June 3 through June 25, 2010

Back to the Picture\SoMa Gallery
1110 Howard Street @ 7th Street - San Francisco, CA  94103
(415) 558-9901 - (415) 826-2321

Back to the Picture\SoMa is proud to celebrate its sixth year anniversary with its third annual 20/20 art show. This show brings together 20 local Bay Area artists with 20 different visions, turning the gallery into an ambitious celebration of art and all the forms it can be created in. Come join us for food, drink and a gallery filled with art!

Participating Artists:
2AM
Freda Banks
Krescent Carasso
T.W. Chui
Rob Cox
Jesse Crimes
Tim DeSoto
Missy Feigum
Brandon Fung
Trixy Grace
Jonathan Green
Jared Gutekunst
Shayne Herrera
Daniel Lorenze
Justin Morris
Shilo Ratner
Alicia Rockafellow
Paolo Salazar
Ryan Sivertsen
Kateri Tyre
Andrew Woon

20/20:  20 Artists, 20 Visions has been Back to the Picture\SoMa’s June anniversary show for three years in a row now.  Crystal Dent curates 20/20.

Ali Blum - encaustic on panel

Ali Blum - dk haas - Mauricia Gandara - Alice Kelmon - Cherie Raciti

May 8 through June 5, 2010

Back to the Picture Latin American Gallery
934 Valencia Street @ 20th Street - San Francisco, CA  94110
(415) 826-2321

Meet & Greet - Wednesday, May 26, 6:00 - 7:00 pm

Join us!

]]> http://www.backtothepicture.com/2010/05/26/sealed-with-wax-5-bay-area-encaustics-artists/feed/ http://www.backtothepicture.com/2010/05/26/city-subject-2010-san-francisco-urban-studies/ http://www.backtothepicture.com/2010/05/26/city-subject-2010-san-francisco-urban-studies/#comments Wed, 26 May 2010 15:19:50 +0000 rfigures http://www.backtothepicture.com/?p=117

Underbelly of 101, Heather Capen - oil on canvas

Heather Capen - Mark Flanagan - Jerry Goldberg - Michelle Gutierrez - Peter Kupfer - Sarah Newton

May 8 through May 29, 2010

Back to the Picture\SoMa Gallery
1110 Howard Street @ 7th Street - San Francisco, CA  94103
(415) 558-9901 / (415) 826-2321

Closing Party:  Friday, May 28 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm

Join us!

Sights and sounds in San Francisco are like nowhere else in the world.   The second most-dense metropolis in the United States, multicultural influence is evident at every turn.  Six San Francisco artists take us on a tour of what has inspired them to perceive and render the city around them in paint, charcoal, and photography.

Our second installment of City Subject, City Subject 2010 welcomes back artists Sarah Newton and Peter Kupfer, and welcomes artists Heather Capen, Jerry Goldberg, Michelle Gutierrez, and Mark Flanagan.  Each artist brings his or her unique perspective to studying the city around us.

Sarah Newton shows three charcoals of views one sees while transitting the city on foot at night.  Sarah’s charcoals appear almost photographic until closer inspection.  Light and shadow are superbly rendered depicting the night on San Francisco streets.

Photographer Peter Kupfer observes people in the city in silver gelatin prints.  Humanity in its moments of elation, dejection, love, and celebration are captured by Peter and beautifully developed in traditional photographic process.

Heather Capen paints in oils on canvas.  Chunky texture and impressionist influence can be seen in her work, with a finish quality that requires a close look at every stroke.  Foregrounds feature studies of the urban subject, beautifully lit by the San Francisco sky.

Photographer Michelle Gutierrez shoots moments in time, capturing people interacting within the city setting in everyday interactions, as well as during San Francisco’s unique cultural events.  From outdoor movie night in Dolores Park to a parade on Market Street, Michelle catches people together, then snaps their picture.

Painter Jerry Goldberg paints in oil, acrylic, and watercolor.  A resident of the Mission District, Jerry captures street life from the perspective of one who explores the bustling streets of the city, then creates a stylized nostalgic image from memory.  Observations blend with fantasy impressions to reveal a city sometimes never seen.

Photographer Mark Flanagan transits the city on foot and skateboard.  Mark shoots graffiti, on newspaper boxes, in empty warehouses, and other unusual, out-of-the-way, and sometimes off-limits places.  In color and black & white, Mark’s photography documents moments within the fluid world of graffiti art and tagging found throughout the ever-changing urban landscape.

David Avery, Art Hazelwood, Roberta Loach, Rik Olson, Patrick Piazza, Anthony Ryan, Jos Sances, Shane Weare, Imin Yeh

April 1- 29, 2010

Reception Thursday, April 1, 2010, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Back to the Picture\SoMa Gallery

1110 Howard Street @ 7^th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103

(415) 558-9901 / (415) 826-2321

www.backtothepicture.com

“What prevents him who says the truth from laughing?” –Horace

Satire is the art of overturning the ordered universe. It isn’t the same as humor, but it often employs humor as one of its most valuable assets. Nor is it sarcasm with its dry wit dripping off the end of a well placed knife thrust. Neither is it irony, although parsing the difference has become the business of psychologists. No, satire is the great placebo for a great nation. Satire is the antidote to the deep seriousness of an overly top heavy society. Satire is a kick in the pants to the new world order, a slippage of the mask of this happy face world. It needn’t be political, it is just as often mocking the intricacies of fashion, culture and art itself.

Satire and prints have had a long happy relationship… the sordid details of which we need not go into here. Suffice it to say that wherever a society looks in the mirror and likes what it sees there are printmakers making rabbit ears behind the nation’s back. If it were not so it would be left to painters, a sorry lot, that can’t be expected to satirize themselves out of a paper bag. Satire has fallen to the lowly graphic artist as a birthright and like fools and knaves everywhere it is employed as a sharp tool wielded with gusto.

Back to the Picture, in their SOMA gallery is exhibiting the satirical etchings, screenprints, wood engravings and woodcuts of nine artists. The title, In These Great Times, refers to the writings of Karl Kraus, Austrian arch satirist, and points to the importance of literary satire in the work of many of the artists.

David Avery, Roberta Loach, Rik Olson, Patrick Piazza, Anthony Ryan, Jos Sances, Shane Weare, Imin Yeh were invited by Art Hazelwood to participate in this exhibition. Their approaches to satire vary from the knock ‘em over the head approach of Roberta Loach to the miniscule vulgarities of David Avery’s etchings, from the heresies of Jos Sances screenprints to the ethnic consumption satire of Imin Yeh, from the consumer madness of Patrick Piazza’s screenprint paintings to Rik Olson’s linocut farces, from Art Hazelwood’s political screeds to Anthony Ryan’s whimsical apocalypse and Shane Weare’s mythic lamentations. There is something for everyone, no one is spared.

United for Haiti Fundraiser

Back to the Picture Latin American Gallery, in conjunction with Seven Carbons, hosted a benefit fundraiser Meet & Greet Evening at Back to the Picture Latin American Gallery to benefit Doctors Without Borders.

Special thanks to all attendees who joined us in disaster relief efforts.

When: Saturday, January 30, 2010

5:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Where: Back to the Picture Latin American Gallery

934 Valencia Street @ 20th Street, San Francisco, CA  94110

(415) 826-2321

How: $5.00 at the door, donations collected throughout the evening

Light Hors d’Ouvres by Javalencia Cafe-Gracias Marta, Mariela, & Genna

Kippy Marks played classical music on the violin-thank you Kippy!

Special thanks to Gundlach-Bundshu Winery of Sonoma County & Hansen’s All-Natural Sodas for their generous contributions of the evening’s refreshments

On display are works from Back to the Picture’s Private Collection

100% of cover charge and donations will benefit Doctors Without Borders

Back to the Picture Latin American Gallery
934 Valencia St. @ 20th St., San Francisco, CA  94110
(415) 826-2321

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Parking is metered Monday through Saturday until 6:00 pm.  Easy parking can be found in the Mission-Bartlett Garage, on 21st Street between Valencia Street and Mission Street, a short one-block walk from Back to the Picture.

BART to 24th Street/Mission Station, 4-block walk north to Back to the Picture

Muni Metro J-Line to the top of Dolores Park at 20th Street, 3-block walk east to Back to the Picture

Muni Lines 14 Mission, 14L Mission, 49 Van Ness to 20th Street & Mission, 1-block walk west to Back to the Picture

The 9th Annual Day of the Dead Art Exhibition, 2009
934 Valencia Street @ 20th Street, San Francisco, CA  94110
(415) 826-2321

In memory of our Dear Muertos who live forever in our hearts

Back to the Picture Latin American Gallery thanks curator/artist Calixto Robles for arranging our 9th Annual Day of the Dead Art Exhibition.  Over 25 artists created works and altars to celebrate El Día de los Muertos, honoring friends and loved ones who have passed on.  A joyous holiday, El Día de los Muertos is a time when the lives of the dead are celebrated and remembered, often by the creation of ofrendas, or altars with offerings, which feature items that the departed treasured during their lifetimes.

Our multi-media exhibit featured artwork including prints, paintings, mixed-media, photography, sculpture, assemblage altars, installation artwork, and more.

Day of the Dead serigraphs, hand-pulled and signed by Calixto Robles, are still available.  Each is unique and is only $30.00.  Drop by Back to the Picture at 934 Valencia Street to pick up yours today!

Participant Artists:
Ana Hurka Robles
Antonio Huerta
Juan R. Fuentes
Patrick Piazza
Alexandra Blum
Art Hazelwood
Gina M. Contreras
Rich Nyhagen
Michelle Gutierrez
Russel Pachman
Sean Nash
Gloria Morales
David Sanchez
Marsha Shaw
Nick Santoro
Nora Aoyagi
Nicole Schach
Roy Ragle
Jen Hewett
Madi Zehrling
Baddy Bates
Bruce Chaban
Daniel Chimowitz
David Avery
Raul Fernandez B.
Hale Guerra
Emilia Garcia

Traditional Sand Painting by Grupo Culturál Pitao Cocijo de Oaxaca
Opening Night Poetry by John Ross and Alfonso Texidor

Tamales Oaxaqueños por Jesus y Amalia Vazquez, tel. (415) 826-7791

9th Annual Day of the Dead Art Exhibition 2009 was curated by Calixto Robles.  Visit www.calixtorobles.com to learn more about Calixto.

Back to the Picture Latin American Gallery
934 Valencia Street @ 20th Street - San Francisco, CA  94110
(415) 826-2321

Back to the Picture thanks curator Sevilla Granger for her extraordinary work in arranging this exhibition.  Visit her website at www.villasevilla.com for a preview of her work.

Visit www.wendylmiller.com to see the work of Wendy L. Miller.

To see the work of June Yokell, visit www.juneyokell.com.

Back to the Picture\SoMa Gallery
1110 Howard Street @ 7th Street, San Francisco, CA  94103
(415) 826-2321 / (415) 558-9901

Back to the Picture Latin American Gallery Presents:

Art Glass

October 10 through October 27, 2009

Opening Night Reception:
Saturday, October 10, 2009
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Back to the Picture Latin American Gallery
934 Valencia Street @ 20th Street, San Francisco, CA  94110
(415) 836-2321

Featured Artists:

Renee Anderson
Kristina Barnes
Katherine Bellevin
Dean Bensen
Herb Dang
Susanne Jette Khawand
Lacy Glass by Anne Hughes & Krista Lohr
Demetra Theofanous
Truck Dog Glass

Back to the Picture is pleased to welcome Bay Area glass artists in Art Glass.  Dazzling hand-made fused, blown, flameworked and hot sculpted glass is on display in both functional and decorative works of art through Tuesday, October 27, 2009.

Many of the artists featured work at San Francisco’s only non-profit glass studio and school, Public Glass.  Public Glass is located in the Bayview District of San Francisco, and has been providing studio space for artists who work in glass as well as instruction for students interested in the medium.  Visit their website at www.publicglass.org.

Renee Anderson
I’ve been working in glass for about 3 years.  I’ve grown to respect that glass mostly does what it wants to do, and no matter what I envision and no matter how careful I am with the medium, it still misbehaves a little.  I love the happy accidents.  I love the unhappy accidents.  I love that I am constantly surprised.  I’ve succombed that glass goes ahead with its own multilingual interpretations of my intentions, without my permission, and that this is both good for me and the glass.

Lately I’ve been looking at how glass can mimic shapes I see in nature.  Again, sometimes this happens with intention, sometimes I learn something new and I see how to apply it to a new design, and then make something that incorporates that new thing.

And still, after 3 years, I lie awake at night picturing the next accident I may try to conquer.

Kristina Barnes
Kristina has been working with glass for over 10 years.  Her inspiration comes from looking at everyday items and interpreting them in glass.  She incorporates various types of glass elements in her work, to create unusual results.

Katherine Bellevin
I like to mix techniques in my pieces, combining kilnformed, flameworked, and blown elements.  I also like to mix colors together - the luminosity of glass is one of the things that inspires me.  I consciously try to keep my pieces simple, so that the characteristics of the glass itself can really shine through.  My pieces often incorporate “windows” through which one can see through the work, or see different angles into the work.

My lighting and glass objects are handmade at my studio in San Francisco, California from glass produced in the western United States.  Lighting fixtures are UL listed and created from recycled hardware.  I have been producing glass art pieces, lighting, and tableware for more than 6 years.  I began working in stained glass, then moved to glass fusing and flameworking.  In 2009, I began creating blown pieces using the “roll-up” technique.  Thanks for having a look!

Dean Bensen
I use my love for nature, intersected with my passion for the arts to expand beyond the boundaries of environmental awareness and beauty.  I dive deeper into the cycles of nature and the footprints, or historical markers, it creates as it evolves.  I expand upon themes of environmental preservation to highlight the cycles and characteristics that make nature not only beautiful, but awe-inspiring.  Through these various concepts, my goal is not to preach, but to evoke curiosity.  My hope is in piquing one’s curiosity, perhaps the viewer will walk away with a deeper understanding of the workings of nature, questions about its ability to persist, and an appreciation for the many miracles it holds within.

Herb Dang
I produce art that is functional, wearable and that brings beauty into our everyday life.
I play with glass and metal to get texture, color, and surprise.
What I expect from my creations is:
Creating texture in unexpected ways,
Depth in 2-dimensional objects,
Joy from the creation of everyday objects of beauty.
Embrace Change
Play with Fire
Make Art

Herb Dang, 2009

Lacy Glass - Krista Lohr and Anne Hughes - San Francisco
Krista Lohr and Anne Hughes share a love of scavenging in junk yards. Both have a long and checkered history in arts, crafts, and construction. A serendipidous find of fabulous glass at a salvage yard led to this collaboration of working with fused glass.

Their pieces are created using salvaged glass and recycled building materials. Patterns are made using enamels and frits as well as copper and brass inclusions and then kiln-fired.

Join us at Back to the Picture Latin American Gallery for the Opening Night Reception, Saturday, October 10, 2009 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.  Meet the artists and admire their visions in the form of art glass.

Susanne Jette Khawand
If simplicity is the art of taking away the unnecessary so that only beauty remains, I am a true believer in the axiom that less is more.  For me, the proper conduction of colors and shapes is an emotional expression that creates beauty in the eye of the beholder.  Without color, the world is indeed a bland place.  But the right colors bring the world to life - and that is the essence of my work.

Demetra Theofanous
Demetra’s sculpture is inspired by the beauty of nature.  More specifically, her work centers on metaphorical bridges between nature and human beings.  Her work explores themes such as relationships and notions of protection, independence, and change.

She operates a private studio in San Francisco.  Her work has been exhibited at places such as San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design and San Jose City Hall, and has been highlighted in publications like The Flow Magazine, Palo Alto Weekly, and the San Jose Mercury News.

Truck Dog Glass - Dean Bensen and Demetra Theofanous
The birth of Truck Dog Glass is dedicated to the passing of our beloved dog Hoodoo.  An adorable black lab with an incredibly loyal spirit, Hoodoo went everywhere Dean went, always riding in the back of his truck.  Although Hoodoo is no longer with us, her spirit lives on, as we seek continued inspiration from the world around us.

Glass, at its very core, is a fragile medium with unpredictable outcomes.  Every day is an adventure, and the tenuousness of the creative process reminds us that things here today can be gone tomorrow.  Our company is an ode to Hoodoo and a reminder that life, like glass, is fragile and something to be treasured.  We want the radiance of glass art to enrich your life, and invite a moment of appreciation for the little things we often overlook in the hustle of our every day lives.

Parking is metered Monday through Saturday until 6:00 pm, free on Sundays along Valencia Street.  Easy parking is found at the Mission Bartlett garage on 21st Street between Valencia and Mission Streets, and costs roughly the same as the meters.

Art Glass is curated by Randy Figures.

Back to the Picture Latin American Gallery
934 Valencia Street @ 20th Street, San Francisco, CA  94110
(415) 826-2321

Unnerving Conceptions

The Art of the Uncanny

Featured Artists:
Liz Aragon
The Magnificent Miss F.
Missy Feigum
Chris Guarino
Stephanie Inagaki
Myndi Yarbrough

September 3 through October 2, 2009

Opening Night Reception:
Thursday, September 3, 2009
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Back to the Picture\SoMa Gallery
1110 Howard Street @ 7th Street - San Francisco, CA  94103
(415) 558-9901 / (415) 826-2321

uncanny
adjective(-nier, -niest)
eerie, unnatural, unearthly, preternatural, supernatural, otherworldly, ghostly, mysterious, strange, unsettling, abnormal, weird, bizarre, surreal, eldritch, creepy, spooky; come see some art that will get under your skin.

Unnerving Conceptions is curated by Crystal Dent.

Parking is metered until 6:00 pm and is abundant on Howard Street near Back to the Picture\SoMa.  One-hour parking is available on Folsom Street, one block south of Back to the Picture.

Monday through Saturday - 10:00 am to 5:00 pm