SAN FRANCISCO ART INSTITUTE - LINCART - ARTWORKSF
IN COLOR 2 - ADOBE BACKROOM - PARTISAN
LIVE WORMS - ROBERT BERMAN
02.18-19.09
(with assistance from R.W. Miller and Marian Ferrara)

San Francisco Art Institute: Yan Pei-Ming - YES!

Review by R.W. Miller, images c/o Marian Ferrara: A fascinating exploration of the ramifications of our current American military enterprise in the Middle East. Different rooms have contrasting meanings with babies born in blood, slightly abstract portraits of our military service people and new Commander in Chief, comparatively neatly painted flag covered coffins, and technically painted large-scale renderings of American currency. The use of watercolors and abstraction give the currency paintings a used and worn look, reminding that we have been in this type of situation before. Pei-Ming explores what "yes" means, and who is behind "yes" in a way that can't help but force us to re-examine our role in the current ugly skirmishes in the Middle East. Ironically, the disturbing portraits considered together seem rather neutral to the situation.

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ARTworkSF at W Hotel's XYZ: Richard Tauber - Worlds Within Worlds.

Review by R.W. Miller, images c/o ARTworkSF: Life, light, and lens, commune in these wonderful botanical images that should inspire appreciation of the natural world. The photosynthetic energy explodes off the images. The gorgeous sunlit images are bright and alive. Plants thrive in these photos which beautifully depict their fascinating relationship with the sun. The images magically capture the wondrous nature of life.

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Lincart Gallery: Richard Haden - Waste Management; Jeff McMillan - Men, Women and Children.

Comment by AB: Remarkable carved painted and polychromed wood carvings by Miami artist Richard Haden accurately replicate discards and garbage like bent fenders, plastic gallon jugs, cardboard boxes, and banged up fire extinguishers. I mean these babies are so unbelievably believable I have to touch 'em, feel the backs, and try and figure out how Haden can possibly pull this off so effectively. Even though I know these are sculptures and not the objects they represent, I can't quite convince my brain to go along with the program. You won't believe your eyes. Excellent. In the front room, London England artist Jeff McMillan paints over thrift store portrait paintings with single fields of color, obscuring portions of the faces, the upshot considerably more engaging than the originals. Recommended viewing on both counts.

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In Color 2: Bill Basquin - From the Earth.

Comment by AB: A number of photographs on display are of food that San Francisco photographer/filmmaker Bill Basquin grew one year in his own 98 square foot garden, the idea for the project being to produce as much food as possible spending as little money as possible and using as little fertilizer and chemicals as possible. The bigger picture is that according to Basquin's researches, farms are capable of growing far more food on far fewer acres than they currently do. Something to think about.

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Adobe Books Backroom Gallery: Orion Shepherd - I Was a Green Beret.

Comment by AB: Orion Shepherd paints covers of books and magazines in groups and alone, sometimes against backgrounds of throw rugs, tile, or grainy hardwood floors, sometimes close to actual size, sometimes stunningly small. And his work is exquisite, not only aesthetically but also in the neocortical department-- plenty to think about, let alone read-- the positionings of the literature, the combinations, the relations, the wondering who's doing the reading and why, and so on and so forth ad infinitum etc etc. And the prices are real right and the show's sold out-- as well it should be. Some of the bestest freshest art I've seen in a while. While I'm waxing effusive, I might as well slap a rare mid-month Pick on this baby.

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Partisan Gallery: Various Artists - One To Many.

Artists: Jasmin Lim, Tauba Auerbach, Sean McFarland, Chris Fallon, Emily Prince, Keegan McHargue, Sarah McMenimen, Matthew Kennedy, Lindsey White, Daren Wilson, Whitney Hubbs, Jake Longstreth, Alissa Anderson, Andrew McKinley, Jack Sears, Paul Wackers, Jordan Stein, Noah Wilson, Julia Leonard, Leslie Shows.

Comment by AB: A respectable cadre of artists comes together for this one. The ground rules are that each artist creates a zine with a photocopier. Individual artist zines are then packaged together, one from each artist, and sold as a boxed set limited to 50 copies and priced $40. Worth it. Enlarged images from the zines are on exhibit around the gallery (which doubles as someone's apartment).

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Live Worms Gallery: Extravogonzo of Omniscient Goddesses and Velvet Kings.

Comment by AB: North Beach Bohemian grand dame Fanny Renoir hosts an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink combination art show, flea market, fashion bazaar, song fest, and all round schmoozapalooza. Everything is eminently affordable.

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Addendum:

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