I’m a big fan of the arts. Yesterday, I went to an exhibit at the Southern Exposure in Potrero Hill. Truly amazing stuff. I’d tell you to check it out, but yesterday was the last day.
I keep a never-ending list of all the art I want to see. Many places have similar exhibit cycles so on the last day, I’m furiously running around the city, hoping to catch them before they get taken down.
At Southern Exposure, Chris Sollars put together this insightful video installation. He filmed eleven people dressed up in garbage bags sitting down and walking around Market Street. Sitting down, these people actually looked like typical bags of garbage. No one seemed to notice or care. Then the bags of garbage would get up and start walking around Market Street. Tourists and other people started laughing and taking notice. The camera phones came out. It was quite funny! Interesting how we don’t seem to mind garbage polluting our city until the garbage gets up and starts moving around…which is essentially what happens, but to a lesser extent. Give a hoot, don’t pollute!
The same artist draped an SUV in paper, then with a pencil produced a rubbing of the whole car. A massive beast of a car reduced to a sketch on paper covering a whole wall of the gallery. It’s a simple, flimsy sketch that stands for something greater. The consequences of driving an SUV—the pollution, the intrusion on space—cannot be reduced.
Next, I stopped by a new SOMA gallery, AfterModern. A sign on the door said they were unfortunately closed in order to install a new heating system. The owner saw me walking away dejected, asked me to come in, and gave me a personal tour. This is a gallery to watch. The owner has a great eye for talent. Many of the artists are undiscovered which makes the prices reasonable. I am seriously considering buying a couple pieces! The owner asked if I was a collector. I told him I was merely a fan of art, but his question planted a dream in my head. I could do this. In ten years, I could own a gallery.
I did some research on the artist whose paintings I’m considering purchasing. He’s a young guy who’s been tapped by Nike and Urban Outfitters to create work for them. Urban Outfitters?! I couldn’t believe it. That’s one of my favorite retailers. Hip, stylish, different. I’ve clearly zero’d in on what I like.
Besides artwork, I also want to mention the ODC dance theater in the mission. I’m always impressed with the caliber of the choreographers, dancers, and the overall performances.
With everything we have to offer here, especially with the new De Young Museum and the Conservatory of Music, San Francisco is really burgeoning as one of the greatest places for modern, thought-provoking works of art.
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