INTERSECTION - YERBA BUENA CENTER - LUSH LIFE

(with assistance from DeWitt Cheng and Dennis C. Scherzer)

11.04.09

Intersection for the Arts: One Day - A Collective Narrative of Tehran.

Artists: Nima Alizadeh, Saba Alizadeh, Mohammad Ghazali, Ghazaleh Hedayat, Abbas Kowsari, Mehran Mohajer, Neda Rezavipour, Homayoun Sirizi, Taraneh Hemami. Co-curated by Ghazaleh Hedayat and Taraneh Hemami.

Review by DeWitt Cheng: Eight million people live in Tehran. This show, featuring the work of eight Iranian artists Nima Alizadeh and one San Francisco artist (Taraneh Hemami), depicts life in the largest city in the Middle East. The show is given added poignancy and relevance by the recent election protests and crackdowns. Saba Alizadeh's sound installations "Captured Breath," dedicated to those killed by the police, and "This is Tehran, Voice of Islamic Republic of Iran," are inaudible at the noisy reception (is nothing sacred?), but some samples of Iranian Fox News include: "Mankind needs religion," "We are going to show our strong fist to the world," "In the US one pays a high price for criticizing the Zionist regime," "Hashemi hashemi," "God be with you," "Learn to love without condition," and "Prayer will give one's body immunity and reduce mental problems."

Video The Auspicious Bird's Leadership by Homayoun Askari Sirizi on custom of letting birds decide kingship issues-- long ago, before free and fair elections. (image c/o DeWitt Cheng).

Altered photos entitled "The Red Ribbon" by Mohammad Ghazali. The red oil-paint "zips" refer to executions.

Conceptual Taxiography drawings by Ghazaleh Hedayat. Lines are determind by road bumps during taxi rides. As on a map, color coding denotes different types of roadway (image c/o DeWitt Cheng).

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Yerba Buena Center for the Arts: When Lives Become Form - Contemporary Brazilian Art, 1960s to the Present.

Artists: assume vivid astro focus, Lina Bo Bardi, Isabela Capeto, Lygia Clark, Rogério Degaki, Ronaldo Fraga, Lucia Koch, André Komatsu, Leonilson, Marepe, Cildo Meireles, Beatriz Milhazes, Vik Muniz, Jum Nakao, Ernesto Neto, Rivane Neuenschwander, Ruy Ohtake, Tomie Ohtake, Hélio Oiticica, osgemeos, Lygia Pape, Mira Schendel, Ana Maria Tavares and Erika Verzutti. Curated by Yuko Hasegawa.

Comment by AB: I was really looking forward to this exhibition 'cuz Brazil's been happening all the way around these days. Well, it does have its high points including hyper-electric color-rich murals, occasional exceptional paintings, a display of oversized abstract clear glass vessels, and several pretty spiffy videos... but if you're gonna have a show in a space with 40 foot ceilings, you gotta have bigger art. I mean several pieces are so small, you gotta stand less than a foot away to see 'em-- fine for a gallery that measures 10 by 10 by 10 feet perhaps, but certainly not here. I won't even get into the random chronologically challenged nature of the presentation or the use of shared-eyedroppers for flavor tasting in the midst of the H1N1 flu epidemic. Erk.

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Lush Life Gallery at the Jazz Heritage Center: Pete Escovedo.

Review and images by Dennis C. Scherzer: It is a pleasure to view the art of Latin Jazz master Pete Escovedo. His work is featured at the Lush Life Gallery, part of the Jazz Heritage Center at 1320 Fillmore Street in San Francisco. The reception is hosted by the JHC's Executive Director, Peter Fitzsimmons.

Escovedo's paintings reflect a Latin style, and are both abstract and realistic. Prominent among the works are feminine portraits. He deviates from the feminine for an urbanscape, "Café de Madrid" and several abstracts. His renderings vary to such an extent that Pete states he often hears that "50 people" have worked on his paintings.

Escovedo fixates the viewer of his portraiture with a series of open, dark eyes. They seem to create a sense of expectation emanating from the subjects-- an unfulfilled anticipation of fulfillment. Who will deliver the response to their undefined challenge? As if they hold us responsible for their happiness.

Talk about fulfillment-- the exhibit runs concurrent with the Escovedo family's performance at Yoshi's nightclub adjacent to the gallery. What could be finer?

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