'No', 2010. oil on canvas

Have you ever been to a solo show where you are convinced there were multiple artists on display? That’s how I felt while visiting Fraenkel Gallery’s Mel Bochner: Photographs and Not Photographs 1966 – 2010, spanning Bochner’s work from 1966 to 2010, a potent time for conceptual and Post-Minimalist art in America. Each work tempted me to the next like a carrot on a stick with a continuation of the concepts that he wove throughout the gallery using photography and painting. Furthermore, quotes from Sartre, Proust, Duchamp and the Miriam-Webster Dictionary about photography, blocks, monuments, painting and a multitude of other topics illuminated his photos and paintings. Bochner’s show presents many ideas, but lacks a specific point which is successful in that it allows the viewer a great deal of room to ponder, explore and enjoy without feeling that an answer must be found. Continue Reading More »

Image courtesy Altman Siegel Gallery

The phrase “They Knew What They Wanted” poses countless questions, especially when placed as the title of a collaborative exhibition between four galleries across the city of San Francisco. As it turns out “They” are artists chosen by each gallery to curate a show comprised of artwork from the backrooms of all four galleries. Altman Siegel Gallery chose Los Angeles based photographer, Shannon Ebner to curate their portion of the show. She chose a series of thirteen random objects ranging from glasses of water to photographs to a baby incubator in an attempt to show that “reality is comprised of basic units.”  The show at Altman Siegel is successfully disjointed with pieces that are singularly intriguing. Tom Otterness’s ‘Broken Humpty Dumpty’, a bronzed Humpty Dumpty situated on the floor, creates a vibrant dialog with the viewer because of its surroundings. Ebner knew what she wanted from the back rooms of these galleries, but you will have to look to Fraenkel Gallery, Ratio 3, and John Berggruen Gallery to see what their selected artists wanted.