ELI RIDGWAY - GUERRERO - ROOT DIVISION

NEEDLES & PENS, HUNGRYMAN - ROBERT BERMAN/E6

WHITE WALLS - SHOOTING GALLERY

02.11.12

(with assistance from Clare Coppel and Mairead O'Connor)



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Eli Ridgway Gallery: Sweet Relief - Matthew Palladino; Zachary Royer Scholz - Crumple Crumple.

Comment by AB: In the main gallery, Matthew Palladino upgrades his mesmerizing perspective from two to three dimensions with a series of striking candy-coated bas relief fantasies. They satisfy in so many ways-- aesthetics, symmetry, content, juxtaposition, sumptuousness, commentary and more. I just love 'em. Note to those of you who were expecting to see yet more same-old watercolors from Palladino and were disappointed that you didn't-- get your thumbs out of your asses. He's got way more up his artistic sleeve than an ad infinitum continuation of that. Definitely worth seeing.

In the project space, Zachary Royer Scholz takes photographs of crumpled paper and then crumples 'em. Viewers are encouraged to cogitate on the various ramifications of that.

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Root Division: MFA Now - 2012 Juried Exhibition and Archive Project Release. Concept / Organizers - Kari Marboe & Claire Colette. Exhibition Juror - Kevin B. Chen, Intersection for the Arts.

Artists: Fatema Abdoolcarim, Ben Bigelow, Susanna Corcoran, Lise Currie, Christine Elfman, Arash Fayez, Sarah Frazier, Robert Gomez, Erin Johnson, Michael Koehle, Kate Nartker, billy ocallaghan, Kari Orvik, Simon Pyle, Michelle Ramin, Neil Rivas, Kent Rodriguez-Segura, Dawn Weleski, Margo Wolowiec.

Comment by AB: Survey of promising talent from six area MFA programs-- California College of the Arts, Mills College, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco State University, Stanford University, and the University of California, Berkeley.

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Guerrero Gallery: Thunder and Lighting Formal Apology - Alisha Kerlin; Palms - Clynton Lowry.

Review by Clare Coppel: Dark textured images by Clynton Lowry involve sexual stereotypes of men and women. The pictures are taken from the past, however they are still relevant today. One must look closely into the murky black space to see the figures, resulting in an intimacy with the images.

Paintings by Alisha Kerlin of carrots on strings in stormy weather. What do these carrots mean? Are they sad, are they teasing like in a cartoon, or perhaps tempting the viewers with what they do not know? Thunder and lighting seem to be the atmosphere; what is the formal apology? The show's title might be hinting at something more. These works invoke the power of the unsaid.

Review by Mairead O'Connor: Alisha Kerlin's work really challenges the viewer to rethink the ordinary. For example, carrots act as weather vanes and encourage viewers to consider what motivates us. Clynton Lowry uses blacked out vintage photographs-- largely figural, occasionally pornographic-- to incite viewers to question identity and sexuality.

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Needles & Pens: Kelly Ording - Paths and Ways.

Comment by AB: Geometries on antiqued papers unite past with present.

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HungryMan Gallery: All Too Familiar - Matt Nichols and Kate Steciw.

Comment by AB: Futuristic artwork here. Vibrant photograph and wooden assemblages by Kate Steciw adorn the walls along with abstract tapestries by Matt Nichols. Nichols also exhibits sculptures (and their pedestals) comprised entirely of common objects available from big-box stores.

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Robert Berman/E6 Gallery: Mr. Fish - How to Win Contempt and Influence People.

Comment by AB: Dwayne Booth aka Mr. Fish is a political and editorial cartoonist of considerable talent. There's so much here to see, think about, be offended by, be impressed by, have your mind twisted by, and more. Nothing's off-limits for this artist. Certainly worth a perusal.

In other news, this is the last show for Robert Berman/E6 and I'm not only sorry to see it go-- I'm pissed to see it go. Robert Berman has generously shared not only his unique, diverse and universal perspective on art, but he's also brought us any number of performances, events and happenings-- with a style, spirit and pure love of art, artists and creative people of all ilks that we don't often see. Why San Francisco largely ignored his overture, I'll never know.

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The Shooting Gallery: Calamity - Mary Iverson.

Comment by AB: Mary Iverson overlays pristine natural scenery with webs of manmade machinations, indicting those who care not one whit about where they are or what the environmental impacts of their actions may be, as long as they're able to ravage whatever resources they can for themselves.

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White Walls Gallery: White Walls Group Show.

Artists: EINE, Blek Le Rat, D FACE, Kofie One, ABOVE, Greg Gossel, Casey Gray, APEX, Know Hope, Peter Gronquist, Robert Burden, D YOUNG V, Ernesto Yerena, Chad Hasegawa, Georgi Tchkhaidze.

Review by Mairead O'Connor: This winter group show displays the work of fifteen artists that the gallery represents. There are several strong pieces at this show and I look forward to seeing more work at White Walls by these and other artists for the rest of 2012.

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