OAKLAND ART OPENINGS
SWARM - BLANKSPACE - ROWAN MORRISON - Reported by John Casey - 01.09-10.09

Swarm Gallery: Laura Ball - Choose Your Own Adventure; Kirk Stoller - From Every Direction to Every Place.

Review and images by John Casey: Laura Ball's work features her sisters, mother, and herself engaged in epic struggles and adventures in fantasy landscapes painted in oil and watercolor. I like the juxtaposition of the realistically rendered figures navigating the painterly landscapes.

Kirk Stoller tackles Swarm's compact project space with a particularly successful installation. His formal approach to space, form, and line has a playful quality. His materials are recycled construction wood and PVC, with odd cuts and residual paint. The placement of the various elements takes into account their wear and tear as Stoller stacks the scraps into a monumental structure.

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Blankspace Gallery: Lena Reynoso - Forty Four Presidents.

Review and images by John Casey: With the impending inauguration of Barack Obama, Lena Reynoso paints portraits of all 43 U.S. presidents and our new president-elect. I almost miss Barack Obama's portrait by the front door, and am wishing he was painted double-large and placed in the middle of the sea of oldish white dudes. Still, seeing Barack Obama among this elite group reminds us we are truly witnessing history. In attendance are some past "presidents," a nice touch. Blankspace will be hosting an inauguration viewing party on January 20th.

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Rowan Morrison Gallery: Deth P. Sun - This Too Shall Pass.

Review and images by John Casey: Deth P. Sun's show at Rowan Morrison is all about the never-ending story of the mythological quest of his anthropomorphic cats. The large mosaic of small paintings is impressive. This show features over 100 works and is his first solo in Oakland (his hometown) since 2002.

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