Art Beat Bay Area

I was happy to recommend this show of incredible abstract paintings by Liam Everett at Altman Siegel for Visual Art Source:

I loved having the opportunity to write about the opening of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive for art, ltd.:

It’s been a challenging few years in the Bay Area art world. There’s been the shuttering or scattering of galleries from central locations. The temporary closure (due to construction) of two of the area’s museums, including the anchoring SFMOMA. Artists getting priced out of studio space. And so on. That is all making an extreme about face this year, starting out with an incredible January, which was topped off, on the last day of the month, by the reopening of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) in its new, spectacular home. (Earlier in the month the artist house museum of David Ireland, 500 Capp Street, opened, and the San Francisco Arts Commission introduced its new, much improved gallery location). The excitement around BAMPFA’s new space was palpable leading up to and including the opening, which saw lines around the block. BAMPFA director Lawrence Rinder also noted that the institution surpassed its $105 million capital campaign goal and the opening night gala alone raised around $1 million.

Read more . . .

The new BAMPFA building, which melds the 1930s Art Deco UC Berkeley printing plant with a new construction.

The huge news this week is the opening of the Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive this Sunday in its stunning new location. Designed by internationally recognized architectural firm Diller Scofido + Renfro, the museum occupies what had been the UC Berkeley printing plant integrated with a new structure. The space is refreshingly light-filled and welcoming, and, importantly, shows off the artwork well. The inaugural show, “Architecture of Life” well establishes the museum’s role in being encyclopedic and academic, while also being accessible: the show features over 250 works spanning two thousand years and explores the idea of architecture both as a practice as well as a metaphor. The show succeeds in drawing well-thought and highly enjoyable connections to a broader concept of architecture without being so steeped in academia as to require vast background knowledge. It also incorporates well-known artists with those lesser known or more obscure, showing the wide breadth of the museum’s curatorial reach and expanding the viewers’ breadth of experience, and the quality throughout remains consistently high. This is a truly gorgeous and engaging exhibition, and it shows off well in this beautiful new home.

A couple other shows I’m really enjoying right now . . .

“Dumbballs: David Ireland and His Circle,” at Gallery Anglim Gilbert, San Francisco (through Feb. 27): As mentioned in my last post, there is a David Ireland love-fest going on around the opening of 500 Capp Street (as well there should be): in addition to the opening of the house museum are two exhibitions featuring Ireland’s work. It’s an amazing time to become immersed in the work of this highly influential artist. This show at Anglim Gilbert not only includes some important work by Ireland, but by featuring pieces by conceptual Bay Area peers as well as younger artists he has had an impact on, further establishes him as a central and innovative figure in conceptual art.

Leo Villareal, “spacetime,” at fused space, San Francisco (through March 21): Widely known here for his enthralling Bay Area lights project, Villareal presents a show of smaller-scale works that are at moments dynamically engaging and at other times soothingly meditative. They provide an opportunity to experience a wider offering from this internationally acclaimed light sculpture artist.

Upcoming!
Happening tonight! The inaugural exhibition by CTRL+SHFT, an Oakland-based women’s artist collective, with the group show “Soft Serve.” Opening is from 6 to 10 p.m., and the show runs through February 19. The group was recently a recipient of Southern Exposure‘s Alternative Exposure grant.

Opening January 30, Berkeley: “Here, Part II: What Cannot Be Said,” curated by Natasha Boas, at the Berkeley Art Center. An opening reception will take place Saturday, February 6, 6 to 8 p.m. An talk curator Boas and BAMPFA director Larry Rinder, titled “What Does It Mean to Think about Abstraction?” will take place Wednesday, February 24, at 6 p.m.

Opening February 5, Oakland: Sheila Ghidini, “A Fleeting Grace,” at Chandra Cerrito Contemporary. An opening reception will take place Friday, February 5, 6 to 8 p.m. An artist talk with Ghidini and Randy Colosky, moderated by Kevin B. Chen will take place Thursday, February 25, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

David Ireland House (interior view); upstairs hallway with “Broom Collection with Boom” (1978–88), “untitled chair,” and “wallpaper patties,” 1978; photo: Henrik Kam, taken November 2015, courtesy 500 Capp Street Foundation

Back from a holiday hiatus (and emerging from a jet lag fog), I am excited to dive into 2016: it’s going to be a thrilling year for the Bay Area art scene. To get started, here are a few shows and openings I’m particularly excited about.

5oo Capp Street, the David Ireland House, San Francisco: Opening Friday, January 15, is this unique artist house/exhibition and performance space. This is the house legendary conceptual artist Ireland called home; having a practice that melded life and art, for Ireland, his home functioned as much as a curated exhibition space as functional living quarters. This current iteration of the location finds it functioning much the same way, but now it’s open to the public. This comes on the heels of eight years of meticulous renovations and conservation, in order to return the home to its original luster, as it was when Ireland lived there. The house will feature changing exhibitions, events, and, beginning in 2017, an artist-in-residence program. This is an excellent opportunity to see the work of this seminal art figure, as well as experience living life as art. There will be several events taking place at the 500 Capp to celebrate the opening.

Additionally, two exhibitions, at SFAI’s Walter and McBean Galleries (Jan. 14 to Mar. 26) and at Anglim Gilbert Gallery (Jan. 20 to Feb. 27), featuring the work of Ireland and its influence will be on show in conjunction with the opening of the Ireland House. The SFAI show will feature important and rarely shown works by Ireland, and the Anglim Gilbert show, titled “Dumbball: David Ireland and his Circle,” will feature works by Ireland as well as by his contemporaries and artists he influenced.

David Maisel, “The Fall,” at Haines Gallery, San Francisco (through Mar. 12): This show features a gorgeous new series of aerial landscape images Maisel shot while in Spain. These meticulously rendered works (while taken in 2013, Maisel wasn’t finished with fine tuning them until about eighteen months later) are a continuation of Maisel’s exploration of land altered by humans; here an abandoned urban development project and farm land. As much as these works serve to document a place in time, they are also a study of interconnected forms and subtle but rich coloration, to the point of being painterly (Maisel cites Richard Diebenkorn as an influence, and it is no stretch to draw such a comparison). An exceptional show.

kurimanzutto travels to Jessica Silverman Gallery, “from here to there,” at Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco (through Mar. 5): This group exhibition features both historic and new work by thirteen artists represented by renown Mexico City–based gallery kurimanzutto, which has been known for its unorthodox practices and “risk-taking” exhibitions as well as its efforts to expand the reach of the contemporary Mexican artists it represents: kurimanzutto has arranged shows in Paris and Warsaw, and now San Francisco. This show features sculpture, textiles, videos, and more; it is a special opportunity to get a taste of Mexico City’s acclaimed art scene.

Other happenings to note this month . . .

FraenkelLAB is opening soon (kind of): January 13 to 17, Fraenkel Gallery’s new project space, close to Zuni Cafe on Market Street, will feature a preview of its “adventurous” programming to come. On show will be Oliver Beer’s Reanimation (Snow White), which will be viewable from the street, dusk to 10 p.m. The gallery’s first exhibition will open April 14; titled “Home Improvements,” the show is being curated by cult film legend, artist, and part-time SF resident John Waters.

The Berkeley Art Museum reopens January 31 at its new location (2155 Center St., at Oxford), designed by New York firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro!

The San Francisco Arts Commission opens its new gallery space at 401 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 125 (on the ground floor of the War Memorial Veterans Building). A celebration will take place opening day, Friday, January 22, from 6 to 9 p.m. (remarks at 7 p.m.); three exhibitions will be on show.

Matthew Day Jackson, “Donner Lake,” 2009, laser cut and engraved Formica on wood panel, 120″ x 162″ x 2″

I was honored to be able to write for art, ltd. magazine about this epic exhibition at the Nevada Museum of Art, “Tahoe: A Visual History.” This is a history-making show.

“‘Tahoe: A Visual History,’ on view at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno until January 10, 2016, is a seminal exhibition: the first to document the art history of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding area, including the much storied Donner Pass. The exhibition follows in the spirit of documenting the art of other natural, national treasures such as Yosemite, Niagara Falls, and Yellowstone. Curator Ann M. Wolfe, who spent the last five years planning the show, says that she aimed to make it a comprehensive and straightforward survey. “We recognized that this show should lay a foundation that future curators and scholars can work from, to create more thematic exhibitions on the subject,” she notes. “For that reason, it’s primarily laid out chronologically with just a few thematic elements.” Among the contemporary works on display are numerous pieces that were commissioned by the museum specifically for the exhibition. Thus, the show is not just an in-depth look at the art of the area, it enriches this ever-evolving dialogue as well. Read more . . .

“Boy in Suitcase,” 2015, HC animation video with sound; 3.33. Courtesy of Gallery Wendi Norris, San Francisco

I had the distinct pleasure to review Julio César Morales’ exhibition “Emotional Violence” at Gallery Wendi Norris for Art Practical:

“The title of Julio César Morales’ exhibition of new works at Gallery Wendi Norris notifies the viewer that this work will not be light or, at its essence, easy—and this is the case, though Morales’ difficult subjects are deftly handled, able to be contemplated and digested in all their anguish.

“The work in Emotional Violence continues Morales’ ongoing conceptual exploration of such weighty and all-too-current topics as illegal border crossing, drug smuggling, human trafficking, displaced peoples, and informal economies. As has long been his practice, Morales looks to the media and documentary photography for source material to inspire the ceramic, video, and flat works included in the exhibition.” Read more . . .

Barry McGee, 2015

Here is a selection of some of the best exhibitions up now:

Barry McGee, “China Boo” at Ratio 3 (through Dec. 19): This show is epic, and I don’t use that word lightly. McGee is in his finest form, presenting work small and huge, riffing off old favorites, and pushing color and pattern to eye-dizzying glory. There is also a spectacular show within a show, the result of some fortuitous timing and massive collaboration. I’ll say no more, as to not ruin the surprise, aside from, Do. Not. Miss. This. Show.

Sophie Calle, at Fraenkel Gallery (through Dec. 24): Using text, photography, and a project installation, Sophie Calle looks at the topics security, secrets, violence, and suicide. Tonally, work throughout runs the spectrum of white to black, lending a heavy feel to the weighty subjects covered. This show is intense, and packs a thoughtful, resonating punch. It’s the kind of show that follows you out the door.

“Jewel City: Art from San Francisco’s Panama-Pacific International Exposition” at the de Young (through Jan. 10): From my story for art, ltd. magazine about this massive show highlighting the Panama-Pacific International Exposition’s fine art component: “The show features over 200 works, most of which were shown at PPIE. Of particular note is the massive amount of research that went into creating the exhibition, the fruits of which are laid out in a thorough, copiously illustrated 400-page catalogue. ‘Until now, a clear understanding of the art historical significance of the PPIE has been obscured by its unwieldy scale … as well as the relative dearth of visual evidence of what was exhibited,” [James] Ganz [the show’s curator] notes. “The contemporary catalogues and guidebooks of paintings, sculpture, prints, and photographs were sparsely illustrated, and few gallery interiors were photographed. The curatorial team spent several years scouring archival sources and the primary and secondary literature, as well as reaching out to auction houses, museums, and private collectors with the goal of identifying a critical mass of the works shown in 1915 to arrive at a considered and coherent selection for this restaging.” This is a gorgeous and historically significant exhibition.

Julio César Morales, “Emotional Violence” at Wendi Norris Gallery (through Dec. 19): Julio Cesar Ramirez continues his exploration of border crossing and informal economies, touching on drug trafficking and human trafficking, as well as human rights violations as they pertain to displaced or undocumented peoples (think Syrian refugees), among other weighty subjects. The work is powerful, poignant, and, at times, disturbing, but always eye-opening.

Coming Soon! A selection of upcoming shows and events to watch for:

Opening this Friday in SF: Josh Jefferson, “Head Into the Trees” at Gallery 16 (Nov. 13 to Dec. 31). An opening reception will take place Friday, November 13, 6 to 9 p.m.

Opening December 11 in SF: “Major Work” at Chandran Gallery (Dec. 11 to Jan. 15), a show curated by Andrew Schoultz, includes new, large-scale work by Alicia McCarthy, Aaron Noble, Kelsey Brookes, Revok, James Marshall (Dalek), Sam Friedman, Eric Yahnker, Mark Dean Veca, Saber, Hilary Pecis, Tim Biskup, Eric White, Allison Schulnik, and Andrew Schoultz. An opening reception will take place Friday, December 11, 7 to 9 p.m.

Opening December 10 in SF: William T. Wiley, “& So . . . May Cuss Grate Again?” at Hosfelt Gallery (Dec. 11 to Jan. 30). An opening reception will take place Thursday, December 10, 6 to 8 p.m.

Book launch party November 30 in SF: For This Bridge Will Not Be Gray, illustrations by Tuckers Nichols, text by Dave Eggers. November 30, 6 p.m. at Books, Inc. in Opera Plaza.