Photographer, Tom Hawkins - Featured in California Northern Magazine

Tom Hawkins
Potting House, 2008
Platinum/palladium print on vellum
21x25
Edition 2/20
$500

Photographs by Tom Hawkins have been featured in the 3rd edition of California Northern : A New Regionalism paired with Bruce Patterson's memoir "Rural Manpower” and Lindsey Thordarson's short story "The Prayer".  Be on the lookout for features of Tom Hawkins photos in upcoming issues as well.


Tom Hawkins describes his process:

“I choose to render images in platinum and palladium metals.  These materials are appealing to me for the beauty of their tonalities, and because of their associations with the early practitioners of photography.
The physical act of making a print – weighing out the precious metals, mixing the solutions, painting the emulsion onto paper, etc., - is a very meaningful part of making a photograph.
Though the materials I use are traditional, I also make use of contemporary methods of generating enlarged negatives for contact printing.  I use both digital and traditional film cameras for picture-making. 
Working in this way, I take advantage of ‘old’ and ‘new’ tools to explore the medium…as photographers always have.”


and what motivates his work:

“The idea of ‘cultivation’ is the basis of my photographic explorations.  My work is an examination of the marks we make, the things we plant, and the structures we build when we cultivate a place.
My experiences in agriculture and landscape architecture inform my image-making.
Robert Adams writes that ’…what we hope for from the artist is help in discovering the significance of a place.’
The idea of cultivation becomes more relevant to our lives as farmland disappears and is replaced with other constructions.
This is why I make pictures.”


Here is a selection of Tom’s work that can be viewed at the gallery.

Tom Hawkins
Homestead: Methyl Bromide, 2008
Platinum/palladium print on vellum
21x25
Edition 2/20
$500

Tom Hawkins
Peaches in Fog, 2008
Platinum/palladium print on vellum
21x25
Edition 2/20
$500

Tom Hawkins
Cloches, 2008
Platinum/palladium print on vellum
21x25
Edition 2/20
$500

Tom Hawkins
Flooded Walnuts, Summer, 2008
Platinum/palladium print on vellum
21x25
Edition 2/20
$500

Tom Hawkins
Almonds, Latewinter, 2008
Platinum/palladium print on vellum
21x25
Edition 7/20
$500

To view these or other works by Tom Hawkins, please contact the gallery at (415) 441-4777.

City Streets

Everyday scenes that are often overlooked come into focus when they are the subject of a photo or painting.  Here are a few artists who have hit the street in search of inspiration.  Each artist in this grouping has taken on the challenge of merging realism and abstraction to show that sometimes they are one in the same.

Robert Welsh
Urban Landscape A, 2011
Gelatin silver photograph
24 x 24 inches
Edition 2/12
$1,500

Robert Welsh
Urban Landscape D, 2011
Gelatin silver photograph
24 x 24 inches
Edition 2/12
$1,500

Robert Welsh
Urban Landscape F, 2011
Gelatin silver photograph
24 x 24 inches
Edition 2/12
$1,500

Mary Curtis Ratcliff
Sonic (Diptych), 2010
Mixed media
10 x 8 inches
$400

Anne Subercaseaux
Reflections: on Crossing L, 2010
Oil on canvas
14 x 28 inches
$1,850

Alan Ostreicher
Untitled 842-5, 2008
Digital C-print
11 x 14 inches
Edition 1/8
$350

Alan Ostreicher
Untitled 590-12, 2002
Toned Silver Print
16 x 20
Edition 1/35
$350

To schedule an appointment to view works at the gallery, please contact us at (415) 441-4777.

The SFMOMA Artists Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday, 11:30 – 5:30.

The Remarkable Birds of Annette Corcoran

Stephanie Peek, Annette Corcoran, Adrienne Defendi
November 11 - December 22, 2011

Opening Reception - Saturday, November 12
1:00 - 3:00 p.m

Annette Corcoran
Golden Tailed Sapphire, Porcelain
12 x 7 x 5 inches
$10,000

We are very pleased to have works by, museum collected artist, Annette Corcoran for our upcoming show.  Annette's porcelain sculptures transcend the functionality of their teapot form; rather, they are relics of the wildlife that the avid bird watcher is so enamored by.  Annette's most recent body of work, highlighting the birds of Peru and her interpretations of Peruvian burial pots, will be featured in this upcoming show. 

Highly regarded in the world of ceramics, her pieces have found permanent homes in significant collections worldwide, both public and private.  Locally, you may have seen some of Corcoran's eye catching birds during a trip to the  Oakland Museum of California or the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

“All wild birds beguile and fascinate, and Annette Corcoran’s porcelain bird teapots do that, and more.  Corcoran’s work draws on her love of wild birds and her extraordinary ability to capture them in porcelain.  Each piece is a complete sculpture that captures the gesture and spirit of the subject birds, even when tethered to the requirements of their teapot perches…Their subtle yet intricate feathers afford Corcoran an opportunity to use her skillful trompe l’oeil painting, which she tempers with graphic realism, modulating gracefully between two- and three-dimensional renderings.”

                                                           

Martha Drexler Lynn, Ph. D., Founding curator of the twentieth-century decorative arts collections, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, on the work of Annette Corcoran.

“Of the many fine artists working in clay who have come into view in the last decades, only a few have referred so directly to nature as Annette Corcoran.  Corcoran is a long time bird watcher, who brings an informed point of view to her subject of porcelain bird teapots...with a truly free vision and competent dexterity, she has created such wondrous, often breathtaking objects.  If it were possible to transcend nature, Corcoran’s birds could be the candidates. Perhaps this is one reason her work has such great appeal to viewers who respond to representational work, as well as to collectors whose primary interest is in a more abstract or non-objective avant-garde art.

 Annette Corcoran believes in using her imagination, fantasies and inspirations in making her innovative teapot forms.  Her ideas are combined with an unusual perfection of ability in achieving sculpture which captures the spirit of the bird she has chosen to depict.  The imagery of the bird and the form of the teapot are totally integrated, creating a perfect harmony between two elements, the functional and the aesthetic…Corcoran works quietly but passionately absorbed in her work in which subtle questions and challenges are posed and explored.  It is her sensitive and very personal way of combining her infatuation with nature and the world of art which continues to enchant me.”

                                                             

 Dorothy Weiss, Founder of the Dorothy Weiss Gallery, San Francisco, on the work of Annette Corcoran.

Annette Corcoran
Chaffinch, GoldFinch, Greenfinch, Hermitt, Manakin, Tragopan
Please contact the gallery to inquire about availability and pricing.
Photographs by Patrick Tregenza.

Please feel free to contact the gallery regarding work by Annette Corcoran.  We can be reached at 415-441-4777.  We look forward to seeing you at the opening.

Ceramics Annual of America Featured Artist - Steven Allen

Steven Allen's work in the CAA show.
GR Code: custom tile for your Business, 2011
Porcelain

What Steven says about his year in review:

"The year started out with a focus on the mechanical.  My mechanical assemblage series joins my experiences as a machinist and potter.  The similarities between these two worlds are more similar than disparate.  The wheel works much like a lathe, turning the material as it is shaped into something that is traditionally highly functional.  In my work, precision machining meets artistic freedom and when they collide it renders the final product non-functional.  It becomes form without function, as a vase holds no water, a ginger jar holds no ginger and blueberries fall through the colander.  Nuts, bolts and gears are thrown on the wheel, altered and assembled into familiar shapes.  I like glazes that have a toxic appearance and formulate them to resemble aged, rusted or painted metal further separating the work from any customary function.  I hope the viewer senses that I am honoring the traditions of potter and machinist while simultaneously rebelling against them.
Work in the second part of the year has changed again.  With the downturn in the economy and changing economic climate, many old steel mills and industrial plants have closed leaving their abandoned buildings and equipment to rust.  With this deterioration has come the inspiration for many beautiful and colorful abstract images.  My recent work tries to capture this new reality.  

And the changes continue as I have found the joy in creating repeating patterns.  Mechanical patterns are created in Gimp photo editing software, printed and transferred to Thermofax screens, then screened onto clay that is further transformed into canisters, plates, bowls, tiles and serving dishes."

 

Steven Allen's work in the CAA show.

Here is a recent blog post that features some of Steven Allen's mechanical gear sculptures.

Ceramics Annual of America Featured Artist - Paula Moran

Paula Moran
The Difference is in the Touch, 2010
Porcelain
25 x 14 x 10 inches
$1,800

"The emergence of creativity is a manifestation of the interaction between that person and their environment.  I am always inspired as I feel the interplay through this medium that unites touch, movement and ideas with the movement and emerging dynamics of the clay.  It is this interplay between the person and environment that shapes an outcome that is creative and fluid.
In my recent work, I am creating a moment, glimpse in time; but I want the viewer to think past that moment.  I reference familiar, literal and nostalgic objects to draw the viewer in close to trigger memory and reflection.  This work documents current events and personal experiences. Using objects that hide messages, encoded information and personal data, I compose scenes that carry double meaning.  Sometimes they convey humor but also outrage and hurt, exposing disparities that divide family and culture."





Paula Moran
Ironic, 2011
Porcelain
16 x 16 x 5 inches
$1,200

Want to learn more about Paula's ceramic sculptures?  Here is a blog post where she explains her attraction to creating in the Tromp-l’oeil style.



Where Hard Rock Meets Pop Art - Chuck Sperry and Chris Shaw In the New York Times

Chris Shaw and Chuck Sperry
Gorgon 1, 2 & 3, 2011
Collaborative installation in the Minna and Natoma Street windows
Please inquire with gallery for pricing.

This Saturday is the Rock Poster Society’s 13th annual Festival of Rock Posters in San Francisco!!!

Chris Shaw and Chuck Sperry, collaborators on the SFMOMA's Minna and Natoma Street windows, were just mentioned in an article in New York Times and will be featured artists at this Saturday's event. 

...Sharing top-buzz billing with Emek is Chuck Sperry, who recently completed a marathon job for Widespread Panic, which commissioned 2,000 screen prints for its fall tour. “It was seven colors, four and a half gallons of silver metallic ink alone. It was a little crazy, a color a day for a week.” Unlike most contemporary poster artists, Mr. Sperry still does all his printing. “There’s a dialogue between my original design and what’s actually happening with the ink on the press,” he says. “It’s part of my process.”

Other second-generation artists who’ll be at the TRPS show include Marq Spusta, who has created posters for My Morning Jacket and Phish. The poster power couple Chris Shaw and Alexandra Fischer will be showing off their work for Moonalice, whose singer and rhythm guitar player is the venture capitalist Roger McNamee (one of whose business partners is Bono)...

Ceramics Annual of America Featured Artist - Shenny Cruces

Shenny Cruces
She's a Dish, 2009
Porcelain
14x24
$850

The history of ceramics has significant roots in California. 
Here are some higlights of the CAA Press Release:

The Ceramics Annual of America (CAA) is an ambitious exhibition and art fair spotlighting the quality and diversity of contemporary ceramics from around the world including works from China, Korea, Mexico, Australia and Italy. It is the only event of its kind in the United States and the goal is to encourage the education and enrichment of the public, cultivate a fertile art market, and foster dialog between collectors and makers of ceramic sculpture.

Part of California's continuing legacy of excellence and innovation in ceramics, CAA is the largest exhibition and art fair that is entirely focused on ceramic art in America and is modeled after the Ceramic Biennials held in Europe, Korea, Japan and China. It provides a venue for the top regional and international artists working in the clay medium to show their work to a broader audience of collectors.

CAA is organized by the California Ceramics Cooperative, a group of invested regional ceramic artists, and will feature panel discussions, lectures and tours--plus daily interactive art demonstrations from 4-5 that will provide a greater understanding of the artistic process for students and educators alike. Schools located in the Bay Area will have free admission all day Friday and should contact the Ceramics Annual for Reservations.


About Shenny Cruces:

Shenny Phillips Cruces received a BA in Ceramics from Illinois State University and and Masters of Fine Arts in Ceramics from San Francisco State University in 2011.  Her work has appeared in juried shows throughout California and the United States and includes NCECA National Juried Student Exhibition, Ink and Clay 35, Visions in Clay 2011, California Clay Competition, among others.  Her work has received numerous awards with most recent being Murphy Cadogan Fellowship, and a Kiln God Award Residency at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts.  Ms. Cruces currently teaches ceramics at NIAD in Richmond, California.

Shenny's thoughts on her process:

"The act of collecting is an intrinsic part of my process and my work.  I actively seek out objects that were once loved and displayed within the home but now reside within junk stores and resale shops.  These objects are now empty vessels devoid of the familial memories they once held. 


I use recognizable objects associated with collecting and china cabinets to engage with the viewer’s sense of home and memory.   I collect, cast, recreated and alter existing porcelain objects into sculptural forms to expose the underlying issues of class, identity, memory and the meaning of objects in our lives."

Here is the information for this weekend's event.  We do hope you'll join us!

The Ceramics Annual of America 2011: Exhibition and Art Fair at Fort Mason, Festival Pavilion, San Francisco, California

Exhibition Dates: October 7-9 2011
Friday: 10am-8pm
Saturday: 10am-8pm
Sunday: 10am-6pm
Opening Reception: October 6, 2011, 5:30 - 9 pm

Ceramics Annual of America Featured Artist - David Kuraoka

David Kuraoka
Celebrating Water, San Francisco State University
photographs by Brian Mahany

David Kuraoka, ceramics professor at SFSU, recently installed a magnificent sculpture, called Celebrating Water, in an on-campus plaza at San Francisco State University.  Celebrating Water is a solar-powered fountain that uses collected rain water.  It consists of 24 enormous stacked clay rings that were extruded in an industrial factory in Phoenix, Arizona.  After cleaning and smoothing each ring, David carefully paints the segments with colorful under glazes and then covers them in a clear glaze.  

 

About David Kuraoka:

"Hawaii-born David Kuraoka is a professor of art at San Francisco State University.  He returns for several months each year to his island home, where he has been named a State Living Treasure... Kuraoka is best known for his pit-fired forms in which the clay body becomes a three-dimensional canvas for an extraordinary and subtle palette of hues...A group of large wheel-formed porcelain vessels with celadon glaze pays homage to Asian tradition. Their simplicity and elegance, the subtle variations of symmetric contour, the soft crackle in the ocean-cool transparent layers of color belies inherent technical challenges. In contrast, the pit-fired forms speak of ways in which the artist has created significant variations on classic process, working with a freer hand. Though begun on the wheel, they are further shaped by hand.
Kuraoka frequently works with large, pit-fired tiles grouped in wall-mounted sections. The artist has been able to guide but not dominate the serendipitous effects of chance, creating distinctive gestural marks with the calligraphy of smoke and fire. Other tiles are used to create multi-sectioned works, glazed in interlocking stripes that provide a dynamic contrast to the rich but muted hues of the pit fired works.
Kuraoka also works in bronze, using clay works from which to create molds for casting. Patination of the metal surface becomes the equivalent of the colors which bloom on the clay during pit firing. The bronze forms are darker in coloration, but their resemblance to their kin in clay is uncanny – an inspired and boldly playful move by an artist wonderfully in tune with his materials."

We are very fortunate to have several pieces by David Kuraoka in the gallery currently.  We have just received three celadon pieces, a pit-fired mango, a blue and red mango and a bronze casting in addition to the large vessels and wall tiles featured here.

Want to learn more?  Here is a SPARK segement featuring Kuraoka on KQED.

Please join us in Fort Mason during the upcoming Ceramics Annual of America, October 7 - 9.  We welcome you to visit the gallery to view additional works by David Kuraoka.