ANDREA SCHWARTZ - PARK LIFE - SWELL
PROJECT ONE - AFI REAL ESTATE
02.24-25.09
(with assistance from R.W. Miller and Amy Cancelmo

Swell Gallery at the San Francisco Art Institute: Reorientation.

Artists: Jennifer Odell, Kim Cook, Magda Stanova, Donald Daedalus, Emily Dippo, Daniel Yovino.

Comment by AB: According to the exhibition description, "Maps are born out of our impulse to orient ourselves and understand our positions. But to what extent can maps reorient or even disorient? The works in Reorientation are an investigation into the capacity of maps to represent the subjective, the confusing, or even the nonsensical."

All of the works presented incorporate the visual language of maps or the advancement of mapping technology, though some more successfully than others. Highlights include, Jennifer Odell's "Ghost in the Machine (5010 Sunnydale Ave., San Francisco)," a provocative photo of a pixelated man frozen in action by Google Earth, who appears particularly vulnerable due to the skeleton printed on his shirt, and the sad and suggestive stories of place written on the back of each seemingly benign postcard in Kim Cook's "Untitled" piece. Magda Stanova's interactive pieces, "San Francisco," and "Travel Guide" keep the crowd busy puzzling for most of the reception.

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Andrea Schwartz Gallery: Mitch Jones and Tracy Krumm.

Review by R.W. Miller: Mitch Jones paintings with their horizontal elements can be either startling, soothing or surprising. His work does something I have never seen before. The horizontal elements can actually pull your eyes apart. You can also read down the paintings. The color strips, red or black or pastel, contrast with the in-between sections which are more detailed. Closer inspection reveals a hidden world.

Tracy Krumm's wire sculptures are both charming and detailed. The pieces fascinate with their craftsmanship. Her mastery of shape and form with some wire pieces makes them appear as though they're actually splashing off the walls where they hang.

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Park Life: Sights of Sounds.

Artists: Alissa Anderson, Joseph Arthur, Bianca Casady (CocoRosie), Harrison Haynes (Les Savy Fav), Jesse Michaels (Operation Ivy), Nate Manny (Murder City Devils), Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo) , Sara Sanger (The New Trust), Hank Shocklee (Bomb Squad, Public Enemy), Paul Miller (DJ Spooky), and John Vanderslice.

Comment by AB: Park Life's third annual group show of art musicians and others in the music community is presented in conjunction with Noise Pop. And that, as they say, is that.

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Addendum:

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