SAN FRANCISCO ART GALLERIES OPENINGS

FIRST THURSDAY - 02.06.14 - Part I

(with assistance from Anna Rotty)



Fantasies artists have about the art world. Click Here.

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John Berggruen Gallery: Above and Below the Surface - Eight Artists.

Artists: Tauba Auerbach, McArthur Binion, Troy Brauntuch, Thomas Eggerer, Charline von Heyl, Suzanne McClelland, Sarah Morris, Josh Tonsfeldt.

Comment by AB: According to the preamble, this one's all about "sensitive handling of the painted surface." OK. Fair enough. Good art; stop on by.

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Dolby Chadwick Gallery: Two Geologies - Stephen De Staebler & Danae Mattes.

Comment by AB: The inescapable commonality here is cracks, and plenty of 'em. Stephen De Staebler's imposing ceramics, aged in appearance, look a little bit like diminutive examples of the towering sculptures at the entrance to Egypt's temples at Abu Simbel. Complementing the sculptures are earthy abstract clay, paper and pigment compositions on canvas by Danae Mattes, also all about cracks, perhaps presaging what California's gonna look like if we don't some serious rain soon. These paintings my look great now, but I can't help but wonder whether this rather novel pre-aged artform will withstand the ravages of time.

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Scott Richards Contemporary Art: Brave New World - Currents in Contemporary Abstraction.

Artists: Tim Bavington, Sophia Dixon Dillo, Peter Fox, William Metcalf, David Ryan, Patrick Wilson, Eric Zammitt.

Comment by AB: Admirably adept abstraction is the unifying aspect here.

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Patricia Sweetow Gallery: Yesterday the Devil Came Here - Laura Corallo-Titus.

Comment by AB: These abstract works originate from the artist's ruminations on the Hugo Chavez quote,"Yesterday the Devil came here. Right here. And it still smells of sulfur today." You can really see what she's painting about. Worth a visit.

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Robert Koch Gallery: Transition - Lauren Marsolier; Kenneth Josephson.

Review by Anna Rotty: Illusions through the lens, both past and present, line the walls of the gallery. Exhibiting photographers Kenneth Josephson and Lauren Marsolier remind us of the role imagination can play in viewing and understanding a photograph. French photographer Marsolier constructs convincingly real landscapes by compositing photographs of Venice Beach. She carefully blends the natural landscapes of the beach, mountains and desert with "manmade" places such as a concrete patio or parking garage, leaving you to question how these compositions came to be.

Unlike Marsolier's seemless collage-work, Josephson's layered photographs from the 1960s, 70s and 80s allow you to see exactly how they're made, but you may still find yourself ignoring what you know is real and letting your imagination take the reins.

Comment by AB: Lauren Marsolier tells me she concocts her alternate realities by combining elements of sometimes as many as thirty photographs. Inexplicably believable. Check 'em out.

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Toomey Tourell Gallery: New New New Abstraction. Curated by Jenny Sharaf.

Artists: Maya Hayuk, Alicia McCarthy, Claire Colette, Desirée Holman, Bridget Klappert, Alia Penner.

Comment by AB: A good looking group of abstracts by six accomplished practitioners encompass a variety of approaches to the discipline, from geometric, controlled and minimal to pure unadulterated color.

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Care to contribute a little coinage to the cause? You are more than welcome to do that here.

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First Thursday - January 9, 2014

First Thursday - December 5, 2013

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