// STUDIO VISIT //

Hysteria, the female kind

Chennie Huang — Sat, 19 May 2012 21:12:00 +0000

Oh boy, many perhaps have wondered to themselves just what exactly happened to me? Well, much have happened and too many of a good thing just made me lazy. However, I have never ceased on spinning out new ideas for writing new posts, unfortunately all my efforts never gone past the mental stage… that is until now.

On view currently until June 11at MoMA is the all comprehensive and impressive retrospective of Cindy Sherman. Normally, I would like to write more about new artists and works but Cindy was just too big to be kept in the background.

Hysteria is often a description for a physical as well as a psychological attribution of the female kind derives from what used to be and in often case, a male subjective. It is not usually a compliment but rather an accusation of one's over-sentimentality or sheer mawkishness over matters of no great importance. I am not here to politicize the use of the word or its applications but rather to show you how in the case of Cindy Sherman, she quite literally turned the camera onto herself with many faces of hysteria, if you will.

Image courtesy MoMA.org

This show is very large and I would recommend all attempts to digesting the entire exhibition should be done in two different visits. However if you must do it altogether then you should be prepared to be awed as well as confused as to what is Cindy actually presenting or who is she investigating and thus trying to uncover through these portraits.

For someone who hold unless love for old-fashioned aesthetics, I will start with her black and white film-still series. What I have noticed is that in all of her photographs she is the single human subject in the midst of some grand architectural settings or amongst some carefully laid out architecture symmetry. This could mean a lot of different things, 1. is that she is the isolated single element struggling against the grandeur of her surroundings of which are over-powering her. 2. is that she is herself quite lost while trying to find a place to which she belongs or find the place that has left her behind. 3. she is the center of your attention. 4. she is the ultimate female element that counter-balances the masculine symmetry. The intentions are however are not limited to what I am noticing here.

All image courtesy MoMA.org

Whilst female hysteria may not seem so obvious in the above images but the drama is certainly undefinable. The strong composition of each image could only suggest the constrain and rigidity that her characters feel within. There is inadvertently the sense of strangeness, loss and desolation. Now let's face the female hysteria… of which are both amusing at the same time quite heart-breaking.

All image courtesy MoMA.org

What is most heart-breaking about these women is that they seem lost and frightened of something which are invisible to us. In other words, as viewers we are have very limited clues as to figure out what is really happening in the scene that has caused such pathetic outbreaks. Perhaps pathetic isn't the right word, a bit harsh but what I mean is that when such raw emotions are being presented while as the spectator they all seem a bit absurd. Then again, to be at all fair, as human beings and when knowing our shortcomings and coming to terms of our finite existence, what else should we do but breakout into a nauseating hysteria?

Often times, when one is to look deep into oneself the pain tends to subside and becomes less severe or if you will, we needn't give into nihilism. And looking into oneself is just what Cindy had in mind next...

All image courtesy MoMA.org

Here in these mirrored images one could arrive at the interpretation that Cindy attempts to show how objectified women are in some contemporary cultural context as the beauty to be gazed upon and admired. In addition, I have a different take on this. Even though the images are implying the voyeuristic element however, what also shows here is the self-reflection and the examining of one's self. Consequently, what is interesting about it is that often times the reflections tend to contradict one's own subject view of the self. In other words, perhaps the mirror is disappointing us or that the mirror brought forth something that we were completely unaware before. It is this kind of struggle and tension between the self and the other that makes this exhibition ten times worth seeing the exhibition than you would think.

p. s. I am working on a second part of this positing, because this is only a very small part of its entirety.

artMRKT 2012 in San Francisco opens to large crowds and increase attendance – opening night photos by Michael Cuffe

Warholian — Fri, 18 May 2012 21:20:32 +0000

Art MRKT San Francisco opened the 2012 edition of their fair to an increased attendance, showing growth in the newly established art fair market in San Francisco. Warholian’s Chief Photographer Michael Cuffe stopped by the fair during it’s Thursday night opening to capture the show as the doors opened.

We hope you enjoy this look into Art MRKT 2012!

- Warholian

artMRKT runs from May 17–20, 2012

artMRKT Productions marks the start of their 2012 modern and contemporary art fair season with the second annual artMRKT San Francisco, taking place May 17th–20th
at the Concourse Exhibition Center, a 57,000 sq. ft. refurbished railway station located in San Francisco’s South of Market (SoMA) District. Welcoming a strong selection of 70 modern and contemporary galleries to the Bay Area, co-founders Max Fishko and Jeffrey Wainhause are also pleased to announce artMRKT’s partnerships with a number of esteemed returning and new cultural organizations, including Opening Night Benefit Preview Party beneficiary the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, consisting of
the de Young and Legion of Honor museums, and an intriguing program with the Asian Art Museum.

Setting their sights on continuing to expand the popularity of artMRKT San Francisco throughout the greater Bay Area, Fishko and Wainhause have created multiple platforms for participating galleries, artists, cultural partners and sponsors to engage and collaborate with artMRKT in presenting a full schedule of curated programs and events throughout the duration of the fair. Curated specifically around the coinciding 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge, artMRKT San Francisco will feature an exciting and timely series of programs and presentations including a keynote artist address by award-winning photographer Richard Misrach, as well as presentations by Bay Area curators from the Asian Art Museum, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, and the ZERO1 Biennial. Additional 2012 programming includes the return of the MRKTworks auction, complimentary weekend shuttle buses for ticket holders.

For more information on the fair visit: http://www.art-mrkt.com/sf

Digging a Hole, Looking for Something

FECAL FACE — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:50:09 +0000

Our buddies Travis Millard and Michael Krueger open up Digging a Hole, Looking for Something tonight, Friday, at San Diego's Double Break (6-10pm). If you're down there in sunny Whale's Vigina be sure to get to this hot hot hot opening! ~details

Asian Art Museum Tonight, Thurs

FECAL FACE — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:51:01 +0000

The Asian Art Museum opens their grand first contemporary show PHANTOMS OF ASIA with a massive preview party this evening with DJs, food, and other goodies 7:30pm - midnight ~details

We went to the press preview yesterday and should have some photos to share, but time constraints due to preparations for our show w/ Dave Kinsey opening Friday and the lack of a mayor Ed Lee which all were waiting for... Well, we had to bail before they let us preview the show... What we've seen online looks great and tonight should be a blast. See you there.

Some of the artists participating in PHANTOMS OF ASIA under Korean artist Choi Jeong Hwa's 24-foot-tall "Breathing Flower" in the Civic Center.

Matt Moore in Paris

FECAL FACE — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:37:39 +0000

GRAVITY
Matt W. Moore
April 27 – June 16, 2012
SINCE.upian Gallery
Paris, France

From Matt Moore: A new series of (entirely spraypaint) canvas painting created during a 1-month residency in Paris. A true evolution from the purely geometric abstractions I have explored in my past few exhibitions : Sun Ray Ricochet (Moscow 2011) + XYZ Axis (Cincinnati 2011) + Crystals & Lasers (Paris 2010) + Parallel Universe (Sao Paulo 2009) + 20/20 (Barcelona 2008). An exciting new chapter.

Barry McGee at Prism LA

FECAL FACE — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:53:06 +0000

Doug Neill emailed over a few photos from Barry McGee's opening last Friday at Prism in Los Angeles.

Speaking of Doug, he's hosting a party this Saturday on the roof at LA's Standard Hotel through his SurferxBlood.com

Dave Kinsey @FFDG, Friday

FECAL FACE — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:00:18 +0000

Hi-Fructose previews Dave Kinsey's upcoming show Lost For Words opening this Friday, May 18th (6-9pm) @FFDG in San Francisco. ~Check it

Marc Jacobs vs. The Graffiti Artist

FECAL FACE — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:40:47 +0000

Marc Jacobs vs. The Graffiti Artist, Round 2: When Jacobs Turns Vandalized Store Into $680 Shirt <-- Earlier this week, on the night of the Met Ball, the Marc Jacobs boutique in SoHo was hit by French graffiti artist Kidult, who has famously vandalized Supreme, Hermes, and Louis Vuitton, among others. The hit? Kidult took a fire extinguisher filled with pink paint, and sprayed the word ART over the front of the store (seen below). ~continue reading

Further Collective Flagstaff Mural

FECAL FACE — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:46:29 +0000

The Further Collective: Mario Martinez (Mars-1), Damon Soule & Oliver Vernon were in Flagstaff last week collaborating on an outdoor mural at The Flagstaff Brewing Company located in the historical district of downtown Flagstaff, AZ.

The mural was 10ft x 16ft organized by Brian Chambers & Tim Reuter. Photos: Julianne Yates

Damon Soule & Oliver Vernon

To All The Graduates

FECAL FACE — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:23:13 +0000

Congrats to some of our friends who've just graduated from SFAI this past weekend. Henry Gunderson (below), Alex Ziv, Quinn Arneson and our intern Alex Uhrich among many more not only at SFAI but those at CCA and other schools across the country. May you all work hard and prosper in your future arting endeavors.

Henry Gunderson all grown up, college graduated and bow-tied.