THE PASSAGE – NEW ART FROM OAKLAND
The Orinda Public Library
26 Orinda Way
Orinda, California
Group show, Exhibiting artists:
- John Casey
- Patrick Dunaway
- Obi Kaufmann
- Crystal Morey
- Lauren Napolitano
http://www.laurenapolitano.com
- David Polka
- Jake Watling
Show dates: June 2, 2014 to July 1, 2014
Artist reception: Sunday, June 8th, 2:30pm to 4:30pm
Press Contact: Obi Kaufmann, organizer, coyoteandthunder@gmail.com, cell 925-951-7501
Co-organizer: John Casey, john@bunnywax.com
Exhibit designer: David Polka, slowcoolassault@gmail.com
STATEMENT
In this ambitious show from an ensemble of prolific and visionary artists, all of whom live and work in Oakland, the world is imagined as a space between locations, a line between two points, a journey and not a destination. These seven artists have set out to tackle disparate, even transient, notions of mystic identity through the use of their professional craft. It could be said that what holds this group of artists together, most obviously, is the use of the powerfully-graphic line in the employment of the human figure. Whether it is Lauren Napolitano’s lyrical use of patterns across gentle renderings of human hands, or Jake Watling’s whimsical sense of character balanced against subconscious, narrative stories, all of these artists understand the media-power of the beautifully-made image and its ability to convey underlying meaning. This show represents a huge swath of the recent work from all the included artists, and all of it will be for sale directly from the artist.
From left, artists – Patricia Gillespie, Mario Navasero, John Casey and Scott Greenwalt
artist, Nathaniel Parsons
artist, Alison Tharp
artist, Lexa Walsh
artist, Scott Greenwalt
artist, Ryan McJunkin
artist, Matt Decker
artist, Michael McConnell
artist, Marcos Lafarga
artist, Hunter Mack
artist, Wythe Bowart
artist, Brett Baumgart & Tyler
artist, Martin Webb
artist, Daniel Healey
artists, Emily Coker and David Polka
artist, Brük Dunbar
artist, Joseph Kowalczyk
artist, Alison OK Frost and Mary Mortimer
artist, Lauren Napolitano
Artist, Matt Decker, Hilary Decker and artist, Danielle Silva
from left, Oona, artist, Lucien Shapiro, Lauren Napolitano, Dave Higgins and Patricia Gillespie
Some artists I did not get good (or at least adequate) pictures of last night, but who were in attendance: Heidi Cregge, David Seiler, Kelly Monson, Jon Carling, Dan Nelson, Thomas Christopher Haag, Jack Eastgate and Aaron Petersen
Note from Obi
It feels like a family: the assembly, this crew, this quilt of brilliant local art. We been doing this for years – different venues, different faces, sure, but many of these artists I’ve been representing for years, and know better than I know certain legs of my own family. The result? a warm vibe, an accepting space, an invented family, a buzz that belies the alcohol stupor we all stumble around in looking for our pens and paper. We used to do it every week. Perhaps you remember – now, we will do it once a season. The above represents some snapshots I took with last night, at our Springtime event. Special thanks to Mua for housing this event. If you are an artist, living and working in Oakland and want to be part of this, all you need to do is be in my face and (of course) be serious about your art. email me at, coyoteandthunder@gmail.com.
follow my other adventures at coyoteandthunder.com & my own art at obikaufmann.com
General Release 05.28.12
GROUP ART SHOW
The World Saving Device: Oakland Art, 250 Years From Now
The Hive Gallery
301 Jefferson St. Oakland, CA 94607
Show Dates: August 3rd (08.03.12) – August 31st (08.31.12), 2012
Reception: First Friday, August 3rd (08.03.12), in conjunction with Oakland Art Murmur
The Hive Gallery, curator Obi Kaufmann, and designer Jason Kulp are pleased to present The World Saving Device – Oakland Art, 250 Years from Now. Ten Oakland painters and illustrators come together in this wildly imaginative show to explore the metaphor of a world that needs saving. The gallery will be transformed to resemble a cave, a proto-cathedral, or some sort of intergalactic womb.
By positing some kind of deep future, what happens – especially here on the island that is California – is a reaching into our distant past. The device that ultimately saves the world becomes the ritual of the art-making process and its ability to convey compassion and a sense of some new, universal ecology.
Participating Artists –
Jon Carling – www.JonCarling.com
John Casey – www.Bunnywax.com
Ernest Doty – www.ErnestDotyArt.com
Thomas Christopher Haag – www.ThomasChristopherHaag.com
Obi Kaufmann – www.ObiKaufmann.com
Lauren Napolitano – www.EllephantParade.com
Nathaniel Parsons – www.NathanielParsons.com
David Polka – www.DavidPolka.com
David Seiler – www.VictorianRat.Squarespace.com
Gina Tuzzi – www.GinaTuzzi.com
The gallery show will be supplemented by a collaborative website to be launched in early July.
The gallery will be open on the following dates during these appointed hours:
08.03.12 – Friday – Opening Reception, 6pm to 9pm
08.04.12 – Saturday – 12pm to 4pm
08.09.12, 08.16.12, 08.23.12, 08.30.12 – Thursdays – 6pm to 8pm
08.31.12 – Friday – Closing Reception, 6pm to 9pm
Press Contact
Obi Kaufmann, curator
Phone 925-951-7501
www.OaklandSweetart.Wordpress.com
Visual Arts Writer
WSD graphic by David Polka
Alexi Torres
David Allen Peters
David Maxim
Ross Bonfonti
James Niel
Hugo Lugo
Farnaz Shadravan
Mars1
Ezra Li Eismont
Jessica Joslin
Scott Sheidly
Gregory Eltringham (above, left), NeckFace (right)
Namit Malavia
Andrew Schoultz
John Casey
Karla Wozniak
Tadashi Moriyama
Lindsey Kustusch (above, left), Charlie Milgrim (right)
Adam Sorensen
Alika Cooper
David Lyle
Martin Webb
Misako Inaoka (above, left), Scott Hove (right)
Rose Eken
Nathan Ota (above, left), Bob Dob (right)
Sandra Yagi
Yvette Molina
Bo Bartlett
Manuel Neri
Yoskay Yamamoto (left), Jenny Morgan (right)
Odd Nerdrum
T.R.Kaltreider
Tim Etchells
Stephen De Staebler
Jane Rosen
Narangkar Glover
Alex Katz
Daniel Fila, Alex Yanes & Raymond Adrian
Jack Fischer
Elaine Bradford (left), Michael Gregory (right)
Nicholas Africano
Esenherz
Weekly Art Picks – Mercury 20, as Published in East Bay Express. – Obi Kaufmann
Robert Brady at Trax as published in the East Bay Express, 4-11-12
Amy Franceschini and Fernando Garcia-Dory at the David Brower Center of Art.
OAKLAND SWEE(t)ART 