SAN FRANCISCO ART GALLERIES OPENINGS

FIRST THURSDAY - 06.06.13 Part I

(with assistance from Kathryn Arnold)



Does an artist's death affect selling prices? Click Here.

***

Hespe Gallery: New Works in Resin by Eric Zener.

Review by Kathryn Arnold: Pools and pools of water, elements of water and human figures embedded into surfaces and then melded together beneath seemingly aqueous surfaces of resin. With titles indicative of personal journey-- the permanence of resin causes them to become markers of the process.

Comment by AB: Painting water is exceptionally challenging. Eric Zener does it with aplomb. Worth a visit.

***

Dolby Chadwick Gallery: Ian Kimmerly - Continuous Wave.

Review by Kathryn Arnold: Layers of paint over layers of images-- the figures disappear and then rise again underneath and alongside the energetic paint handling, creating metaphors for life.

Comment by AB: Good art; check it out.

***

Patricia Sweetow Gallery: Joachim Bandau - Motion, New Watercolors and Sculpture; Irmel Kamp - Modern Architecture.

Review by Kathryn Arnold: Amazing work here!

Joachim Bandau creates watercolors reminiscent of Albers' squares yet with layers and layers of overlaps in subtle shades of gray-- even remarkable in retrospect, brilliantly handled. Along with these are his sculptural installation forms on the floor and walls-- the wall pieces created with hand-crafted layered methodology-- a far cry from Donald Judd.

Irmel Kamp brings architecture of the past to life in black and whites. Her work is striking in its formality as it references at times the International Style (modernist structures created in Europe in the 1900s). The buildings are often portrayed alongside their surroundings and other times boldly placed without the environmental accouterments.

Comment by AB: Worth a visit on both counts.

***

Fraenkel Gallery: Nicholas Nixon - New Work.

Review by Kathryn Arnold: Nicholas Nixon's integrated approach combines close-up portraits with textures and lines. The intense detail of the images delays the focus on the individual(s) portrayed.

Comment by AB: Intimate personal portrayals by Nicholas Nixon go well beyond the realms of portraiture, not only in terms of their psychological underpinnings, but also as markers along the life & death continuum. While at the gallery, make sure you check out the delicate crystal/photography combinations by Hiroshi Sugimoto in the center room.

***

Toomey Tourell Fine Art: Matthew Picton - Fictional Perspectives.

Review by Kathryn Arnold: Map and text based works by Matthew Picton are historically based, all in paper. Intriguing and detail oriented, I find myself following along the text as it moves through and in and around these various passageways.

Comment by AB: Matthew Picton constructs detailed artistic representations of major international city centers at significant points in their histories, the materials comprising his works often relating to specific events that happened in those cities at those times. Nice work; go see.

***

Sandra Lee Gallery: Daniel Phill - Vernation Series.

Review by Kathryn Arnold: Emphasis is on paint and process. These paintings take on elements which remind of growth and the spring weather through color or shape or combinations. Something to ponder and examine while exploring the metaphors inherent in the works.

***

Gregory Lind Gallery: This Weather Is Cosmic - Karla Wozniak.

Comment by AB: Colorific representational/abstract blends transform earthly occurrences into psychedelic romps.

***

I help you see tons of art from the convenience of your screen. Would you care to support the cause? I'd like that.

***

First Thursday - May 2, 2013

First Thursday - April 4, 2013

***