SAN FRANCISCO CENTER FOR THE BOOK - BABYLON FALLING
JACK HANLEY - DAVID CUNNINGHAM - GIANT ROBOT
SECOND FLOOR PROJECTS
09.20.08
The Art of Buying Art
Art Appraisals
Services & Consulting:
Articles:
Product Reviews:
Art Price References
San Francisco Art Openings
Recent Updates
Support This Site
Donor Links
Site Expert
San Francisco Center for the Book: The Fifth Annual ROADWORKS - Steamroller Prints.
Artists: Patricia Curtan, Emory Douglas, Jason Jagel, Rik Olson, Favianna Rodriguez, San Quentin State Prison students of Katya McCulloch with Art Hazelwood.
Comment by AB: The highlight of this event is printing large-scale linoleum blocks in the middle of the street by running them over with a three-ton steamroller. In other words, watch your toes. And there's vendors lining both sides of the street selling art, fashion, fine press printing services, literature, and more. Plus there's activities for the kids, letterpress demonstrations at San Francisco Center for the Book, and what I'm trying to say is that this is a most entertaining and edifying way to spend an afternoon. Don't miss next year's.
Here we are-- and the steamroller in the distance. Let's have a look. There's the linocut ready to be printed. Laying on paper and blankets in preparation for printing. Ready for printing - everybody out of the way. Time to print the block - here we go. Printing continued. Printing continued. Printing complete. Removing the blankets. Removing the print. Removing the print cont. Finished print. Nice huh?
***
Babylon Falling: buZ blurr - Two Sides to Every Boxcar.
Comment by AB: Stencils, collage, and limited edition books by noted mail art and freight train graffiti artist buZ blurr aka Russell Butler aka Colussus of Roads. Americana lives. And prices are real right-- $150-$300 for the art; $30-$50 for the limited edition books.
Art by buZ blurr. Art. Art. Art. Limited edition literature.
***
Giant Robot: mixtART - Group Show.
Artists: Astro, Blinky, Buff Monster, Jon Burgerman, Aden Catalani, Dave Correia, Ekundayo, Martin Hsu, Noferin, Patrick Ma, Brent McHugh, Patricio Oliver, Alex Pardee, Josh Powell, Clee Sobieski.
Comment by AB: According to the scorecard, this is a "group art show held in conjunction with Hands-On Mobile, Inc's release of mixtART, an application that allows independent artists to sell their original works of art as wallpapers to mobile subscribers." I'm not sure what that means, but it sounds good. And I continue to marvel at how much art GRSF manages to cram into their pocket-sized gallery.
Art. Art. Small art. Art.
***
Jack Hanley Gallery: Spencer Sweeney, Ornette Coleman.
Comment by AB: In the main gallery, jagged electric abstractions with representational elements by Spencer Sweeny are articulated by the management as resembling New York City graffiti. Ehhh... maybe. In the 387 gallery you'll find a captivating video by Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner (and loads of other laurels too) Ornette Coleman. Stop on by; you won't be disappointed.
Paintings by Spencer Sweeney. Art (Spencer Sweeney). Art (Spencer Sweeney). Art (Spencer Sweeney). Advertisement for Ornette Coleman movie on gallery ceiling. Video art by Ornette Coleman. Video art by Ornette Coleman. Video art by Ornette Coleman. Art butts.
***
David Cunningham Projects: Richard T. Walker - i want to want you like i wanted to want you.
Comment by AB: Richard T. Walker lays spoken word, music, and performance soundtracks over arcadian landscape videos in his continuing quest to dialogue with and understand nature (and perhaps some vice versa thrown in there too).
Sound & video installation by Richard T. Walker. Sound & video installation art. Sound & video installation art. Art.
***
[2nd floor projects]: Luke Butler - Invasion!
Comment by AB: Luke Butler tells me his art questions the unassailable nature of heroes (or maybe of hero worship) by endeavoring to present the stars of Star Trek as ordinary vulnerable folks just like you and me. To underscore his attestation, he seasons the soup with a smattering of presidential penises, like for example, a collage of a buff buck naked Gerald Ford towelling off in a grove of redwoods. You know artsters, sometimes the contention's good but the art sucks; other times the art's good but the contention sucks. This dealie-bob's worthy on both counts; go see.
Painting and collage by Luke Butler. Art. Luke Butler - art. Art. Presidential penile collage art. Gerald Ford does the backstroke for Wheaties.
***