David Altmejd

Entering Andrea Rosen Gallery last weekend I was instantly drawn into the large installations by David Altmejd. These large plexi cases were filled with plaster hands, heads, threads, insects, and precious gems... a strange, interesting and scientific mix of objects which ultimately formed a painfully detailed diarama of decay.

The subjects are less about death than the transition into something else, a transformation that seems to mimic a change from man to animal in a series of tunnels and almost vein like structures. These tunnels morph into one another and suggest a biological transfer of energy from human parts into nature; crystalized formations, insects, and infinite webs.

Metamorphosis

This weekend I completed a new piece, "Metamorphosis", for the ArtSpan Benefit Art Auction to be held on March 26th. This is my absolute favorite art fundraising event of the year - it's always a packed house, lots of original affordable amazing art, with both live and silent auctions. I personally love the buzz of the live auction - so much fun to see the art enthusiasts get all get all fired up for the chance to own their favorite pieces.

ArtSpan Benefit Auction

Saturday, March 26th 2011

VIP: 6-9:30pm

Regular Admission: 6:45-9:30pm

SOMArts Bay Gallery

934 Brannan Street

San Francisco, CA

more info:

http://www.artspan.org/sf-open-studios-benefit-art-show-auction

Jennifer Trask: Intrinsecus

The final and absolute favorite artist which I discovered at The Dead or Alive Exhibit was Jennifer Trask. This wall installation made from a found 19th century Italian wood and gold leaf frame uses bones, teeth, antlers, silver and gold leaf to create a completely organic and absolutely beautiful piece of art. This installation, Intrinsecus, refers to the Dutch tradition of Vanitas, which is Latin means “emptiness”, and loosely translated corresponds to the meaninglessness of earthly life and the transient nature of vanity.

What's even more interesting is that she is formally trained as a jeweler and metalsmith. I can see how that has transcended into using natural objects to create something so intricate.

These "flowers" are actually made of rattlesnake vertebra.

Tessa Farmer: Little Savages

Two artists I saw at the Dead or Alive Exhibit were so compelling I felt they deserved their own post - Tessa Farmer being of of them. The attention to detail in her sculptures is impeccable. Each tiny scenario has a crazy amount of detail which is hard to even make out with just the human eye alone. Her background working in a Natural History Museum and entomology inspires her work - which I suppose is why I am so drawn to these spooky little scenes.

This series is called "little savages" - quite fitting...

Her work, made from insect carcasses, plant roots and other found natural materials, comprises hanging installations depicting battles between insects and tiny winged skeletal humanoids.

Dead or Alive: Nature as Art

During a recent trip to New York I had the pleasure of stopping into the Museum of Arts & Design for a much anticipated show - Dead or Alive: Nature Becomes Art. Naturally I was drawn to this exhibit because of it's focus on organic materials which were once produced by or part of living organisms - feathers, bones, egg shells, insects, fur, antlers, dried and rotting plants. Once-living parts of flora and fauna were recombined and rearranged into works of art that address the transience of life, and examines beauty in the extreme.

Here a large cascade of 1000's of pigeon feathers emanate from one of MAD's signature glass bands that cut across the gallery ceilings (Kate McGcwire)

Levi van Veluw’s photo series are self-portraits, drawn and photographed by himself: a one-man-process. His works constitute elemental transfers; this youngest artist of the exhibition uses his own head and shoulders as a canvas on which to build natural landscapes.

Some favorites were the skulls by Jan Fabre which use actual Jewel beetle, click beetle and ground beetle shields on synthetic material to create these beautiful sculptures. The texture and colors of actual beetle shells are just amazing, I could look at them for hours.

ArtSpan's ArtLaunch 2010, Saturday Oct.2nd

I recently completed this piece which will be showcased in ArtSpan's SF Open Studios kickoff event ArtLaunch 2010 (formerly The Private Preview Gala) on Saturday, October 2nd.

Featuring over 430 original artworks by SF Open Studios artists, all work will be on sale and will take place at the SOMArts Gallery, 934 Brannan Street at 9th Street. Tickets are available to registered SF Open Studios artists and members for $35 in advance / $40 at the door and to non-members for $50 in advance / $60 at the door. ArtLaunch 2010 will stimulate your creative side with an interactive art project, an open bar with Pernod Absinthe cocktails, fun eats by Thomas John events, music, and a 5% discount (up to $50) for members on the original artwork for sale. The show will run through the end of October.

What: ArtLaunch 2010
When: Saturday, October 2nd. 7-10pm
Where: SOMArts, 934 Brannan Street @ 8th
More info: info@artspan.org 415-861-9838

Official Site: http://www.artspan.org
Buy tickets: http://artlaunch2010.eventbrite.com/

Deb & Michael's Ketubah

I finally have some images to share of the Ketubah that I created for a friends wedding this past fall. The text is surrounded by acrylic painting and has a resin finish. (resin was applied after the bride and groom signed on their wedding day)

A Ketubah is The Jewish Marriage Contract, and is a tradition in Jewish wedding customs and in Jewish history. The Art of the Ketubah entails a unique document known as a marriage contract that outlines marital responsibilities and, at the same time, is set into an artful background.

The ketubah is signed by two witnesses and traditionally read out loud under the chuppah. Close family friends or distant relatives are invited to witness the ketubah, which is considered an honor. I couldn't have been more excited to be such an integral part of this very special day, and was my most intimate and personal commission yet.

Marks by Aaron Nagel

Later Saturday we moved on to the opening reception over at White Walls and Shooting Gallery. Aaron Nagel, from Oakland, displays his show, Marks, at the Shooting Gallery. 11 pieces showcase stunning women which are portrayed as Catholic martyrs. Although most are penetrated by arrows, the women seem unaffected, if not calming. The black paint dripping from the women's hands represents a guilty past. What freaks me out the most was to find that Nagel is entirely self taught. His work is absolutely stunning - I couldn't get enough.

SOMA Saturday

Sometimes I take this little city of ours for granted - after living here for 10+ years I forget how many treasures are hidden around each corner, underground gatherings, unique experiences that only one can really experience in this utopia we call our home - San Francisco.

First stop, 31 Rausch Gallery for my friend Adam Wier's photography show: I got 5 on it.

While searching for this tiny gallery which I had never been to or even heard of - We stumbled upon what appeared to be a large garage/warehouse one block over, with a line of people down the street and around the parking lot next door. At first I wondered if this was the show, and thought to myself that I might not be cut out to wait in this line. I didn't have to - I found out that this was San Francisco's "Underground Farmers Market". Apparently this venue where you can taste the food that is being made in the kitchens of our fair city - and it moves around from month to month. The reason why? To sell at a farmers market, you need to produce your creations in a commercial kitchen. This is an impossible expense for many people, so the underground farmers market lets home producers get their products into the light. These are veterans, people who’ve been making their products for years, but only able to share them with friends.

Amazing! All these folks waiting in line for the underground Farmers Market, on a Saturday night, 10pm. Back on track to find Adam's show.... Finally arriving at 31 Rausch. It's essentially... a hallway. However what's so great about it is that it's a non-profit art space with everything priced under $200, and artists can take 100% of the sales. As an artist, that is a concept I can get used to. This encourages artists peers to purchase art, and the artists to create experimental work.

I got 5 on it: The show is explained:"Rambling around the finite physical world, photographer’s visions are bound to cross paths, intersecting across time, space and intent at touchstone subject matter. We've called a group of 20 photographers back to 5 such seminal subject crossroads. A chair, a flower, a window, a tree, and the road; these are subjects we have found our way to, in our own way, on our own way".

It was a fantastic concept - all artists presented the same 5 subjects. The show could be viewed by subject matter or by artist, creating two completely different viewpoints of the work and forcing the viewer to examine more than meets the eye.

Flora Grubb

For most of us living in San Francisco, Flora Grubb is a household name by now. She has a beautiful nursery in SF which has an abundance of rare, exotic plants, succulents, and palms. No matter how much I see or read about her, I cannot help but get completely inspired each time I visit the gardens or see a new project somewhere... her work is absolutely beautiful. I adore the composition & texture of her "living art" made of succulents. (And anyone who has been to my house knows I have a certain obsession with succulents - maybe because it's the only thing I am successful at growing...?)

Recently I paid a visit to the nursery and found my new favorite project: the Vertical Garden in a Woolly Pocket. Apparently they are inexpensive (probably not the one featured here), lightweight, and can go indoors or out. Even more - they are made out of recycled water bottles. What is there not to like?

Dana Harel: Kin

I accidentally stumbled upon this artist, Dana Harel, the other day while walking past Frey Norris Gallery in downtown San Francisco. I was instantly drawn in by the large scale, very intricate, and extremely scientific nature of these drawings. Upon going inside, I learned that this artist was actually trained in Architecture originally, and her precise draftsmanship eventually evolved into this. She seamlessly combines human hands with various animals, and the barriers between human and nature become quite blurred.

ArtSpan Auction

Thank you to everyone who made it out to support the ArtSpan Benefit Auction. Given the state of the economy, there was an amazing turnout. For the first couple of hours there was a line out the door, and we packed the house. The live auction portion was a huge amount of fun as usual, (featuring yours truly as a live auction runner!) with some very active bidders and all artwork sold! The Auction continues to be a very successful and extremely fun event each year that I am happy to be a part of.  

Ginkgo Gallery

The Nature of Art

The goal is to break things down in to the most basic of elements. Nature, object, anatomy & composition. The development of these objects in relation to one another, yet somehow find a way to make each of them integrate into one another. Inspiration is drawn from the simple elements which we find in nature, yet rarely take the time out to enjoy.

The famous novelist, Ayn Rand, responds to the question: "What does art do?" by answering: A concept is a mental integration of two or more units which are isolated according to a specific characteristic and united by a specific definition.... The act of isolation involved is a process of abstraction: i.e., a selective mental focus that takes out or separates a certain aspect of reality from all others.... The uniting involved is not a mere sum, but an integration, i.e., a blending of the units into a single, new mental entity which is used thereafter as a single unit of thought.

Isolation and integration are the core processes involved in both concept formation and artistic creation.

development for a new year

I've been working on a new series of collage type pieces. These incorporate ink, collage taken from pieces of old textbooks such as botany, meteorology, anthropology, etc., and drawing. It's been nice to get back into drawing and the scientific side of things.