DON SOKER - CALDWELL SNYDER - ARC

THE LAB - ADOBE BACKROOM - CAMPFIRE

LUNA RIENNE - FIFTY24SF

06.01.13

(with assistance from RWM)



Need your art appraised? Click Here.

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Don Soker Gallery: Ronald Chase - New Painting; Susan Parker - Recent Paintings.

Comment by AB: Organic grid-like works by Ronald Chase are are all about patterns he sees in life and nature-- bricks, stones, fallen leaves and the like. Susan Parker's deep hued paintings look like ultra impressionistic landscapes or seascapes, many with what appear to be distant horizon lines (others are partitioned vertically). For those of you who feel an occasional need to zone out and temporarily table life's incessant travails, you can easily get lost in these halcyon compositions. Stop on by.

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Arc Studios & Gallery: Joseph Kowalczyk, Erika Meriaux & Paul Morin - Imaginarium.

Comment by AB: Three way-out takes on reality. Need a brain twist? Get it here. Narratives by Erika Meriaux range from implausible to absurd, fantasy ceramics by Joseph Kowalczyk pair humans and animals, and enigmatic portraiture by Paul Morin are accented with silver leaf.

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The LAB: Limited at The LAB.

Artists: Ajit Chauhan, Seth Coen, Randy Colosky, Amanda Curreri, Doron Fishman, Maggie Haas, Mary Anne Kluth, Zachary Royer Scholz, Michael Ryan, Clare Szydowlski, Facundo Argañaraz, Michelle Blade, Matt Borruso, Ala Ebtekar, Kota Ezawa, Mark Flood, Xylor Jane, Paul Mullins, Mariah Robertson, Gareth Spor, D-L Alvarez, Tammy Rae Carland, Anthony Discenza, Desiree Holman, Chris Johanson, Alicia McCarthy, Barry McGee, Rubi Neri, Trevor Paglen, and Clare Rojas, Andrew Berg.

Comment by AB: The LAB offers unique opportunities for collectors at this year's installment of their annual fundraiser auction. Noteworthy area artists have created limited edition prints specially for this event, all very affordably priced, some to be sold individually and others to be sold together in a portfolio containing a set of ten. The portfolio includes ten artworks housed in a custom-made wood box designed and crafted by Andrew Berg. The print artists also benefit by being able to keep a portion of their editions for personal use. A select group of original works will also be auctioned live. A worthy cause indeed. The auction's over, but you can always support the cause... and who knows? Some editions might not yet be sold out. Excellent opportunity to augment your collection while supporting a great cause.

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Adobe Books Backroom Gallery: San Francisco By Night - Cameron Knutson, Tristan Arcelona, George Crampton-Glassanos (aka Casey Jones), Malcolm Kenter; Liquid Crystal - Daniella Fernandez Murphy and Peta Rake.

Comment by AB: These are among the final art events at Adobe Books Backroom Gallery's 16th Street location (they'll be opening soon on 24th Street-- state tuned for updates). Tonight in the subterranean suite (the store's mildew infused basement), artists essay on San Francisco nightlife. In the Backroom Gallery, experience a spooky experimental art & video installation.

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Campfire Gallery: Robert Larson - Habitats.

Review by RWM: Great use of materials gets one thinking about all those things we are throwing away. Designs are presented here like image tiles on walls or floors. Good to see one cognizant of all that is being lost in the waste stream. Green Pop Art that amazes in the effort made here.

Comment by AB: Robert Larson collects and transforms throwaways like discarded cigarette boxes, rolling paper packages and lottery tickets, into intricate repetitively patterned collages, captivating not only aesthetically, but also in that they remind us of all the crap we continually toss onto the streets without even giving it so much as a thought. Good art; check it out.

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Catalyst Project: Concert on the Street.

Comment by AB: While traipsing from one opening to the next, I cross paths with an impromptu mobile street concert courtesy of Inspector Gadje, and presented in support of Catalyst Project, a center for anti-racist political education and organizing.

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Luna Rienne Gallery: Light Years - Sarah Coleman and Aleksandra Zee.

Review by RWM: The stars and galaxies are out tonight and on display in this cosmic work which reminds of the great big universe out there. Fun to see images that can compare with astronomy shots of the unexplored hugeness that beckons for some. One also finds discoveries in wood canvases that point and locate. Nice to be along for the recognition of the great beyond out there.

Comment by AB: Cosmic paintings by Sarah Coleman contrast nicely with Aleksandra Zee's recycled wood constructions, some enhanced with light fixtures.

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Fifty24SF Gallery: Wendell McShine - Raccoon's Law.

Comment by AB: Wendell McShine's illustrative tales star strange characters in improbable situations. His purposeful groupings gift viewers with ample opportunities to postulate on possible plot lines. Nice work.

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Addendum:

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