DE YOUNG MUSEUM - FREEGOLDWATCH - GREEN ZEBRA

6 GALLERY - ARC STUDIOS

08.27.10

(with assistance from RWM)

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de Young Museum: Alexandra Blum - Silhouettes and Conversations: Articulating a Communal Vision.

Review by RWM: Interesting exploration of the the archetypical individual. One can enjoy the wild environments with their silhouetted figures in the foregrounds. The works on paper do not necessarily address the question of who we are, but rather dazzle with psychedelics and impress with no two wondrous color fields alike. Then again, maybe we can gather information about who we are by understanding the colorful contexts we create. There are also surprises. One can commune with the goat or get lost in the clouds.

Comment by AB: According to the deposition, "Alexendra Blum traces the silhouettes of visitors while recording their descriptions of artworks in the de Young's permanent collection." The silhouettes in combination with the recorded descriptions result in compositions incorporating drawing, silkscreen, collage and paint.

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Green Zebra Environmental Action Center: Talita Suassuna.

Review by RWM, image c/o Talita Suassuna: Wonderful though occasionally discordant contrasts capture the environmental zeitgeist. The eggs hatching in these lush plant scenes are being born into a brilliant yet perishing world. If we don't take care, only polluted worlds will exist for the babies of the future. Talita Suassuna captures the state of being and experiences of the times. We continue to give birth and awaken into this world, and there are still amazing things that we observe even if they are subtly becoming damaged.

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FreeGoldWatch: Fourteen.

Artists: Hannah Stouffer, Dustin Aksland, Robert Garcia III, Owen Takabayashi, Brandon Chuesy, Andrew McClintock, Eric Kneeland, Dylan Maddux, Shelby Ulibarri, Jesse Geller, Nathan Smith, Josh Blank, Pez, Ken Davis.

Review by RWM: Bodacious babes caught up in wild chaos. Other objects and creatures are trapped as well. Good thing the 13th is over. Much here to absorb and ponder.

Comment by AB: My fave? A homeboy chess set. Not sure who the artist is.

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6 Gallery: ASS TO ASS - New Work from Jesse Pollock and Ruth Swanson.

Comment by AB: Two distinct photographic perspectives on the docket here. Ruth Swanson seduces viewers with her evocative atmospheric enigmas, while Jesse Pollock takes more of a documentary approach, but with an open-ended plot line.

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Arc Studios & Gallery: Four-Squared.

Artists: Brett Amory, Blair Bradshaw, Mitchell Confer, Sidnea D'Amico, Rebecca Fox, Ivy Jacobsen, Denise Laws, Michael McConnell, Brian McDonald, Molly Meng, Silvia Poloto, Kristina Quinones, Fernando Reyes, Monika Steiner, Marcia Stuermer, Sandra Yagi. Co-curated by Matthew Frederick and Michael Yochum,.

Review by RWM: Frenetic energy results from a packed house and all sorts of details and standouts on display. You can't help but appreciate the ingenuity of these artists who maintain style and focus, and the viewers who are challenged with numerous simultaneous displays. Much here for even the most selective connoisseur.

Comment by AB: Arc Studios and Gallery in the few short months since opening has already carved itself a bit of a niche, cagily culling area artists for veins of underexposed potential. The best part? Nothing over $500; most under $400. Good show; check it out.

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