Art Extravaganza 2/11
By: Magtotoart
This is a very late post, but I think it’s worth it.
Two weeks ago, I made appearances at the opening of two shows that are worth talking about. The opening of “Outside In” at 1:AM gallery, and the opening of an all female show, “Yin” at Drip Studios Gallery.
“Outside In” featured local talents such as Buter, Jurne, UFO, Wand, Keb, and a few others.
Everything from a classic 90’s street piece, to a combination of found art, paint, and letters were found at this evening’s packed event. There was such a wide array of styles that it was hard to absorb everything all at once. It took me a few laps around the gallery to take it all in.
The atmosphere was a little like a house party, but slightly more organized. There were familiar faces, new faces, and of course, party faces. The choices in style, color, and composition were unique to the artist’s taste, flair, and placement in the gallery. Being a graffiti show, one expects nothing but spray paint, but these artists really took it a step further.
Above is a mixture of found and created art. It looks like the artist literally cut this wall out of an alley and posted it in the gallery. To bring something indoors that we are so used to seeing outdoors is a bold move. The color and placement choices for each of the panel provided a large statement without being overwhelming.The work overlapped, built on, and separated the panels. The letters were in the background, on the panels, underneath them, around them, and hidden inside them. If you were not looking closely, you would miss some of the hidden messages in the piece.
Because of the foot traffic, most of these pictures are only pieces of the work. To see more images, go to the 1:AM website. Above, the use of complimentary colors against a white and black background caught my eye. this piece is a little busy, but it kept me intrigued for quite a while, noticing more small details, the longer I stood there. Five separate pieces came together to make one very busy piece. I could go on and on about variations in can use, but I’ll let you linger on that one on your own.
Jurne’s piece used overlapping positive and negative stencils. The color choices caused parts of the piece to vibrate. The use of a blurred background with sharp clean edges in the foreground made the work pop off the wall. I really enjoyed looking at this huge series of panels.
Here are a few highlights from the 1:AM show, including a surprise guest appearance by Lousy Right!!!
nice use of overlapping type here :) see if how much of it you can read.
All of the artists showcased above on the show’s title piece “Outside In”.
Surprise visit from LOUSY RIGHT!!!
Nice use of stencils and can control!
Overall this was a great show!
On to Drip Studios’ opening, “Yin”, featuring ten kick ass women. This show was much different from the 1:AM show, but was a necessary stop on my list because of the theme. Hope you enjoy:
There were many styles, aesthetics, and choices of subject matter to choose from at this show.
Below are some of my favorites from a huge wall piece by Susan Wu:
The juxtaposition of old world and new world, east and west, past and present, make this piece into a comforting and yet still provocative pastiche of the artist’s cultures. The different mediums used in this piece: paint, pencil, collage, etc. make the work that much more meaningful. The artist’s fearlessness in showing her family’s heritage and her own culture now are exciting for me personally as well.
Here are some close up shots of another piece by Susan Wu. These faces are so tiny in real life!!
Some work by LAurus Myth with themes of nature laced with technology:
Two psychedelic pieces by Jessica Perlstein:
Some interesting and curious pieces by Adriana Sparkuhl:
The lighting in the one below caused some massive out-of-focusedness but I had to show it:
And last but not least, at the end of the night I had the pleasure of meeting the wonderful Miss Winifred. An amazing printmaker and jewelry designer. Here are a few of her beautiful pieces:
The night was filled with free (or semi-free) beer, friends, surprises and a lot of meeting new people. An eclectic mixture of work, old and new styles.
There were some totally different styles, but all are styles that are absolutely crucial to our San Francisco art culture. We are a city that thrives because of our diversity. And these two shows are only a tiny snapshot.
