My friends and I decided to take the short trek over to the Geary Street galleries in San Francisco from school the other evening to do what the other locals do- fight the crowds of First Thursday. As the monthly openings hurrah takes place every first Thursday, it brings droves of art lovers, both the casual, after-work crowd, and the art school variety to 49 and 77 Geary. I've noticed the actual collectors don't come on this night, where you have to walk up flights of stairs to avoid the elevator rush, and navigate the hordes of free wine swillers.
We came to see the opening at Rena Bransten that my friend, Aimee Reed curated called "Pure Paper" (through March 12), but it was quite crowded so we ended up also checking out other shows in the complex which were set to close soon. (The show looked good though, and I plan to come back later).
I am a big fan of Katy Grannan's photographs, which grace the pages of fashion magazines like AnOther, as well as notable art galleries, and was excited to see her show at Fraenkel (through February 19). These photos are taken on the street of people she sees and spontaneously captures in beautiful, natural California light. They seem to glow, looking like watercolor versions of reality.
We also popped in to Gregory Lind, where these detailed paintings of book covers of Richard Baker, (through February 26), were kinda interesting, but I thought they were a little gimicky. All the books seemed like cool, well-read treasures, as if he were calling attention to his library more than his art.
We also stopped by Altman Siegel, a new gallery which shows a young generation of artists. They were having a three person show, with Chris Johanson, Charley Harper, and Matt Keegan. It was quite a dude show, with highlights including these two Chris Johanson pieces. I love the blue in the boat piece, and the line-up one is pretty funny. (The show just ended).
Be sure to check out Rena Bransten if you are in the area. Til next First Thursday...
No comments:
Post a Comment