-genocides (the gods are more subtle these days); and a traditional Catholic liturgy recounting in lurid detail the historical genocide of the Island Carib people at the hands of conquistadores.

At this point I'd normally attempt a detailed description of these parts, but doing so would require more pages than could fit on this blog, and would only lead the reader further and further away from the intense theatricality engendered by the performance. Words fail me — you had to be there.

Never overplaying its hand (except perhaps in the topical Haiti references), the entire production displayed subtle signs of being well-thought-out to the n'th degree:

  • The audience was materially encouraged (via an admission discount) to attend the performance with sketchbooks and pencils. The presence of sketchers sketching throughout the performance mere feet from the performers seemed to insert them into the story itself, as complicit documenters of historical phenomena.

  • The climactic genocide liturgy was delivered directly to the artist-heavy audience, reframing them as members of the Church and so complicit participants in the recounted genocide. And so we are: you and I live where we live and how we live on the bones of a destroyed people. It's an old story, and not an uncommon one, but some old stories deserve regular retelling.

  • Post-performance some remarkably good food was made available to the audience for free. Perhaps not by coincidence, most of it seemed to be round.

I know of several people who missed this event and regret it. Word is that a repeat performance may occur at Agitprop in the indefinite future — watch for it.

mars 05, 2010

Jury-Rigged

from the press release


Jury-Rigged



Jury-Rigged: improvised: done or made using whatever is available. Over 20 different local artists in 2 venues: Lestats Coffee and Art of Framing

Opening reception March 6th from 7 - 11pm

Artists:
Dan Allen, Bret Barrett, Sean Brannan, Paul Brogden, Scott L. Brown, Stephan Caddell, Vanessa Christie, bd Dombrowsky, Corey Du Laney, Peter Geise, Gary Holliday, James Ivey, Chesalie Loach, Andrew Lucas, Mullet Pony, Paul Nazri, S.Tink, David Russell Talbott, Seth Tegardine, Maura Vazakas and more...


Lestats Coffee House and Art of Framing are teaming up to bring a bigger art scene to San Diego. This March will be our first opening at 2 different venues. The first show is called "Jury-Rigged" and features over 20 different local artists.

The Opening is Saturday, March 6th, from 7pm to 11pm it will be held at Art of Framing 3333 Adams ave and at Lestats 3343 Adams ave. Art will be on display for the whole month. Art of framing open 10am-6pm mon-fri Saturday 10am-4pm . Lestats open 24 hours a day.

www.lestats.com
3343 Adams Avenue (North Park)
619.282.0437

www.theartofframing.net
3333 Adams Avenue (North Park)
619.563.9770

mars 04, 2010

Family Matters

from the press release


Family Matters



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Brian Goeltzenleuchter
858.602.8448
brian@cphomedecor.com

SUSHI Performance and Visual Arts Presents Family Matters
A visual arts exhibition in conjunction with a dynamic series of multidisciplinary events

San Diego, Calif. –Family Matters introduces Sushi’s audience to a group of artists who reflect on the esoteric legacies of the avant-garde through work that is formally – if paradoxically – influenced by popular entertainment.

On view from Thursday, March 4 through Saturday, April 24, the exhibition brings a range of expression similar to that of a young person coming to terms with his own family history - harsh criticism, misty-eyed sentimentality, perverse parody, and nuanced understanding all abound. SUSHI’s viewer is presented with a range of experiences stemming from the personal stakes these artists have in the often revolutionary, always transient moments that make up the history of the avant-garde.

Continue reading "Family Matters" »

OUR PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS

from the announcement


Thursday, March 4th

DAY OF ACTION

9.00 AM – 12.00 PM Breakfast at Sustainability Resource Center (next to PC Theater)

9.30 AM BSU Rally at Chancellor’s Complex

11.00 AM Faculty Press Conference at Cross Cultural Center,Comunidad Rm

11.30 AM Walkout/gather at Gilman Parking Structure

11.45 AM March to Geisel Library

12.00 – 3.00 PM Rally at Silent Tree (Library Walk)

including the Arts Collective, Sam Jung, Jake Blanc, Fnann Keflezighi, Mar Velez, Edwina Welch, Kuttin Kandy, Micah Cardenas, Yen Espiritu, Ivan Evans, K. Wayne Yang, Maria Tillmanns, Carolan Buckmaster, Matias Marin, L. Chase Smith, Krishna Sriram. And MCs: Chevelle Newell and Bryant Pena.

2.30 PM Buses leave for All San Diego Rally from Chancellor’s Complex

March begins at Centro Cultural de la Raza (Park & President’s Way) @ 3.30 PM

March Downtown to Governor’s Office (1350 Front Street)

· first-come-first-serve on buses
· travel to downtown also by Rt. 150 atGilman


In light of the recent events taking place on the UCSD campus, spurred by both the continued privatization of the University as well as the organization of racially derogatory events by some students and non-students, there will be a series of protests happening today on the UCSD campus and throughout San Diego. This is an invitation to join in.

Continue reading "OUR PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS" »

mars 03, 2010

Christopher Puzio: Sketch, Prototype, Test

from the press release


The San Diego artist and designer will share prototype studies for large sculpture at this one-night event.

mars 02, 2010

Brian Fick at Sea Rocket Bistro

from the press release


Rodney and Wes
"Rodney and Wes" - Brian Fick



Brian Fick
Skateboard Photography

Brian Fick has photographed some of the top skaters in the world and his photographs have been published internationally in almost every skateboarding magazine, including Thrasher and Transworld Skateboarding. He continually seeks challenges to develop his skill and with that pushes the field of skate photography to a new edge.

Show includes photos of: Bob Burnquist, Bucky Lasek, Lance Mountain, Wes Kremer, Peter Hewitt, Rodney Johnson, Marius Syvanen, Alex Perelson, Tyler Surrey, Div Adams, Rudolfo Ramos & others.

Opening Reception for the Artist March 7th, 4 - 10pm
Food & Drink Specials - Surprise Celebrity Guests - DJ Ken "Donger" Lieu

Sea Rocket Bistro
3382 30th Street
San Diego, CA 92104
619.255.7049
www.searocketbistro.com
www.brianfick.com


Continue reading "Brian Fick at Sea Rocket Bistro" »

février 25, 2010

Glashaus Birthday 1






Saturday, February 27
6pm

Glashaus celebrates its one-year anniversary with art and music.

It houses Device Gallery and the studios of Greg Brotherton, Matt Devine, Michael James Armstrong, Michael Maas, and others.

Parting Gift






OPEN LATE FOR THE FINAL WEEKEND!

11 AM - 7 PM Thursday, February 25
11 AM - 10 PM Saturday, February 27
11 AM - 10 PM Sunday, February 28


Folks who attended the opening said the show looked especially good at night, so here's the opportunity.

Meantime, Donovan herself will be giving a talk in the gallery Saturday afternoon at 2 PM. Note that the museum warns: "Space is extremely limited due to restricted gallery capacity. There are no advance tickets for this event. Entry will be on a first-come, first-served basis."

On that basis I'm skipping the talk, partly out of unwillingness to camp on the doorstep overnight, and mostly due to putting in a full day this Saturday at the sdspace4art community build.

février 22, 2010

North Park for the Arts on Art Rocks! Radio

by Kevin Freitas



If you don't like my lyrics you can press fast-forward
Jay-Z



Divided.JPG
"Divided" - Amy Paul


Amy Paul (North Park artist, business owner - Pigment and Co-chair of NPA) and myself (the long-winded voice of God at Art as Authority) had the chance to talk about the positive changes occurring in North Park (as opposed to all the negativity put forth by SignOnSanDiego's own Keli Dailey) on Art Rocks! Radio the other night. North Park for the Arts (NPA) has made substantial progress as an organization of artists, galleries, businesses and activists who recognize that the arts (their place) within a community's development and growth is not only necessary but absolutely crucial. You can become part of this movement - even if you don't live in North Park - by getting involved in the many events planned for this year, such as the Festival of the Arts and North Park's first gallery guide.

Give a listen to the Art Rocks! Radio interview first, then check out the details on the gallery guide below. The arts in San Diego are what you make it.

Check out what the guide will look like here:


1) NPA Member Packet: http://webserver.joelallen.net/NORTHPARK/2010/GUIDEBOOK/pdfs/NPA_Member_Packet.pdf

This is the general member packet and serves as a general background about NPA. It includes our mission statement and goals, benefits of membership and a brief description about the forthcoming guide.


2) NPA Advertising Media: http://webserver.joelallen.net/NORTHPARK/2010/GUIDEBOOK/pdfs/NPA_Advertising_Media.pdf

The advertiser kit, on the other hand, is meant for larger corporate sponsors that are interested in buying advertising space in the guide. There are 10 of these spaces slated for the book, 9 are currently available. They do not need to be in North Park to participate in this option.


3) NPA Artist Media:
http://webserver.joelallen.net/NORTHPARK/2010/GUIDEBOOK/pdfs/NPA_Artist_Media.pdf

The individual artist media kit is meant for talented artists within our SD community. Its only $50 for annual membership which includes a feature in the guide.


Continue reading "North Park for the Arts on Art Rocks! Radio" »

Derek M. Johnson at the (new) Andrews Gallery

from the press release


Derek M. Johnson



The Andrews Gallery

Press Release – February 2010 FOR IMMIDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Drew Snyder, Owner Tel. 817.235.2404 || Email: drew@theandrewsgallery.com
www.theandrewsgallery.com | www.theandrewsgallery.blogspot.com

The Andrews Gallery has moved from its North County location to inside the 2400 Kettner ArtsComplex (#212) at 2400 Kettner Blvd, just north of down town San Diego.

See their latest newsletter to learn more about the move: http://www.theandrewsgallery.com/newsletter/2010-02/



Seattle-based Derek M. Johnson will be performing along with Andrew Senna in the new space on Tuesday February 23, 2010, 8:00 PM. The night will also feature paintings by Zack Hawkins andother gallery artists, all of whom you can see on the gallery's website. This event is free, all ages, and open to the public.

Continue reading "Derek M. Johnson at the (new) Andrews Gallery" »

février 18, 2010

Work in Progress



Lea Dennis



Drawing in progress by North Park artist Lea Dennis


Anna Zappoli

by Richard Gleaves







Anna Zappoli's show at the San DIego Art Institute ends this weekend. The show is remarkable in several dimensions:

  • After a decade of cycling her paint between poles of superflat and superexpressive, the two come together here, perfectly integrated, and often on the same canvas. It no longer feels like two styles: just one, utterly, unique, signature. She owns it — it's hers.

  • Color-wise the work is more cohesive than I remember from shows past: various flavors of black and red.

  • The color cohesion is force-multiplied by the hanging of several works as de facto diptychs, a move that concentrates the show spatially while generating some striking contrasts not normally associated with the diptych format.

At this point I need to mention that the greatness of this show is due in no small part to an unadvertised collaboration: for this show Anna turned her work over to SDAI President & CEO Tim Field, who was solely responsible for the exhibition design (including those diptych pairings). The design is frighteningly perfect — it more than qualifies as an installation in and of itself.

One of the things I love about the art world is how crystalline talents can reside in eccentric and even ignoble containers. (Guy, take a bow.) In such cases I dig the art while giving its maker a moderate berth. And goodness knows I've had my run-in's with Tim: the very idea of an SDAI CEO makes me LOL.

But here's the thing: once upon a time I myself was a member of SDAI (Hi, my name is Richard and I'm…). That's where I got to know her work and Anna. And Tim was new on the scene back then, and the guy was there as an artist. And evidently still is: no doubt assisted by a Jack O'Brien-esque run of putting together a gazillion shows at SDAI, the guy has developed a major eye for designing clean-looking shows. Or in Anna's case, great ones.



février 12, 2010

David Adey at the Athenaeum La Jolla



David Adey
David Adey



At the conclusion of the Athenaeum exhibition, John Henry will be reinstalled at Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, a new gallery space at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. The opening will be on Friday 4/9/2010.

février 11, 2010

LOVE - no LOVE



love no love

février 09, 2010

ART San Diego

from the press release


ART San Diego



ART SAN DIEGO (formerly Beyond the Border ICAF) returns with a new name, larger venue, extended dates and a strong curatorial vision (Sept 2 - 5 / 2010)
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED (DEADLINE FEB. 28.2010)
FILL OUT APPLICATION HERE | DOWNLOAD FLOORPLAN

San Diego, February 7, 2010. ART SAN DIEGO 2010 (formerly Beyond the Border International Contemporary Art Fair), will be held September 2-5, 2010, at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel. More than 50 galleries will showcase paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, videos, and cutting-edge multimedia artworks. The Fair includes a VIP Opening Night, distinguished guest speakers, luxury brand displays, city-wide cultural programs, and exclusive wine and food events.

ART SAN DIEGO’s venue, the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, rises 30-stories at the edge of San Diego Bay. Designed with world-class sophistication and the largest pillar less ballroom in San Diego, it is the ideal place to browse and acquire art, to learn about collecting, and, simply, to have a very good time.

Continue reading "ART San Diego" »

février 04, 2010

Movers & Shakers 2: Who’s Who in the San Diego Visual Arts World

by Baudelaire Shepherd


Lee PufferArtist: Lee Puffer - Portrait: Karen McGuire, Curator of Exhibitions, City of Carlsbad’s William D. Cannon Art Gallery


On Movers and Shakers 2, at the Art Expressions Gallery


A visitor to “Movers and Shakers 2: Who’s Who in San Diego Visual Arts” might reasonably expect to be treated to a representative sampling of the best in San Diego art; what they will find instead are a few good works bobbing upon a turgid sea of proud mediocrity. The show’s title already had an air of fawning desperation before an indifferent public, but through the combination of a needlessly narrow selection of artists, a flaunting of mere technique over wit and vision, and an uninspiring theme, the organizers have perversely given the public good reason to stay indifferent. San Diego’s artists deserve better.

Out of a total of forty-four works, by forty-six separate artists, I found only seven pieces that were truly successful, including quirky sculptures by Jeffrey Laudenslager and Lee Puffer, a wittily “minimalist” painting by Vero Glezqui, and a joyful, cartoon-like representation by Michael Gross. I found Lee Puffer’s ceramic bust of Karen McGuire particularly striking, combining energetic form with lively color, as well as touches of subtle comedy. Another eight were of moderate interest. Herb Olds, for instance, presented a moody, large-scale drawing, but without the revealing detail that adds depth to his other work. Cheryl Sorg created another entry in her clever “thumbprint” series; but in the process perhaps revealed the limitations of this cleverness—the overall form risks becoming muddy and over-familiar; the textual content proves no more revelatory than a list of favorite books on Facebook.

Continue reading "Movers & Shakers 2: Who’s Who in the San Diego Visual Arts World" »

ART HAPPENING AND FUNDRAISER FOR AGITPROP SPACE IN NORTH PARK

from the press release


coatlicue



The Border Patrol, a group of five Southern California artists, musicians and performers, will stage an art happening entitled Coatlicue mi Amor at Agitprop on Saturday, February 13th at 8pm. The event will be a fundraiser for the space. Admission is $5.00 and people bringing sketchbooks and pencils to the event will get in for $2.00. Agitprop Gallery is located at 2837 University Ave.
(behind Glenn's Market on Utah), San Diego, CA 92104.

Incorporating weird combinations of materials, sound, the human body, pop culture artifacts and historical sources, the happening will use the myth of Coatlicue to examine the conflicted relationship between indigenous culture and the legacy of colonialism in the Americas.

Continue reading "ART HAPPENING AND FUNDRAISER FOR AGITPROP SPACE IN NORTH PARK" »

Agitprop Reading and Performance Series

from the press release


We hope you can join us this Saturday, February 6 at 7:00 pm for the next event in the Agitprop Reading & Performance Series featuring Jane Sprague and Diane Ward.

Jane Sprague is the author of THE PORT OF LOS ANGELES (Chax, 2009), *BELLADONNA ELDERS SERIES NO. 8 (with Tina Darragh and Diane Ward; Belladonna, 2009) and numerous chapbooks including APACHE ROADKILL (Dusie, 2009) and SACKING THE HENWIFE (Dusie, 2008). She teaches at CSULB and for Bard College’s Institute for Language and Thinking. She lives in Long Beach, CA where she edits and publishes Palm Press. Her current projects include editing the collection IMAGINARY SYLLABI, a utopian and practical investigation into various writing pedagogies in higher education as well as researching a project on generational poverty and histories of race and genocide in upstate New York, where she’s from.

Diane Ward was born in 1956 in Washington, DC and currently lives in Santa Monica, California. She has published ten books of poetry including, most recently, *BELLADONNA ELDERS SERIES NO. 8 (with Tina Darragh and Diane Ward; Belladonna, 2009) NO LIST (NO LIST), Seeing Eye Books, 2008, Flim-Yoked Scrim, Factory School, 2006, among others. Her work has been included in numerous anthologies, among them: MOVING BORDERS: THREE DECADES OF INNOVATIVE WRITING BY WOMEN, edited by Mary Margaret Sloan (New Jersey: Talisman House, Publishers, 1998) and OUT OF EVERYWHERE: LINGUISTICALLY INNOVATIVE POETRY BY WOMEN IN NORTH AMERICA & THE UK, edited by Maggie O’Sullivan (London: Reality Street Editions, 1996). .

Please share this information with friends and any interested parties. Agitprop readings are free, but donations to the gallery are always welcome. We hope to see you there and for festivities afterward!

AGITPROP READING & PERFORMANCE SERIES Saturday, February 6, 7:00pm AGITPROP 2837 University Ave in North Park (Entrance on Utah, behind Glenn’s Market) * San Diego, CA * 92104 * 619.384.7989

http://agitpropspace.org/


février 02, 2010

"The World is Flat" OR The San Diego Art Prize Unveils its Nominations

drawing by Kevin Freitas


NCIII
click for larger image



Greg Boudreau nominated by Chris Martin, Project X: Art
Kelsey Brookes nominated by Mark Quint, Quint Contemporary Art
Stephen Curry nominated by Robin Bright, artist
Steve Gibson nominated by Laurie Mitchell
Brian Goeltzenleuchter nominated by Teri Sowell, Director of Exhibitions and Collections, Oceanside Museum of Art
Wendell M. Kling nominated by Brian Dick, artist
Heather Gwen Martin nominated by Kim MacConnel, artist and Ann Berchtold, director, Beyond the Borders International Art Fair
Robert Nelson nominated by Tom Noel and Larry Baza, Noel-Baza Fine Art
Julio Orozco nominated by Debra Poteet, collector
Allison Renshaw nominated by Patricia Frischer, coordinator, SDVAN
Lesha Maria Rodriguez nominated by Katherine Sweetman
James Soe Nyun nominated by Tom Driscoll, artist
Stephen Tompkins nominated by Robin Clark, PhD, Curator, The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

San Diego Art Prize New Contemporaries III


janvier 31, 2010

Paradoxes





Paradoxes in Video


Saturday, February 6 @ 6 pm

Garage Gallery
4141 Alabama Street
San Diego, CA


Last September Garage posted an open call on the net requesting submissions for a video exhibition investigating "paradoxes within performance/performative actions that find their way into video/editing."

This Saturday Garage presents the work selected.

The screening is at 6 pm. Seating is limited — if you have a chair to bring, Larry would appreciate it.

janvier 30, 2010

Dave Ghilarducci - "Circle of Complication"

from the press release


Dave Ghilarducci
Dave Ghilarducci - "Circle of Complication"



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Brian Goeltzenleuchter | Curator | 858.602.8448 | brian@cphomedecor.com
Contact: Patrick Stewart | Executive Director | 619.235.8466 | patrick@sushiart.org

"Circle of Complication", kinetic sculpture and drawings by Dave Ghilarducci
February 4 - 27, 2010 | Exhibition Reception: February 5, 6 - 9PM

Sushi Performance and Visual Art presents "Circle of Complication", a kinetic sculpture and series of drawings by Dave Ghilarducci.

Dave Ghilarducci’s artwork investigates perception on an everyday level, often using popular technology as the subject and object of artistic inquiry. Circle of Complication is an electronically mechanized sculpture designed to make drawings reminiscent of those made by a child using a Spirograph toy. In Ghilarducci's work, however, the drawings are made at large scale using a program designed to produce a series of random operations. Circle of Complication simultaneously evokes the spontaneous discovery of child's play and the complex laws of math and science that govern its creation.

Dave Ghilarducci was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He currently lives and works in Escondido, California. He studied engineering and physics at University of Illinois at Chicago. After graduating, Ghilarducci worked as an engineer, developing a range of culturally substantive objects - from rockets to Palm Pilots. He left the engineering word in 2006 to work full time as an artist. Ghilarducci’s work is often interactive and engages viewers while reminding them of the various and often transparent ways technology is used to manage interactions. Although still quite early in his career, Dave Ghilarducci’s work has garnered critical validation. His work has been exhibited at Track 16 Gallery and Oceanside Museum of Art, and later this year at Art Produce Gallery.

Vacancy 2





janvier 26, 2010

Carousel Microcinema



Carousel Microcinema


janvier 24, 2010

Two Quotes

by Richard Gleaves






  1. Emerging artist definition: artist [sic] who are emerging with new, fresh ideas. This is not about the age of the artists or the exposure they have had, but what art they are creating now and in the past three to five years.

  2. San Diego Visual Arts Network


  3. "That's a great deal to make one word mean," Alice said in a thoughtful tone. "When I make a word do a lot of work like that," said Humpty Dumpty, "I always pay it extra."

  4. Project Gutenberg


janvier 20, 2010

Raising the bar



Brian Goeltzenleuchter
Brian Goeltzenleuchter - photo: SD CityBeat



Parts of a whole
Artist Brian Goeltzenleuchter has control of Sushi's gallery space for the next few months—here's how he'll use it
by Kelly Davis

You can’t fully appreciate Brian Goeltzenleuchter as a curator unless you know a little something about him. He’s the guy whose 2009 Institutional Wellbeing exhibit at the Oceanside Museum of Art—a show for which he blended an unlikely combination of performance art, custom fragrance and applied kinesiology to produce a critique of consumer culture and art-as-entertainment. It wasn’t much different than conceptual-art installations Goeltzenleuchter has exhibited nationally and internationally, but this is traditionally minded San Diego and the exhibit didn’t go over too well with some museum-goers. more...


All I got to say is congrats and this: "Tout vient à point à qui sait attendre" kf


janvier 19, 2010

Public Culture in the Visual Sphere - "Public Culture and Democracy"



Public Culture and Democracy
click for larger image


janvier 15, 2010

The Spectacle (and Speculation) of Celebrity

by Kathryn Law


Is it Damien Hirst?
"Is it Damien Hirst?" - Robert Matheny from the series Fishing for Fame & Fortune:
Portraits of Celebrity Artists, Sea Creatures, Vegetarian Fish & Lures



The Spectacle (and Speculation) of Celebrity
by Kathryn Law


The role of the art collector, and consequently, that of the artist, has changed greatly since Marcel Duchamp's famous manifesto of 1957, The Creative Act. In this legendary essay, Duchamp described "the two poles of the creation of art: the artist on the one hand, and on the other the spectator who later becomes the posterity." Those two poles of creation still exist, but they are now defined in a much different way than Duchamp might have
envisioned.

Continue reading "The Spectacle (and Speculation) of Celebrity" »

Flittering Filters



Ryan Logan



Woodbury School of Architecture launches a new series of exhibitions featuring the work of local artist and designers. Please join us in welcoming Los Angeles based artist Ryan Logan for an installation of new works and drawings.

janvier 14, 2010

Locals only!



Kensignton Group Show
click for larger image

janvier 13, 2010

Movers & Shakers 2: Who’s Who in the San Diego Visual Arts World

from the press release


Brian Goeltzenleuchter
Brian Goeltzenleuchter - Teri Sowell



Movers & Shakers 2: Who’s Who in the San Diego Visual Arts World
Local Artists Portray Local VIPs

Reception: Thursday, Jan 21 from 6:30 to 8:30pm
Show continues until Saturday, Feb 6, 2010
Art Expressions Gallery: 2645 Financial Court, Suite C, SD, 92117
Exhibition hours: Monday - Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday 10am-5pm
Info: Patricia Frischer 760.943.0148 or Patricia Smith 858.270.7577

Visit the Movers and Shakers website for Artists and Movers and Shakers biographies as well as VIP views of their visions for the future of the visual arts in San Diego in Part One and Part Two of this project. The website is sponsored by SDVAG. Part Two will be completed by January of 2010 and on display at Art Expressions Gallery. We are delighted to present a Catalog of Portraits of Part Two.

Continue reading "Movers & Shakers 2: Who’s Who in the San Diego Visual Arts World" »

janvier 12, 2010

Public Culture in the Visual Sphere - Week Two

from the press release


Public Culture
click for larger image



PUBLIC CULTURE in the Visual Sphere

Curated by John C. Welchman
In collaboration with VALS committee 2009-10 (Visual Arts Department lecture Series: Anya Gallacio, Teddy Cruz, Kyong Park, Suzanne Wright); the Public Culture gradate committee (Edward Sterrett, Orianna Cacchione, Cara Baldwin, Katrin Pesch, Sara Mameni, Tara Zepel), and Jordan Crandall.

Supported by the Visual Arts Department, UCSD; Dean of Arts and Humanities, UCSD; SoCCAS [Southern California Consortium of Art Schools] Collaborations with Art in the Public Sphere, USC Roski School of Fine Arts; English and Comparative Literature, UCLA; the graduate MFA program at Art Center College of Design, Pasadena; and the Athenaeum, La Jolla.

All events are at 6.30 on Thursdays in the Performance Space of the Visual Art Facility building (VAF), unless otherwise noted.

Jan 14 Pros and Cons: Graduate Research in Public Culture [panel]
pros* Issue Zero Launch

Nicole Holland [PhD candidate, Visual Arts] “Private as Public in the USSR”
David Mather [PhD candidate, Visual Arts] “Mass Forms, Mass Agency in the Early 20th Century”
Sheryl Oring [MFA candidate, Visual Arts] “I Wish to Say: Free Speech and Democracy”
David White [MFA candidate, Visual Arts] “'Network' as a Tool for Neighborhood Engagement"
Rayanne Tabet [MFA candidate, Visual Arts] "After the Flood: Reversing the Trans-Arabian Pipeline"
Cara Baldwin [PhD/Practice candidate, Visual Arts] “We are the ones we've been waiting for”
Moderated by Edward Sterrett [PhD candidate, Visual Arts]

New Village Theater



Art Show

janvier 10, 2010

Allison Renshaw

from the press release







PLASTIC FANTASTIC: Allison Renshaw

Oceanside Museum of Art
January 31 – June 20, 2010

Reception January 30, 5-7pm


OMA presents the first West Coast solo museum exhibition for San Diego artist Allison Renshaw.

janvier 09, 2010

Women by Women

from the press release


Women by Women



EVENT:
January exhibition titled, “Women by Women; Figurative and Conceptual Images of Women”
Featuring artwork by The San Diego Women’s Figurative Group

DATE & TIME:
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 16th, 6:00pm-9:00pm.
Exhibition runs from Jan 16 – Feb 14, 2010

LOCATION:
The San Diego Art Department (SDAD) is on Ray Street in North Park one block east of 30th, just south of University.
3830 Ray Street
San Diego, CA 92104
CONTACT: Andrea Chamberlain
619.299.4ART
www.sdad-sdai.org

SPECIAL FEATURE:
“This mixed media exhibition explores the contemporary vision of the Southern California woman. We ask ourselves the following questions: How do we see women differently than men see us? How does our specific Southern Californian culture and identity affect how we portray women? Can the erotic, the feminist, the feminine, and the working artist/woman be reconciled?”

ARTISTS:
Irene Abraham, Jocelyn Duke, Jeanne Dunn, Michele Guieu, Misty Hawkins, Daphne Hill, Maura McHugh, Amy Paul, Ginger Rosser, Therese Rossi, Anna Stump, and Marcella Villasenor

Continue reading "Women by Women" »

janvier 07, 2010

Public Culture in the Visual Sphere



Public Culture in the Visual Sphere
click for larger image



All events are at 6:30pm on Thursdays in the Performance Space of the Visual Art Facility building (VAF)
UCSD Campus, La Jolla

Say it ain't so... tristesse



Kloe among the Turks



Thank you Kloe for all you've done! Good luck, you will be missed!


janvier 05, 2010

For Rent

from the press release


Studio space for rent



Hello Everyone,

Things are progressing quickly with space4art and our first community build is coming up! We will be having another open house this Saturday from 12 to 4pm. The applications are coming in and people are beginning to reserve spaces. If you have not yet seen the space, want to see it again, or want to show a friend please come check it out. We want to give everyone a chance at an affordable studio.

325 15th Street
San Diego, CA 92101

Open House: Saturday, January 9 from 12 - 4pm

Thanks,
Chris Warr

Thanks for your participation!
sdspace4art
Sponsored by Synergy Art Foundation
www.synergyart.org
sdspace4art@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/sdspace4art


A conversation with artist Michele Guieu



Michele Guieu
"Lucy, Darwin and Me” An installation by Michele Guieu at Art Produce Gallery



Artist Talk: Saturday, January 9th from 6:30 - 8:00pm

ART Produce Gallery
www.artproducegallery.com
3139 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92104
619.584.4448

Read the review of the exhibition by Keli Dailey (SignOnSanDiego) here.


janvier 01, 2010

Fringe Theories

by Richard Gleaves

Fringe Theories (at Agitprop through January 9) is billed as "the work of five artists and scholars that thrive outside of traditional and accepted rules and boundaries."

What's most striking about the show as a whole is not its fringiness but rather an odd formal emphasis on oldness: old newsprint, old photos, old paintings, old sculpture. The work itself is recent, but — with the exception of Keith Engeron's modest deployment of corporate logos and Tony Allard's use of layered space — otherwise avoids the look and feel of contemporary art.

It's interesting to contemplate just why this is.

My first thought was that the curator (Katherine Sweetman) was asserting the notion of fringe theories as a historical phenomenon: a plausible hypothesis given how the 1960's engendered greater cultural weirdness (spoon bending, pyramid power, Kirlian auras) than we experience today, while in times pre-60's the absence of science-based consumer protection laws enabled entire socioeconomic classes of theory-pitching charlatans and mountebanks (Pirelli in Sweeney Todd).

A brief conversation with the curator dispelled this hypothesis: it turns out she wasn't aware of the thread of antiquity running through the show. But the thread was still there, and in need of explanation.

My second thought fit better: namely, that the curator was subconsciously mapping the notion of "fringe" to outsider art — though the artists themselves were not necessarily "outsider" — and that in doing so the formal baggage of outsider art was serving as a de facto constraint on the work selected for the show. Hence the virtual lack of contemporaneity, and the focus on traditional forms.

And what, pray tell, is the formal baggage of outsider art? Simple: the esthetic engine driving outsider art is the pairing of traditional form with eccentric content. The work must be recognizable as drawing or painting or sculpture. Only savvy professionals with insider credentials can adopt forms such as digging holes in the floor or cooking in the gallery — if an institutionalized schizophrenic were to try this, they'd get solitary, not a retrospective.

A few additional thoughts:

  • The show copy implies that Noah Doely's ghost-story photographs overlay a contemporary sensibility on traditional techniques. In fact his images are straightforward (and beautifully executed) derivations from the historical genre of occult photography.

  • Allard's newspaper installation was the sole work in the show to offer extended visual pleasure: wallowing in the information overload made me think of how often pigs look happy.

  • Agitprop's gnarly upstairs corridor space finally met its match in the muscle-bound sculpture of DJ Brelje and Erich Winzer. I'm nearly certain that putting the very same objects in a white-cube space would gag me by their overstatement. Yet I'm equally certain that any white-cube art hung in this rustic environment would die a thousand deaths. Here the fit's perfect — Fringe Theories is worth seeing solely for this rare conjunction.


décembre 30, 2009

Snowbirds, An exhibition of photographs by Stephen Chalmers

from the press release


B.J. O'Hara
"B.J. O'Hara" - Stephen Chalmers



Snowbirds, An exhibition of photographs by Stephen Chalmers
January 4 – 30, 2010 | Exhibition Reception: January 15, 6-9 PM

Contact: Brian Goeltzenleuchter | Curator | 858.602.8448 | brian@cphomedecor.com
Contact: Patrick Stewart | Executive Director | 619.235.8466 | patrick@sushiart.org

SUSHI A Center for the Urban Arts
390 Eleventh Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
619/235-8466
www.sushiart.org

Sushi Performance and Visual Art presents Snowbirds, an exhibition of photographs by documentary photographer Stephen Chalmers. Riffing on the popular term that describes retirees who spend the snowy winter months in warmer regions, Snowbirds reveals a much more diverse cross section of the RV lifestyle that abounds in the desert Southwest.

Continue reading "Snowbirds, An exhibition of photographs by Stephen Chalmers" »

Skip Pahl Skedaddles

from the press release


Skip Pahl

Skip Pahl



Executive Director Skip Pahl of Oceanside Museum of Art Retires After 12 Years

After more than 12 years of dedicated service James (Skip) Pahl, Executive Director of Oceanside Museum of Art since 1997, has announced his retirement effective April 2010. Pahl will remain with the museum until the Board of Directors finds his replacement through a national search. Age 66, Pahl is looking forward to retirement and working on projects that have been on hold due to his passionate commitment to the museum.

Continue reading "Skip Pahl Skedaddles" »

décembre 29, 2009

Raul Guerrero - Open Studio



Raul Guerrero

Visual Art Supply - Welcome to the Neighborhood!





décembre 26, 2009

The Future of Art Publications

by Kevin Freitas


I was recently asked by Patricia Frischer and SDVAN (San Diego Visual Arts Network) to give my thoughts on what the future of art publications might be for all of us that still read them. Several other arts writers were also asked to contribute to the discussion, they were: Robert Pincus, art critic for the Union Tribune; Keli Dailey, SignOnSanDiego; and Seth Combs, CityBeat. You can read all of our predictions on Frischer's A+ Art Blog which can be found here. Is there a future? Let us know.

Continue reading "The Future of Art Publications" »

décembre 18, 2009

SantaDiegoCon 2009

from the "press release"


Giovanni Bellini, Pietà (Pietà Donà dalle Rose)



SantaDiegoCon

Saturday December 19, 2009
12:00 pm - 12:00 am
Balboa Park fountain (starting location)

San Diego's SantaCon will be on Saturday, Dec 19th, beginning at high noon at the fountain in Balboa Park. We will start out with some reindeer games in the park, then proceed to raise merry hell throughout Hillcrest, North Park, City Heights... wherever Christmas cheer and excessive drinking drive us. Bring cash for cabs, buses, and booze. Bring bullhorns, presents, and coal. Bring your sweet, unsuspecting Santa friends. Bring Santa a shot. Be there.

www.fortheempire.info/santa.html

SPREAD THE WORD!


Editor's note: Art as Authority neither condones nor is liable for the effects of chemically-induced consciousness. The event should, however, make for excellent viewing.


décembre 13, 2009

NEA

by Kevin Freitas


According to the Los Angeles Times, the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) announced its 2009 grant recipients nationwide. 1,207 projects will receive $26,968,500.00 in funding to help support their endeavors. Here in California, 189 grants were awarded to arts organizations up and down the Golden State for a total of $4,295,000.00. San Diego made up 3.7% of that grant money which will be going to 7 groups primarily involved in theater, music, and film. There were no grants awarded to any visual arts organization, individual artist, museum, non-profit gallery, etc. Not surprising. But unfortunately, I can think of a dozen needy enterprises here alone that could use an infusion of cash in these tough economic times. What happened? Here is a list of the winners (from the NEA website):

  • La Jolla Music Society La Jolla, CA $17,500 CATEGORY: Access to Artistic Excellence FIELD/DISCIPLINE: Music
    To support SummerFest, presentations of chamber music and jazz. Under the direction of music director and violinist Cho-Liang Lin and composer-in-residence Christopher Rouse, the festival will include premieres of commissioned works and educational activities.
  • Media Arts Center San Diego (aka San Diego Latino Film Festival) San Diego, CA $15,000 CATEGORY: Access to Artistic Excellence FIELD/DISCIPLINE: Media Arts
    To support the 17th San Diego Latino Film Festival. The films and videos exhibited are produced by Latinos or are about the Latino experience.
  • Old Globe Theatre San Diego, CA $40,000 CATEGORY: Access to Artistic Excellence FIELD/DISCIPLINE: Musical Theater
    To support the world-premiere production of Whisper House, a new musical with music and lyrics by Tony Award-winning composer Duncan Sheik, book and lyrics by Kyle Jarrow and directed by Keith Powell. Educational and outreach activities will accompany the production.
  • San Diego Asian Film Foundation (aka San Diego Asian Film Festival) San Diego, CA $15,000 CATEGORY: Access to Artistic Excellence FIELD/DISCIPLINE: Media Arts
    To support the 11th San Diego Asian Film Festival. Held in the fall, the 10-day event features short films, animated works, documentaries, and narrative feature films.
  • San Diego Opera Association San Diego, CA $40,000 CATEGORY: Access to Artistic Excellence FIELD/DISCIPLINE: Opera
    To support a new production of Verdi's Nabucco. Activities designed around the production will include a student dress rehearsal for youth from schools in San Diego County and Tijuana, Mexico; pre-performance lectures; and an artists' roundtable discussion.
  • San Diego Repertory Theatre (aka San Diego REP) San Diego, CA $20,000 CATEGORY: Access to Artistic Excellence FIELD/DISCIPLINE: Theater
    To support a residency by Latino theater troupe Culture Clash to create new works. Ensemble members Richard Montoya, Herbert Siguenza and Ric Salinas will rehearse and perform a newly revised version of Culture Clash in AmeriCCa, and develop, design, and perform the world premiere of A Weekend with Pablo Picasso.
  • Theatre & Arts Foundation of San Diego County (aka La Jolla Playhouse) La Jolla, CA $25,000 CATEGORY: Access to Artistic Excellence FIELD/DISCIPLINE: Theater
    To support a fully staged production of Shah Mat. A new play by Naomi Iizuka, the piece will explore the way in which recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have impacted the city of San Diego.

While a round of applause should be given to these lucky and I'm sure grateful contestants, it still sends a chill up my spine that no grants were given to the visual arts. This raises a lot of questions and makes me wonder if the artists here (or their network) are unaware of the possibilities that exist, don't care, or are completely dependent on the artworld's hierarchial support for making a buck or even a career. Let's hope this is not the case and there is some reasonable explanation. One thing I do know is, the more artists are dependent on others to provide their sustenance, the more spare change they'll end up with in their pockets. It takes a long time to fill up a penny jar.

Continue reading "NEA" »

décembre 10, 2009

The Fab Lab

by Richard Gleaves








The Fab Lab

4305 University Ave (approx. 4 lights east of I-15)
Suite 130 (on side of building on 43rd)
619.209.7440

www.thefablab.org


The Fab Lab is a non-profit community laboratory where members can use advanced digital design and fabrication tools to make almost anything. The Fab Lab in San Diego is one of thirty in the Global Fab Lab Network, and the only one on the West Coast.

Fab Lab is intended to serve people who have ideas but lack the tools necessary to realize them. It is a place where advanced technology is accessible, and where anyone can invent and execute an original design.

The Fab Lab offers access to and classes for the following tools:

  • Laser cutter/etching
  • CNC machine for large computer cutting
  • 3D modeler
  • Vinyl plotter
  • Electronics building station
  • Computer work stations

For information on December classes contact Katherine.roe@gmail.com

décembre 09, 2009

DIY

by Richard Gleaves





Last Friday I went to the Body Narratives opening at NTC Promenade in Point Loma, not so much for the art but to see how the show was put together by the five students in Mesa College's Museum Studies program who made it happen:

  • Maria Bolivar
  • Megan Daly
  • James Johnson
  • Kevin Kao
  • Samantha Nessel

I spoke with Johnson and Nessel to get a sense of the thought processes that went into the exhibition design, and came away impressed. The thinking was solid, and the design reflected it: fresh use of diagonals in siting the room dividers, a central sweet spot for viewing two of the largest works, and partial visibility of additional works from the sweet spot to lead viewers into the rest of the show.

Johnson explained that exhibition design is one of the topics covered in Museum Studies, and noted that the program brings in experts (such as Michael Fields, lead exhibit designer for the San Diego Natural History Museum) to speak on various topics.

For me the interesting thing about the Museum Studies program is what its name doesn't convey: that the students are being trained not just as potential museum staff, but also as cultural entrepreneurs with all the skills necessary to make successful art shows from scratch.

They're scouting locations, finding artists, doing press releases, designing show cards, contacting newspapers, and signing contracts to secure the exhibition spaces. And they're getting this experience not from an MFA program but from a three-class certificate program at a regional community college. We can only benefit from having such people and programs around.

Program director Alessandra Moctezuma explained that in the past few years the program has moved the student-produced shows out of the Mesa College art gallery and into the community (such as the NTC Promenade space). This makes for a better learning experience for the students, not to mention more art shows around San Diego.

The program's final class places students as interns in local museums or galleries. Johnson is interested in the Mingei, while Nessel is hoping to work with Quint. I wish them the best, and look forward to seeing more shows from them in the future.


Dan Allen - “Pareidolia”

from the press release


Dan Allen



Have you ever seen a face in the clouds? Ever play a record backwards, and hear a hidden message? This psychological phenomenon is called "Pareidolia" which is also the name of our next show. San Diego artist Dan Allen explores the relationship between perception and belief with his new series of paintings. Using a variety of media including watercolor,oil, acrylic, and even gilding and wax he creates modern "totems" describing emerging values in an ever changing society.

Opening reception: Saturday, December 12 from 6 - 10 pm

Art of Framing
3333 Adams ave
San Diego Ca 92116
www.theartofframing.net
619.563.9770

décembre 08, 2009

"BIGGER, BRIGHTER, BOLDER" - Kelsey Brookes at Quint Gallery

by Kevin Freitas


At 31 years of age, Kelsey Brookes is no painter. Unless of course, your definition of painting is limited to pigment on canvas, frames, and exposed in galleries. What Kelsey Brookes is is a doodler, a young man who has not lost the urge (I’m guessing) to fill pages and pages of his sketchbooks and canvases with mindless (obsessive) yet mildly interesting drawings and mixed-media works that center around (quoting from various press releases) “sex, comedy, and animals.”



Kelsey Brookes - The Storm
Kelsey Brookes - "The Storm" 2009 Mixed media / 72" x 60" / Courtesy of Quint Contemporary Art / Photo credit: Roy Porello



The 24 character tweet does nothing more than attract the viewer. Once our curiosity is sufficiently aroused, the work never quite seems to deliver. I stand before Brookes work unmoved. I find the pieces in his current show at Quint Gallery only as titillating as the three words used to describe them. I guess this makes me then, some old-fart who has grown tired of “sex, comedy, and animals” period.

Continue reading ""BIGGER, BRIGHTER, BOLDER" - Kelsey Brookes at Quint Gallery" »

Stripping the Myth

Stripping the Myth


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Continue reading "Stripping the Myth" »

décembre 06, 2009

FRINGE THEORIES: Ideas that Depart Significantly from the Prevailing or Orthodox Views

from the press release


Fringe Theories



FRINGE THEORIES: Ideas that Depart Significantly from the Prevailing or Orthodox Views
(An Art Exhibition)

Featuring the work of Tony Allard, DJ Brejle, Keith Engeron, Noah Doely, and Mark Van Stone.


A man must consider what a rich realm he abdicates when he becomes a conformist.
Ralph Waldo Emerson


Opening reception: December 12th, 2009 from 7 - 9pm
Talk with Mark Van Stone, PhD - “Introduction to the 2012 Issue” at 6pm

Agitprop
2837 University Ave.
(behind Glenn's Market on Utah)
San Diego, CA 92104
http://agitpropspace.org

Continue reading "FRINGE THEORIES: Ideas that Depart Significantly from the Prevailing or Orthodox Views" »

décembre 05, 2009

"MORRISSEY IS PLAYING AT FANTASY SPRINGS TONIGHT"

from the press release


Micki Davis



One night of art, performances, sounds, visuals and ephemera by Micki Davis, Liz Chaney, Farrah Emami, Matthew Brooks, Ash Smith, Stephanie Lie and John Benson (that will also be broadcast live in the vicinity of Agitprop on the frequency 104.1FM). Please stop in! (or at minimum listen-in while driving by!)

Saturday, Dec 5th from 5 - 7 PM

Agitprop
2837 University Avenue (North Park)
San Diego, CA
contact@agitpropspace.org

novembre 30, 2009

Body Narratives: Expression through the human form

from the press release


Anna Stump
Anna Stump



San Diego Mesa College Museum Studies Program
619.388.2829
www.sdmesa.edu/art-gallery
Alessandra Moctezuma, Professor
amoctezu@sdccd.edu
bodynarratives09@gmail.com

Body Narratives: Expression through the human form

Reception: Friday December 4, 2009 from 5 - 8pm

Exhibition Dates & Times: December 4 - 6 and 10 - 13, 2009 from 10 - 4pm

Location:
The New Americans Museum
NTC Promenade at Liberty Station
2825 Dewey Road, Building 202, Suite 102
San Diego, CA 92106

The San Diego Mesa College Museum Studies class invites you to an exhibition of artwork featuring the human form. From the Discobolus of Classical Greece, to Leonardo Da Vinci's anatomical studies and Matisse's dancing figures, the human body has been a rich source of artistic inspiration. San Diego artists come together with striking artwork in various media that deals with the beauty, strength and passions of the body.

Artworks range from mysterious wrapped figures by Anna Stump, lyrical floating bodies by Misty Hawkins, figurative abstractions by Jeff Clark, and a Houdini-like escape performance by Autumn Hays. Other artists included are Francois Michel Beausoleil, Adrian Collins, Sheena Dowling, Jeanne Dunn, Daphne Hill, Julie Kitterman, David Krimmel, John Rankin and Michaela Simmons. The exhibit was curated and organized by Maria Bolivar, Megan Daly, James Johnson, Kevin Kao and Samantha Nessel.

On Friday, December 4 2009 the public is invited to enjoy Friday Night Liberty at NTC Promenade, the Arts and Cultural District at Roosevelt and Dewey Roads, in the heart of Liberty Station. Friday Night Liberty is a free monthly first-Friday event, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., featuring open artist studios, galleries, shopping and entertainment throughout NTC Promenade. For additional information about NTC Promenade, visit: www.ntcpromenade.org

novembre 29, 2009

"Lucy, Darwin and Me”, an installation by Michele Guieu - Art Produce Gallery

from the press release


Michele Guieu"Lucy, Darwin and Me”
an installation by Michele Guieu at Art Produce Gallery

December 12 through January 24, 2010


Opening reception: Saturday, December 12, 2009, from 6 to 9pm.



Art Produce Gallery
3139 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92104
619.584.4448




Gallery Events

December 12, 2009:
12:00 - 4:00pm

Art Produce is hosting a fair trade market of African art and imports to benefit Women’s Empowerment STAR Center.
2:00 - 3:00pm
Marian Williams tells African tales for children.
7:00 - 8:00pm
Alfusainey Suso plays the traditional West African kora.

January 9, 2010:
6:30 - 8:00pm
A casual conversation with the artist, Michele Guieu.

January 16, 2010:
6:30-8:00pm
Panel Discussion, "Darwin's Weeds ” with Leslie Ryan, landscape architect, AEREA, a San Diego landscape architecture firm, and Deborah Forster, Dept. of Cognitive Science, UC San Diego.

Continue reading ""Lucy, Darwin and Me”, an installation by Michele Guieu - Art Produce Gallery" »

novembre 28, 2009

"Driven to Abstraction" - Tania Alcala and Silvia Valentino Karabashlieva

from the press release


Tania Alcala & Silvia Valentino KarabashlievaL Street Fine Art
628 L Street
San Diego, CA 92101 at the Omni Hotel
858.254.3031
director@lstreetfineart.com
www.lstreetfineart.com

Driven to Abstraction
Exhibition featuring works by Tania Alcala (San Diego Art Prize New Contemporaries 2009) and Silvia Valentino Karbashlieva

Show Dates: November 25, 2009 to Feb 15, 2010
Reception: December 10, 2009 at 8pm - Artist talk begins at 8pm (L Street Fine Art)
After opening celebration for the artists at "The Corner Bar & Restaurant" starting at 9pm
369 10th Avenue (10th and "J")
San Diego, CA 92101



L Street Fine Art Gallery presents a joint exhibition of the works of Tania Alcala and Silvia Valentino Karabashlieva. Alcala’s abstracts are based on her experience as a commercial pilot, while Karabashlieva drives her car to create work with intense attention to details. This spotlight show for Alcala marks the end of her year as a participating artist in SD Art Prize New Contemporaries II. The SD Art Prize New Contemporaries II exhibition was held in the Spring of 09 at Noel Baza Fine Art.


TANIA ALCALA

Tania Alcala’s paintings are about finding the joy of being and freedom within herself. Her work is about experiencing consciousness and awareness with the seduction of color with her brush strokes.

Born and raised in Mexico City, Tania obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Ottawa University in Phoenix, AZ and a Master’s degree in Transformative Arts from John F. Kennedy University in Berkeley, CA.
The sense of the ethereal that Tania Alcala discovered in the paintings of many artists like Mark Rothko, Yves Tanguy, and Eduardo Matta inspired her to take up flying. She took to the skies as a commercial pilot to seek the freedom she craved. While aviation offers mobility and a “heavenly” view of the world, the exacting, highly regimented aspects of that profession do not compare to the creative outlet she achieves as an artist.

Continue reading ""Driven to Abstraction" - Tania Alcala and Silvia Valentino Karabashlieva" »

novembre 26, 2009

Artist Studio Space

from the press release


Studio space for rent



Hello Everyone,

As most of you know we are in the process of developing an arts community center in the East Village area. This will have around 30 units of various sizes, 4-5 of them work/live, and significant common space, all at affordable rates (see below for more details). This projects intent is to provide for artists in San Diego and build community. It will be a testing ground and home base for SD Space 4 Art. We have a tremendous oppurtunity to begin to realize the ideas and enthusiasm that have been generating amongst the art community and fueling the goals of SD Space 4 Art. Right now there is a group of dedicated volunteers working hard to pull this off but without the participation of the larger arts community this won't be possible. In order for this to become a reality in San Diego we need: a show of interest, help spreading the word, and volunteers. First off, we need a show of interest and prospective tenants in the next 2 weeks so that we can move forward on the lease. Things are developing fast so please don't hesitate to come see the space and find out more.

Thanks,
Chris Warr

The next viewing will be on Sunday, November 29 at 3:00 pm

325 15th Ave.
San Diego, CA. 92101

Artist Studio Space Available

To all artists, art organizations, musicians, designers and creative professionals:
Affordable artist studio space in San Diego East Village. Spaces range from 250-1740 sq.ft. and Prices range from $220-$1650 per studio, utilities included (some studios heated and air conditioned). Approximately 4-6 work/live units also available. Studios share common space, which includes:

Large Gallery - Event/Performance Space - Outdoor Gathering and Meeting Space - Conference Room - Kitchen - Bathrooms - Woodshop (potential) - Kiln (potential) - Welding Space (potential) - Gated parking offered at a small additional fee.

Thanks for your participation!

sdspace4art
Sponsored by Synergy Art Foundation www.synergyart.org
Contact us at: sdspace4art@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/sdspace4art


novembre 25, 2009

“ARTISTS BY ARTISTS” Group Show

from the press release


Brad Schneider by Scrojo
Brad Schneider by Scrojo



ARTISTS BY ARTISTS” Group Show Organized by Mary Fleener

December 1, 2009 to January 4, 2010 at the Community Room in the Encinitas Library.

The reception: December 13, 2009
1pm-4pm

The event is free and the public is invited.

* THE AxA 27 *

Danny Salzhandler by D. Goth - Robert Nanninga by Vanessa Lemen - Alec McTurk by Ana Clark - Rodney McCoubrey by Anne Julian - Mary Fleener by Fred Caldwell - David J by Scott Saw - Jerry Waddle by Max Dolberg - Scrojo by Mary Fleener - Diane Stacey by Cheryl Tall - Jim and Linda Hornung by Faith Lindley - Brad Schneider by Scrojo - Rob Machado by Rodney McCoubrey - Paul Williams by Drew Snyder - Mike Totah by Diane Stacey - Jeremy Wright by Jean Krumbein - Vanessa Lemen by Brian Weisz - Ron Lemen by Dody Tucker - Kevin Anderson by Jim Hornung - Cindy Lee Berryhill by Ron Lemen - Manuelita Brown by Kevin Anderson - Julia Gray by Jack Quick - Sheri Fox by Roz Light - Jack Quick by Bryson Stein - Roz Light by Nancy Nelson - RAW by Scott Lynd - Dody Tucker by Taina Ringeride - Scott Saw by Mary Fleener

More information: Mary Fleener


novembre 24, 2009

Dave Ghilarducci




novembre 21, 2009

San Diego NOW: Eight UCSD Visual Artists featuring Zac Monday





novembre 19, 2009

Emigrant/Immigrant: Culture and Identity in Art - Artist Talk & Videos





Video suite


novembre 18, 2009

Violence and Politics - final lecture

from the press release


Off the Beaten Path



Off The Beaten Path: Violence, Women and Art lecture

21 November 2009
UCSD Campus
Pepper Canyon Hall, room 106
1:00 pm

Please join the University Art Gallery, UCSD in our final discussions associated with the current exhibition entitled Off the Beaten Path: Violence, Women and Art that to explore the global ramifications of gender-based violence. "Throughout the world, women and girls are victims of countless and senseless acts of violence. The range of gender-based violence is devastating, occurring, quite literally, from womb to tomb," explains Randy Jayne Rosenberg curator and executive director of Art Works For Change. "The stories that underlie these artworks return us imaginatively to the event of violation and allow it to affect us." The final program examines the laws that keep women in compromised positions around the world as well as within the US.

Patrick Anderson, Asst. Professor of Communication will moderate the discussion with Carmen Chavez from Casa Cornelia Law Center; Steve Bush, Jenny's Law; Summer Stephan, District Attorney of North County

ABOUT ART WORKS FOR CHANGE
Art Works for Change produces contemporary art exhibitions to address social and environmental.
It uses the power of art as a vehicle to promote dialogue and awareness, and to inspire action and thought. Art Works for Change operates under the fiscal umbrella of the Tides Center, a tax-exempt organization.

ABOUT 5 WOMEN WHO CARE
5 Women Who Care is a group of women who came together to help make a difference and bring awareness to women's and children's issues globally. Operating out of the San Diego area, these 5 Women collaborate with like-minded organizations for the empowerment and justice of women and children worldwide.

The University Art Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 5pm.
858.534.2107
uag@ucsd.edu

novembre 17, 2009

The Candy Store: Round-table discussion

from the press release


Tobacco Bear



You are invited to join in a round-table discussion of The Candy Store:

Saturday November 21 @ 7:00 PM
Agitprop (North Park)

2837 University Ave. (behind Glenn’s Market on Utah)
San Diego, CA 92104
contact@agitpropspace.org

The discussion will focus on the project (currently on view at La Casa del Tunel: Art Center in Tijuana) and issues surrounding the general state of healthcare today. The panel will consist of the artists, a pharmacy owner from Tijuana, and others knowledgeable in the field. Attendees are encouraged to share their experiences navigating the system and thoughts on issues ranging from health insurance to the marketing of pharmaceuticals and current trends of medicating children with powerful mood altering drugs. Select objects from The Candy Store will also be on view in the gallery.

Continue reading "The Candy Store: Round-table discussion" »

Teapots: Object to Subject - works by regional artists including Lee Puffer

from the press release


Teapots Object to Subject
Reception: Saturday, November 21, 2009
5 to 7 pm

Funded by Carlsbad Friends of the Arts

Teapots Object to SubjectThis exhibition takes a closer look at what is normally considered a simple utilitarian vessel used to hold tea. Teapots: Object to Subject is a collection of the best entries from the 2004 Survey of American Teapots sponsored by the Craft Alliance in St. Louis, Missouri. The best of both established artists and the most promising, innovative new artists from around the country are represented in this exhibition.
Teapots: Object to Subject is organized by the Craft Alliance and is being toured nationally by ExhibitsUSA.

This exhibition also features teapots from specially invited regional artists: Connie Beardsley, Christie Beniston, Kelly Berning, Nate Betschart, Richard Burkett, Levi Casias, Maria De Castro, Irene de Watteville, Ted Gallup, Flavia Gilmore, Joanne Hyakawa, Yoshimi Hayashi, Jeff Irwin, Christopher Lee, Ron Lenc, DeLoss McGraw, Lee Puffer, Eric Rempe, Gail Schneider, Scott Schoenherr, Fred Stodder, Cheryl Tall, Lana Wilson and Scott Young.

WILLIAM D. CANNON ART GALLERY
1775 Dove Lane
Carlsbad, CA 92011
760.602.2021
Arts@carlsbadca.gov

novembre 16, 2009

How to Kill a Rothko

by Richard Gleaves







Rothko's a must-see, but like Martin or Turrell you've got to show up in person — photos steal their soul.

Which brings us to American Artists from the Russian Empire — currently showing at the San Diego Museum of Art — and its promise of a Rothko experience to anyone who shows up.

The promise is false: the Rothkos at SDMA are entombed in glass which throws up a shiny reflective surface in front of the picture plane, obscuring the essential Rothko magic (which normally happens 1 to 100 feet behind the picture plane, virtually speaking).

So what to do? Go to SDMA for the Tchelitchews, two alarming exceptions in an otherwise staid show of period art.

Then art run to LA to see Collection: MOCA'S First Thirty Years — not only does it have more and better Rothkos, but they're crucially in the buff.

novembre 12, 2009

Double Negative

by Richard Gleaves







Tara Donovan at MCASD is a perfect cognitive storm of work, site, and placement.

Of the many fascinating aspects of Donovan's work, perhaps most intriguing is the oblique relation between how it's promoted as visit-worthy, and how it works as art.

The hook is the novelty of a mass accumulation of everyday objects, while the actual esthetic engine is the work's deft exploitation of a bi-level figure/ground inversion:

  • At the micro level the action centers on the play of light between or through the objects, rather than on the objects themselves.
  • At the macro level the focus on large-scale bioform enables the work to engage (and thus appropriate) the rectilinearity of the containing museum spaces.

These levels are linked by the work's crucial dependency on formal properties of surface:

  • Maximal scale/mass ratio (structural)
  • Maximal permeability of light (visual)

Wallpaper, carpet ... but unlike any ever seen.

David Adey - "ZOOM" - Torrance Art Museum

from the press release


Zoom



ZOOM
November 21 - December 19, 2009

Torrance Art Museum
3320 Civic Center Drive
Torrance, CA 90503
310.618.6340
mpresneill@torrrnet.com
www.torranceartmuseum.com
Gallery hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 11am-5pm

ZOOM artists: David Adey, Kelly Barrie, York Chang, Allison Cortson, Roni Feldman, Tony Maher, Daniel Nevers, Nobuhito Nishigawara, Andrew Schoultz, Christina Shurts, Ali Smith, Cheryl Sorg Augusta Wood, Eric Yahnker.

The Torrance Art Museum is proud to present ZOOM, a juried survey of current developments in contemporary artistic practices from California, Arizona, Nevada, and Baja artists. In its inaugural year ZOOM breaks new ground and investigates a myriad of directions and movements in contemporary art beyond the traditional institutionalized juried show. ZOOM sets a new benchmark with an un-paralleled open application for a museum survey exhibition. This exhibition seeks to reflect current trends, track developments in contemporary practices, and explore associations between the regional geographical areas. But more importantly to give voice to new artists via the open call process, for those artists without the school connections or the favored gallery, ZOOM evens the playing field.

Los Angeles is considered one of the most dynamic cities globally for the creation of contemporary art and Torrance sits in the midst of this activity. ZOOM at TAM seeks to redefine this creative hub for contemporary art to include a larger geographical context and expand our local remit to include a larger swath of artists that have a direct influence on the cultural dialogues of our time. As we compare and contrast various art practices found in this larger region of influence we will present a more comprehensive view of current artistic developments regionally and further afield.

From Art History to Art Making: Emigrant/Immigrant: Culture and Identity in Art - Panel Discussion

from the press release


Louise NevelsonSaturday, November 14
1:00–3:30 p.m.
Museum Boardroom and Art School

The Museum is proud to host a panel discussion about identity, place, and culture in art inspired by the special exhibition American Artists from the Russian Empire. Join Michele Guieu, Shadab Zeest Hashmi, and Marisol Rendón — artists originally from France, Pakistan, and Colombia, respectively — as they discuss the impact their cultural identity has had on their work. After the discussion, join Museum Educators for a workshop inspired by the art of Russian-born American abstract sculptor Louise Nevelson. Lecture: Free after Museum admission.
http://www.sdmart.org/calendar.asp

San Diego Museum of Art
1450 El Prado
Balboa Park
San Diego, CA
619.232.7931

novembre 11, 2009

Artemio Rodriguez — "Life, Women and Politics"

from the press release


Artemio Rodriguez
Eve Out of Paradise (From Woodcuts of Women)



Reception 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Friday, November 13th, 2009

Noel-Baza Fine Art
2165 India Street
San Diego, CA 92101
Noel-Baza@cox.net
www.noel-bazafineart.com
619.876.4160

These amazingly beautiful woodcuts and linocut prints are timely and significant works of art. Featured in museums and major collections of Latin American art, Artemio's work offers an amazing value for the collector at this time.

Artemio Rodriguez was born in Tacambaro, Michoacan Mexico in 1972. He began by studying agronomy at the Universidad Autonomo Chapingo and was later introduced to art when he apprenticed and learned letterpress printing from Juan Pasco, a master print maker working out of the Taller San Martin Pescadoer near Rodriguez’s hometown.

As a print maker who works primarily in black and white, Rodriguez’s signature style emphasizes simplicity and clarity. European medieval woodcuts and the great Mexican print artists such as Jose Guadalupe Posada have been influential in Rodriguez’s print making career. Though comfortable working in a wide variety of artistic media, Rodriguez regards his ten years as a print maker as the beginning of a long quest. His larger goal is to keep exploring and promoting printmaking until he feels he has contributed something important to the medium. He fully expects this to take a lifetime.

Rodriguez’s work has been featured in galleries and Museums in the United States and Mexico. He has also illustrated and published several books. In 2009, The San Diego Museum of Art acquired several prints by Artemio Rodriguez including his monumental ( 8 x 12 foot) “Triumph of Death". They are currently on display in the new
Mexican Gallery of the SDMA in Balboa Park.

More information here

United & Severed That window of Time.. - Special Video Screening

from the press release


Art Produce Gallery


United & Severed
That window of Time..

Special Video Screening
Saturday, Nov. 14th 6 - 9pm

ART Produce Gallery
3139 University Avenue
San Diego, CA
619.584.4448
www.artproducegallery.com


United & Severed


Join the artists for a special screening of United & Severed, the 22 minute video that accompanies the installation. United & Severed is an experimental video based on interviews with three women living with traumatic injuries.

United and Severed is an interdisciplinary work based on the experiences of 3 women living with traumatic injuries. Research for this artwork began with Diekman & Schaffman's interviews with Kim Anderson, Michele Caputo, & Ivy Kensinger. They tell their personal stories of shock injury where in a single moment their lives were changed forever. Show runs to December 6th, 2009.

Kristine Diekman & Karen Schaffman
(writing-audio-videography-choreography-installation)
Richard Keely & Anna O'Cain
(sculpture-installation)

For more info. about United & Severed: http://www2.csusm.edu/diekman/un_sev/

The Best of the Best

by Kevin Freitas


Best of San Diego



David White from Agitprop in North Park and Drew Snyder from The Andrews Gallery in Leucadia, have been chosen for the following Best of categories in CityBeat's annual reader's poll. And the winners are Best alternative art gallery and Best art gallery worth the drive respectively. Congrats to them both! Oceanside Museum of Art was voted Best art-scene underdog for what its worth or for whatever that means - I have no idea. Other awards, Lynn Susholtz from ART Produce Gallery in North Park has been nominated for an "Orchid" in the category of Public Art by the San Diego Architectural Foundation. www.orchidsandonions.org We couldn't be happier!



Here are a few excerpts from the CityBeat nominations:

Best art gallery worth the drive

Local art lovers rarely venture north of Quint in La Jolla for openings, but ask someone in the know and they’ll tell you that The Andrews Gallery in Leucadia (1002 N. Coast Hwy. 101, www.theandrewsgallery.com) has been showcasing some amazing local and international talent while also throwing some killer parties. more


Best alternative art gallery

Ah-ha, “alternative gallery.” If you look that up in a dictionary, it’ll say, “The owners don’t make any money selling the work.” Well, at least that’s how we’re going to be defining it today. more

novembre 08, 2009

Sitôt — A new project launches. Become a part of it now.

by Kevin Freitas and David Fobes


SitotSitôt is an adverb in French that is generally used to designate a moment in time that has just passed — sitôt après - immediately after — or something that is about to happen as in the expression no sooner said than done. It implies a certain (physical) movement or action (trajectory) to be taken, a firm commitment that lies somewhere between the knowledge of the past and the unknown of the future. In other words, there’s no better time than the present. The whole notion of immediacy, of taking action or the taking up of arms (with the written word of course) appeals to me greatly. I wanted to seek out this immediacy through documenting the multitude of events, actions, and history being made daily in San Diego by its artists, their artworks, and those who support them. I would like to trace and record these actions — right now — through a series of interviews, eventual podcasts, video, or even art(ist) publications. My desire is to capture what is being thought about and talked about in the moment. This is why I am launching Sitôt.

Currently, I’m working with David Fobes on a project entitled “Re-collections: Art in San Diego since 1980”. Its goal is to document and publish online, a modest history of the arts in San Diego from the 1980’s until now. The project would also include documenting the music, theater, and dance movements and the people or institutions that helped shape them. We of course understand the magnitude of such an endeavor, but feel it is time to re-position the current art scene in relationship to where it has come from and to recognize the contributions it has already made.

Continue reading "Sitôt — A new project launches. Become a part of it now." »

novembre 07, 2009

Clayton Llewellyn at Device Gallery

by Kevin Freitas


If drawing’s origins can be traced back to the Italian Renaissance and the Academies - its usage primarily as a means to an end - that is, as a form of visual note taking or sketch in preparation for the final work of art, it isn’t until the 18th century that it begins to acquire a certain autonomy and appreciation. Drawing materials and the techniques used in employing them haven’t changed much over the centuries either, case in point, ink drawings or sumi-e has been around since the 10th century in Japan and even earlier in China. Today, it is still one of the many methods artists use to make their art. If there is any thanks to be given for drawings continued success and general public appeal, we should remove our porkpie hats (Llewellyn sports them) and thank such great masters as Rembrandt, Poussin, Rubens, Boucher, Fragonard, Delacroix, Cezanne, Degas, ad nauseam… Drawing has a very fine pedigree that carries a lot of art historical weight: tons and tons of it.



Clayton Llewellyn



Renaissance artists viewed drawing as a cosa mentale, something that originated in the spirit and mind and then manifested itself through its gesture. Drawing then, was both mental and physical. It may have taken a major exhibit in 1976 organized by Bernice Rose entitled “Drawing Now” at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, to realize drawing could be something else than just lines on a piece of paper. It could also encompass such radical artists (at the time) as Land Art aficionados Robert Smithson and Michael Heizer, and still others from Dine to Agnes Martin to Stella, Twombly, and Rauschenberg. And how about now, where does drawing stand in 2009? The answer might be found in several new works by long time San Diego artist and resident Clayton Llewellyn, currently on view at Device Gallery (Barrio Logan).


Continue reading "Clayton Llewellyn at Device Gallery" »

novembre 06, 2009

San Diego NOW & Art After Dark: The Zodiac Lounge

from the press release




ART AFTER DARK: THE ZODIAC LOUNGE
Friday, November 20, 2009

What is your astrological sign? Find out at The Zodiac Lounge, Oceanside Museum of Art’s Art After Dark on Friday, November 20th from 7:00-10:00 p.m. Have your astrology, numerology and tarot cards read by Five Muses Entertainment or have Natasha Papousek of Crescent Moon Designs adorn you with a henna body art tattoo. Chris Brotzman will be spinning funky disco tribal Latin afro beats while video performance artist Megan Pogoda creates live video to his music on the façade of the museum. Inspired by all the creative energy you can make three dimensional figures in the sculpture center or hang out in the Kool lounge and experience Dave Ghilarducci’s Interactive Proverb Generator and site specific light and sound sculpture entitled "Pinholes in the Curtain of Night" that uses Morse code to communicate the twelve signs of the zodiac. Four art exhibitions will be on view, An American Dream: Gregg Jabs, Industrial Alchemy: John Zabrucky, San Diego NOW: Eight UCSD Visual Artists, and the Art of Les Perhacs. Guests will also have the chance to win Tim McCormick’s original oil painting The Stars with the opportunity drawing.



San Diego NOW: Eight UCSD Visual Artists

San Diego NOW: Eight UCSD Visual Artists presents artists from the MFA program at University of California, San Diego. The show was curated by Danielle Susalla, and features work by James Enos, Jesse Mockrin, Zac Monday, Omar Pimienta, Lesha Maria Rodriguez, Tim Schwartz, Julia Westerbeke, and Suzanne Wright.

A preview reception will be held on Friday, November 20th from 7 to 10 PM. Admission is $15 ($10 for OMA members) and includes, art, music, multimedia entertainment, art activities, food from Harney Sushi and Santino’s pizza, beer from Lost Abbey Brewery, and wine tasting from PRP Wine International.

Ticketless reservations are available by calling OMA at 760.435.3720. Or pay at the door the night of the event. Guests must be 21 or older.

An artists' forum moderated by UCSD professor Ernest Silva will be held on Thursday, December 3, from 7 to 9 PM. Meet the artists and learn about their methodologies, techniques, and the UCSD MFA program. The forum admission is $5 (free for OMA members).

OMA is located at 704 Pier View Way in downtown Oceanside, within walking distance of the Oceanside Transit Center and its Amtrak, Sprinter, and NCTD Coaster stops. Oceanside, California is half an hour north of San Diego.

Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM and Sunday 1 to 4 PM. General admission is $8, seniors 65 and over $5, students and active military free. For information on current exhibitions or other museum programs call 760-435-3720 or visit www.oma-online.org.


Continue reading "San Diego NOW & Art After Dark: The Zodiac Lounge" »

novembre 04, 2009

Violence and Culture

from the press release


Off the Beaten Path



Off The Beaten Path: Violence, Women and Art lecture

14 November 2009
UCSD Campus
Pepper Canyon Hall, room 122
6:00 pm

Please join the University Art Gallery, UCSD in the second of three discussions associated with the current exhibition entitled Off the Beaten Path: Violence, Women and Art that to explore the global ramifications of gender-based violence. "Throughout the world, women and girls are victims of countless and senseless acts of violence. The range of gender-based violence is devastating, occurring, quite literally, from womb to tomb," explains Randy Jayne Rosenberg curator and executive director of Art Works For Change. "The stories that underlie these artworks return us imaginatively to the event of violation and allow it to affect us."

This program examines violence committed towards women based on culturally held beliefs and what women in different parts of the world are doing to challenge the status quo in their countries.

Kelli Moore, PhD Candidate, Communications will moderate the discussion with Farrah Douglas from 5 Women Who Care, Cima Rahmankhan, artist, Dep N. Tuany from Water for Sudan, Cindy Mathew from Amnesty International, Dilkhwaz Ahmed from License to Freedom.

ABOUT ART WORKS FOR CHANGE
Art Works for Change produces contemporary art exhibitions to address social and environmental.
It uses the power of art as a vehicle to promote dialogue and awareness, and to inspire action and thought. Art Works for Change operates under the fiscal umbrella of the Tides Center, a tax-exempt organization.

ABOUT 5 WOMEN WHO CARE
5 Women Who Care is a group of women who came together to help make a difference and bring awareness to women's and children's issues globally. Operating out of the San Diego area, these 5 Women collaborate with like-minded organizations for the empowerment and justice of women and children worldwide.

The University Art Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 5pm.
858.534.2107
uag@ucsd.edu


octobre 29, 2009

Suzanne Wright - "Memories of the Future"

from the press release


Suzanne Wright


Suzanne Wright
“Memories of the Future”

Closing reception: Friday, October 30
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Visual Arts Facility Gallery
UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr. MC 0084
Exhibition runs October 25 - 30, 2009, Noon - 5:00pm

Suzanne Wright is an Master of Fine Arts Candidate in UC San Diego’s Visual Arts Department. Her large scale colored pencil drawings create fantastical environments, landscapes, and a physiological space while evoking a sense of humor and beauty.

http://va-grad.ucsd.edu/~drupal/node/1141

octobre 28, 2009

Art WOW

from the press release


Art WOW


Edgeware Gallery
4186 Adams Ave.
San Diego, CA 92116

On October 30, Edgeware Gallery will celebrate its one year anniversary with its first group show. The wine and cheese reception will be from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m, and the artists in attendance will be Dan Adams, Kim Maria Cruz, Brittany Heskett, Anna Zappoli Jenkins, Maura McHugh, Joseph Mark Mueller, Mark Rimland, Anna Stump, Daniel Thedell, Chris Vannoy, and Eric Wixon.

“We wanted to create a bond with the artistic community”, says Edgeware Gallery Chief Dr. Stephen Edelson, who’s also the Director of the adjoining Autism Research Institute. “And what better way for us to get to know the artists, and for the artists to get to know Edgeware than by having them create their pieces live at Edgeware, which they’ve been doing for the past two weeks”, continues Edelson. “We hope to forge a permanent connection with these artists.”

So please come attend the Opening Night reception, rub elbows with the artists, and enjoy the art and wine and cheese, and remember that any artwork you purchase is a win/win/win: You, the patron, will now own an original artwork to grace the walls of your residence; you will be directly supporting a local artist; and at the same time, 100% of the net profits from all Art Wow sales go to support autism research.

The Autism Research Institute has been a fixture in San Diego since 1967. ARI was founded by the late Dr. Bernard Rimland to conduct research, and to spread the message that “autism is treatable”. Mark Rimland, the adult son of Dr. Rimland, is the resident artist at Edgeware.

octobre 27, 2009

Panel Discussion - United & Severed That window of Time..

from the press release


Art Produce Gallery


United & Severed
That window of Time..

Panel Discussion with Artists & Participants
Thursday, Oct. 29, 6 - 7:30pm

ART Produce Gallery
3139 University Avenue
San Diego, CA
619.584.4448
www.artproducegallery.com


United & Severed


The panel discussion features a dialogue among the collaborators and Kim Anderson about the artwork, trauma and disability. Anderson participated in the project through sharing her personal stories and writings. Anderson was looking forward to majoring in music until a car accident permanently injured her two weeks before her 19th birthday. Now paralyzed from the shoulders down, she is finishing her teaching credential and her Masters of Education at National University, having graduated cum laude from Cal State San Marcos with a bachelor's degree in Literature and Writing in 2007.

Kristine Diekman & Karen Schaffman
(writing-audio-videography-choreography-installation)
Richard Keely & Anna O'Cain
(sculpture-installation)

For more info. about United & Severed:
http://www2.csusm.edu/diekman/un_sev

octobre 26, 2009

"Flesh and Bone" - Art of Framing Gallery



Flesh and Bone Flyer

octobre 24, 2009

"Inocente Whoo?" ARTS Gallery - A Reason to Survive



TONIGHT ONLY !



A Reason to Survive

octobre 23, 2009

Violence and the Individual

from the press release


Off the Beaten Path



Off The Beaten Path: Violence, Women and Art lecture

26 October 2009
UCSD Campus
Center Hall, room 109
6:30pm

Please join the University Art Gallery, UCSD in the first of three discussions associated with the current exhibition entitled Off the Beaten Path: Violence, Women and Art that to explore the global ramifications of gender-based violence. "Throughout the world, women and girls are victims of countless and senseless acts of violence. The range of gender-based violence is devastating, occurring, quite literally, from womb to tomb," explains Randy Jayne Rosenberg curator and executive director of Art Works For Change. "The stories that underlie these artworks return us imaginatively to the event of violation and allow it to affect us."

This program will be in a roundtable discussion that examines the range of issues from domestic violence to human trafficking that affect women globally and what is being done to address these concerns as well as what action can be taken.

Speakers include: Farrah Douglas from 5 Women Who Care, Taja McKinney-Zisler from Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, Kathi Anderson from Survivors of Torture, Katie Feifer from The Voices and Faces Project and Verna Tabor from Center for Community Solutions.

This programming has been endorsed by Amnesty International, Casa Cornelia Law Center, Center for Community Solutions, San Diego, Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, End Violence Against Women International, License to Freedom, Survivors of Torture, The Voices and Faces Project, United 4 Iran, and Women's Resource Center as well as departments and programs on campus.

ABOUT ART WORKS FOR CHANGE
Art Works for Change produces contemporary art exhibitions to address social and environmental.
It uses the power of art as a vehicle to promote dialogue and awareness, and to inspire action and thought. Art Works for Change operates under the fiscal umbrella of the Tides Center, a tax-exempt organization.

ABOUT 5 WOMEN WHO CARE
5 Women Who Care is a group of women who came together to help make a difference and bring awareness to women's and children's issues globally. Operating out of the San Diego area, these 5 Women collaborate with like-minded organizations for the empowerment and justice of women and children worldwide.

The University Art Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 5pm.
858.534.2107
uag@ucsd.edu

octobre 21, 2009

"Here Not There" — The encierro of art

by Kevin Freitas



T'is neither here nor there.
Othello

Since the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art mounted "A San Diego Exhibition: 42 Emerging Artists" in 1985, tongues have wagged over the question of who was in and who was not.
Leah Ollman, Los Angeles Times, August 18, 1988.



Will tongues still be wagging in 2010 ? According to a recent article by Robert Pincus in the Union-Tribune, the La Jolla branch of the MCA has announced plans for a major exhibition of local artists entitled "Here Not There". A guarded optimism is in order.

Scheduled to open in the summer of 2010, the show's aim Pincus reports, (is) "the desire to present a wide-ranging show, in terms of media and approaches to the making of art." According to the museum, "San Diego has developed a critical mass of local talent.” Hallelujah I say, you might even be thinking the same thing right about now, but wait, there's further cause for celebration. The show's curator Lucia Sanroman, who is also the museum's associate curator, has issued a call for submissions from artists who want to be considered for this exhibit. There is no guarantee of course, as all final selections will be approved and made by a curatorial committee that includes the museum's director Hugh Davies. If interested, the museum's submission guidelines can be found here. You need to be a resident of San Diego County to submit. The deadline is January 1, 2010. And finally, art students at any grade level, are asked not to apply.

Some of that critical mass will be chased down in the nooks & crannies of North County, North Park and further south to what I'm guessing will be Barrio Logan or what according to Pincus, the museum has dubbed as the "alternative art scene." This should raise a few eyebrows, if only to ask "alternative to what ?" Alternative used in any relationship to the art world today, has likely petered out its once distinguishing character of well, uh... existing outside of the cultural norm. Still this is very gratifying; if Sanroman is willing to look in these places by letting the artists out of their pens, she will be richly compensated for her efforts with good works by good artists.

Pincus finally points out that there have been several exhibits here about here within the past twenty-five years. Hunter S. Thompson use to bemoan the fact that the art of writing headlines — maybe titles as well — had been lost. I wonder if "Here Not There" doesn't rank right up there with my favorite, "Innocence is Questionable". But I digress. Here are some of those exhibitions: San Diego '72, A San Diego Exhibition: 42 Emerging Artists, Civilians curated by David Hickey, Common Ground: A Regional Exhibition, Off Broadway: New Art From Downtown San Diego and more recently, the unmentioned Homing In exhibit organized by Quint Gallery and to a certain extent, Quint gallery's thirty year retrospective at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido.

So, for all my naysaying that I have been accused of as of late, I truly hope Sanroman & Co. will take the high road and bring back some dignity to the meaning of the words: alternative, diversity, community and emerging and not Something Old, Something Borrowed, Something Blue but Something New. San Diego despite what some people think is ready — stop coddling — this exhibit might very well be our ticket to adulthood.


The full article by Robert Pincus can be read here.


VACANCY








octobre 19, 2009

Urban Morphology: A Pattern Language

by Richard Gleaves





JOHN BALDESSARI: PURE BEAUTY

from the press release


JOHN BALDESSARI: PURE BEAUTY

Docb2.jpgTate Modern London, United Kingdom
Running from October 13, 2009 – January 10, 2010

The JOHN BALDESSARI: PURE BEAUTY Catalogue is Co-Authored by, UC San Diego Visual Arts Professor, John Welchman.

Welchman was also co-author of the catalogs for John Baldessari: BRICK BLDG, LG WINDOWS W/XLENT VIEWS, PARTIALLY FURNISHED, RENOWNED ARCHITECT, Museum Haus Lange, Krefeld, Germany, March 1 to July 19, 2009; and John Baldessari: Music, ed. Stefan Gronert and Christina Végh, Kunstmuseum Bonn and Bonner Kunstverein (Walter König, 2007).

JOHN BALDESSARI: PURE BEAUTY is traveling to the following locations:
Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, February 11 – April 25, 2010
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA, June 27 – September 12, 2010
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, October 17, 2010 – January 9, 2011

Continue reading "JOHN BALDESSARI: PURE BEAUTY" »

octobre 18, 2009

OFF THE BEATEN PATH Violence, Women and Art

from the press release


Off the Beaten Path



23 October > 12 December 2009
Opening Reception 22 October 6:00 > 8.30pm

University Art Gallery, UCSD
9500 Gilman Drive
Mandeville Center
La Jolla, CA 92093
858.534.2107
uag.ucsd.edu



With: Amnesty International, Laylah Ali, Maimuna Feroze-Nana, Mona Hatoum, Icelandic Love Corporation, Yoko Inoue, International Rescue Committee, Jung Jungyeob, Amal Kenawy, Lisa Bjørne Linert, Hung Liu, Gabriela Morawetz, Miri Nishri, Yoko Ono, Cecilia Paredes, Susan Plum, Cima Rahmankhah, Joyce J. Scott, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Masami Teroka, Hank Willis Thomas

For the new exhibition season the University Art Gallery, UC San Diego presents an international exhibition entitled Off The Beaten Path: Violence, Women and Art.

The exhibition brings together artists from around the world to explore the global ramifications of gender-based violence. The exhibition, curated by Randy Jayne Rosenberg executive director of Art Works For Change, features twenty-one artists from nineteen countries. "Throughout the world, women and girls are victims of countless and senseless acts of violence. The range of gender-based violence is devastating, occurring, quite literally, from womb to tomb," explains Randy Jayne Rosenberg. "The stories that underlie these artworks return us imaginatively to the event of violation and allow it to affect us." Premised on the visionary potential in art, the exhibition avoids tabloid and sensational imagery. The invited artists were asked, "To help us create new representations through their artworks and, in doing so, help us feel and understand the essence of the problem of violence against women," says Rosenberg.

The exhibition hopes to help create a new conversation on this important topic. The exhibition explores multiple aspects of violence against women and girls organized within several thematic categories: Violence and the Individual; Violence and the Family; Violence and the Community; Violence and Culture; Violence and Politics. The organizers hope the audience leaves the exhibition with a better understanding of the roots of abuse, a feeling of empathy, and an awareness of choice in their actions and beliefs. These problems, though widespread, are often invisible, says Rosenberg. "When we encounter violence against women, we often overlook the facts and experience a sort of blindness. We choose not to see the devastation of domestic violence, calling it 'a family affair'. Honor-killings of women in faraway regions of the world become nothing more than a 'cultural difference'. We find it hard to believe that sex trafficking and exploitation occur in our cities, close to home. The rape and torture of women during armed conflict is the inevitable 'messiness of war'. As such, the political and systemic sources of violence are often underestimated or overlooked."

The University Art Gallery is partnering with 5 Women Who Care, Amnesty International, Casa Cornelia Law Center, CastLA, Center for Community Solutions - San Diego, End Violence Against Women International, Survivors of Torture, The Voices and Faces Project, United 4 Iran and Women's Resource Center as well as departments and programs on campus in order to create an extensive calendar of programming. Please visit our website at uag.ucsd.edu regularly to find out about the different events taking place.

ABOUT ART WORKS FOR CHANGE
Art Works for Change produces contemporary art exhibitions to address social and environmental.
It uses the power of art as a vehicle to promote dialogue and awareness, and to inspire action and thought. Art Works for Change operates under the fiscal umbrella of the Tides Center, a tax-exempt organization.

ABOUT 5 WOMEN WHO CARE
5 Women Who Care is a group of women who came together to help make a difference and bring awareness to women's and children's issues globally. Operating out of the San Diego area, these 5 Women collaborate with like-minded organizations for the empowerment and justice of women and children worldwide.

The University Art Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 5pm.
For further information please phone 858.534.2107 or email uag@ucsd.edu

FYI

by Kevin Freitas


Meet the Press


The complete video taped session of the "Meet the Press" panel discussion, held at Art Produce Gallery several weeks ago, can now be viewed online. It is a discussion that is absolutely needed and far from being over. You can link to the videos here.



A quick poll:


octobre 17, 2009

Stan Brakhage






Monday, October 19, 7 p.m.
James S. Copley Auditorium
San Diego Museum of Art

$12 members/$15 nonmembers/$10 students


Artist and filmmaker Neil Kendricks leads a lecture/screening of three films by the hugely influential experimental filmmaker Stan Brakhage.

So why pay and go when you can sit and click?

Because abstract Brakhage is less image than sound and light: and the sound's the clatter of celluloid, threading the sprockets on a hot machine.

octobre 16, 2009

Debating the Exhaust Pipe of a Hummer

by Richard Gleaves



octobre 14, 2009

ftagn (waits dreaming) — drawings by Clayton Llewellyn



The unreal is more powerful than the real, because nothing is as perfect as you can imagine it. because its only intangible ideas, concepts, beliefs, fantasies that last. stone crumbles. wood rots. people, well, they die. but things as fragile as a thought, a dream, a legend, they can go on and on.
Chuck Palahniuk


ftagn



http://devicegallery.com
http://www.claybone.com

octobre 13, 2009

United & Severed That window of Time..

from the press release


Art Produce Gallery


United & Severed
That window of Time..

Opening Reception: Oct. 17, 6 - 9pm

ART Produce Gallery
3139 University Avenue
San Diego, CA
619.584.4448

An interdisciplinary work based on the experiences of 3 women living with traumatic injuries. Research for this artwork began with Diekman & Schaffman's interviews with Kim Anderson, Michele Caputo, & Ivy Kensinger. They tell their personal stories of shock injury where in a single moment their lives were changed forever.

Kristine Diekman & Karen Schaffman
(writing-audio-videography-choreography-installation)
Richard Keely & Anna O'Cain
(sculpture-installation)


United & Severed


Show dates: Oct.17 - Dec. 6, 2009

Panel Discussion with Artists & Participants: Oct. 29, 6 - 7:30pm
Video screening with Artists & Participants: Nov. 14, 6 - 9pm

For more info:
United & Severed: http://www2.csusm.edu/diekman/un_sev/
ART Produce Gallery: http://www.artproducegallery.com

octobre 12, 2009

"Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole"* OR Raging Art Bull part III

by Kevin Freitas


Raging Art Bull


Philly Joe Swendoza gives us his own version of a double header. In the first round, Philly Joe and I talk about the recent panel discussion held at Art Produce Gallery. Some of you were there to "Meet the Press", if you missed it, you can now listen to the broadcast for a brief summarization of the evening's events.

Segment 1

In the second round, Philly Joe goes solo with a third installment of Raging Art Bull, and wonders if there isn't too much good will prospering in San Diego's art community. Give a listen.

Segment 2


* Jonathan Richman


octobre 10, 2009

Protopunk

by Richard Gleaves







octobre 08, 2009

"Primary Forms" MCASD

by Marilyn Mitchell


Pasha Rafat.jpgMCASD is exhibiting a number of works from their Annenberg Foundation Acquisitions at their downtown space at 1001 Kettner across from the Santa Fe Depot. Even if you're not especially a fan of minimalism, this is a vital group of works to see. Called "Primary Forms", the works do generally take standard geometric shapes but they are also often subtle plays on perception. Their copy states that it focuses on works from the 1960's and 1970's but the most interesting works are from after 1990. Judging from this show, minimalism has not run its course yet. Again, the museum claims these pieces address the notion of "...materiality as its dematerialization through the reflection and diffusion of light." All of the pieces require a few minutes of viewing in order for your perceptions to register the variations and changes. Attaching photos would not even begin to give you the pleasure of sensing them on-site — so I have purposely not added photos to this commentary, except for the image link to the museum's website above.

In our culture, museum going may be one of the only places where we allow our vision to rest on an object for minutes at a time. The act of viewing can be calming and refreshing for me. In the past, though, some minimalist works annoyed me. I found them not especially interesting or clever. Okay, a cube, big deal, was my feeling. "Primary Forms" has one stellar piece, though, worth the trip. It's a piece so subtle that the museum guard that day said he had never seen any single museum goer actually notice the piece without being told about it until my husband pointed it out to me.

The piece I am urging you to experience is on the second floor of the museum across from the elevator — the experience is in how you will see it. It's called "Wall MCASD Downtown" and it's by Wendy Jacob from 1993. You may notice the museum wall card describing the piece before you even see the piece, as I did. I read the placard and then felt confused because I didn't 'see' the piece. I asked my husband where the piece was and he responded, "It's right in front of you". I stood looking in front of me for a few seconds and noticed the wall appeared to be expanding in front of me! What a surprise — a wall that breathes with a slow steady pace accompanied by the sound of it's expansion and contraction. If you stood in front of this 'wall', it would appear like a blank, white wall. It's only when you are standing to the side of it as you read the placard that you can notice that it moves.

Wendy Jacob's piece is successful because there are standard museum going conventions, like written placards and white walls. She transforms the very surface that is meant to support the art into a memorable and unique experience. It made me consider how the institutions we visit that contain art are themselves learned experiences that can be viewed in new ways. It also reminded me how we are generally complacent as what is alive or animate versus what is dead or inanimate. "Wall MCASD Downtown" moves but it is inanimate so that also one can begin to question how we define life. It has nothing to do with reflection and light but it is certainly about what we call art and its material nature. The definition of art has undergone so much expansion in the last 40 years that it is difficult to ever claim one knows what art really is. If we pin it down in any way, it seems to slither away with defiance and glee. Wendy Jacob's piece brought art to the very structure of where art is housed and I know it made my afternoon step a bit bouncier because of my sense of joy from seeing it. Enjoy!

octobre 07, 2009

Stretched, Stitched & Stuffed

by Kevin Freitas


Gold Mama
"Gold Mama" - Vanessa Madrid


It occurred to me on visiting the new exhibit at Palomar College Boehm Gallery that I’ve been to several campus galleries like this one, and curiously enough, they all pretty much look the same. I’ve bemoaned the gallery at Southwestern College already for their poor space management; the Boehm Gallery on the other hand is much smaller and divided into equal halves. It’s better but still not optimal. The room on the left has a linoleum floor; the room to the right is carpeted in a light gray which neutralizes any sculpture laid upon it. It’s a gallery with two distinct personalities. I imagine most of these community colleges were constructed during the late 70’s and early 80’s during the push to educate everyone in America, however, with no real thought behind what would be put inside. Campus galleries suffered the same indignation.



Artist Talk - Part 1 with Sandra Doore, Marisol Rendón, Brian Dick, Zac Monday and Rebecca Tice



Continue reading "Stretched, Stitched & Stuffed" »

octobre 06, 2009

Artist / Comedian / Poet — Stephen Caddell

from the press release


Stephen Caddell


"The art scene in San Diego is a joke...," this is what some people say here. That's why we at The Art of Framing are showing Artist / Comedian / Poet Stephen Caddell.

Opening: 6 - 9 pm Saturday, October 10th
The Art of Framing
3333 Adams Avenue (Normal Heights)
San Diego, CA 92116
www.theartofframing.net
619.563.9770

We will be displaying Stephen's artwork and the artist will perform a 5 to 10 minute stand up comedy routine. At the same time we will also be viewing two of Stephen's favorite movies: a blacksploitation film "The Human Tornado" starring the late Rudy Ray Moore as Dolemite and the 80's Comedy "D.C. Cab".
Comedy act and movies may contain profanity language and nudity so be warned.

Stephen Caddell
Art: www.midnitedesign.sonicdb.net
Comedy: www.blackplanet.com/NiteTrain107

octobre 05, 2009

Roman de Salvo

by Richard Gleaves







De Salvo's tree-branch networks at Quint serve as pods to his Caltrans mothership: a translation (and refinement) of public-art-scale technology down to the level of portable object.

The pods work beautifully, not just formally but as markers of de Salvo's progress in contemplating the role of mechanism in the world, a train of thought which seems to have evolved of late away from an affinity for per se mechanical ingenuity and towards an appreciation of general systems thinking... something we all need to do these days.

And how do they work formally? Let me count the ways:

  • They lie flat on the wall, a move that — along with the studied avoidance of conventional branching structure — precludes a simplistic abstract-diorama reading.
  • But not too flat: enough warpage exists to make the shadowplay pop, while suggesting (if not actually implying) that the works themselves are still settling in structurally.
  • The small rectilinear bursts of the wood spline joints neatly punctuate the larger biomorphic forms they're embedded in (yielding a beautiful conceptual metaphor).
  • The material semantics of the planed and finished wood radiates furniture yet is perceptually detached from furniture's archetypal corners and straight edges. The effect is pure Nakashima: a deft borrow.
  • The original tree bark lines the finished edges of each branch, activating them like the neon lips of a Chihuly vase. Less borrow than extremely elegant design freebie.

This is a great show. Let's hope some curator pairs it with Ann Mudge's wireworks. One can dream.


octobre 04, 2009

You Call that Art?

from the press release


Kelly Hutchison
screenshot in video game (art gallery of SAN DIEGO, CA artist Paul Brogden)


Could this be the future of how art shows are going to be viewed?
Promo video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNlQy8gTS7s

You Call that Art? ( part 1 and 2) - The interactive video game Art Show is now available to download and play for free at www.InteractiveArtShow.com

Minimum System Requirements to play the game:
OS Windows 2000/XP Processor Pentium III - 1 GHz Memory (RAM), 512 MB Hard disk space, 1.4 GB Resolution 640 x 480 High Color (16 bits) or better Graphics Card, Direct3D compatible w/ 16 MB VRAM sound card, DirectSound compatible, and DirectX 9.0 or higher (free download of latest version available at Microsoft.com).

Participating artists include:
Bret Barrett, Brian Dombrowsky, Dark Vomit, David Russell Talbot, Paul Brogden, Lindy Ivey, James Ivey, Kim Riot, Sean Brannan, Dan Allen, Bobby Lane, Celene, David Gough, Shayne Yates, and the late Larry "Kosmo" Barnes ( co-creator of the Necronomicon).

About the interactive art show game:
This past November, a group of 50 experienced game designers came together and huddled to try and solve design's toughest problems: "How can video games be promoted as art?"
(article can be read at www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3974/making_games_art_the_designers_.php )

It brought out a lot of debate on the internet and blogs, and questioned whether video game design should even be considered "art". Regardless of how people may feel... one thing is for sure. Video games are the future and more popular today than they ever have been. "You Call that Art? (part 1 and 2)" sets the stage to ask: not whether video game design can be promoted as art... but rather... "How can video games work better together with the traditional arts?" Lately, it is has been a great concern to hear that "painting is dead" or that "painting is so 18th century". This particular frame of thought creates the very objective of the interactive art show video game. We hope you take the time to check it out the "new art show experience" at www.interactiveartshow.com We would love to hear how you feel about it!

Kelly and Crystal Hutchison
www.DarkVomit.com
www.InteractiveArtShow.com

octobre 02, 2009

"Real Estate" An Exhibition of Contemporary Landscape, Broadly Interpreted

from the press release


younker


San Diego Women's Figurative Group presents

"Real Estate"
An Exhibition of Contemporary Landscape, Broadly Interpreted

Saturday, October 3
6 - 10pm
South Park Walkabout
http://southparkscene.com/whats_happening.html

Artists:
Jennifer Bennett
Jeanne Dunn
Misty Hawkins
Daphne Hill
Prudence Horne
Terri Hughes-Oelrich
Ginger Rosser
Anna Stump
Marcela Villasenor
Leah Younker
plus special guests!

Elsa Benedict Real Estate
2973 Beech St.
Corner Beech and 30th, South Park
San Diego, CA
619.279.2536

septembre 24, 2009

It is what it is — Quint at 30

by Kevin Freitas


The chaotic, haphazard and bizarre nature of modern art is easily explained: The painter finally settles for whatever satisfaction may be involved in working not as an independent member of a society that needs him, but as a retainer for a small group of people who as a profession or as a hobby are interested in the game of comparing one mutation with another.
John Canaday (former art critic of the New York Times)

I am for an art that is political-erotical-mystical, that does something other than sit on its ass in a museum.
Claes Oldenburg

By now, though, let's hope you are convinced that you need to see this show for yourself. It isn't to be missed, even if you have only a casual interest in contemporary art.
Robert Pincus, “It starts with a good eye: Mark Quint's 30-year gallery history is richly dotted with highlights” SignOnSanDiego, September 3, 2009.



Preface


If you are not already immersed in its functioning, much of the art world can resemble a micro-industry supported and continually inflated by a host of individuals and entities who are willing to give lip-service and their last breath to keep it afloat, but for whom the “power of art” has been discarded in favor of a model defined by status, power, money, and social networking. Reform is needed in these parts, much as it is in any other industry or governmental agency that is more often than not flailing these days. While it is growing increasingly difficult to differentiate between what some might call standard practice in the art world and what good is being done by those who still believe art is important, I would argue that this schism is having a significant effect on the types of shows being organized, the artists chosen, and the internal complacency that sometimes exists between institutions. As a result, the public’s interests get neglected and their public trust in an institution can be jeopardized.


Roman de Salvo
Detail of Olive Branch Rorschach, © 2008 Roman de Salvo. Courtesy the artist. Quint: Three Decades of Contemporary Art, California Center for the Arts, Escondido.

Continue reading "It is what it is — Quint at 30" »

septembre 23, 2009

"Chromatic" featuring Janelle Carter, Carla Naden, Eric Wixon



voyeur group show

septembre 21, 2009

Stretched, Stitched, and Stuffed



Stretched, Stitched, and Stuffed

septembre 18, 2009

North Park Nights Announces — "Green Scene"

from the press release


NPN


San Diego, CA (August 17, 2009) - On Saturday September, 19th from 6pm - 10pm North Park Nights, non-profit arts collective, will celebrate their third collective event - "Green Scene." September's event will feature local artists and businesses as they respond to the "green" theme. NPN believes in sustainability, responsibility and an overarching respect for our immediate community and by extension the planet at large. The date for the event was chosen specifically to build on the efforts of local architecture firm, Zagrodnik + Thomas, who for the past few years laid the groundwork for green events in their annual "Green Scene." The collaborative spirit has made this years' event bigger and better. Artwork will be featured at local galleries, restaurants, retailers and bars. Together we're going to paint the town "green," freckling the North Park landscape with creative eco-inspired works of art.

Cardboard Challenge

In the spirit of "green", select members are responding specifically to a cardboard challenge that coincides with our second scavenger hunt. Local artists and business were invited to create a window display, artwork or installation that is built primarily from cardboard. It will be juried, and participants will compete to win prizes for first and second place. Most importantly, the public is invited to come and enjoy the creativity. Stroll through and take a peak or head out on the scavenger hunt that will lead you to each participating location and ultimately to a wide array of prizes, from gift certificates to artwork, all donated by different local businesses. Local artists will show SD how North Park can convert objects that are ordinarily thrown out into works of art. Creativity meets sustainability in this interactive project.

About North Park Nights

NPN is a non-profit collective of North Park businesses, artists and community leaders dedicated to the support and preservation of arts and culture in the North Park community. Through the organization and promotion of individual artists and collective events, NPN insures the continued revitalization of the arts in North Park and by extension all the businesses there in. The strength of a committed collective group has laid the foundation to set North Park, its artists, businesses and general spirit, apart from any other community on the map.

FOR MORE INFO OR TO CONTACT:
www.NorthParkNights.org
npn@northparknights.org

septembre 17, 2009

Emerging Difficulties

by Richard Gleaves






After the debate over the 2009 San Diego Art Prize about what exactly is an emerging artist, it was fascinating to come across the very same debate taking place in a parallel universe.

Here are the relevant quotes:

After awarding Tony Kushner a record-breaking $200,000 for distinguished playwriting last fall, the Steinberg Trust suddenly realized there was a problem with its plan to present its other newly created award to two emerging playwrights this year. “What we immediately discovered was that we all described ‘emerging’ differently,” said Oskar Eustis, artistic director of the Public Theater in New York and a member of the selection committee. Some of his colleagues thought the prize, created by the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, was geared towards writers just a year out of school, while others considered “emerging” to refer to a playwright in mid-career.
Defining “emerging playwright” turned out to be like grasping a handful of Jello. Committee members settled on the idea that a writer was still emerging five years after a first production, only to soon note that someone could still be emerging 10 years out, said Ms. [Polly K.] Carl.
Mr. Eustis joined Ms. Carl’s end of the spectrum. Though the final selections are “not identical to who I would have picked,” Mr. Eustis said, he too understands the rough financial circumstances that face even accomplished playwrights. “It wasn’t really bitter, but every one of us is acutely conscious of how hard a life these writers have,” he said. “We didn’t feel like we could give a prize on the basis of need, but what would burst out consistently was, ‘Do you know what this money could mean?’”
This year all three winners have been produced by at least one member of the advisory committee. To Mr. Eustis, such connections are inevitable, since they are in the business of producing promising playwrights. As he said, quoting another producer, “No conflict, no interest.”

Trust Tussles Over Playwright Award Eligibility

septembre 16, 2009

"Meet the Press" - Panel Discussion

by Kevin Freitas


Meet the Press


Title: “Meet the Press”

Where:
Art Produce Gallery
3139 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92104

In conjunction with the exhibit – “Agitprop: Brain Trust”

When: September 26, 2009 – discussion kicks off at 6pm

Who:
Seth Combs – San Diego CityBeat
Keli Dailey - SignOnSanDiego
Patricia Frischer – SDVAN (San Diego Visual Arts Network)
Pam Kragen – North County Times
Moderator: Kevin Freitas – Art as Authority
info: 619.337.4891
artasauthority@artasauthority.com

Who covers the arts in San Diego? How do they decide? What makes for outstanding arts writing or reviews? What are their submission criteria?

These are some of the questions we will ask our distinguished panel from several local newspapers and weekly’s here in San Diego. At the end of the discussion, audience members will be invited to submit their own reviews or articles that cover various art, music, and theater events. The goal is to encourage more writing about the arts and to increase public awareness of our cultural and community institutions.

septembre 14, 2009

Bret J. Barrett — "Transports of Form"

by Kevin Freitas


I heard about Bret Barrett before I ever met him. People would talk about some artist making kinetic sculptures out of his garage in some back alley off of El Cajon Boulevard. They said I should check out his work. And then one day, while getting a tattoo at Body Marks Tattoo on El Cajon, a guy comes in with a camera and starts taking pictures of the ceiling. Mark form Body Marks lets artists decorate the acoustic panels overhead. As it turns out, it was Bret Barrett taking the photos. We chatted awhile and then he left as quickly and as quietly as when he walked in. I didn’t meet him again until a few months later when he was part of a group show at the now defunct Zedism Gallery in Normal Heights.





This gallery is currently being replaced by a Subway sandwich shop. People have to eat it seems and no appetite for art.

Continue reading "Bret J. Barrett — "Transports of Form"" »

Agitprop's Brain Trust exhibit and schedule of events *UPDATED*

by Kevin Freitas


Agitprop aka David White, opened his entreprenurial exhibit this last Saturday night at the Art Produce Gallery in North Park. Titled Brain Trust, it is an "installation (which) addresses issues of social economics, art markets, commodities trading, and community engagement. In “Brain Trust”, Agitprop turns corporate and art world institutional conventions on their head as a method of generating support for projects based on connectivity and community at the scale of the neighborhood. Brain Trust asks people to become investors in Agitprop." More information about the exhibition can be found on the Agitprop website here.





In addition to this show, Agitprop is organizing a month long series of events that will reinforce the notion of community engagement, by offering a diversity of open public debates, tours of the North Park neighborhood, and serving homade soup. A complete calendar of these events can be found below:



North Park Thrift Store Bicycle TourSaturday, September 19:

North Park Thrift Store Bicycle Tour
12:00 to 2:00 pm
Location: Begins at Art Produce Gallery
3139 University Avenue
North Park, CA
info/contact: joyboe@hotmail.com

Join the San Diego Second Hand Shopping Society, lead by Joy and Joe, in conjunction with North Park Night's eco friendly focus theme, for our first annual North Park Thrift Store Bicycle Tour! We will leave Art Produce at noon sharp for a 2 hour pedal-powered tour of some of N.P.'s finest thrift establishments. Pump up your tires and show support of our local economy and several of North Park's non-profit organizations by filling your basket with those vintage wares you didn't know you couldn't live without! A sundown slideshow presentation with take place at Art Produce from 6-9 that evening, in conjunction with AGITPROP's current BRAIN TRUST exhibitition.

Continue reading "Agitprop's Brain Trust exhibit and schedule of events *UPDATED*" »

septembre 10, 2009

The 18th Annual Juried Exhibition at the Athenaeum - Juried by Michael Krichman and Mathieu Gregoire

Typically, we publish reviews of exhibits during their scheduled times and before they close. Unfortunately, this one was not as I was away for several weeks and was unable to publish it online until now. My apologies to Marilyn, our readers, and the artists in the exhibit. It is however, an insightful and poignant review that merits being read and included in the pool of contemporary art practice, methods, and ideas. KF


by Marilyn Mitchell


Given that Michael Krichman is the Executive Director for inSite and that Mathieu Gregoire is a Project Manager for the Stuart Collection at UCSD, one would expect this year's annual to contain a number of pieces of sculpture or installation. The great thing about life is that we do not usually find it is predictable. This show does present a few surprises, one of which is that a majority of the works are not three dimensional. To their credit, they accepted a number of pieces from each artist so you get a deeper sense of the artists' works, rather than one or two works from a larger number of artists. In the interest of revealing any potential conflict of interest in my writing about this show, I should let the readers know I submitted five sculptures, none of which were accepted.


Kraig Cavanaugh
Kraig Cavanaugh


The works that create a greater visual delight than most anything else in the show are all by Kraig Cavanaugh. Cavanaugh reconfigures clock works to become the mechanisms that produce delicate movements of long stems of silk flowers.

Continue reading "The 18th Annual Juried Exhibition at the Athenaeum - Juried by Michael Krichman and Mathieu Gregoire" »

septembre 09, 2009

Eric Wixon at Planet Rooth Studios Gallery



This, That and the Other

septembre 05, 2009

Agitprop: Brain Trust






September 12, 2009 – October 11th 2009

Opening reception: Saturday, Sept. 12, 6-9 PM
Closing reception: Saturday, October 10, 6-9 PM

ART Produce Gallery
3139 University Ave.
San Diego CA. 92104


Agitprop moves into a new phase of agitation and propaganda by illustrating some of the work it has done in the past and asking you to participate in future projects by becoming part of a “brain trust”. This installation addresses issues of social economics, art markets, commodities trading, and community engagement.

In “Brain Trust”, Agitprop turns corporate and art world institutional conventions on their head as a method of generating support for projects based on connectivity and community at the scale of the neighborhood. “Brain Trust” asks people to become “investors” in Agitprop. Agitprop is a space in North Park which attempts to blur the lines between individual art practice, the Studio, the Gallery and the Neighborhood.

The Agitprop “Brain Trust” is established through “Brain Blocks”, an edition of 1000 sculptures which when purchased serve as “stock” in Agitprop. “Brain Blocks” simultaneously reference the art market, think tanks, commodities trading, and the “Cube” as an art historical sculptural form. Each sculpture consists of a 4¼ inch concrete cube with a surface pattern resembling the human brain.

Sculptural “shareholders” will become facilitators of Agitprop’s upcoming projects and will be asked in the future for feedback on these same projects. Past projects include the Agitprop space itself, literature readings, Art Tap Outs I & II (live critiques in the form of underground pugilism), artwork in empty storefronts, collaborations with other neighborhood entities, etc.

The initiation of Agitprop as a space, and subsequently the “Brain Trust” project, stems from an examination of and response to current art support structures. Contemporary practice tends toward two approaches to art distribution: art works presented as commodities by commercial galleries and dealers, or conversely as visual culture by universities and museums whose funding, when traced backwards, often leads to a corporate source. This exhibition asks the question “Is it possible to have a neighborhood art practice supported wholly by those who the practice serves?”

In addition to the “Brain Blocks” component of the exhibition, several single-day events are scheduled over the duration of the exhibition, including a walking tour of residual spaces in North Park, self-portrait photography sessions, free soup, and more. A calendar of events will be available at the exhibition, as well as in postings on the Agitprop blog.

Beyond the Border Art Fair

by Richard Gleaves



If you were wondering how one goes about launching something as big as an art fair, but in San Diego in the current economy, the answer is better magic through good design.

The BTB booth design, with its strong emphasis on diagonals and irregular booth spaces, resembled nothing less than a Menger sponge, creating the illusion of an infinite exhibition hall while fitting in a room the size of a medium theatre.


septembre 02, 2009

John Oliver Lewis and Kim MacConnel


août 29, 2009

Project X: Art







While definitely sympatico with the "Juxtapoz" philosophy and aesthetic, we are by no means limited to lowbrow, pop surrealism or any other genre (in fact, the market seems to be getting a bit crowded with cute, big-eyed girls lost in ominous forests with cuddly animals and pop cultural references). That being said, if you're a traditional plein air master or water color diva, we're not the place for you. Other than that, it's game on.

              — From the gallery web site

août 19, 2009

Anna Zappoli Jenkins

by Richard Gleaves






I.

I've been friends with Anna for easily fifteen years. She paints: canvas, wood, paper, flowerpots, construction walls, pretty much anything she can get her brushes on. She never stops.

The painting above is on bubblewrap: it's big, about five feet square. The first time I saw it I nearly jumped out of my shoes. The thing radiates light — the photo doesn't show this; no photo could.

Continue reading "Anna Zappoli Jenkins" »

août 12, 2009

Like a rolling stone

by Kevin Freitas


skullThe following is a philosophical reflection on the manner in which we collect things, whether it is art, souvenirs, or stories. In doing so, we reveal to the world how we picture ourselves through the lens of an inanimate object.

These thoughts were also reassembled under the auspice of a performance piece, held at Four Walls Gallery in San Diego, in December of 2007. The performance was entitled Collecting Dust and Other Things. Fourteen members, collectively speaking of course, willing participants in San Diego’s artistic community were reassembled over the course of a month for a series of interviews and discussions about their involvement within it. All the while having their hair cut in the gallery turned hair salon. The clientele was as follows: Patricia Frischer, Kevin Freitas, Michelle Robinson, Monica Hoover, Hugh Davies, David White, Kinsee Morlan, Emily Fierer, Lea Caughlan, Carly Delso-Saavedra, Betti-Sue Hertz, Larry Caveney, Doug Simay and Luis De Jesus. The interviews were then gathered into a limited publication, and I was asked to write the introduction which you will find in its entirety below.

Finally, this commentary attempts to put into perspective the roles and objectives of the performers who participated, in relationship to what is missing within their artistic community and their needs, along with possible solutions to satisfy them. I’m dusting this essay off so to speak because a lot has changed within the community since. A little more than a year and a half later, many of its members — in fact almost half of them interviewed — have left town or closed their operations. The battle for consistency and longevity is far from being won and considering current economic times, jobless rate, cash flow and the rest, it might be awhile before we start to re-build or continue to build San Diego’s arts scene.

The stats:

Four Walls Gallery closed last month.
Kinsee Morlan, CityBeat’s arts editor, moved to Colorado.
Emily Fierer, co-owner of Spacecraft Gallery in North Park, closed its doors months ago.
Lea Caughlan, President of the North Park Nights association and co-owner of the Rubber Rose Boutique — currently its sole proprietor — has been forced to cut her space down to 1/3 its original size.
Carly Delso-Saavedra left the Rubber Rose.
Betti-Sue Hertz left her job as curator of the San Diego Museum of Art. Her boss, museum director Derrick Cartwright, recently did the same.
Doug Simay, owner of Simayspace Gallery, closed its doors. However, I’m happy to report that Doug currently resides on the Board of the Oceanside Museum of Art.
Hugh Davies is still at the helm of the MCASD after 25 years, perhaps he should start thinking about taking up golf in Palm Springs.
And finally, Subtext a small gallery and bookstore located in Little Italy, after three years of being open to the public is now open by appointment only. I suppose this is to accommodate the working of a normal 9 to 5 job to pay the rent.

The rest of us thankfully, all of us I hope, manage to keep our activities both little & large, going.

Patricia Frischer
Kevin Freitas
Michelle Robinson
Monica Hoover
David White
Larry Caveney
Luis De Jesus

Continue reading "Like a rolling stone" »

août 10, 2009

Raging Art Bull Part Deux

by Kevin Freitas


Raging Art Bull


The second installment of Raging Art Bull has been released and is online for your listening pleasure. Philly Joe Swendoza, co-host of Art Rocks! Radio, tackles such épineux subjects as whether or not artists should be paid for exhibiting their works in a gallery - or simply for showing up - and the abusive behavior of asking them in some cases, to "pay to play" in juried and charity events. I have opinions about both these questions but would like to hear what you have to say. Give a listen, leave a comment or drop Philly Joe a line at Art Rocks! Radio.

Raging Art Bull: Swendoza's Audio Blog Names the Good, Bad & Ugly

Bret Barrett - "Transports of Form"



Bret Barrett


http://bretjbarrett.com

août 09, 2009

Michael Arata at Beyond the Border International Contemporary Art Fair



Michael Arata


http://www.beyondtheborder-art.com/

août 07, 2009

The Future is Now

by Richard Gleaves

duvet.jpg



San Diego's Rancho Bernardo Inn is a top-end luxury resort distinguished by a PGA-level golf course, three pools, and a restaurant which boasts both molecular cuisine and a plug from America's greatest living food writer.

The Inn can now add another notch to its belt under the category of Marketing So Advanced It Qualifies as Museum-Grade Art. I'm referring to their current promotional offer entitled Survivor Package, which in its studied blurring of corporate practice, long-term global economic trends, cultural and institutional self-critique, subtextual subversiveness, and (not least) downright cheek makes it a worthy match of Brian Goeltzenleuchter's current show at OMA.

The deal is straightforward: from August 16 to 31 the Inn is offering rooms at the following rates:

  • $219 standard luxury
  • $199 without breakfast
  • $179 without honor bar
  • $159 without A/C or heat
  • $139 without pillows
  • $109 without sheets
  • $89 without lights (except one bulb in bathroom)
  • $59 without linens
  • $39 without toiletries (BYOTP)
  • $19 without bed (tent provided)

For more information (including a priceless photo of the tent) see today's Union-Tribune.

août 06, 2009

The effort to build affordable live/work space for artists and arts organizations continues…

from the press release


The next phase of the San Diego Space for art project (sdspace4art) will take place on the weekend of September 11th through 13th, when a group of architects, artists, designers, developers, and community members will gather to take part in a design charrette (workshop). The overall objective is to develop innovative and creative designs for future affordable work/live space for artists and arts organizations.

Approximately 25 local architects will lead design teams comprised of artists of all disciplines, designers, arts adminatrators, arts supporters, community members, contractors, and developers. Among these 25 teams, 6 to 10 buildings and sites will be analyzed to develop architectural programs that will respond to the needs of local artists and communities. The drawings and designs produced can convey the exciting visual and social impact the arts can bring to a community.

WHAT:
You are invited to participate in the upcoming charrette (design workshop)

WHERE:
New School of Architecture and Design
1249 F St
San Diego, CA 92101
619.235.4100

WHEN:
Fri 9/11 3 to 11pm
Sat 9/12 10 to 6pm
Sun 9/13 10 to 3pm

*We understand that most will not be able to attend everyday or for the entire time. We would like to point out that Friday is the most important day for everyone to attend. YOU MUST RSVP: We are limited to 120 people. To participate please reply to sdspace4art@gmail.com with the following information:

Name:
Occupation:
Dates and Times you will attend:
What is your interest in this project?

more info Voice of San Diego

août 05, 2009

Andrew Printer - "Second Thoughts From Normal Heights"

from the press release


Second Thoughts From Normal Heights


Agitprop presents “Second Thoughts From Normal Heights”, an exhibition of recent work by emerging photographer Andrew Printer. Exhibition Dates: August 8 – September 12, 2009 Opening Reception: Saturday, August 8, 2009 / 6 - 9pm

Second Thoughts From Normal Heights” comprises two series of images addressing themes of gay male representation, queer identity and gay assimilation. In addition to premiering his photographs in San Diego, Printer invites the community to engage with the themes that motivate his work by participating in a free writing workshop facilitated by Rob Williams (a local writer and popular writing instructor - rsvp required) followed by a public reading.

Continue reading "Andrew Printer - "Second Thoughts From Normal Heights"" »

août 04, 2009

Attempt to Raise Hell and Octagon Art Talks

by Marilyn Mitchell


This past Saturday afternoon at the MCASD in their downtown facility they hosted talks by three different artists, Jim Skalman, Lewis deSoto and Kevin Lynch.


Forrest Griffin
"Forrest Griffin" - photo Kevin Lynch




Both Skalman and deSoto were included in the Attempt to Raise Hell exhibit whose intention was to exhibit work that features large scale installation work. The MCASD had made a commitment to ...“work that is not easily accommodated or commodified.” The talk began in the lobby of their Santa Fe Depot facility with Jim Skalman.

Continue reading "Attempt to Raise Hell and Octagon Art Talks" »

juillet 30, 2009

Castles Made of Sand

by Kevin Freitas


And so castles made of sand fall in the sea, eventually..
— Jimi Hendrix


PART I

In his highly regarded and influential essay Relational Aesthetics French curator Nicolas Bourriaud summarized the eponymous theoretical framework as comprising the following elements: “a set of artistic practices which take as their theoretical and practical point of departure the whole of human relations and their social context, rather than an independent and private space.” I experienced a whole different set of relational aesthetics a few weekends ago while attending The 29th Annual U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition.


Kyle’s Karvers - Easter Island
Team Kyle’s Karvers - "Easter Island"


Others claim to have been relating for years and quite successfully to boot. I wonder however, if as part of a dedicated and self-proclaimed group of San Diego artists we don’t already have the tools necessary, sitting right under our collective noses, to turn our community around and put it on the Google map of cultural destinations.

Continue reading "Castles Made of Sand" »

Ron Tomlinson - "The Language of Abstraction"

from the press release


Ron Tomlinson
The Language of Abstraction

August 8 - September 30, 2009

Two openings:
Brushworks Studio & Gallery
Thursday, August 6 @ 7pm

2400 Kettner Blvd., Ste. 212
San Diego, CA 92101
619.232.7329

The Andrews Gallery
Saturday, August 8 @ 7pm

1002 North Coast Highway 101
Encinitas, CA 92024
817.235.2404
www.theandrewsgallery.com
Ron Tomlinson

Ron Tomlinson


Ron Tomlinson was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1945. He holds a Masters of Fine Arts from City University of New York, Brooklyn College, where he studied under the tutelage of Philip Pearlstein. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Boston University, majoring in painting as well as minoring in sculpture and pyschology. He attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, where he studied also with Philip Pearlstein, as well as other illustrious figures such as Alex Katz, Ben Shahn, and John Cage. He has lectured on his work at various museums and universities, and was a professor of painting, sculpture, and film aesthetics at Texas Weslyan University. His work is held in both public and private collections throughout the United States and abroad. Tomlinson currently lives and works in Forth Worth, Texas.

juillet 29, 2009

Phenomenon

from the press release


Art Produce Gallery Presents:
Phenomenon
Natalie Macellaio and Shannon Sullivan

August 8 - September 5, 2009
Opening reception: Aug 8, 6 - 9pm

Art Produce Gallery
3139 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92104
619.584.4448
artproducegallery.com
Lynn Susholtz: lynn@artproducegallery.com

Phenomenon is a blending of Macellaio and Sullivan’s interests in the physical world resulting in dynamic installations in unexpected materials. Objects are reinterpreted as the artists look at, react to, and contemplate nuance in nature.


Phenomenon


Sullivan finds intrigue in microscopic cell forms or macroscopic kelp clusters, creating work that is tactile, viscous and sensuous. Further investigation reveals repetition within a hybrid landscape and the perseverance of order in nature. Macellaio finds disgust, interest, and intrigue within the world of insects. She interprets life cycle, chaotic balance, adaptation, and the significance of arthropods in every aspect of life.

Continue reading "Phenomenon" »

juillet 27, 2009

The 18th Annual Juried Exhibition - Athenaeum Music & Arts Library

from the press release


Steven Nossan
Wendell is Copyright 2009/Nossan


THE ATHENAEUM MUSIC & ARTS LIBRARY PRESENTS:

THE 18TH ANNUAL JURIED EXHIBITION
August 1-September 5, 2009

RECEPTION:
Friday, July 31 6:30-8:30

JURORS:
Michael Krichman & Mathieu Gregoire

ARTISTS:
Dan Adams, Kraig Cavanaugh, William Feeney, Amy Hyde, Neil Kendricks, Elena Lomakin, Patricia Mercado, Steven Nossan, Annie Omens, Deborah Ruth, Neil Shigley, KV Tomney, Joseph Yorty

www.ljathenaeum.org
1008 Wall St.
La Jolla, CA 92037
858.454.5872

juillet 22, 2009

Joe Nyiri

by Richard Gleaves

In his works on paper Joe Nyiri uses stencil, spray paint, broad line marker... all the tools of a state-of-the art graffitist. He works fast too, which gives his line a high-energy crackle rivalling the best taggers.

Nyiri has been teaching art for over fifty years.

The work below is part of a one-person show currently at the Taylor Library in Pacific Beach. Through September 4, which gives you many opportunities to not miss it.

Joe Nyiri at Taylor Library




                                                  Photos Mark-Elliott Lugo


juillet 21, 2009

La Jolla Art Festival

by Richard Gleaves


2 days, 200 artists, 8000 visitors.


juillet 14, 2009

DELAYED GRATIFICATION - Dave Ghilarducci - OMA

from the press release


Dave Ghilarducci


DELAYED GRATIFICATION by Dave Ghilarducci
Curated by Emily Phelps
Oceanside Museum of Art Parker Gallery
July 14 - September 25, 2009

“Meet the Artist” Dave Ghilarducci on Saturday, August 8th at 2:00 p.m.
Meet the Artist” is free with museum admission and complimentary for members of Oceanside Museum of Art as a benefit of membership.

Continue reading "DELAYED GRATIFICATION - Dave Ghilarducci - OMA" »

juillet 10, 2009

"Measured Resistance" - May-ling Martinez

by Kevin Freitas


Halftolds is the title of May-ling Martinez’s current exhibit on view at the Art Produce Gallery in San Diego. I didn’t like it. If truth be told, Halftolds as in half-told stories or half-truths makes for an exhibit to this viewer’s eye, half-a-success.” (July 2006)


The above quote was the opening lines to my first review of May-ling Martinez’s solo exhibit at Art Produce Gallery in 2006. A review that many disagreed with including the artist who called me presumptuous, commentators who found my critique half-assed, while still others – including friends and colleagues – I argued with privately and in public over the merits of Martinez’s work.

What a difference three years makes.

May-ling Martinez’s exhibit entitled “Measured Resistance” now on view at Luis De Jesus Seminal Projects through August 1, 2009 is really quite good. So what happened?

The work got better.


May-ling Martinez
"Measured Resistance" - May-ling Martinez

Continue reading ""Measured Resistance" - May-ling Martinez" »

juillet 09, 2009

"Tender is the Night" - Art Produce Gallery

from the press release


Art Produce Gallery


Tender is the Night concludes several years of focused independent studio work and academic studies by recent graduates of the University of California, San Diego Visual Arts department. Ten students exhibit a broad range of media and practice, including a diversity of video, interactive sculpture, painting and photography. These graduates have worked closely with current UCSD professors: Ernest Silva, Kim MacConnel and Ruben Ortiz Torres to develop their interdisciplinary art practice and theory.

Tender is the Night
July 3 - Aug. 2

Opening Reception: July 11, 6 - 9pm
ART Produce Gallery
3139 University Avenue
San Diego, CA
619.584.4448



Tender is the Night


Artists:
Regan Russell | Priscilla Lazaro | Francis Hwee | Jenny Yoo | Caitlin Peluffo | Mandy Jouan | Roxanne Lee | Patrick Tobias | Fabiola Hanna | Jeff Pacis

juillet 07, 2009

David Russell Talbott - Art of Pride

from the press release


David Russell Talbott


"Art of Pride"
Group show curated by Noel-Baza Gallery

Opening reception: Saturday July 11, 2009 / 6 - 10pm
Ray Street Annex
3803 Ray Street
San Diego, CA
619.488.7540
anne@raystreetannex.com
Art of Pride

Show moves to the Pride Festival in Balboa Park July 18th and 19th.

juillet 06, 2009

Carla Naden

by Kevin Freitas


I first saw Carla Naden's work in a series of expositions organized around San Diego under the auspices of an all girl collective calling themselves Grrrrrl Power, and individually, in group shows at the Art of Framing Gallery in Normal Heights. Grrrrrl Power was formed by San Diego artist Bill Pierce known for his eccentric art party happenings. At the time, Carla was teamed up with another artist (Kelli Bratvold) who together, made collaborative works that were displayed under their nom de plume mulletpony. I own two works by Carla, Sunset Cunts and Sacrificial Virgin, they are still some of my most treasured pieces. Carla consistently produces work that is strong, caustic, politically incorrect and often humorously gut-wrenching while remaining beautifully executed and eye-catching. I adore the work and remain an ardent fan to this day. I thank Carla for letting me post some of her work on the blog. I think you will too.




www.carlalovesponies.com

The Art of Transitions

from the press release


The Art of Transitions


The San Diego Art Department is pleased to announce our first Open Call Fundraiser Exhibition.

The world is full of transitions, whether it be internal or external, we are all affected by the passage from one form, state, style or place to another. Young to old, college to profession, single to married, daughter/son to mother/father, season to season, rich to poor, life to death.

Reception: August 15, 2009 6pm to 9pm - Awards Reception
Exhibition: August 15th thru September 13th

Submission Rules:
Please submit your work by August 1, 2009. All media accepted, original work only.
"Click on" the following link to view the registration form. Open Call Registration Form

Juror: Kevin Freitas with Art As Authority

Prizes will be awarded for Best In Show, 1st, 2nd, 3rd Place, Honorable Mention and People's Choice.
Award prizes from: Baja Betty’s, California Ballet Company, Children’s Museum, Hornblower, Landmark Theatres, San Diego Chamber Orchestra, San Diego Youth Symphony, Urban Mo’s, Urban Solace... And More!
Please visit our website: www.sdad-sdai.org and click on the “Exhibiting” tab for more details.

juillet 02, 2009

St. Jude Project: Can Cancer Art Show

from the press release


St. Jude Project: Can Cancer Art ShowSaturday, July 11th, The Nesian Ohana, seventyNINE co., and Nesian's Can Cancer Foundation presents the St. Jude Project: Can Cancer Art Show- San Diego located at The Luce Loft (1037 J St. San Diego, CA 92101) on the corner of 10th & J from 6pm-midnight.

Join the Ohana in a night of art, culture, music entertainment, food and drinks as we hold a silent auction and raffles all for the fight against cancer. Come down and check out the art of:

Jenny Larsen
GrandLarsen
Dark Vomit
Mark Jesinoski
David Russell Talbott
Kevin Peterson
Chris Ganan
Bre Custodio
Paul Brogden
Taylor Johnson
Bret Barrett
Nilo Jones
Janelle Carter

and the debut of a VERY special artist.

Along with music guests:
Kontious and the Ko-op
Dj Chris Cutz
& Dj Cnerio

Food will be provided by the asian fusion taste of Ono's Cafe- Island Style Bistro.

Support is GREATLY needed! If you know of anyone who would also be interested in attending this great event, please forward this to them as well. Each donation package comes with a gift bag and raffle tickets, quantity depends on the package purchased.

juillet 01, 2009

Lux Art Institute 2009-2010 Artist-in-Residence Season

from the press release


Lux Art InstituteLux Art Institute Announces 2009-2010 Artist-in-Residence Season

Lux Art Institute, San Diego’s interactive art destination, announced today the artists who will participate in Lux’s third Artist-in-Residence season, which begins this September.

A significant contemporary art venue in San Diego County where visitors can “see art happen,” Lux is one of the first museum facilities in the United States to establish an innovative artist-in-residence program that focuses on the living artist and the creative process.

“We are thrilled with the artist line-up for the 2009-2010 season,” said Lux Director Reesey Shaw. “Lux is bringing a fresh and exciting pool of talent here, a group of inspiring artists that work in a variety of media, from marble to charcoal to metal. We hope the public will visit often throughout the new season to explore, experience and see great new art for themselves.”

Continue reading "Lux Art Institute 2009-2010 Artist-in-Residence Season" »

juin 29, 2009

Brian Goeltzenleuchter at OMA - some thoughts

by Kevin Freitas


"Though Russe (Beate Russe — president of the museum's board of directors) believes that museums are there partly to educate and challenge their audience, this show reached too far, too fast, in her estimation, for a museum with a populist, even a parochial, bent in its programming." — Robert Pincus, from his review Oceanside's conceptual exhibit risky but worthy


Brian Goeltzenleuchter
photo courtesy: Brian Goeltzenleuchter


How do you know when art reaches too far? Do you try to slow it down, dumb it down, make it accessible to everyone: bite-size sugar-coated morsels for easy digestion and contemplation? Russe's commentary surely raises the hackles on all of us who smell institutional dogma and knee-jerk conclusions. But then beyond partly educating and challenging its audience, what do museums do exactly? And what about those infallible artists: are they not partially responsible for the pétrin Russe finds herself in? Of course they are. The question then becomes, who is responsible for an artwork's content and its subsequent showing after it leaves the studio? The simplistic response would be the artist is responsible for content and the museum for putting the work up on the wall. If that division of labor truly exists, then Russe has no reason to complain. So what is she questioning?

I think, despite Russe's gibberish commentary and the apparent backlash the show has accrued, some of the problem might lie within the show's formal structure and less to do with the artist and his ideas. I have a smidgen of doubt, as incredulous as her remark may seem, that it isn't a matter of Goeltzenleuchter's work being too advanced for the public, but the intangibility of an idea put on display that simultaneously positions itself as an art form laden with art historical precedents — as Pincus clearly points out in his review (a movement that many may be unfamiliar with including Russe), appears to also point an accusatory finger in her direction (clearly tongue-in-cheek), propounds some type of scientific experiment and data to back it up, but might fail in convincing the audience that what they are viewing is relevent and can be meaningful to them. Russe's criticism in an oblique way then, might be questioning what types of art should be made for the museum. What Russe doesn't understand is that art like museums, have limits in their capacity to communicate everything to everyone. It doesn't make the adventure any less exciting for trying, but the art must somehow signal a larger purpose beyond its exhibition when in a public domain (as opposed to a much more private domain such as a gallery). How that manifests itself either didactically or pragmatically with a clear intent, is the key I believe, to a show's successful reading by the public.

Continue reading "Brian Goeltzenleuchter at OMA - some thoughts" »

juin 28, 2009

Judith Pedroza: Marina Nacional 80

by Richard Gleaves


Speak, memory.


juin 26, 2009

May-Ling Martinez: Measured Resistance - Luis De Jesus Seminal Projects

from the press release


May-ling Martinez


MAY-LING MARTINEZ: MEASURED RESISTANCE
JUNE 27 - AUGUST 1, 2009

ARTIST'S RECEPTION: FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 6 - 8 PM

Luis De Jesus Seminal Projects is very pleased to announce MAY-LING MARTINEZ's debut solo exhibition, titled Measured Resistance, on view from June 27 through August 1, 2009. An artist's reception will be held on Friday, June 26, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

LUIS DE JESUS SEMINAL PROJECTS
2040 India Street
San Diego, CA 92101
T 619 696 9699
F 619 696 9799
info@seminalprojects.com
www.seminalprojects.com



MAY-LING MARTINEZ's new sculpture and works on paper serve as a metaphor for an innate desire to understand and control our surroundings under difficult circumstances. The works in Measured Resistance engage in the larger domain of relations--among ideas, objects, and the human heart--in order to gain a deeper insight into existential issues, such as the need for security and balance. Intrigued by human behavior and thought process, MARTINEZ investigates the paradoxical idea of maintaining control and stability under chaos. At the same time, she explores the idea that reason and logic, as prescribed by science and engineering, can function as a solace to an unstable reality framed by the infallibility of perception and personal subjectivity.

Continue reading "May-Ling Martinez: Measured Resistance - Luis De Jesus Seminal Projects" »

Judith Pedroza - "ARTruism" - Balboa Park



ARTruism

Continue reading "Judith Pedroza - "ARTruism" - Balboa Park" »

juin 25, 2009

Eric Wixon - Imagine Art Show at the Hardrock



Eric Wixon

juin 24, 2009

Bruno Tanonis @ Sea Rocket Bistro

from the press release


Bruno Tanonis


30th Street is becoming regarded as the "Restaurant Row" of San Diego because of the hip, community-minded, and innovative restaurants that have put down their roots in the last few years, but it has also long been a center of a vibrant and thriving community of artists. Sea Rocket has a lot of respect for this active, creative community and will be showing a rotation of local artists.

On view now at:
Sea Rocket Bistro
3382 30th Street
San Diego, CA 92104
619.255.7049
http://searocketbistro.com/

Continue reading "Bruno Tanonis @ Sea Rocket Bistro" »

Trade Show, California – Turkey

from the press release


Trade Show, California - Turkey


For Immediate Release:
Trade Show, California – Turkey
Summer, Fall 2009

First exhibition:
Garage Gallery, July 1-30, 2009
Opening: July 3, 7-9 pm
4141 Alabama St., San Diego
619.297.6032

"Trade Show" is a traveling exhibition of approximately 100 small artworks from Californian artists and 100 from Turkish artists. The artists will trade the works among themselves, exchanging ideas of “what we value” between cultures. All artworks address the following questions: “What do I value? What would I trade?” Specifications: All artworks are 15cm x 15cm (6" x 6") and are two-dimensional in nature: drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, collage, fabric, mixed media, etc.

California:
The works will be exhibited in San Diego and other Southern Californian venues.

Turkey:
The works will be exhibited in Ankara, Eskisehir, and in Istanbul during the 11th Istanbul Biennial as a parallel exhibition.
http://www.iksv.org/bienal/english/

Curators:
Anna Stump
amstump@gmail.com
3047 University, Studio 206
San Diego, CA 92104
USA

Melike Tascioglu
meliketascioglu@gmail.com
Anadolu Universitesi
Guzel Sanatlar Fakultesi
26470 Eskisehir
Turkey

Website:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=79341346420

juin 23, 2009

Shirin Neshat at MCA San Diego

by Richard Gleaves



Segment from Women Without Men


On June 18, the supremely talented filmmaker and photographer Shirin Neshat appeared at MCA San Diego to present her feature-length film/work-in-progress Women without Men.

The film, based on Shahrnush Parsipur’s magic realist novel, is set in 1953 Iran during a period of national political turmoil, and uses the deaths of three Iranian women to explore a host of social issues involving personal and political freedom.

During the post-performance conversation, Neshat and film curator Neil Kendricks spoke extensively about the work's prescience given current events in Iran. What neither of them knew was that two days later, on June 20, Neda Agha-Soltan would lose her life and become an instant world symbol of the current political turmoil.

As a result, Neshat's film — which is six years in the making — has been given the semiotic equivalent of a spin dry set on "hot". It will be interesting to see how this work-in-progress resolves now that life has told its story.

Neda, rest in peace.


juin 18, 2009

Little & Large - Jewelry & Sculpture



Little & Large


Download press release

juin 17, 2009

Talking to Myself: A Conversation with Brian Dick



Brian Dick

juin 16, 2009

The 7th Biennial Artists' Books Juried Exhibition

by Marilyn Mitchell


On view from May 16th until June 20th at the Athenaeum in La Jolla is a fine show of artists' books juried by Stanley Strauss, Curator Emeritus, Artists' Books Collection, Cerritos Library.

With 33 pieces on view, a few were definitely standouts. The variety and inventiveness of artists' books are what make the genre worth viewing. If it looks like something that could be purchased at Barnes & Noble, it may have achieved technical expertise but it is isn't art.


Fore Edge
Sibyl Rubottom - "Fore Edge"


Sibyl Rubottom's "Fore Edge" has the makings of a book, yet, it sits with this packed, solid blankness of a minimalist master engaged in a formal display. The piece is only one inch deep so the shallowness of it feels surprising and clever. No content needed here, just the book elements need be seen.

Continue reading "The 7th Biennial Artists' Books Juried Exhibition" »

juin 13, 2009

Larry Caveney: Throw the Shoe

by Richard Gleaves


Performance at Balboa Park. June 13, 2009.

GMN Projects Presents: Throw the Shoe Event


juin 12, 2009

Raging Art Bull

by Kevin Freitas


Raging Art Bull


Philly Joe Swendoza, the Ambassador of Cool and everything Art in San Diego, is the co-host of Art Rocks! Internet Radio. He's starting a new segment on the program entitled "Raging Art Bull". It is an opportunity to cut the crap and speak out on a number of topics that concern San Diego's larger and multidisciplinary artistic community. Members from this community will be invited to come on the show and address for example, the role of non-profit art organizations today - who do they benefit? The organization itself? The artist? And what about galleries, who do they help? Or any number of questions and answers the listening public might have and are interested in expressing. Swendoza talks about the new show in the link below. Take a listen, this just might the place to make an impact and be heard. No bull.

http://www.wsradio.com/player/wsradio-player2.cfm/type/windows/show/Art-Rocks!/segment/25022.html?

Further information can be found on the Art Rocks! Radio website.

juin 09, 2009

Sushi Red Ball



Live auction with Brian Goeltzenleuchter, Acamonchi, Teddy Cruz and others.


Sushi Red Ball


Sushi Performance & Visual Art
390 Eleventh Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
619.235.8466
http://sushiart.org

juin 08, 2009

Homing In at Quint

by Richard Gleaves