paint
National Lampoons Monologue was up shortly during the Porous Walker Install
Nobody is Watching YOu
Kristin Farr brought us cupcakes on Wednesday!
Eddie in Hayes Valley coffee break
James Jean Chairman Bao Bun Truck
Rene Almanza at 111 Minna
As promised... two more "Move" artists for your viewing pleasure.
Melinda Beck
Melinda Beck is a Brooklyn-based illustrator and graphic designer who received her BFA in graphic design from Rhode Island School of Design in 1989. Her clients include: Nike, MTV, Nickelodeon, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, Time Magazine, The Progressive, New York Times, Newsweek, and Island Records. She has received awards from publications such as Print Magazine, Communication Arts, Society of Publication Designers, American Illustration, The Art Directors Club, The AIGA, ID Magazine, and The Society of Illustrators.
Melinda has most recently been featured in a new acquisitions show at The Library of Congress.
Jason Polan
Jason Polan currently lives in New York City and is a freelance artist from Michigan. His work has been exhibited around the United States and Europe with work appearing in ARTnews, Metropolis Magazine, and The New Yorker.
Jason is a member of the 53rd Street Biological Society and the Taco Bell Drawing Club. It has been said that he is attempting to draw every person in New York. His books have been very successful, with the highest acclaim given to Every Piece of Art in the Museum of Modern Art.
Stay tuned for more close ups.....
Since there's such a large number of artists involved in Rich Jacobs 19th installment of "Move", we thought breaking it down into smaller bits would be a good way to help you get to know the art behind the names. Starting...
....now.
A native of Queens, NY, Jordon Isip’s mixed-media works have been featured in publications like The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Time, The Atlantic Monthly, Adbusters, and Juxtapoz. He received his BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and his work has been showcased across the United States in various galleries. His work has also reached international galleries including the Musee D’histoire Contemporaine in Paris and the Galleria Comunale D’Arte Moderna E Contemporanea in Rome. He has claimed Brooklyn, NY as his new home since receiving his BFA.
Jordin has brought his knowledge to instruct at Rhode Island School of Design, Tyler School of Art, and School of Visual Arts. Presently, Jordin is an instructor at Parsons School of Design and Pratt Institute.
Brooklyn, NY is the current stomping grounds for Eric White. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he received his BFA studying illustration at Rhode Island School of Design. Eric then moved to California where he spent the following decade before moving to his current location. His art explores the metaphysical and those things that exist far beyond our perception. However, Eric never seriously considered his paintings or drawings until the end of high school.
Galleries across the United States have featured Eric White’s work and he has also been shown in galleries in Tokyo, Paris, Toronto, Belgium, and Brussels
Check back this week for more on the artists in "Move #19"...
or for more information please visit FIFTY24SF.com
Thank you to everybody who came out last Thursday for the opening reception of Rich Jacobs " Move #19"- "He said he was enjoying the donuts for the most part, and laughing hysterically." Some of the art community's most innovative illustrators, photographers, graphic designers, music makers, writers (JockoWeyland), and all around good people gathered to celebrate the opening of "Move #19". With wine from Bear Flag, fresh donuts from Bob's in the tenderloin (rumored to have killer fresh donuts at midnight), and milk for your donuts, and rad art how could you go wrong.
The stories flowed like wine as the artists, most of which are old friends, shared anecdotes about each other, and caught up on current happenings.
Images courtesy of Robynne from Bear Flag wine.
Check back this week for close ups on the artists involved in this show...
We don't want to give away the whole enchilada... but we can spare a tortilla or two...
Rich Jacobs' "MOVE #19" opens TOMORRROW Oct. 1st, 2009
7-9:30pm
If you like art and/or donuts join us tomorrow for the opening reception of
Move #19 "He said he was enjoying the donuts for the most part, and laughing hysterically."
MOVE #19
"He said- he was enjoying the donuts for the most part, and laughing hysterically?”
FIFTY24SF is proud to host the 19th installment of Rich Jacob’s renowned “Move” series.
“Move” is an ever evolving group exhibition that boasts a myriad of artists from across the U.S. Everyone one from Jordin Isip and Evan Hecox to Dave Ellis and Barry McGee have been involved in one or more versions of the “ Move” movement. Rich Jacobs, the founder and curator, has been keeping the “Move” alive for over ten years and continues to bring some of the best artists together for the eclectically composed event. Mixing various styles and mediums to the point of (what would seem like) chaos, Rich builds an orchestra of sensory stimuli.
Who is Rich Jacobs?
This internationally renowned artist is recognized as much for his distinctive illustrations as his role as a successful and innovative curator for more than a decade. Jacob’s natural ability to unite the best talent under one roof stems from his genuine nature and, the desire to expose the public to good art and artists. He has a unique way of cherishing the everyday details of life, and recreates the chaos of the daily hustle by engaging over 20 artists to participate in each new edition of “MOVE” Rather than stick to one aesthetic, Rich pulls from a well of talent, mixing photographers and writers to graphic designers and illustrators for a well rounded experience.
We cordially invite you to join us for the Opening Reception
Thursday, October 1st, 2009
7-9:30pm
248 Fillmore St.
SF,CA,94117
The closing of a show is always a bitter sweet endeavor. We've become so accustomed to the bright yellow walls, and the lively works of the Date Farmers. We love the quarters glued to the floor, and the Date Farmer Doll House. Complete with knife wielding DF paper dolls.
Tomorrow is your last day to see "Strange Fruit" you have been advised...
Because when one door closes... it closes for reals.
Sadly, the Date Farmers exhibition, "Strange Fruit", will be closing in 3 days.The last day to see the show in all it's glory is WEDNESDAY Sept. 23RD. Don't miss your last chance to check out the show!
If you need some convincing.. which you shouldn't.... please watch the following time lapse video. And for those of us who already know why we love David Choe. Wow, just another reason.
check out more pics from Choe at the Nuart Festival in Norway, here
Quite sometime ago we discovered a picture of this rad little snail that had been tagged. I believe the image was... twitpic'd. Exhibit A
While checking the progress of the Fame Festival, I was greeted by images of the tiniest of the tiny tiny. (Please note, these images were borrowed from FameFestival.it )
Intrigued, I dug around and found a link to the artist's website...
Presenting Exhibit B:
Caught red handed! Turns out, more than one snail had been the victim of such vandalism as part of the " Inner City Snail Project" by the artist known as Slinkachu.
Check out the Little People blog spot here .
It is quite obvious that Redd Walitzki, , takes pride in feminine indulgences and intricacies . The color pink unabashedly dominates her work while the delicate, vitorian-esk patterns of the background keep the energy light. Check out Redd's new collection of mixed media paintings, "Decadent Decay" opening at FIFTY24SEA this Friday.
Join FIFT24SEA and Upper Playground for the opening reception of
"Decadent Decay" new works by Redd Walitzki
Friday Sept. 18th, 2009 from 5-9pm
For more information, please contact:
Jen Vertz at Fifty 24SEA Gallery, upperplaygroundjen@gmail.com,
Awoken by some seriously, ominous sounding thunder claps at 5am on Saturday morning, a single thought was shared by most ( if not all) participants for this years Power to The Peaceful event in Golden Gate park; what happened to the sunshine?! Well, we all forged ahead, braved the rain and lightening to bring the Sam Flores live painting experience to the people.
And for those of you who stayed in your beds on that rainy, gloomy Saturday you missed out. But as always, we won't leave you hanging...
After, rocking out on canvas, Sam sat down for a few to sign autographs and doodle in some black books. He was probably approached over a hundred times for an autograph while painting and being the gracious guy he is, he greeted each person and was happy to indulge.
Thanks to everyone who came out. and An enormous thanks to Sam who, like a rock star, braved the rain to paint for us.
This serendipitous collaboration we know as The Date Farmers, moves on a higher plane than most. Their work has enough personality to make the gallery bounce with energy. That, combined with the bright yellow walls and a bad-ass Video Arcade machine, set the scene for what some opening reception attendees called a "Delicious" show. As a finishing touch, the boys super glued a quarter to the gallery floor... mischief makers.
The work keeps you on your toes, they beguile you with bright colors and familiar icons, while smacking you lightly across the face with some honest social commentary. A moral behind the story, if you will . It's always fresh and gets the message across ... and we love it.
A Date Farmer's hand drawn map required for deciphering the price list.
They are a seriously ingenious duo.
Thank you to everybody who made it out last night!
As well as many thanks to DJ Alf Alpha for the tunes and Marsea from New Image Art Gallery for coming out to support.
More shots for you tomorrow.
And the best part is -
He's giving the gallery side door a major facelift...
We will document accordingly...
see you tomorrow at 5!
Well, we will anyway...
FIFTY24SF Gallery Presents “Strange Fruit” New Works by The Date Farmers
Fifty24SF is proud to host “Strange Fruit”- a solo exhibition by The Date Farmers.
Returning to Fifty24SF Gallery, the Date Farmers is a collaborative work between artists Carlos Ramirez and Armando Lerma. Originally from Indios, California, the two attribute their paintings, collages, and three-dimensional pieces to inspiration from Mexican-American traditional values and contemporary west coast culture. The artists look to graffiti, Mexican street murals, traditional revolutionary posters, sign painting, prison art and tattoos for their influence.
The Date Farmers prefer to use scavenged materials, often found near their desert homes in southern California and nearby Mexico. “Using stuff that was thrown away is Mexican ingenuity. People’s idea of art is that it’s really expensive and [made of] nice materials, but found objects are so abundant, they’re much easier and freeing for us.”
Exploring a range of emotions, from humorous to disturbing, “Strange Fruit” is influenced by “the everyday stories, social politics and myths that take place and unfold around us on a daily.” The show represents the wide spectrum from which they draw inspiration, and the duo uses materials that allow them to be resourceful, yet abundant with character.
The Date Farmers have had International gallery exhibitions in Tokyo, London and Stockholm. They appeared at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado for the Manifest Hope Gallery.
“Strange Fruit” features new works on display at FIFTY24SF Gallery from September 3 – September 24, 2009.
Sitting in the gallery with one of my interns working out our plan for the day, a familiar face made an appearance in our doorway. Vogue, one of the forefathers of Bay area graffiti, stepped in to get a better look at Mac's new show. Shrugging his shoulders sheepishly he says, " Well it was a bit difficult to get a really good look at the show during the opening so I thought I'd swing by when it was less crowded." Now residing outside of the city, he doesn't often make the trek over the bridge. As with all artists, their humble beginnings are (to me) the most fascinating. So, of course, I asked Vogue how and why he began painting graffiti...
He simply responded, " PBS. Style Wars man."
You could see on his face that he was immediately transported back to a time when hitting up walls was very underground, very exhilarating, and a unifying endeavor. In the very beginning the concepts of turf and crews were more innocent. He described it more like boys joining a secret tree-house club in a neighbors backyard...just less legal.
Curious as to how someone became involved in a crew, if it was only a budding movement back then in SF, I asked him what a crew consisted of.
" Well, back then (1983-84) it was more of a secret thing...you would have your secret spots, you would eyeball other guys and wonder if they too were hitting up walls around the city. Since there weren't many of us out there we naturally gravitated towards each other." He describes that time period as the "golden age", a time when supplies were scarce and he and his friends would wander into hardware stores to ehm... 'borrow' the necessary tools.
Laughingly, he recounts a time when he and his friend needed caps and had no money. His friend, who was planning on becoming a pilot (at the time), refused to help him ' borrow' supplies for fear of consequence so Vogue went in for a solo mission. With a sparkle in his eye he tells us how he used to un-cap the can, bite off the cap, and store the tips in his cheeks. Like a chipmunk ready for winter he would walk out a happy man.
Not being very well versed in the art of 'borrowing' supplies I asked him why he would bite the tips off and keep them in his mouth? Laughing he says, " Well, it's the fastest way- pop the top, bite and store- pop the cap back on and you move on to the next can. It's not like now when you can walk into a store and ask for whichever tip you need. We had to learn it all on our own.We had to learn which tips could produce what and how to find and acquire those tips."
Now running a successful company out in San Leandro, Vogue doesn't paint as often as he would like, "too much at risk..." he says, "... and besides, my lady can't stand it when I go out to paint." (he shrugs charmingly).
"So, does that mean you no longer paint , apart from your job?" I asked, astonished that after 25 years on the scene someone could get that out of their blood.
He laughed and shook his head. " Naw, I still get up."
Wow, What a show! Thank you to everybody who came out to the show on Thursday . And a huge THANK YOU to Paperworks Laboratories for their absolutely stunning print "Song of Songs" For those of you that were not able to score a print at the opening there are still a few available at Paperworkslab.com.
As for the opening Reception- the show of support was amazing. 7 o'clock rolled around and a crowd was already forming in front of the gallery doors. By 8 the place was packed to the brim! Fans flocked from far and wide to give props and take in the sights. Friends flew in from Mac's hometown Phoenix, drove up from La, San Jose, Seattle, and every major graf artist in the city stopped by to say what's up to the man of the hour El Mac.
Visitors had to maneuver their way through the massive crowd swarming Mac to say 'hello' and have their advanced copies of Mac and Retna's new book "Alianza" signed. Mac patiently signed autographs for close to two hours straight. His patience and humility won the crowd over and everybody left more enamored than ever.
Shots from the madness for your enjoyment:
A very special thanks to Juxtapoz Magazine for providing copies of the subscriber issue # 103 for fans
Upper Playground for releasing advanced copies of "Alianza" ( now available online at Upperplayground.com)
Thomas at Paperworks for his generosity
Alex at Montana Paints for hooking up the supplies
Dan at 1AM gallery for saving the day with the last two cans of black Montana in the entire city!
And everybody who came out to make the show a great success.
Check back for pics of Mac's new mural going up on the side of FIFTY24SF Gallery.
Our good friends over at Paperworks Laboratory have generously sent us a few advanced copies of Macs newest print "Songs of Songs" to be released at the Opening Reception...
A 7 color hand pulled serigraph edition of 50
Printed on black Stonehenge 310 gsm 100% cotton archival deckled edge paper
30"x40" inches.
Only five of these massive prints will be available at the opening reception this Thursday August 6th, 2009.
Check out these progress shots...
See you at the show!!
Please contact Lynzy@upperplayground.com for more information regarding El Mac's "Faces of Life"
If you missed Word to mother's show then you missed out on some good shananegans. Arrseted motion snagged WTM before the opening and scored some prime interview time. Check it out here
And now for a visual recap
Photos below by Michael Ojeda
Photos below by Alex Tarrant
After the festivities came to an end, WTM and crew hopped to the nearest bar and began to celebrate the 4th of July early. Resulting in...
some of this...
and then, some of this...
:)
The boys hit the town running today. They found a treasure trove of polaroid cameras at a "charity shop" as they called it. Celebration ensued...
photos by l.b.
