News

Jason Jagel - (I'll Fly) Into Your Heart - Private Preview

in , ,

JASON JAGEL “(I’LL FLY) INTO YOUR HEART” Jason Jägel has been featured in numerous solo and group shows for well over a decade, from Tokyo to Los Angeles. Recent solo exhibitions of Jason’s work have been featured at Galleri Christoffer Egelund in Copenhagen, Denmark, and AMT Gallery in Milan, Italy. His monograph, entitled, Seventy-Three Funshine (2008), was created with an accompanying ten-inch vinyl record with music by Madlib and published by Electric Works, San Francisco. He was recently featured in a 12-page interview in Juxtapoz Magazine. Jägel currently resides in San Francisco with his wife and two daughters.

Regarding the title Jägel says: “(I'll Fly) Into Your Heart reminds me of the style of certain ’60’s soul songs where the inserted parenthesis creates multiple, simultaneous titles from one. It also appears as a statement of first-person dialog, leading the questions: Who or what is flying? To whose heart? For good purposes or ill?” Evident in this statement and throughout Jason’s work is a preoccupation with slippery meanings and storytelling.

“(I’ll Fly) Into Your Heart”, features new works on display at FIFTY24SF Gallery April 1-May 26, 2010.

PLEASE CONTACT GALLERY DIRECTOR

AMANDA KRAMPF

AMANDA@UPPERPLAYGROUND.COM

David Choe "Character Assassination" Opening

in

Thanks to all who came by plane, car, Muni, bike, skateboard and foot to see David Choe’s “Character Assassination”. If you were not at Fifty24SF last Friday this is what you missed. The private view kicked off at 5. The sold pins began to cover the walls. The line stretched down Fillmore. As doors opened at 7, the gallery came to life as eager admirers spilled into the room. The walls were filled with original paintings, sold out prints and intimate backdrop photos, revealing an artistic evolution of comic characters to iconic figures. Faces lit up and cameras snapped away. As Choe arrived the crowds inside and out jumped at the opportunity to meet the man in the bright pink shirt. Many fellow Upper Playground artists joined in attendance. If you happen to have missed the reception, “Character Assassination” will hang through March 24th.

The Lost Art of the Film: INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS BENEFIT ART PROGRAM

in

BENEFIT ART PROGRAM TO HELP RAISE MONEY FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE

SA Studios Global’s Film Marketing Division has teamed up with Quentin Tarantino, Upper Playground and The Weinstein Company to present, THE LOST ART OF INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS.

On February 18th, 2010 from 6p – 9p the world will get to preview and purchase the “Lost Art of Inglorious Basterds” at The Upper Playground Art Gallery in Downtown Los Angeles. All proceeds from this program will be donated to The American Red Cross to help the victims of the Haiti Earthquake.

This creative team has assembled the following select group of accomplished artists, David Choe, Sam Flores, Estevan Oriol, Grotesk, Jeremy Fish, Patrick Martinez, Alex Pardee, Dora Drimalas, Munk One, N8 Van Dyke, Rene Almanza, Morning Breath and Skinner Davis, to create their own poster art based off their interpretation of the Oscar Nominated film, “Inglourious Basterds” artwork.

Each print will be numbered and signed by Quentin Tarantino. Only six (6) of each amount will be made. The prints can be viewed at http://news.upperplayground.com/ingloriousbasterds.php beginning Tuesday February 15, 2010.

The gallery will open will be open to the general public from 6p – 9p on Thursday February 18th, 2010 at Upper Playground Los Angeles located at 125 East 6th Street in Downtown LA. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase the limited edition prints for $300. The prints are giclée archival and are only available for purchase at Upper Playground, Los Angeles. Phone orders and web orders will not be accepted. Prints will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. The purchase of prints will be limited to one per buyer.


"Character Assassination" Sneak Peak

in

It’s our favorite time of month, install for our latest show, David Choe’s “Character Assassination” opening this Friday. The week before an opening reception is an interesting time, we all start to feel the pressure of the countdown, the artist gets final details harnessed, and we get an intimate look at how he/she functions in a studio environment. Late nights painting the gallery walls, hanging work, and shootin’ the shit, we are regaled with stories of travel and adventures and we learn more clearly why we love these guys. In a nut shell, it’s the time when we re-affirm our obsession with art. Choe is no exception.

Not to be M.I.S.S. ed

in

M.I.S.S. is the premier women’s online lifestyle magazine covering fashion, art, beauty, music and design. Founded by Gabriella Davi-Khorasanee and Liz Baca, the two sought to create a space that highlighted the talents and achievements of women, while also covering events and products for ladies and issues concerning women. With a cumulative 23 years in the fashion industry with experience in product design, product development, styling, photography, event planning and brand development, Baca and Davi-Khorasanee bring a keen insight and a refreshing perspective to the things they love. From haute couture to limited-edition kicks with matching manicures, M.I.S.S. is for fashion forward ladies who know style is something you’re born with and can’t buy . . . it’s all how you put it together.M.I.S.S. and FIFTY24LA Gallery Present “Paper Dolls”

A Group Show Displaying New Works by Artists & Their

Interpretation of the Paper Doll

Jeremy Fish "Weathering the Storm"

in

Jeremy Fish’s “Weathering the Storm” opened in November at the Laguna Beach Art Museum to a full house.Viewers of all ages were captivated by Jeremy’s, seemingly effortless, ability to recount tales of social calamities through his iconic characters. His fresh color combinations and satirical imagery lent a lighthearted feel to a show which pointedly exposed the (hopefully temporary) derailment of American society.

Evan Pricco, managing editor for Juxtapoz magazine, has offered up a preview of his January Show Stopper which covers the momentous occasion and the opening night sentiments more eloquently than I. I’ll leave you with the words of Mr. Pricco. Happy Holidays from FIFTY24SF!

Jeremy Fish didn’t know what to expect the evening before his Laguna Art Museum opening. He had spent the prior week hanging the work in the gallery, nearly a full year creating the pieces, and was just now taking his first walk through the exhibit with an outside audience. A typical Jeremy gathering, stereotypes in full-effect, tending to be of the creative young adult set: skateboarders, surfers, sneakerheads, and SPBs. Among the best artists of our time to combine the lifestyles, over the years Jeremy has become one of fine art’s most renowned storytellers.

On the night of November 6, 2009, Jeremy Fish had to tell the story to the members of the Laguna Art Museum. Truth be told, one of the great advantages of aging is that (1) you can become a museum member and attend quiet previews, and (2) you can live in Laguna Beach. So Jeremy Fish walked what may have been his oldest audience yet through the nuances of his craft, explaining his intentions, inspirations, and the story of Weather the Storm. “I was a little nervous that maybe the members wouldn’t be into it,” Fish admitted. “But it turned out they were really into it. In fact, I think one man asked a question about every piece, sometimes asking more than one. I think it was a successful night.”

As the years have rolled on, Jeremy has been a confident builder of tales, concepts, and environments. His Barbary Coast show last year became a unique picture book experience on the history of San Francisco. Weathering the Storm explores the “transformation and rebirth through struggle,” a timely concept given that most people you know are out of a job or out a savings account. Through his bunnies, beaver, birds, and skulls, his world evolves despite adversity, creates new beginnings and says hello/goodbye to the past.

The exhibit features wonderful literature provided by both Fish and Laguna curator Grace Kook-Anderson, bringing an essential academic outline of the work to an audience unfamiliar with the artist. One thing for certain, as Jeremy is coroneted into the museum world, he is becoming a subject worthy to write about in historical context. If a Cat with a Hat can change the world, why can’t a Silly Pink Bunny?

-Evan Pricco