Friday, April 9, 2010

Looking for Art in One of the Wrong Places

Haven’t gotten out much to see art in the last 4 months, with the exception of the early February opening of Love, Art and Chocolate at 323 Gallery, and more recently a quick sprint through SFMOMA 75th Anniversary exhibit.

On an early morning walk the other day, I came across a row of boxy 1950s-style houses that were all painted about the same time during the fresh-paint-and-then-flip housing boom a few years ago. Even though the paint wasn't that old, several houses had massive peeling.

One house caught my eye, and I stopped to marvel at how the paint peeled in interesting and creative forms. I wondered if it was a different painter, if he or she knew that by ignoring all the rules of paint preparation, and then applying the paint a certain way, it would yield a few short years later a 3D mural of peeling paint in the shape of butterflies, the continents of Africa and Australia, the islands of Hawaii, Indonesia, and Rhode, a large manta ray and a tall ship. It was something to behold in the early morning light.Speaking of murals, San Francisco muraling team Jennifer Ewing and Leo Germano recently completed several large art deco paintings that are installed in the historic Varsity Theater in downtown Davis. The theater web site doesn’t mention the murals; I guess you need to buy a ticket to see them. Another reason to go to Davis is to see the Proclivities show of SF encaustic artist Adele Shaw at the Pence Gallery. The opening reception is tonight Friday April 9, 7-9PM. The show runs through May 9.

posted by Phil Gravitt

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