MCLOUGHLIN - PAULE ANGLIM - DON SOKER

EVER GOLD - CA INSTITUTE OF INTEGRAL STUDIES

ARC - ARTZONE 461 - HIJINKS

03.03.12

(with assistance from Clare Coppel and Neal Strickberger)



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General comment aka mini-rant: In an effort to confound and inconvenience pretty much everyone, except perhaps certain of their members, the San Francisco Art Dealers Association has instituted a brand spankin' new dealie-bob. As if First Thursday was not enough, we have been gifted with yet another first-- First Saturday-- an afternoon event where galleries can also open shows. So now some shows open on Thursday evening while others open on Saturday afternoon. What does it all mean? Inveterate art aficionados such as myself have to make two trips downtown instead of one-- one of those two in the middle of Saturday afternoon, a time normally reserved for catching up on all the stuff you can't get done during the week. First Saturday attendance figures, at least so far, seem to bear that out-- head counts are relatively meager. First Thursday has been working perfectly for many many years. Why fix it if it ain't broken?

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The McLoughlin Gallery: She Misplaced My Hurricane Blueprints - Jeffrey Beauchamp.

Comment by AB: Hurricane is a word that pretty fairly describes these conniptions of creative mayhem. Standing in the vortex is guaranteed to bend your brain. Check it out.

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Gallery Paule Anglim: Bruce Conner - Mabuhay Gardens, Punk Photography & Collage; George Herms.

Comment by AB: Resplendently raw punk era photos and collages by Bruce Conner embrace the antics at Ess Eff's fabled Mabuhay Gardens aka The Fab Mab. You can't get much closer to the heart of the matter than these; his vivid color images are the next best thing to being there. In the side gallery, enjoy classic California funk courtesy of George Herms. Worth a visit.

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Don Soker Gallery: Mitra Fabian - Concentric.

Comment by AB: Detail is the essence here as Mitra Fabian transforms throwaways into intricate pristine sculptures. Her works on paper are equally meticulous. Stop on by.

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Ever Gold Gallery: Sandy Kim - Soft and Wet.

Comment by AB: Yet another dismaying episode of disaffected youth behaving badly, plus a graphically gratifying "Sex Degrees of Seperation (sic) Rail Map." See what happens when you spend your formative years fucking off? You can't even spell. So OK. Now that we've interminably inordinately indulgently documented life in the gutter to such a supersaturated point where absolutely nothing new has been unearthed in years, what do you say we file future forays in the been-there-done-that drawer and do something about clawing our way back to the top instead? Good photography nevertheless, and recommended for lovers of debauchery.

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California Institute of Integral Studies: Translation - New Work by Omar Pimienta.

Review by Clare Coppel: Mixed media works by Omar Pimienta-- photographs, text, magnets and documents-- explore life on the Border of California and Mexico. Strong thought-provoking images, some more literal than others.

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Arc Studios & Gallery: Retrofit.

Artists: Blair Bradshaw, Sidnea D'Amico, Matthew Frederick, Michael McConnell, Brian McDonald.

Comment by AB: Five artists from the former Reaves Gallery reunite.

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ArtZone 461 Gallery: PreOccupied - E. Dale Erickson.

Comment by AB: Hopper-esque slice o' life paintings by E. Dale Erickson reel you right into the stillness of their dramas.

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Gallery Hijinks: Infinite Color. Curated by Mark Warren Jacques.

Artists: Stephen Scott Smith, Kevin Bouton Scott, Joshua Petker, Chris Valkov, Seth Neefus, David Wien.

Comment by AB: Satisfying survey of artistic auspiciousness from in and around Portland, Oregon.

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