SAN FRANCISCO ART GALLERIES OPENINGS - FIRST THURSDAY; 02.05.09 AND THE ARTS OF PACIFIC ASIA SHOW (with assistance from Jennifer Jeffrey, Dormain Geyer, Marian Ferrara, and R.W. Miller)

General comment by AB: This time around, a cascade of occupational obligations necessitates farming out as much work as possible to my dedicated San Francisco Art Openings associates. And that includes my perennial prefatory preamble. So take it away R.W. Miller...

General comment by R.W. Miller: A veritable cornucopia of wonders are on display as revelers and art aficionados make their way from gallery to gallery to engage with First Thursday's new monthly offerings. There's plenty to choose from-- abstract paintings, landscapes, cityscapes, metal dogs and horses, painted sneakers, optical illusions, psychadelics, clouds, jovial criminals, and ornamentally hidden nipples. Spectators and patrons alike make their way to over thirty art receptions this evening, certainly in the vicinity of a record for the City by the Bay. Wine pours, food is consumed, crowds mingle, onlookers stand in awe of artistic offerings, friends and colleagues chat each other up, and a fine time is very likely had by nearly almost all.

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Jenkins Johnson Gallery: Connections.

Artists: Keliy Anderson-Staley, John Bankston, Emilio BaÒuelos, Romare Bearden, Sheila Pree Bright, Elizabeth Catlett, Robert Colescott, Gerald Cyrus, Kira Lynn Harris, Deborah Jack, Jacob Lawrence, Sonya Lawyer, Glenn Ligon, Thomas McGovern, Felicia Megginson, Qiana Mestrich, Gordan Parks, Lorna Simpson, Hank Willis Thomas, George Tooker, James VanDerZee, Hiroshi Watanabe, Carrie Mae Weems, Carla Williams & Deirdre Visser, Philemona Williamson, John Wilson, Lauren woods, Reggie Woolery, Mark Wyse. Curated by Karen Jenkins-Johnson and Lisa Henry.

Comment by AB: An exhibit about social and cultural change in America, and the impact of the recent election of Barack Obama. The show runs simultaneously at both Jenkins Johnson locations, here and in New York. Artists range in stature from famous to emerging. Worth a look.

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Dolby Chadwick Gallery: Joe Macca - Whispers; Therese Lahaie - Sensorial Literacy.

Comment by AB: According to the literature, the color combinations Joe Macca selects for his hypnotic concentric circle abstracts are based on real events and occurrences within his life. In the side gallery, enjoy an interplay of reflected and refracted light produced by the slow cyclical movements of Therese Lahaie's kinetic glass panel sculptures.

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Hespe Gallery: Kevin Moore - Mass Appeal.

Comment by AB: Kevim Moore waxes autobiographical with a series of paintings that signify experiences and influences representative of how he lives and has lived his life, and in so doing, demonstrates that he's capable of painting pretty much anything well.

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George Krevsky Gallery: Ken Kalman - Metal. Wood. Paper.

Comment by AB: Ken Kalman presents a capable selection of amusing upbeat whimsical sculptures in a variety of mediums and techniques.

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Gallery Paule Anglim: Gay Outlaw - New Sculpture.

Comment by AB: An entirely engaging and entertaining display of diverse and unexpected sculpture by Gay Outlaw, atypically arranged and presented, and fashioned from a most curious assortment of ingredients-- many of which aren't normally associated with sculpture-- including photographs, roofing shingles, glass, paper mache, cardboard, and more. Plus special added bonus-- all pieces are exceptionally well executed from a technical standpoint. A selection of works on paper is also on display. The perfect combination of skill and brilliance. Outlaw evolves the idiom; it's that simple and no more complicated. Pick of First Thursday. Prices range $1800-$26K.

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Micaela Gallery: CANNON::NORTH::YUN.

Artists: Gerald Cannon, Jenna North, David Yun.

Commenty by AB: Delicate elegant photographic images by Gerald Cannon, firecracker abstracts by Jenna North, and video works by David Yun.

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Robert Koch Gallery: Dystopia - A Group Show.

Artists: Benoit Aquin, Ken Botto, Jeff Brouws, Edward Burtynsky, Alejandro Cartagena, Colin Finlay, Matthias Geiger, Richard Gordon, Nadav Kander, Shai Kremer, Brian Ulrich, Michael Wolf.

Comment by AB: Group photo show essays on the panoply of predicaments we currently find ourselves in like war, political strife, environmental degradation, abandonment, pollution, no job, no money, and so on. The good news? It's a thought provoking show. Worth a look.

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Gregory Lind Gallery: Jim Gaylord - Cliffhanger.

Comment by AB: Jim Gaylord crafts a sensational brand of reality by blending abstract and actual. Nicely done.

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Toomey Tourell Gallery: Jeff Long - New Paintings.

Comment by AB: Festive freeform escapades in paint by Jeff Long.

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Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery: John Goodman - Recent Paintings.

Comment by AB: Contemplative women in interiors are offset by frank unbellished achromatic portrait heads.

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Hangart Gallery and Annex: Freya Prowe - Black Water; Supernatural (at the Annex).

Artists at the Annex: Ute Zaunbauer, Ed Calhoun Sukey Bryan, Facundo Arganaraz, Thomas Frongillo, Nicolas Van Krijdt, Ann West.

Review and images by Dormain Geyer: In rich, textured ink pieces, Freya Prowe portrays a watery dreamscape. Fairies, fish and other sea creatures inhabit and do battle on a monochromatic landscape that bubbles with fairytale tension. The annex features Ute Zaunbauer's ghostly trees, Thomas Frongillo's angelic deer, and Facundo Arganaraz' geometric abstractions. This group show focuses on natural imagery, both animal figures and landscapes.

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SFMOMA Artists Gallery at Fort Mason: Maya Kabat, Ari Salomon, Mari Andrews; New World Order - Ecology (in The Loft).

Loft artists: Bert Bergen, Charlie Callahan, Tom Hawkins, Carol Newborg, Jenna North.

Comment by AB (images c/o Marian Ferrara): Photography by Ari Salomon; sculpture by Mari Andrews; paintings by Maya Kabat.

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Canessa Gallery: Society of Three - Line Color Shape

Artists: Diane Goldstein, Gayle Muehring, Ruth Brophy.

Comment by AB (images c/o Marian Ferrara): Abstract trifecta.

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Frey Norris Gallery: Joshua Hagler - 72 Virgins to Die For.

Review by Jennifer Jeffrey: I can't stop roaming the room at Frey Norris tonight-- Joshua Hagler's show titled "72 Virgins to Die For" is so rich in detail and so compelling that I want to see every piece twice, or three times, or four. I chat with Joshua for a few moments; he tells me he was inspired to create the show by people and religious traditions that glorify death. His piece titled Golgotha, depicting Jesus on a march to the cross, is both gory and absorbing-- I can't pull my eyes away. I'm similarly fascinated with the installation titled "Purity Ball" that centers around the recent trend of father-daughter dances at which daughters sign covenant cards promising to stay sexually pure until marriage. Absolutely definitely worth the trip to Union Square. Review by Dormain Geyer: Josh Hagler's powerful paintings and installations explore notions of purity and violence across various settings. Drawing on religious, historical, social and gastronomic references, Hagler's work suggests a darker truth to the pursuit of purity.

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Baxter & Cook Art Advisors: Rober Stivers - Photograhy Exhibition & Book Signing.

Review and images by Jennifer Jeffrey: It takes me a few minutes to find the gallery tucked away in Showplace Square-- past the security guard, up the elevator, around a corner or two-- but suddenly it appears, and I feel like I've stumbled into a Parisian salon. The walls are hung with Robert Spiver's smudgy, ethereal images-- a chair, a bed, two bodies entwined. They're smoky and grainy, with a vintage quality that makes it seem as if they were taken around the turn of the century. They make me want to pour a drink and daydream for a while.

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Design Guild SF and Missing Piece: Alexander Warnow - I Love You Because...

Review and images by Jennifer Jeffrey: Artist Alexander Warnow spent over a year working on a photography project in which he asked couples to complete this sentence: "I Love You Because..." He then worked with the pairs to create art projects that captured the spirit of their statement, and photographed them. The results are on display tonight at the Design Guild Gallery, and I can't help being swept up in all the lovey-dovey goodness. The statements feel authentic and honest, and the photos feel sweet without crossing the line into cloying. Statements by the artist hang next to each one, describing Alexander's interaction with the couple and some back story about each shot. It's well worth a visit. There's a book, too, and more info online here.

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Ever Gold Gallery and Missing Piece: Bahama Kangaroo and Photography Show.

Artists: Yuka Ezoe Onodera and Naoki Onodera, Austin McManus, PEZ, Collin Arlen, Oliver Fader. Photography show curated by Andew McClintock.

Review and images by Jennifer Jeffrey: Ever Gold is packed with the hipster-ati tonight, squeezing shoulder-to-felt-hat on a cool, rainy evening to celebrate the gallery's opening and ogle an assortment of art and brightly painted walls. There are mustaches galore, both on the walls and the attendees, and beer flows freely into plastic cups. The small back room is festooned with diverse photographs by an assortment of shutter clickers. I can't seem to discern a theme (or perhaps I'm just distracted by the neon pink shapes crawling across the walls?), but this is good fun nonetheless.

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111 Minna Gallery: Pin it up, Babycakes - Fishnets, Tarts and the Art of the Modern Tease.

Artists: Jessica Whiteside, Alice Stribling, Emma Mount, Molly Crabapple, Shaunna Peterson, Tanem, David Perry, Bombshell Betty, Darling Propaganda, Kirsten Easthope. Curated by Jessica Whiteside and Alice Stribling.

Comment by AB: Good old fashioned sexy sensuous suggestive burlesque-style fun-- contemporary pinup art with a classic striptease feel. There's a performance too which I sadly have to miss.

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New Langton Arts: Every Sound You Can Imagine.

Artists/composers: William Basinski, Wallace Berman, John Cage, Cornelius Cardew, Bruce Conner, Alvin Curran, Paul Dresher, Morton Feldman, Fred Frith, Philip Glass, Jim Hodges, Doug Hollis, Ryoji Ikeda, Gy–rgy Ligeti, Christian Marclay, Barry McGee, Phill Niblock, Carsten Nikolai, Raster-Noton, Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Steve Roden, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Morton Subotnick, Miko Vainio, Stephen Vitiello, Iannis Xenakis, many more.

Comment by AB: Superb show features sheet music as art-- particularly sheet music penned by experimental and new music composers-- something I never really thought about, but my perceptions of the medium have been forever changed. The detail, care, aesthetic sensibilities, and artistry revealed in many of these pieces is extremely impressive. My images don't come close do doing the subtleties justice; you'll have to see for yourself. Certainly worth a visit.

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Fifty24SF Gallery: Greg Craola Simkins - Seeing Things; Anthony Lister - Magic Tricks.

Comment by AB: In the street-level gallery, Greg Craola Simkins paints up an unnatural array of delightfully devious creature/object combinations. The heavy antique frames lend a Boschian air to it all. Decidely recommended... and sales appear brisk. While you're there, head next door and up the stairs for Anthony Lister's unsettling take on the urban underbelly.

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Caskey Lees at Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center: Arts of Pacific Asia Show.

Comment by AB: Every year, round about the first weekend in February, 80 top international dealers converge on San Francisco to show and sell the finest in Asian art, antiques, and artifacts-- from 2000 years old to the present day. I've said it before and I'll say it again-- this show is without a doubt the best least-publicized annual art event in San Francisco (along with the Tribal and Textile Arts show next weekend, right here, same location, also produced by Caskey Lees). In fact, Arts of Pacific Asia is one of the best annual SF art events period, and while other arts and antiques events and expos come and go, thois one continues to flourish. Imagine yourself walking through a museum where everything's for sale-- that's what this is. Tonight's opening night gala benefits the Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center. Be sure to put this show and the Tribal and Textile Arts show on your calendar for next year. Pure pleasure.

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Addendum:

Gordon H. Chang and Mark Dean Johnson sign copies of their new book, "Asian American Art, A History, 1850-1970" at Hackett-Freedman Gallery.

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Have you seen this lately?

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First Thursday - January 8, 2009

First Thursday - December 4, 2008

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