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Home  BLOGS Mini Interviews Wilford Barrington - Mini Interview
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Written by Van Edwards
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Wednesday, 03 November 2010 17:30
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Location? Age? Education? Website?
Toronto. 29. Alberta College of Art and Design -BFA in painting 2007. www.wilfordbarrington.blogspot.com
How would you describe your work to someone?
I draw people from direct observation. The conversation I have with them during the portrait sitting along with the different expressions and emotions they convey inform how the portraits look. I depict an array of attitudes that will give the viewer insight as to the true nature of the sitter thereby creating an image that holds significance beyond their name and identity alone. They are essentially about how we get to ‘know’ someone, how we connect and what we honestly see when we look at a person. People are fluid creatures that do not sit still and their faces act as a window into a constantly changing stew of thoughts and emotions. What I see in a few hours can say so much about a person’s entire life. They capture so much more than a photograph.
Influences?
Right now I am super interested in the animation work of Chuck Jones and Max Fleisher.
Cheeseburgers or tofu burgers?
Both. I love all food. I never turn down a meal.
Working routine? Music? Time of day?
I usually have to accommodate whomever I am drawing. About half the time they stand me up and I have to reschedule. It used to make me furious, but I have grown to accept that people are flaky, and sometimes things just come up. Also, spending three or four hours in a room being heavily scrutinized by someone (even if they know me) is not how most people would like to spend there free time. Luckily Canadians are polite and often will never say no even if they honestly don’t want to sit for me. I also have the advantage that nobody draws portraits from life that are any good anymore (with one or two exceptions) so for 99% of my sitters it’s a new experience.
I prefer no music during the sittings because the conversation I have with the sitters during the drawing reveals everything.
How do you pay the bills?
No comment.
What are you really excited about right now?
Music. I am always thirsty for new music. The amount of recorded music available right now is infinite so I never get tired of discovering new bands and musicians from all genres. Right now I am subletting a bedroom from this guy from the Canadian hardcore band “Brutal Knights” while he tours Europe. He is a huge music enthusiast and his collection is massive, so basically I’m in heaven at the moment. This week I’m obsessed with Whitehouse, Roky Erickson, and Bon Scott era ACDC.
I just gave you $1,000,000. Quick, what do you do with it!
More money means I can make more artwork and explore more possibilities. I would travel more and seek out more people to draw. I would set up a larger studio somewhere and start working on portrait sculptures, larger, more time consuming works. Right now my work is limited by access to space and resources. Limitation is good though, as it causes me to be more creative with what I have. Because I am not a rich artist, I can draw who I wish without money affecting their perception of me. If you gave me a million bucks I would not tell anyone.
Best way to spend a day off?
I honestly haven’t been out of the city in a long time. I would like to go for a hike somewhere beautiful with a friend and pack a lunch. It's a nice time of year to take LSD.
What do you love most about where you live?
I just moved to Toronto a few months ago from Calgary. Right now I love the consistent weather here. Calgary’s weather is shitty and always changing. Its fall now and the trees are all turning. It’s beautiful. There are also a lot of fascinating people here. I don’t know how long I will stay, I want to keep traveling and meeting new and interesting people to draw but for now Toronto is a positive change for sure.
Ok, your chance to rant and rave about something* Talk shit.
I feel like an extraordinarily lucky person. Aside from waving the finger at Conservatives in my country and Republicans in yours for fucking the world up huge, today I don't have much shit to talk. Just stay out of my way and let me do my thing man.
Upcoming shows/ projects?
Right now I am working on a book of portrait drawings with design stud Barr Gilmore. He is the nicest man and does the best artist books in the world. He has done catalogues for everyone from Damien Hurst to Picasso. It’s a huge honor to be working with him. Right now that book is my main focus. There will be an exhibition to accompany the book launch, but I haven’t found the right venue yet. I am sure that will happen once the book comes together.
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| Gary Baseman Interview
Gary Baseman's retrospective "The Door is Always Open" at the Skirball in LA opened recently to massive crowds in a huge celebratory opening party. The exhibition is so complex and personal, delving into Baseman's background, family history, and all the layers of prolific work that he has done over the years. After the opening festivities winded down, I caught up with Baseman for an interview. We discussed the underlying meaning to some of the components of the show and how it felt for him, coming from such an honest personal perspective in putting this massive show together.
 |
 |
| Mark Mulroney at Ever Gold (+Photos)
Fertile Menace, a new show of Mark Mulroney's (NY) work opened at Ever Gold on May 4th and it's not one to be missed. It is intelligently hilarious, with jokes riffing off sex, Foucault, and the body, and while it makes you laugh it's also going to make you think.
 |
|
| Sanjay & Craig Premieres Saturday
Our buddies Jay Howell, Andreas Trolf, and Jim Dirschberger are hyped as their show, which they've been working on for like 2 years, premieres on Nickelodeon Saturday. From the trailers we've seen so far and from what Jay has told us about, the show is going to be pretty epic. Congrats to those radical fellas.
 |
|
| Skull & Sword at FFDG, Friday (7-10pm)
Here's a little taste of work by the artists of the world famous The Skull and Sword tattoo shop who open their show at San Francisco's FFDG on Friday, May 17th (7-10pm).
 |
|
| Amir H. Fallah Studio Visit
Following his solo exhibition "The Collected" at Gallery Wendi Norris, painter Amir H. Fallah is in the throes of developing more new works for upcoming international exhibits. We spent some time in his studio in Highland Park, Los Angeles recently, discussing his process and inspiration.
 |
|
| Bubi Canal's "Chrystelle" (+video)
We were first introduced to the photography of Spanish born NYC based Bubi Canal when he emailed us his great video Trust in Me a couple years ago. His solo show Special Moment recently ran at NYC's Munch Gallery in February, and he recently released his newest video Chrystelle below.
 |
|
| Michael Garlington & The Metaphysical Fundraiser at 111 Minna
Although I missed the opening of Northern-California photographer Michael Garlington's newest show, Constructed Realities, I was fortunate enough to see the work still up during the Metaphysical fundraiser a couple weeks back at 111 Minna. Metaphysical fundraiser, an auction to benefit Wayne Ernzer. --- The ghoulish photographs in their heavy, hand-made frames are reminiscent of photos from the old west, and the glass crucifixes, complete with fetuses and guns, emphasize the accumulated time within the works themselves. Whether you're looking at the frames, the photos, or both, this show deserves a visit, and a walk through the golden archway Garlington constructed around the front door.
 |
|
| John Felix Arnold III in Japan (Part 3)
Fecal Face contributor Rachel Ralph (rachel(at)fecalface.com) has been profiling this Oakland based painter as he travels about Japan. In this segment, we feature some photos as he prepared for this show and residency at Spes-LaB in Tokyo which opened last weekend. Arnold will be featured in SFMoMA's Minna Street windows on June 8th.
 |
|
| Alex Lukas & Richard Colman @Guerrero Gallery
Last Saturday, here in SF's Mission district, Guerrero Gallery opened two new shows with Philly based Alex Lukas and SF based Richard Colman respectively. Colman's work occupied the project space while Lukas' work and foliage was presented in the main space. Worth getting to if you haven't already.
 |
|
| High 5s: Mexico-Land
Just got back to SF after a little trip south to Sayulita, Mexico. After 10 years without a vacation, me and the Mrs. headed south for some mental time off sitting in the sun, swimming and enjoying the watery Mexican beer. Here are some photos as we get back into the swing of things again.
 |
|
| High 5s: Puttin' The Pee in the Pod
For 13 years I've been blogging up randomness. Here's more of it.
 |
|
| Dimitris Polychroniadis (+Greece)
Athens, Greece based designer, architect and artist Dimitris Polychroniadis emailed over more of his work which consists of mixed media, pop-humorous diorama sculptures that make a comment on the harsh realities my country and much of the world is facing at the moment.
 |
|
| Skull & Sword at FFDG Featuring: Grime, Henry Lewis, Yutaro, and Lango
FFDG will open a group show with the artists from the famed Skull & Sword Tattoo on Friday, May 17th (6-9pm). Artists: Grime, Henry Lewis, Yutaro, and Lango. Below are a series of videos on Grime for Vice's Tattoo Age produced in 2011. Fascinating look at one of the greatest tattoo artists alive today.
 |
|
| ARYZ at Fifty24SF
ARYZ (Spain) opened his newest gallery show at Fifty24SF last Friday and, if you live in the Bay Area, you need to go. This dude can obviously paint, and he doesn't need an entire building to show his impecable skill. The show has lots of small works on paper which contrast his highly-defined line work to his hard-edged painted objects. The contrast between the hard and soft was the most striking thing to me about his work, since I had never seen it in person before, and the washes blend with the thick paint seamlessly. The show also contains a larger work on canvas, a huge head suspended in the back of the room, and a big wood sculpture of a wolf figure. This diversity in such a small space was impressive, and those of us that went to the opening even got to meet the man in person. If you didn't make it out this weekend, check it out before May 31st when it closes and these works will be off to some very happy new homes.
 |
|
| David Bayus @Water McBeer
Water McBeer is please to announce its latest exhibition "Precious" a solo exhibition by David Bayus (April 6 - May 4, 2013) -- David Bayus born 1982 holds his BFA from the Savannah College of Art and his MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. David lives and works in San Francisco and is a founding member of the basement collective. This will be his first exhibition with the world renown Water McBeer Gallery highlighting his most recent achievements with paint and digital media. David Bayus will be exhibiting 5 relatively large-scale mixed media works along with a collaborative object featuring Hungarian sculptor H.R KOONS.
 |
|
| Hard Time Mini Mall @The Shooting Gallery
The Shooting Gallery handed over the reins to the Red Truck Gallery (a New Orleans based gallery) which curated their new show, Hard Time Mini Mall and opened the it on Saturday night. This is my favorite show (so far) in the Shooting Gallery's new space and was packed full of art, a mini bar, and cowhide rugs. The Red Truck Gallery chose works with clear craftsmanship and it was easy to see in Ian Berry's denim assemblages and Chris Roberts-Antieau's awesome quilts. The space was completely packed, making it hard to see each piece individually, but this show deserves a second trip anyway. I look forward to spending more time with the chandeliers, automatons, and paintings before the show comes down on May 4th.
 |
|
| "Ayre (of Distances)" by Nathan Cyprys +Toronto
Toronto based photographer Nathan Cyprys emailed to let us know about his newest series "Neighbour State", and we were about to post it when we spotted this series on his site entitled "Ayre (of Distances)" and had to post this one instead. After you view this one, view "Neighbour State" on his site. Both are visually enjoyable.
 |
|
| Alex Ziv & Mario Ayala at FFDG +Opening Pics
Photos from the opening of Going Nowhere featuring works by San Francisco based artists Alex Ziv & Mario Ayala which runs through May 4th at FFDG.
 |
|
| Recent Works by David Lyle
Working from found photographs, Lyle's paintings are created through a reductive painting process where each piece is rendered using only black paint and turpentine. Lyle begins this process by priming a panel with white gesso. He then paints a thin, rich, oily black veneer over the primed panel, slowly and systematically developing his images by removing some of the black paint with a cloth. In doing so, Lyle renders layer upon layer of various values of black paint resulting in his signature-style of luminescent works.
 |
|
| +London - David Shillinglaw Mural
London based David Shillinglaw who's blogged it up for Fecal Face in the past recently completed this mural in London as he prepares for his solo show at Stolen Space opening on April 26th.
 |
|
| In The Streets of Copenhagen (Part 2)
Our buddy Henrik Haven, who brings us some goodies from his native Copenhagen, has been shooting some of his city's graffiti and street art. Last week we brought you part one of his camera's explorations.
 |
|
| Just The Two of Us at Adobe Books
San Francisco based artists Raphael Villet and Sean Vranizan are currently showing Just the Two of Us at Adobe Books through April 21. Here are some photos from the opening and works.
 |
|
| Skewville & Mark Warren Jacques @White Walls (SF)
Two twin brothers from Brooklyn, Skewville brought the fun to their opening at White Walls last Saturday night with their new show, Amusement. After all, you can't take a show that starts with a sign reading "Sucks either Way" too seriously. Besides the simplistic yet detailed paintings, visitors got to ride on a bike-powered merry-go-round and throw bean bags at bottles like a carnival game. Even the works made of found materials, like the Battleship boombox and the suitcase made of tin lunch pails, brought a sense of humor to the night. After seeing the work in the back of the gallery, which was much more crowded, Skewville provided a light-hearted atmosphere in which viewers could drink beer, play games, and see some really great artworks.
 |
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“INSIDE OUT” SHOWCASES THE EYE-POPPING STREET ART THAT AIMS TO CHANGE THE WORLD, ONE FACE AT A TIME
Tuesday, 21 May 2013 10:43
A new HBO documentary looks at the work of street artist JR, whose giant portraits force people in troubled areas to confront the humanity that's all around them... On the day JR found out he'd won the $100,000 TED Prize, the French pasteup artist found himself in China being questioned by police for doing his thing on the streets of Shanghai. ~continue reading
Street artist JR HBO documentary premiered yesterday, May 20th
Art Basel to bring international flair to Hong Kong
Tuesday, 21 May 2013 10:37
Art lovers, collectors and gallerists will gather on Thursday for Hong Kong's inaugural edition of Art Basel, sealing the city's status as an international art hub and Asia's leading art destination... Hong Kong has surged to third place in the global art auction market behind New York and London and Western galleries are falling over each other to open franchises in the former British colony. ~continue reading
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Wednesday, 16 June 2010 17:39
Ferris Plock Friday at Benny Gold
Monday, 20 May 2013 11:07
Our buddy Ferris Plock opens a small show of drawings at Benny Gold on 3169 16th St this Friday, May 24th (7-10pm) featuring 31 drawings priced at 75-140 bucks.
Ferris also released the video Fingered! he produced with animator Jim Dirschberger. View it
Ferris Plock Friday at Benny Gold in SF
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Wednesday, 25 April 2012 11:56
SFAI's MFA Show "Currency" Opening Friday
Thursday, 16 May 2013 09:00
Wowzas, there's a lot of art happenings this weekend, and while you're making the rounds, be sure to stop at SFAI's MFA show Currency opening Friday, May 17th at the beautiful old SF Mint Building (88 5th Street).
SFAI's 2013 MFA graduates—working in painting, photography, printmaking, film, sculpture, installation, digital media, performance, and across media—will present work that embraces the Institute's signature spirit of experimentation and conceptual risk-taking.
Opening reception: Friday, May 17, 7–9 pm & running through Sunday 11-6pm daily. -- complete details
Pedro Matos Friday in Los Angeles
Wednesday, 15 May 2013 11:52
London based Pedro Matos opens the solo show Building Castles Made of Sand this Friday in Los Angeles at the Martha Otero Gallery featuring a new series of oil paintings on canvas and azulejo panels - a traditional Portuguese medium of hand-painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tile work.
view a little taste
Pedro Matos Friday in LA
CCA's MFA Show Thursday
Tuesday, 14 May 2013 17:14
San Francisco -- CCA opens their 2013 MFA Thesis Exhibition this Thursday, May 16th at their SF campus. Every year another graduating class produces steller work. One of the best SF art events worth getting to, but be sure to get there early as there's always a long line. ~details
CCA opens their MFA show Thursday, May 16th
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Surrounded -as of 4pm
| Gary Baseman Interview
Gary Baseman's retrospective "The Door is Always Open" at the Skirball in LA opened recently to massive crowds in a huge celebratory opening party. The exhibition is so complex and personal, delving into Baseman's background, family history, and all the layers of prolific work that he has done over the years. After the opening festivities winded down, I caught up with Baseman for an interview. We discussed the underlying meaning to some of the components of the show and how it felt for him, coming from such an honest personal perspective in putting this massive show together.
|
|
| Mark Mulroney at Ever Gold (+Photos)
Fertile Menace, a new show of Mark Mulroney's (NY) work opened at Ever Gold on May 4th and it's not one to be missed. It is intelligently hilarious, with jokes riffing off sex, Foucault, and the body, and while it makes you laugh it's also going to make you think.
|
|
| Sanjay & Craig Premieres Saturday
Our buddies Jay Howell, Andreas Trolf, and Jim Dirschberger are hyped as their show, which they've been working on for like 2 years, premieres on Nickelodeon Saturday. From the trailers we've seen so far and from what Jay has told us about, the show is going to be pretty epic. Congrats to those radical fellas.
|
|
| Skull & Sword at FFDG, Friday (7-10pm)
Here's a little taste of work by the artists of the world famous The Skull and Sword tattoo shop who open their show at San Francisco's FFDG on Friday, May 17th (7-10pm).
|
|
| Amir H. Fallah Studio Visit
Following his solo exhibition "The Collected" at Gallery Wendi Norris, painter Amir H. Fallah is in the throes of developing more new works for upcoming international exhibits. We spent some time in his studio in Highland Park, Los Angeles recently, discussing his process and inspiration.
|
|
| Bubi Canal's "Chrystelle" (+video)
We were first introduced to the photography of Spanish born NYC based Bubi Canal when he emailed us his great video Trust in Me a couple years ago. His solo show Special Moment recently ran at NYC's Munch Gallery in February, and he recently released his newest video Chrystelle below.
|
|
| Michael Garlington & The Metaphysical Fundraiser at 111 Minna
Although I missed the opening of Northern-California photographer Michael Garlington's newest show, Constructed Realities, I was fortunate enough to see the work still up during the Metaphysical fundraiser a couple weeks back at 111 Minna. Metaphysical fundraiser, an auction to benefit Wayne Ernzer. --- The ghoulish photographs in their heavy, hand-made frames are reminiscent of photos from the old west, and the glass crucifixes, complete with fetuses and guns, emphasize the accumulated time within the works themselves. Whether you're looking at the frames, the photos, or both, this show deserves a visit, and a walk through the golden archway Garlington constructed around the front door.
|
|
| John Felix Arnold III in Japan (Part 3)
Fecal Face contributor Rachel Ralph (rachel(at)fecalface.com) has been profiling this Oakland based painter as he travels about Japan. In this segment, we feature some photos as he prepared for this show and residency at Spes-LaB in Tokyo which opened last weekend. Arnold will be featured in SFMoMA's Minna Street windows on June 8th.
|
|
| Alex Lukas & Richard Colman @Guerrero Gallery
Last Saturday, here in SF's Mission district, Guerrero Gallery opened two new shows with Philly based Alex Lukas and SF based Richard Colman respectively. Colman's work occupied the project space while Lukas' work and foliage was presented in the main space. Worth getting to if you haven't already.
|
|
| High 5s: Mexico-Land
Just got back to SF after a little trip south to Sayulita, Mexico. After 10 years without a vacation, me and the Mrs. headed south for some mental time off sitting in the sun, swimming and enjoying the watery Mexican beer. Here are some photos as we get back into the swing of things again.
|
|
| High 5s: Puttin' The Pee in the Pod
For 13 years I've been blogging up randomness. Here's more of it.
|
|
| Dimitris Polychroniadis (+Greece)
Athens, Greece based designer, architect and artist Dimitris Polychroniadis emailed over more of his work which consists of mixed media, pop-humorous diorama sculptures that make a comment on the harsh realities my country and much of the world is facing at the moment.
|
|
| Skull & Sword at FFDG Featuring: Grime, Henry Lewis, Yutaro, and Lango
FFDG will open a group show with the artists from the famed Skull & Sword Tattoo on Friday, May 17th (6-9pm). Artists: Grime, Henry Lewis, Yutaro, and Lango. Below are a series of videos on Grime for Vice's Tattoo Age produced in 2011. Fascinating look at one of the greatest tattoo artists alive today.
|
|
| ARYZ at Fifty24SF
ARYZ (Spain) opened his newest gallery show at Fifty24SF last Friday and, if you live in the Bay Area, you need to go. This dude can obviously paint, and he doesn't need an entire building to show his impecable skill. The show has lots of small works on paper which contrast his highly-defined line work to his hard-edged painted objects. The contrast between the hard and soft was the most striking thing to me about his work, since I had never seen it in person before, and the washes blend with the thick paint seamlessly. The show also contains a larger work on canvas, a huge head suspended in the back of the room, and a big wood sculpture of a wolf figure. This diversity in such a small space was impressive, and those of us that went to the opening even got to meet the man in person. If you didn't make it out this weekend, check it out before May 31st when it closes and these works will be off to some very happy new homes.
|
|
| David Bayus @Water McBeer
Water McBeer is please to announce its latest exhibition "Precious" a solo exhibition by David Bayus (April 6 - May 4, 2013) -- David Bayus born 1982 holds his BFA from the Savannah College of Art and his MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. David lives and works in San Francisco and is a founding member of the basement collective. This will be his first exhibition with the world renown Water McBeer Gallery highlighting his most recent achievements with paint and digital media. David Bayus will be exhibiting 5 relatively large-scale mixed media works along with a collaborative object featuring Hungarian sculptor H.R KOONS.
|
|
| Hard Time Mini Mall @The Shooting Gallery
The Shooting Gallery handed over the reins to the Red Truck Gallery (a New Orleans based gallery) which curated their new show, Hard Time Mini Mall and opened the it on Saturday night. This is my favorite show (so far) in the Shooting Gallery's new space and was packed full of art, a mini bar, and cowhide rugs. The Red Truck Gallery chose works with clear craftsmanship and it was easy to see in Ian Berry's denim assemblages and Chris Roberts-Antieau's awesome quilts. The space was completely packed, making it hard to see each piece individually, but this show deserves a second trip anyway. I look forward to spending more time with the chandeliers, automatons, and paintings before the show comes down on May 4th.
|
|
| "Ayre (of Distances)" by Nathan Cyprys +Toronto
Toronto based photographer Nathan Cyprys emailed to let us know about his newest series "Neighbour State", and we were about to post it when we spotted this series on his site entitled "Ayre (of Distances)" and had to post this one instead. After you view this one, view "Neighbour State" on his site. Both are visually enjoyable.
|
|
| Alex Ziv & Mario Ayala at FFDG +Opening Pics
Photos from the opening of Going Nowhere featuring works by San Francisco based artists Alex Ziv & Mario Ayala which runs through May 4th at FFDG.
|
|
| Recent Works by David Lyle
Working from found photographs, Lyle's paintings are created through a reductive painting process where each piece is rendered using only black paint and turpentine. Lyle begins this process by priming a panel with white gesso. He then paints a thin, rich, oily black veneer over the primed panel, slowly and systematically developing his images by removing some of the black paint with a cloth. In doing so, Lyle renders layer upon layer of various values of black paint resulting in his signature-style of luminescent works.
|
|
| +London - David Shillinglaw Mural
London based David Shillinglaw who's blogged it up for Fecal Face in the past recently completed this mural in London as he prepares for his solo show at Stolen Space opening on April 26th.
|
|
| In The Streets of Copenhagen (Part 2)
Our buddy Henrik Haven, who brings us some goodies from his native Copenhagen, has been shooting some of his city's graffiti and street art. Last week we brought you part one of his camera's explorations.
|
|
| Just The Two of Us at Adobe Books
San Francisco based artists Raphael Villet and Sean Vranizan are currently showing Just the Two of Us at Adobe Books through April 21. Here are some photos from the opening and works.
|
|
| Skewville & Mark Warren Jacques @White Walls (SF)
Two twin brothers from Brooklyn, Skewville brought the fun to their opening at White Walls last Saturday night with their new show, Amusement. After all, you can't take a show that starts with a sign reading "Sucks either Way" too seriously. Besides the simplistic yet detailed paintings, visitors got to ride on a bike-powered merry-go-round and throw bean bags at bottles like a carnival game. Even the works made of found materials, like the Battleship boombox and the suitcase made of tin lunch pails, brought a sense of humor to the night. After seeing the work in the back of the gallery, which was much more crowded, Skewville provided a light-hearted atmosphere in which viewers could drink beer, play games, and see some really great artworks.
|
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|
