If you think we're adding this Halloween themed show opening late... you'd be correct.

I LOVE HOMEMADE COSTUMES. Even if they suck. Not that these do, two of my favs actually.

Sean Whalen "Drive Them Out" My favorite artwork in the show.

Boo! This is me. Eyeball guy. Made that headpiece out of paper mache. Ironic thing is I could hardly see out of it.

All of this would be well and good, but it is the mixed-media pieces hung on these new walls that are really special. Each piece shows the face of a child, presumably one of the children Darby worked with while in Goma, where he taught art lessons. The faces are pasted over a collage of money, newspapers, and patterned papers with things like guns and diamonds on them. The works seem to flow with the walls on which they are displayed and look like they were just panels removed from a building in Goma. However, the careful treatment of the children's faces separates them from any street poster. They are enlarged so that you have to look at them, and they look right back at you. Endearing, powerful, and heartbreaking, these works evoke the spirit of the children themselves, even across the globe.

After winding through the gallery, visitors will find themselves in a very small back room in which a video of Darby's trip to Goma is displayed. The music is much louder here, and you see the children in the pictures, but this time they are actively taking part in their own creative expression. The video shows the children both playing instruments and taking part in art-making practices giving them an active presence of which the medium of the mixed-media panels denies them. The bright colors and movement of the video starkly contrast to the rest of the gallery, overshadowed in brown hues, and provides what seems like a window into another world. This is strategically emphasized by the environment Darby created in which to situate his viewers as conscious and understanding of the people and things around them. The British artist also further emphasized this understanding by contributing a portion of the proceeds of all sales to the children in these school programs you see in the video. So, go take a look at this work. If you decide to buy, it all goes to a good cause, and if you can't buy, you can at least educate yourself in an environment that will take you far away, and some works that will make you both look and think.

Words and photos: Rachel Ralph ~ rachel(at)fecalface.com

Downstairs displays both artists, with the right wall occupied by the detailed drawings of Chris Burch's Br'Er Rabbit figure falling down the existential rabbit hole. The subtle transitions from blue to black and white graphite provide a sensuous background for his figure who looks like a terrified or sneaky trickster. While not visually related, the opposite wall holds The Story of Shy, John Felix Arnold III's large mixed media on wood assemblage. This piece, and his other wood assemblage works, look like they were removed from old decrepit buildings. They are painted with what look like Japanese comic book drawings and phrases on top of layers of old graffiti and spray paint. The wood layers, spray paint, and drawings compound upon one another to provide a complex grounding for the drawings themselves. They seem to resemble fragments of a building that if only you could see the whole building, you could understand the whole mythology drawn and painted upon it.

A trip upstairs revealed two very large installations by each artist. To the right, you were shown In Memory of Shy by Arnold, another wall of wood assemblage, but this time, installed to look as if it was the actual wall of the gallery, covered over by smooth drywall finish at a sharp diagonal. The drawings on this piece span the division between wood and drywall and connect the two so that the division doesn't seem as sharp. A mat of grass extends from the wall, on which a skeleton-moped sculpture, called The Great Debate sits. The skull headlight is really beautiful and the cream coloration extends throughout the bike. It as if you can see a ghost riding through the desert on it; eerie, beautiful, and intriguing. The opposite wall holds an altar installation, a clear tribute to a lost friend. The walls are covered with decadent fabric and sitting in front of it are what look like black bottles, reminiscent of those used in Voodoo rituals. In the center of the wall is Portrait of a Trickster, a painting bringing back the Br'Er rabbit from downstairs and compounding the southern Creole mix of mythology of both Voodoo and folk stories.

Overall, the show was a successful break in the photo-heavy schedule of Book and Job. Since it didn't include as many artists, less friends were probably feeling like they needed to come to the actual opening. However, take the time to go and visit maybe even by yourself, so you can get into the work and reflect on its dark subject matter without the talking and laughing of other gallery visitors.

Words and photos: Rachel Ralph, rachel(at)fecalface.com

Br'Er Rabbit and Br'Er Death in the Land of Shadows by Christopher Burch

The Story of Shy by John Felix Arnold III

As you stepped into the Backroom Gallery, which is demarcated by a small sign above the doorway, the ambiance was noticeably quieter, but people were still gathered closely when looking at specific works. These were all works on paper, with figures morphing in and out of one another, often in sexual relations and with hedonistic violence. This is a teenage boy's wet dream, but is much more complex than that. Because they were displayed on mostly yellow and white notebook paper, with a few on plain white, and because most drawings involved a fair amount of small text, viewers were really spending time with the work. It ranges from pen doodles to sharpie drawings, and the thickness of the lines in the works were very consciously decided. The column of sex drawings would not have worked had it been in sharpie, the pen allowed a more gentle approach.

The pieces which looked more like computer-generated drawings didn't really fit with the rest of the works displayed, although they referenced the small comic book that Shalo P also had on sale that night. These books are very nicely printed and I would like to buy one to spend some more time with these drawings. I don't know that I am finely attuned to his Robocop references, but I can feel the passion spilling out of the pages, which makes the work both endearing and inviting. However, I will make the disclaimer that once invited in, you may see some X-rated images, so don't bring the kids.

The gallery door opens to a small entrance space with a sculpture of a VW Bug inside a glass bottle as well as a fabric/painted piece reminiscent of Blinky Palermo's compositions. The VW Bug inside the bottle is painted to every detail, including a hole in the windshield with painted cracks extending from it. The car itself is a detailed sculpture, but placed within the bottle (somehow) it became an outrageously intriguing item. The draped fabric piece with its peachy hue was a great transition into the main gallery, where Smith shows his other sculptures. Unlike the Bug, these sculptures are direct references to gynecological genitalia, but become abject body parts rather than sexual references. These forms are made of foam, bound by rope and remove the fragment of the vagina from the rest of the body, creating a non-sexualized form. Instead of insinuating a sexual viewing of the work, these sculptures allowed pure formal interpretation. Then, placed on marble-like columns, which were bound by bungee cords and emphasized as not being actually marble, these genital forms were raised to classical standards of fine art. This was further connected to the draped front piece, which can either relate to classical dress or another sexual body part, without overt reference.

The rest of the show consists of other sculptures including the whimsical (Untitled) Kanye Shades which is a set of white window blinds cut into the shape of sunglasses. Shown on a white wall, the contrast between the piece and the wall is subtle, and the humor is muted, but insistently present. Also, the monochrome wall helped to balance its opposite wall which was hung with a "marriage proposal" made of sewn-together friendship bracelets. The texture and color of this piece are significant alone, but there is a complex meaning implicit in the fact that they are friendship bracelets and instead of symbolizing one relationship, it includes the connection of thousands.

Finally, the back room of the gallery is tiny, but provides the perfect space for what is displayed. The bodily innuendo of the show is continued with a floor sculpture of a watermelon with an inviting, glowing pink hole. The last corner holds what looks like an altar, with some really complex pieces inside of it. These works look like a poster hung on the outside of your bathroom window, to which you see through the steam after your shower by wiping away the condensation the glass. I am completely clueless as to how he achieved this look, but my god is it effective. Some works have writing and some are just cleared spaces to the poster, but no one could miss out on it; we've all wiped away steam from our mirrors, but more often, we do it to see ourselves, not celebrities who are usually displayed transparently.

Smith's work is so complex that much more could be said about it, but truthfully words don't do it justice – these pieces must be seen in person. I can't wait for the opportunity to see Smith's work in the large space of a museum, which I'm sure is just around the corner for him. For now, Ever Gold has done a great job in showing as much work as possible, and it must have been very difficult to narrow what works would be included in the show, because like me, I'm sure they just want to keep seeing more.

~View photos

Blue Green Chimera by AJ Fosik

Daniel Albrigo in the Project Room

The wood sculptures are either free-standing or wall mounted, looking like either a taxidermy standing bear or a mounted elk's head, but the color really separates them from any natural characteristics. For the wall-mounted pieces, spray painted patterns can be seen on their bases before layer upon layer of the figure extends from them. I was especially drawn to Strange Regions in Search of Beauty, Awe or Terror from this year which compounds a human face, a human skull, and a bull's head, revealing the animalistic nature in us all. Each of us has days when we feel there is a bull inside struggling to break free, and this piece reminds us of our own power to do so. For me, this one was all about internal drives and desires, and the power in embracing and releasing them unto the world.

The small Project Gallery in the back also held works by Daniel Albrigo with smiley face paintings and a sculpture made of smiley beach balls. The paintings are light and fun and have titles like Don't Forget to Smile with hues of pink and light blue. I kind of feel bad for Albrigo because his work does deserve attention, but I just had to get back to Fosik's pieces. They are endlessly exciting and each detail is superb.

One of my favorite details of the work was the shingle-like scales he employed on his free-standing figures such as Exploder Installation. These scales are sharp-edged and painted colorfully, so why do I believe them to be realistic? It seems like that head is going to start snarling and it is going to leap off the pedestal at any minute. And the hands! The animalistic figure has human hands, and unlike the other figures which have them in distinct gestures, these are positioned more as if in prayer-pose. Maybe its meditation is what is keeping the beast back, so it is necessary to be left in peace.

Words cannot do these pieces justice, and neither do the pictures that follow. Please, go see this show. You will not be disappointed. No matter what age, gender or culture you are coming from, you will find something in this work that speaks to you. With about twenty large pieces, Fosik's work will stick in your brain, and I have absolutely no doubt that you will be seeing a lot more of him in the future.

Exploder Installation by AJ Fosik, 2012

Everything is Fine on Mars by Daniel Albrigo, 2012

Ursula Xanthe Young @Fabric 8

Romanowski's work carried into the second gallery, with Minister of Super Heavy Funk, a large piece dedicated to James Brown, but then moves into the work of local muralist, Brian Barneclo. These paintings have a little less precision and a little more antiquated quality to them, just like his work on murals throughout the city including one commissioned by the SF Bay Guardian at 135 Mississippi St. It must be a challenge to adapt his aesthetic to the much smaller space of a canvas, but he is able to use this space to bring the local flair of the street to the inside of a home or gallery.

If you're in the Mission, make a trip to Fabric8 to check out the work and the shop. If nothing else, the woman who was running it when I was there is incredibly nice and helpful. There is also a parklet out front, and if you enjoy Young's work, come back soon, as she will be its next designer. I look forward to seeing what these guys are going to do next.

Brian Barneclo

Out front Fabric 8

The colorful works in the front of the gallery contrast to the black and white photographs in the back. These photographs are mostly figurative, showing the people who may inhabit the towns hidden by the night in the first pictures. They seem to be from a bygone era of American history including diners and circuses, when people actually had to travel to make connections, and they had to use diesel fuel to do so.

The large space allows for a good overview of Fitch's work. Viewers are allowed to see two different series, which relate to, but are distinct from one another. These works have an essentially American character, and their rural settings are a nice break from the heavily urban-influenced work coming from artists working within the city. I suggest taking a trip to Robert Koch to see the works, and allowing yourself the time to take in the quiet atmosphere of the gallery and the subtle historical quality of the work; you may forget you're in the middle of downtown, if even just for a minute.

The show has a juxtaposition of abstract, geometric paintings and objects with what look like vintage portraits with drawn patterns around the figures. These portraits were each displayed within a clear plastic bag that has been stitched closed with pink thread, signaling to me a sense of closure with the portraits themselves, but since the thread was left untied, they seemed to be able to be opened again if need be. Like the thread, pink was definitely the color of the show, and it showed up in almost every work shown, giving them all a decidedly feminine attitude.

The femininity of the night was further emphasized by the audience (which were almost all women), the gallery itself, and even the delicious cookies they decided to serve instead of hors d'oeuvres. As a woman, this was a really nice break from the hyper-masculine shows I've been going to and allowed a place for the women's artistic community to gather. Congdon was also at the opening, which allowed many visitors to come and talk to her. Even though she probably won't be there all open hours for the rest of the show, I would suggest getting to Rare Device before it closes on December 31st, but as quickly as the work was selling on Friday, you might want to get there sooner than later.

Full photo slide show

Work by Meridel Rubenstein

The show was one of two opening that night, the second of which was Meridel Rubenstein's Heaven Turned on Its Side: Photosynthesis. She works in large scale photography, capturing moments within different stages of photosynthesis along with the equinoxes. All but one of them are photomontages with layered works, most of which depict natural atmospheric weather and trees. The photograph that does not seem to be digitally manipulated does seem to contrast with the fragmentation of the rest of the works, but because of its size, it works with the rest of the pieces in the show.

Not only the bright colors and textures of Sagerman's work drew audiences, but the fact that Rubenstein was only allotted a very small space in comparison put focus on him as the star of the show. I saw Sagerman at the opening and he was constantly busy talking to collectors and guests. The gallery was busy and many people were there, which speaks to the strength of the work. If you get a chance, please go see these works in person. The pictures below just can't do it justice.