Author Archives: Aaron Berger

Preview: DIAcussion At Envoy Enterprises

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DIAcussion, a group show that engages in dialogue and discussion through form and subject, opens tonight at envoy enterprises, 87 Rivington St. (6-8 PM). The exhibition seems to approach its concept very directly; a lot of the interplay between the work is very pronounced, sort of in your face. This is far from a problem, as the overall quality of the show looks to be pretty high. The focus on figurative elements opens up a direct, personal vein through which we are able to consider the implications of the vastly different ways in which we approach the same goals. You can keep your questions at face value (medium vs. medium, subject vs. subject). And you can take in the decaying face of Gerald Collings’ The Hollow (above) and go all out dust-to-dust; considering the myriad ways you might choose to live your life in the face of the possibility that we all end up in the same lame, dead position eventually, that we all think we know the best way out of the maze but none of us actually find the exit in time.

All images courtesy of the artist and envoy enterprises, New York.

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Curiot (Favio Martinez) At FFDG

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birth_of_the_omuktlans 63_8163345900f75238b748bchant_for_pleasureThe work of Mexican artist Curiot is still on display at FFDG in San Francisco. If you find yourself around those parts and have not yet seen the exhibition, then fear not- you still have three days to roll through. Age of Omuktlans closes this Saturday. I would get there before then if I were you. Curiot’s technique is looking pretty solid with this new batch of paintings that allude to Mexican traditions (geometric designs, Day of the Dead styles, myths and legends, and tribal tinges). His characters seem to exist outside of time, and possess so much magnetism that the artist’s compositions maintain a certain vibrancy even in the absence of any background elements. Spring is here, and these works express a lot of the churning, dynamic forces coming into play outdoors right now. Rain or shine, Curiot seems to have a handle on the natural dynamics constantly at play around us. And if you can’t make it to the SF institution’s IRL location, click past the jump to see more images from the show.

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We Asked Leon Reid IV A Few Questions After His Studio Was Destroyed By Hurricane Sandy

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IMG_6005Leon Reid IV Studio Hurricane Sandy

Last September, we visited Leon Reid IV‘s studio and brought back some photos. Less than a month later, Hurricane Sandy blew through the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, leaving so many of us devastated. Leon’s studio is located right up against Newtown Creek in Greenpoint. When the storm hit, the creek flooded the studio with nasty, polluted water; damaging equipment, artwork, and the space itself. Slowly but surely, Leon’s working to bring things back together. We recently talked briefly about his rebuilding process and where things are headed going forward. Click past the jump for Leon’s account of the ordeal and some news from his studio. And stop by his booth at the Fountain Art Fair (March 8-10, 68 Lexington Ave.), where he’ll be showing some of the flooded works.

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Mark Mulroney at Mixed Greens

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Mark Mulroney- Mixed Media Mark Mulroney- Mixed MediaMark Mulroney- Mixed Media Mark Mulroney is currently showing new work at Mixed Greens in Chelsea. The exhibition, entitled We’re Never Getting Rescued With That Attitude, features paradisiacal scenery created with graphite and acrylic applied to both found book paper and carved wood panel, respectively. In addition to reading Gauguin’s letters from Tahiti, studying Tarzan imagery, and internalizing clichéd tropical sunsets, Mulroney investigated 30-years-worth of Playboy and Penthouse magazines in preparation for the show. Click past the jump for some installation views, and check it out in person before April 20th.

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Preview: Jay Howell at FFDG

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Next month, Jay Howell is having a solo show of 25 new works on paper at FFDG in San Francisco (“Enthusiastic Person”, opening February 1st, 6-9pm). Always excited to see what this guy is cooking up. Every new series he does seems to improve on the last without abandoning the sense of freedom and experimentation that makes his work so appealing. This will be Howell’s third solo exhibition with the gallery, and if you’re in the area, I definitely encourage you to check it out. Click past the jump to see more new character-filled work, and keep a look out for the artist’s upcoming animated series with Nickelodeon, “Sanjay and Craig”.

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Aaron OBLVN’s Humorous Vintage Animation Drawings

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Portland artist OBLVN recently closed a show at Guerrero Gallery in San Francisco. The show, entitled “Different Strokes, Different Folks”, was positioned in the project room, while Ryan Travis Christian’s solo exhibition, “The Second Banana” took the main gallery space. OBLVN brings the clean brushwork of vintage animation design with a clean eye for interesting character work honed through a background in graffiti. I was seriously impressed with the artist’s “100 Paintings” show last spring at Klughaus gallery in NYC. It seems like he’s pushed further since then, as this show features some larger works on wood and canvas.

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Liz Hickok Sweet, Blubbery Light- Cityscapes Made of Jell-O

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Liz Hickok is a San Francisco-based artist working in photography, video, sculpture, and installation. Hickok received her MFA from Mills College in Oakland, California. She earned a BFA and BA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts. Hickok lived and worked in Boston for over ten years before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area. “Hickok’s Cityscapes in Jell-O” series has received extensive media coverage, such as The New York Times, NPR, and The CBS Early Show. Her artwork has been exhibited across the United States and is included in international collections.

Hickok will be showing work at The Emerald Tablet in San Francisco October 20 – November 18 as part of A.D.D., a group exhibition. (via)

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Kim Dorland’s Red Deer Alberta Series of Paintings

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Kim Dorland was born in 1974 in Wain­wright, Alberta, Canada. He lives and works in Toronto, Canada. This series, entitled “Red Deer Alberta”, lights up the forest with almost neon-like colors. But not to the point where the fire burns everything down. Just enough so that you can see what’s hiding in the shadows.

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