Ben Barretto at The Popular Workshop

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San Francisco Gallery The Popular Workshop recently opened a solo exhibition by Australian artist Ben Barretto entitled Self Help. From the press release: “Self Help continues Barretto’s ongoing exploration into recursion; with each of the series of works he presents ‘making’ themselves to some extent. That is, the chosen material and its inherent properties inform the process and drive the work into a constant loop of feedback.
Self Help presents iterations of this process over 3 different mediums, including hand woven tapestries made from used climbing rope, reconfigured nylon training pants and a set of oil paintings. Within each of these series, Barretto creates a system through which the material qualities of each medium are unbound and rebound into a continuous ongoing cycle, a cycle which sits in collaboration with the expressive additions of Barretto’s own hand, having these works sit somewhere between assemblage and action painting.” The show is on view through April 12, 2013.

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Christopher Saunders’ Ominous Landscape Paintings

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Christopher Saunders lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. His paintings are gloomy, atmospheric, and mesmerizing. In his own words: “My recent landscape paintings are primarily built around the cloud symbol as a depiction of event, at once internal, experiential and representational. The parameters for these events are of place rather than site and suggest the apocalyptic and contemplative sublime. The clouds depicted do not reference a specific photograph but are aggregated forms generated from a multi-source photographic index. Each cloud composition is derived from a collage method which conflates images of sky, pollution, smoke, explosions, plumes, swarms, and overexposed film. Additionally, the convention of field (plane) is employed to frame and stage these lurching deformations. Compositionally, field assumes the dual role of ground (rural and urban) and atmosphere (color and light). The image value of cloud (as event) lies within its openness, its internal dynamism, and the scope of the imaginary variations to which it lends itself. Thus field and cloud collide, collude, overlap and unfold along the horizon line of precipice. These are dramas of transition, a landscape on the move where there is no contradiction between the limitless of becoming and the singularity of the event.” (Via)

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Light Sculptures from Diet Wiegman

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Under the typical gallery bright lights these sculptures from artist Diet Wiegman may seem like innocuous piles of trash.  However, these ‘piles’ are meticulously arranged and precisely lit.  The resulting shadows resemble famous works of art, icons, and images.  He creates coveted works of art through refuse in something as elusive as a shadow.  Though various types of ‘light sculptures’ have made their way through art in the past few years, Wiegman is a veteran.  He has been using shadows and light as a medium for nearly five decades.      [via]

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Christopher Jonassen’s Planet-Like Pots

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Photographer Chistopher Jonassen‘s series Devour seems cosmic in origin.  They appear to be photographs of planets mottled by millions of years of meteorite impacts and scarred by geological forces.  In reality the series depicts the bottoms of pots.  The worn metal is burnt, scratched, and often just old.  Devour illustrates the destruction, even violence, inherent in eating and nourishment.  On his website Jonassen precedes the series with a quote from philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre: “To eat is to appropriate by destruction.”

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Yoko Ono’s Make-up Tips For Men

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YOKO ONO “Make-Up Tips For Men” from Opening Ceremony on Vimeo.

Yoko Ono needs no introduction. She is a well established art superstar and one of my personal favorites. Ono has a new video called “Make-Up Tips for Men” (made as part of her clothing line for Opening Ceremony). Over “uh-huh”s and a club beat, men are given commands like, “When you see a rainbow in the sky. Breathe it in,” or “Let everything in your room shine and sparkle.” Grooming be damned! (via)

Scottish Electro-Pop Trio Chvrches

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Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry performing at the Echo on March 12, 2013 – Photo by Raymond Lew

You could have blinked and missed getting tickets to this hotly anticipated show by Glasgow’s Chvrches at the Echo in Los Angeles last week. Opening the show was France’s Isaac Delusion who played very danceable music to the early arrivals and Denmark’s Karen Marie Ørsted aka MØ stirring up the crowd with her karate styled dancing and ponytail flipping… yup, I’m obsessed with her… check out the video for Pilgrim to see for yourself.

With a pumped up and lively crowd waiting, Chvrches took the stage and played a tight set starting with one of my favorites, Lies. Since this was only their second show ever in the US, their first being the night before at San Francisco’s The Independent, the excitement level was pretty high throughout the show. Other standout songs was their new single Recover as well as the very catchy, The Mother We Share that ended their short, but sweet set.

Definitely a band to keep an eye on, even with the buzz, they delivered a knock out performance. Check out the video for Lies and remember to act fast when they come back to town because I’m sure it will be another quick sell out. You can pre-order their EP, Recover from iTunes out on March 26th.

 

Mr.Div’s Mesmerizing GIFs

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Matthew DiVito, also known as mr. div, is a motion graphics designer and aspiring game developer.  Using a cocktail of software DiVito produces these hypnotic gif images.  A popular file type in the 1990′s, gifs are experiencing a resurgence in popularity.  DiVito’s images certainly retain a retro sensibility.  However, gone are the blocky appearance and wonky movement typical of the first wave of gifs.  His work has a certain cosmic precision and elegance making each file slightly mesmerizing.

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