SAN FRANCISCO ART GALLERIES OPENINGS

FIRST THURSDAY - 04.05.12 - Part I

(with assistance from Elena Rokas and RWM)



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John Berggruen Gallery: Joel Shapiro - Sculpture and Drawings.

Comment by AB: Joel Shapiro continues with the Minimalist explorations he began in the late 1960s, focusing his attentions on relationships between line and form. On exhibit are bronze and wood sculptures, and works on paper. Worth a visit.

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Dolby Chadwick Gallery: Edwige Fouvry - Ars Memoriae.

Review by RWM: Brave abstract landscapes and portraits. The portraits are somewhat disturbing and uncomfortable, suggesting pain and deterioration rather than joy or pleasure. The colors can be harsh and the sadness sometimes shared.

Comment by AB: Fine painterly abstract and representational amalgamations by Belgian artist Edwige Fouvry picture spare landscapes and ghostly indeterminate visages. Good art; go see.

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Gregory Lind Gallery: Leigh Wells - Remains.

Comment by AB: You can always make something from leftovers and fragments, in this case, good looking fundamental sculptures and collages by Leigh Wells. The collage works have a distinct vintage feel, a little surreal blended with a little Bauhaus. Check it out.

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K. Imperial Fine Art: Elements of Day - Gina Borg.

Comment by AB: Intricate abstractions by Gina Borg can be appreciated close in as well as from a distance.

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Toomey Tourell Gallery: New Things We Like.

Artists: Nicholas Bodde, Mark Evans, Andrew Mezvinsky, Andy Moses, William Wahlgren, Suzann Woodruff, Edmund Wyss.

Comment by AB: Group show of gallery new gallery favorites. I'm partial to the precision paintings of cameras by Edmund Wyss and swirling fluid abstracts by Andy Moses.

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Corden Potts Gallery: Susan Burnstine - Absence of Being; Luis Delgado-Qualtrough - Ojos Que Ven/Ojos Que No Ven (Eyes that See/Eyes that Do Not See).

Review by Elena Rokas: Susan Burnstine's gorgeously layered black and white photographs of cityscapes and various scenes are imbued with a sense of the past, though not overtly nostalgic. Without some of the more obvious architectural landmarks, the blurred and sometimes tilted images may keep one guessing a bit as to location. Each image has a mysterious dreamlike quality of time and space suspended.

At first glance, some of the photographs appear to be double exposed, but the striking depth and tonal richness of these images are at least partly due to Burnstine's unique tools-- she makes her own cameras, lenses and all-- and they are often unpredictable. This added technical challenge pushes Burnstine to approach her work in a more intuitive way as she says, "Learning to overcome their extensive limitations has required me to rely on instinct and intuition-- the same tools that are key when trusting in the unseen."

In a way, Burnstine's lenses have acted as windows to the unseen; there is a feeling that the viewer is being let in on secret fleeting moments that she has been allowed to rescue from the anonymity of time. I left the exhibit with a quietly exhilarating revelation-- that we too can find our eternity in each moment.

Comment by AB: Misty mysterious visions of big city life by Susan Burnstine romance the intrigues and enchantments of the metropolis. Also on view are vintage images of Mexico taken by Luis Delgado-Qualtrough between 1975 and 1981. Delgado-Qualtrough has recently released a limited edition portfolio of the series.

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Addendum:

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Care to offer up a little something in exchange for my labors? You can do that right here.

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First Thursday - March 1, 2012

First Thursday - February 2, 2012

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