Shawn Barber opens Youth of Today featuring 11 new paintings on Friday, July 8th @FFDG (7-10pm) in San Francisco. Below are a few works included in the exhibition to give you a taste.
Youth of Today
Paintings by Shawn Barber
@FFDG, San Francisco
July 8 - August 13, 2011
Reception: July 8 (7-10pm)
Los Angeles, CA: Last Saturday June 11, artist Marco Zamora’s New Works opened at the POVevolving Gallery in Chinatown, Los Angeles. The opening reception ran from 6 pm to 10 pm. We arrived around 9 pm, but there were still lots of folks in the gallery checking out Marco’s beautifully detailed pieces. The show runs from June 11 to July 9th.
My work is about contrasts, both in technique and subject matter. Insistingly trying to assimilate happiness, violence and symbolism within each image. I often use both large and small brushes, toggling between faster and more concentrated painting sessions.
Influences?
I love the playfulness of Asger Jorn, Martin Kippenberger, Picasso and Jeff Koons. The light of Turner and William Hammershøi. The patience of Elina Merenmies. The fleshiness of a Lucien Freud. The energy of a Throw Up or Molinex. The eclecticism of Wim Delvoye. Kristian Bust, when he points out things in a Martin Parr photograph that I did not see before. Old ornaments. Philip Guston's colors, Paul McCarthy's shapes, or Greyson Perry's textiles. Tal R's arrogance, the secrecy and conceit of graffiti - and Katharina Grosse when she paints everything with her huge spray can.
Last night we swung through Jeremy Fish's North Beach studio to have ourselves a look see at his current show before it's crated and shipped out to NYC for the June 23rd opening at Joshua Liner Gallery.
Instead of creating works on what's clicking around in Fish's own head, he gathered a list of artists, skateboarders, rappers, athletes, a stripper, a cop, and a historian whose funny, heartfelt, insanely interesting stories he would record and then illustrate.
The stories run from murder, fights, embarrassing situations, and one focused on a drugged out Keith Haring and some mural drama at a South of Market gay club in the 80s. 30 pieces of work and 30 stories to be heard. The gallery show will feature headphones next to each work where you can hear people like Snoop Dog recount a crazy childhood story involving him pulling a worm out of his pants. Or maybe you wanna hear from Ron English tell a tale from the early Billboard Liberation days.
We'll have more videos next week. In the meantime, let's figure out what's in a hard working artist's fridge... It may surprise you.
San Francisco based Mario Martinez (Mars-1) is in NYC preparing for his show Afterglow which opens tomorrow (5/26) at Jonathan Levine Gallery. Looking good. If you're in that part of the world, get to the show. It's going to be amazing.
Mars-1 working on a massive painting... Remember this one?!
Ian Shults' (Austin, TX) paintings forge fine art and the profane to tell sordid tales of debauchery with a sly sense of humor. His paintings recall a bygone era when the sheen of the American Dream dulled, and subversive behavior of illicit drugs and kinky benders were swept under the rug.
Ian emailed over a few recent paintings that feel more painterly than his earlier works that resonated a bit of a found photograph broken down in Photoshop feel. Nice direction with the newer works, Ian. Dig it.
Novi Sad, Serbia, 47, self taught / no formal education, website: Facebook profile
How would you describe your work to someone?
I do not want to explain anything special to anyone through my abstract works. I ask the viewer to interpret everything the way they want and in their own way. As for experienced viewers, I am interested in their criticism of visual elements.
Influences?
There are too many, and I do not know where to start with the listing. I am afraid I could confuse someone if I mention only a few that come to my mind right now. Lately, I admire new Chinese artists. They are great. There are, certainly, young American artists who are leading, then Europeans, and others – Asians, Korean, Indian... At my age, for me, younger artists are maybe a little better model than older ones. It is hard to explain why is that so.
Cheese burgers or tofu burgers?
The older I get, the staler food I have to eat. Tofu
HALSEY MCKAY GALLERY opens their first show this Saturday in the town of East Hampton, New York owned by curators Hilary Schaffner and artist Ryan Wallace. For its inaugural exhibition the gallery presents There Is An Ocean, a series of recent works by New York based artist Patrick Brennan. Looks like a great show and what looks to be a great new gallery. ~show details
I live in Milwaukee, I'm 23. I'll be 24 in 3 hours. I received a bachelor's degree in painting from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. My website is www.hueycrowley.com.
How would you describe your work to someone?
I would say that "They are dirty-Disney colored paintings from a tingling, nintendo-influenced dimension." I would mention that they speak to some 70's warped, screwball, acid-shit. Ominous things have always attracted me, and they show up in my work often.
Inevitably, I paint a lot of the Midwest too, but in a way like you'd discover a rained-on, muddy care-bear in someone's backyard that their Doberman was chewing on. Mystical and disturbing things attract me and I try to harness them with paint.
Influences?
Some artists- Allison Schulnik, Jose Lerma, Kim Dorland, Chris Johanson, Matthew Barney, Christopher Wool, Carroll Dunham, Luis Galvez, Santiago Cucullu, Terence Koh, Basquiat, George Condo…and many more....
Musically-Salem, Juiceboxxx, Liars, Aids Wolf, The Coughs, MTV Riff Raff...
Any artist really, especially ignorant ones because I believe that ignorance is bliss and fun.
Mike Shine
DER WILDEN MANN THUS SPRACH FLOTSAM;
METAMORPHOSIS 3
April 16 - May 7
@Copro Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
Better late than never. We have a lot of content that we're a bit behind with as we play ctach up here at Fecal Face. Keep checking back as we add mucho art-ness. ---->
Check a studio visit we did with Mike back in '08... Shit, that was 3 years ago?! Oh how time flies when you're having artistical fun.
William Emmert, who we interviewed last year, emailed over a few of his newer works we wanted to share with you. William moved down to San Francisco last year from Seattle and has shown his work around town. These works are remakes of posters or other items from his childhood bedroom.
London, UK, Quite a bit but none relating to the Art world, www.njcox.com
The Black Basque, Oil on Linen, 36” x 30”
How would you describe your work to someone?
Given up on that . . I’d whip out my iPhone and show them . . . A picture paints a 1000 words, and all that.
Influences?
I’m self taught. So much has influenced how/what I paint . . The Transglobe Expedition opened my eyes to solitude and vast landscapes then Yves Tanguy showed me how endless a background can be on canvas. . Vermeer and his peers got my full attention with their eye for detail and precision, Dali made me drool, Max Ernst told me to experiment, but Odd Nerdrum is the Master . . . my art GOD. But influences are everywhere.
Cheese burgers or tofu burgers?
Does a tofu have legs?
Working routine? Music? Time of day?
Up daily at 7am, in the studio by 9.30 and then look and see what I want to work on most. On a good day I can work till 9pm . . on a normal day I wind down around 6pm. Pretty much paint 7 days a week when working towards a show. Love painting in daylight.
I prefer to have about 6 paintings on the go (Unless working on a major large piece) I’m a mood painter and a bit of a butterfly.
Can’t paint without my music . . it creates a cocoon for me to work within and sets and nurtures my mood. Always start with something slow . . .Koop, David Sylvian, Enigma, Lee Oskar, Software, Air, Thievery Corporation etc
Lately I’ve been starting with Koop every morning and when the day grows old, get onto more motivating tunes . . . Steely Dan or Ziggy Stardust for a final push. I have about 2,000 Cds ranging from classical to punk . . so never stuck for good vibes.
Brooklyn based Matt Relkin emailed over this new painting. Love it. Go here for more... and if you wanna know what was going through Matt's mind in Sept '09, check our mini interview with him.
Dying Star 1- acrylic on panel, 6"x6" 2011
This piece’s completion seems especially timely in regards to the passing of Gerard Smith. Seeing so many friends dealing with such grief has been almost unbearable. Today I just wanted to tell every friend I had that I loved them and was there for them if they needed me. I can’t help but reflect on my own life and wonder if I’ve truly become a good person as a result of all that I’ve learned and experienced in my 35 years on Earth. My personal interactions with other human beings are often tinged with cynicism, sarcasm, insincerity, all as a result of my own character flaws. I wonder what would be said about me, what memories people would have of me if I were to die tomorrow? I hate to turn the tragedy of others into my own vain worries, but these thoughts are unavoidable. I believe that there is so much potential good in all people, that there is so much that can still be done in this life to make things better for all creatures. I want my actions to only contribute to the betterment of mankind, yet so much of my time is spent frivolously and selfishly. I have always been aware of my mortality, that everything could end in an instant, and I always hear that ticking in the recesses of my mind, the hands of a clock slowly but surely running out of numbers, and still I cannot say that I’ve spent my life interacting positively with others. At what point do I start to truly believe that I AM good, that when it all comes down to what I’ve done with my time, when it’s all laid out before me neatly and orderly, I’ll look at my life and know that I did the right things? -Matt Relkin
Via Wiki: Gary Baseman (born 1960) is a contemporary artist who works in various creative fields, including illustration, fine art, toy design, and animation. He is the creator of the Emmy-winning ABC/Disney cartoon series, Teacher’s Pet, and the artistic designer of Cranium, a popular board game. Baseman’s aesthetic combines iconic pop art images, pre- and post-war vintage motifs, cross-cultural mythology and literary and psychological archetypes. He is noted for his playful, devious and cleverly named creatures, which recur throughout his body of work.
Interview By: Daniel Rolnik - daniel[at]fecalface.com
Gary Baseman
How hands on were you with the actual animation of “Teacher’s Pet?”
I was the creator, executive producer and production designer on “Teacher’s Pet.”
During the series and the feature film, I was there every day working with my wonderful crew. Originally, I drew and painted the original characters, backgrounds, etc., to establish the look and feel of the series. Then I oversaw my amazing team of artists to follow and execute the episodes. I worked closely with my director Tim Bjorklund who wanted to make sure the series looked like my hand-painted work, so all the backgrounds were painted on canvas. Tim was an amazing animator. I am not an animator. Our storyboard artists, timing directors, etc. created a template and we sent them oversees to our talented animation studios, who would sent over rough animation. We edited, recorded, and produced music and dialogue here in the States. Does that answer your question?
How does an artist pitch a cartoon to a network?
When I started back in the ‘90s, Nickelodeon actually came to me asking if I had any interesting ideas for an animation series. I lied and said yes, then came up with a dozen ideas to pitch. We actually made two fully animated pilots for the same series “Louie n Louie,” but unfortunately, they weren’t picked up. Then I did decided at that point (after doing well in illustration) that I would concentrate on pitching for TV shows and moved back to LA from New York, where I got an agent who got me meetings with TV executives. How do you pitch a series? You sing and dance and put your heart on your sleeve. Cartwheels help too.
What’s your favorite weird movie?
Does it have to have “weird” in the title? Is “Memento” weird? I love that movie. I love how it is set up and how it is played out. I often feel like the main character in Memento.
Do you often sketch out everything you are going to paint ahead of time or do you leave room for improvisation?
No. I don’t like to sketch things out. I need to feel spontaneous, vulnerable, and organic when I create. The last thing I want to do is work everything out and just follow through. That said, I draw in my sketchbook all the time. I work through my themes in my sketchbooks, but I only use them as an emotional template. So I put ideas down and see what stays with me. But I don’t usually paint those images directly on canvas. In fact, I have about 50 sketchbooks that have been archived recently, made since I moved back to LA in 1997.
Words from Eleanor Harwood Gallery... Paul Wackers presents his third solo show with the gallery. The paintings in his new series explore aura and energy given off by objects in our everyday lives. He presents us with the interiors of rooms and still lifes placed in vitrines and in the outdoors thus drawing our attention to the collections we harbor in our homes and the objects we may encounter outdoors.
We've always enjoyed David Lyle's paintings and was pleased to see these in our inbox this morning. David works in oils, used to live in SF, now in NYC and is represented by a new gallery in London ~ Gallery Nosco
Like wearing a watch but don't want to bother with all that pesky technology, Barcelona based artist Axel Brechensbauer has you covered... We also dig this great truck sculpture.
This day may have been inevitable, but now it's finally here. In its attempt to take over the world - or at least everything that can be bought and sold in the world, Amazon is launching an art gallery.
This summer Amazon is planning to launch a Fine Art Gallery where customers will be able to purchase original artwork offered by a select group of invited galleries via Amazon.com. ~continue reading
A new HBO documentary looks at the work of street artist JR, whose giant portraits force people in troubled areas to confront the humanity that's all around them... On the day JR found out he'd won the $100,000 TED Prize, the French pasteup artist found himself in China being questioned by police for doing his thing on the streets of Shanghai. ~continue reading
Street artist JR HBO documentary premiered yesterday, May 20th
Art lovers, collectors and gallerists will gather on Thursday for Hong Kong's inaugural edition of Art Basel, sealing the city's status as an international art hub and Asia's leading art destination... Hong Kong has surged to third place in the global art auction market behind New York and London and Western galleries are falling over each other to open franchises in the former British colony. ~continue reading
Our buddy Ferris Plock opens a small show of drawings at Benny Gold on 3169 16th St this Friday, May 24th (7-10pm) featuring 31 drawings priced at 75-140 bucks.
Ferris also released the video Fingered! he produced with animator Jim Dirschberger. View it
Wowzas, there's a lot of art happenings this weekend, and while you're making the rounds, be sure to stop at SFAI's MFA show Currency opening Friday, May 17th at the beautiful old SF Mint Building (88 5th Street).
SFAI's 2013 MFA graduates—working in painting, photography, printmaking, film, sculpture, installation, digital media, performance, and across media—will present work that embraces the Institute's signature spirit of experimentation and conceptual risk-taking.
Opening reception: Friday, May 17, 7–9 pm & running through Sunday 11-6pm daily. -- complete details
London based Pedro Matos opens the solo show Building Castles Made of Sand this Friday in Los Angeles at the Martha Otero Gallery featuring a new series of oil paintings on canvas and azulejo panels - a traditional Portuguese medium of hand-painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tile work.
TrustoCorp's all new work for their exhibition at LeBasse Projects in Culver City, Los Angeles is a perfect continuum from past work that embraces the bipolar "have/have not" socioeconomic identity of Los Angeles, which they recently established their new studio in.
I didn't know if you came across this video yet, but I ran into my friend Brian Hanson yesterday who helped film and edit it. It's a film short documenting the work and philosophy of Huntington Beach surfboard Shaper Tim Stamps. Super rad and really inspiring! Anyhow take a peek.
Last year, Eric Caruso a teacher at Harry Wirtz Elementary School (Paramount, CA, near LA) had an idea to invite some artists to paint some murals at the school because there wasn't an arts program for the kids. That brilliant idea resulted in some awesome murals by artists Seitaku Aoyama, Yusuke Hanai, Rich Jacobs, Tim Kerr and Albert Reyes.
Ryan De La Hoz' show in the Upper Haight at RVCA runs through this Saturday... And the next time you're in the Mission, be sure to swing through his new shop on 14th St, Cool Try... We need to get over there soon and do a little photo feature for ya.
The Book and Job Gallery (San Francisco) really stepped it up with the opening of Daniel Chen's loveBlast on May 4th. Complete with a doorman, piano player, old fashioneds, and some really nice paintings, I could hardly believe I was at the Book and Job. The paintings varied in size, and the show was balanced nicely between them, the spray-can work on the walls, and the smaller drawings displayed throughout. The kind notes Chen wrote on the walls are certain to brighten your day, and the rest of the work is definitely worth a look. It was a very classy evening and I hope they continue to intersperse shows like these into their schedule in the future
FFDG opened up the group show featuring original works by the artists of the world famous Skull & Sword tattoo last Friday here in San Francisco. Thanks to the huge crowd who turned out to support these four incredibly talented artists. Here is a taste of the show, and be sure to swing in to view in person. The show runs through June 8th.
Gary Baseman's retrospective "The Door is Always Open" at the Skirball in LA opened recently to massive crowds in a huge celebratory opening party. The exhibition is so complex and personal, delving into Baseman's background, family history, and all the layers of prolific work that he has done over the years. After the opening festivities winded down, I caught up with Baseman for an interview. We discussed the underlying meaning to some of the components of the show and how it felt for him, coming from such an honest personal perspective in putting this massive show together.
Fertile Menace, a new show of Mark Mulroney's (NY) work opened at Ever Gold on May 4th and it's not one to be missed. It is intelligently hilarious, with jokes riffing off sex, Foucault, and the body, and while it makes you laugh it's also going to make you think.
Our buddies Jay Howell, Andreas Trolf, and Jim Dirschberger are hyped as their show, which they've been working on for like 2 years, premieres on Nickelodeon Saturday. From the trailers we've seen so far and from what Jay has told us about, the show is going to be pretty epic. Congrats to those radical fellas.
Here's a little taste of work by the artists of the world famous The Skull and Sword tattoo shop who open their show at San Francisco's FFDG on Friday, May 17th (7-10pm).
Following his solo exhibition "The Collected" at Gallery Wendi Norris, painter Amir H. Fallah is in the throes of developing more new works for upcoming international exhibits. We spent some time in his studio in Highland Park, Los Angeles recently, discussing his process and inspiration.
We were first introduced to the photography of Spanish born NYC based Bubi Canal when he emailed us his great video Trust in Me a couple years ago. His solo show Special Moment recently ran at NYC's Munch Gallery in February, and he recently released his newest video Chrystelle below.
Although I missed the opening of Northern-California photographer Michael Garlington's newest show, Constructed Realities, I was fortunate enough to see the work still up during the Metaphysical fundraiser a couple weeks back at 111 Minna. Metaphysical fundraiser, an auction to benefit Wayne Ernzer. --- The ghoulish photographs in their heavy, hand-made frames are reminiscent of photos from the old west, and the glass crucifixes, complete with fetuses and guns, emphasize the accumulated time within the works themselves. Whether you're looking at the frames, the photos, or both, this show deserves a visit, and a walk through the golden archway Garlington constructed around the front door.
Fecal Face contributor Rachel Ralph (rachel(at)fecalface.com) has been profiling this Oakland based painter as he travels about Japan. In this segment, we feature some photos as he prepared for this show and residency at Spes-LaB in Tokyo which opened last weekend. Arnold will be featured in SFMoMA's Minna Street windows on June 8th.
Last Saturday, here in SF's Mission district, Guerrero Gallery opened two new shows with Philly based Alex Lukas and SF based Richard Colman respectively. Colman's work occupied the project space while Lukas' work and foliage was presented in the main space. Worth getting to if you haven't already.
Just got back to SF after a little trip south to Sayulita, Mexico. After 10 years without a vacation, me and the Mrs. headed south for some mental time off sitting in the sun, swimming and enjoying the watery Mexican beer. Here are some photos as we get back into the swing of things again.
Athens, Greece based designer, architect and artist Dimitris Polychroniadis emailed over more of his work which consists of mixed media, pop-humorous diorama sculptures that make a comment on the harsh realities my country and much of the world is facing at the moment.
FFDG will open a group show with the artists from the famed Skull & Sword Tattoo on Friday, May 17th (6-9pm). Artists: Grime, Henry Lewis, Yutaro, and Lango. Below are a series of videos on Grime for Vice's Tattoo Age produced in 2011. Fascinating look at one of the greatest tattoo artists alive today.
ARYZ (Spain) opened his newest gallery show at Fifty24SF last Friday and, if you live in the Bay Area, you need to go. This dude can obviously paint, and he doesn't need an entire building to show his impecable skill. The show has lots of small works on paper which contrast his highly-defined line work to his hard-edged painted objects. The contrast between the hard and soft was the most striking thing to me about his work, since I had never seen it in person before, and the washes blend with the thick paint seamlessly. The show also contains a larger work on canvas, a huge head suspended in the back of the room, and a big wood sculpture of a wolf figure. This diversity in such a small space was impressive, and those of us that went to the opening even got to meet the man in person. If you didn't make it out this weekend, check it out before May 31st when it closes and these works will be off to some very happy new homes.
Water McBeer is please to announce its latest exhibition "Precious" a solo exhibition by David Bayus (April 6 - May 4, 2013) -- David Bayus born 1982 holds his BFA from the Savannah College of Art and his MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. David lives and works in San Francisco and is a founding member of the basement collective. This will be his first exhibition with the world renown Water McBeer Gallery highlighting his most recent achievements with paint and digital media. David Bayus will be exhibiting 5 relatively large-scale mixed media works along with a collaborative object featuring Hungarian sculptor H.R KOONS.
The Shooting Gallery handed over the reins to the Red Truck Gallery (a New Orleans based gallery) which curated their new show, Hard Time Mini Mall and opened the it on Saturday night. This is my favorite show (so far) in the Shooting Gallery's new space and was packed full of art, a mini bar, and cowhide rugs. The Red Truck Gallery chose works with clear craftsmanship and it was easy to see in Ian Berry's denim assemblages and Chris Roberts-Antieau's awesome quilts. The space was completely packed, making it hard to see each piece individually, but this show deserves a second trip anyway. I look forward to spending more time with the chandeliers, automatons, and paintings before the show comes down on May 4th.
Material published on FECAL FACE DOT COM online service is copyrighted by Fecal Face or its licensors, including the originating wire services. Such material is protected by U.S. and international copyright laws and treaties. All rights reserved.
Users of the Fecal Face online service may not reproduce, republish or redistribute material found on the web site in any form without the express written consent of the copyright holder.
xhamsterwarez