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).
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.
In the first installment of Grime's series we hear from tattoo luminaries, Civ and Chris O'Donnell, as they try to put in perspective how revered and unique Grime's style is. We meet the other tattooers at Grime's shop, Skull and Sword, and learn how they too, strive to be constantly evolving in their tattooing.
Grime gives a little back story on how he transitioned from a young skateboarder who thought his future was in mathematics in Grand Junction, Colorado, to one of the world's most accomplished tattooers.
In a more personal look at Grime, we hear about how he has self published two books based on his personal art and journal writings. We also learn of his need to constantly create in order be self satisfied.
FFDG is pleased to present San Francisco based artists Alex Ziv and Mario Ayala in the two person show entitled "Going Nowhere" featuring 22 new mixed media works on paper. Both artists are attending The San Francisco Art Institute with Alex Ziv studying for his MFA in painting while Mario Ayala in his last year for a BFA in painting. An opening reception is scheduled for Friday, April 12th (6-9pm). The artists will be present. Beer and wine will be available.
FFDG is pleased to present San Francisco based artists Alex Ziv and Mario Ayala in the two person show entitled "Going Nowhere" featuring 22 new mixed media works on paper. Both artists are attending The San Francisco Art Institute with Alex Ziv studying for his MFA in painting while Mario Ayala in his last year for a BFA in painting. An opening reception is scheduled for Friday, April 12th (6-9pm). The artists will be present. Beer and wine will be available. The show runs through May 4th.
Alex Ziv's works, composed of pen and ink on paper, explore and help to define Ziv's definition of "Americana" through the visual iconography and language of motorcycle subculture. Through exploring topics of contemporary and historical Americana through a background knowledge of mainstream and subversive symbology found in subcultures, Ziv's work attempts to enhance and highlight topics of turbulence.
Mario Ayala's work is a further exploration of his lived experiences intertwined with the ideals of the West Coast ethos containing its ritualistic chachkies, cultural luxuries, and the anxieties due to taking mind altering substances while faced with the prioritized decision of guns or butta. Ayala creates pictorial hyperboles from friend/ family experiences to explore the trudges of economic class, multi cultural sacrosanct, and the day to day hustle for egalitarianism.
About Alex Ziv
24 year old Alex Ziv was born and raised in San Francisco California where he is attending The San Francisco Art Institute in pursuit of an MFA. He has been selected to show both nationally and internationally as well as being selected for his first museum group exhibition at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art opening early in May. His work explores topics of contemporary and historical Americana through a background knowledge of mainstream and subversive symbology found in subcultures to enhance and highlight topics of turbulence.
About Mario Ayala
Mario Ayala is 21 years old and is in his last year at the San Francisco Art Institute studying for his BFA in painting. He has shown work in several group exhibitions in San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles and in North Carolina. Mario's work involves the use of multiple materials, but mostly the use various paints for their own specific processes of application and historical contexts to metaphorically describe the ethos of West coast subcultural ideals. He creates pictorial hyperboles from friend/ family experiences to explore the trudges of economic class, multi cultural sacrosanct, and the day to day hustle for egalitarianism.
Both artists are attending The San Francisco Art Institute with Alex Ziv studying for his MFA in painting while Mario Ayala in his last year for a BFA in painting.
Going Nowhere Alex Ziv & Mario Ayala Opening reception: Friday, April 12th (6–9pm)
@FFDG, San Francisco
2277 Mission St.
FFDG is pleased to present San Francisco based artists Alex Ziv and Mario Ayala in the two person show entitled "Going Nowhere" featuring 22 new mixed media works on paper. Both artists are attending The San Francisco Art Institute with Alex Ziv studying for his MFA in painting while Mario Ayala in his last year for a BFA in painting. An opening reception is scheduled for Friday, April 12th (6-9pm). The artists will be present. Beer and wine will be available.
Press Release (+Click to expand)
Alex Ziv's works, composed of pen and ink on paper, explore and help to define Ziv's definition of "Americana" through the visual iconography and language of motorcycle subculture. Through exploring topics of contemporary and historical Americana through a background knowledge of mainstream and subversive symbology found in subcultures, Ziv's work attempts to enhance and highlight topics of turbulence.
Mario Ayala's work is a further exploration of his lived experiences intertwined with the ideals of the West Coast ethos containing its ritualistic chachkies, cultural luxuries, and the anxieties due to taking mind altering substances while faced with the prioritized decision of guns or butta. Ayala creates pictorial hyperboles from friend/ family experiences to explore the trudges of economic class, multi cultural sacrosanct, and the day to day hustle for egalitarianism.
About Alex Ziv
24 year old Alex Ziv was born and raised in San Francisco California where he is attending The San Francisco Art Institute in pursuit of an MFA. He has been selected to show both nationally and internationally as well as being selected for his first museum group exhibition at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art opening early in May. His work explores topics of contemporary and historical Americana through a background knowledge of mainstream and subversive symbology found in subcultures to enhance and highlight topics of turbulence.
About Mario Ayala
Mario Ayala is 21 years old and is in his last year at the San Francisco Art Institute studying for his BFA in painting. He has shown work in several group exhibitions in San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles and in North Carolina. Mario's work involves the use of multiple materials, but mostly the use various paints for their own specific processes of application and historical contexts to metaphorically describe the ethos of West coast subcultural ideals. He creates pictorial hyperboles from friend/ family experiences to explore the trudges of economic class, multi cultural sacrosanct, and the day to day hustle for egalitarianism.
Work by Mario Ayala
Work by Alex Ziv
Going Nowhere Alex Ziv & Mario Ayala Opening reception: Friday, April 12th (6–9pm)
@FFDG, San Francisco
2277 Mission St.
Press Release (+click to read)
FFDG is pleased to present San Francisco based artists Alex Ziv and Mario Ayala in the two person show entitled "Going Nowhere" featuring 22 new mixed media works on paper. Both artists are attending The San Francisco Art Institute with Alex Ziv studying for his MFA in painting while Mario Ayala in his last year for a BFA in painting. An opening reception is scheduled for Friday, April 12th (6-9pm). The artists will be present. Beer and wine will be available. The show runs through May 4th.
Alex Ziv's works, composed of pen and ink on paper, explore and help to define Ziv's definition of "Americana" through the visual iconography and language of motorcycle subculture. Through exploring topics of contemporary and historical Americana through a background knowledge of mainstream and subversive symbology found in subcultures, Ziv's work attempts to enhance and highlight topics of turbulence.
Mario Ayala's work is a further exploration of his lived experiences intertwined with the ideals of the West Coast ethos containing its ritualistic chachkies, cultural luxuries, and the anxieties due to taking mind altering substances while faced with the prioritized decision of guns or butta. Ayala creates pictorial hyperboles from friend/ family experiences to explore the trudges of economic class, multi cultural sacrosanct, and the day to day hustle for egalitarianism.
About Alex Ziv
24 year old Alex Ziv was born and raised in San Francisco California where he is attending The San Francisco Art Institute in pursuit of an MFA. He has been selected to show both nationally and internationally as well as being selected for his first museum group exhibition at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art opening early in May. His work explores topics of contemporary and historical Americana through a background knowledge of mainstream and subversive symbology found in subcultures to enhance and highlight topics of turbulence.
About Mario Ayala
Mario Ayala is 21 years old and is in his last year at the San Francisco Art Institute studying for his BFA in painting. He has shown work in several group exhibitions in San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles and in North Carolina. Mario's work involves the use of multiple materials, but mostly the use various paints for their own specific processes of application and historical contexts to metaphorically describe the ethos of West coast subcultural ideals. He creates pictorial hyperboles from friend/ family experiences to explore the trudges of economic class, multi cultural sacrosanct, and the day to day hustle for egalitarianism.
Curiot in SF at the opening of "Age of the Omuktlans" @FFDG
Mexico City-based painter and street artist Curiot opened his solo show, "Age of the Omuktlans," at San Francisco's FFDG. Part folkloric and part futuristic, the composite creatures in Curiot's series of paintings are inspired by Curiot's imaginings of Mexican culture during his upbringing in the United States. The otherworldly animals in the vibrant paintings are made up of scrambling homunculi, organic forms and textile-inspired abstract designs. “Age of the Omuktlans” is on view through April 6th.
~continue reading
FFDG will be releasing a silkscreen print from Curiot this Friday. To be added to the list to be first to receive one, email: info(at)ffdg.net
Curiot @FFDG Thursday, 21 March 2013 /// Written by Van Edwards
Age of Omuktlans features works by Mexico City based Curiot currently running at FFDG in San Francisco through April 6, 2013.
FFDG is pleased to present Mexico City based painter and street artist Curiot (Favio Martinez) in his first solo show in the United States entitled “Age of Omuktlans” featuring 11 new colorful and vibrant acrylic paintings on canvas. An opening reception is scheduled for Friday, March 8th (6-9pm). The artist will be present. Beer and wine will be available. The show runs through April 14th.
Curiot’s colorful paintings, featuring mythical half-animal half-human figures and scenes, which allude to Mexican traditions (geometric designs, Day of the Dead styles, myths and legends, tribal elements), are rendered in precise detail with a mixture of highly vibrant yet complementary colors. “Growing up in the States sort of gave me a diluted Mexican culture, I had no clue what I was missing out on until I moved back 10 years ago”, says Curiot. “The bright colors, folklore, ancient cultures and the beautiful handcrafts are some of the things that I embraced and which influence my work deeply”. The 11 new paintings in “Age of Omuktlans” tell the story of man’s distance from his natural path as he focuses his energy on satisfying his material pleasures and the dystopia this creates.
Curiot is a painter and street artist working in Mexico City. He earned his B.F.A from the Universidad Michoacana de S.N. Hidalgo in 2008. His paintings have been exhibited in diverse solo and group venues including: Fecal Face, Anno Domini, Fifty24MX, CC186, Centro Cultural Border, Galería David Alfaro Siqueiros, Lavamp, La Cream Galería, and received an award for his work “Mass Media” in the 7th National Biennial of Painting and Engraving Alfredo Zalce. Curiot´s work has been featured in numerous online and print publications including Beautiful Decay, Indie Rocks, El Fanzine, and Tongue Mag.
Curiot wants to do a wall while here in San Francisco. Do you have a good wall where he could do a piece? Let us know. info(at)ffdg.net
Forget Brooklyn, Mexican street art is where it's at. Artist Curiot combines traditional Mexican elements with almost cartoon like characters, to make massive and beautiful murals. One of his recent pieces in Mexico City was over 30 meters long. We weren't exaggerating! ~continue reading
Mexcio City based Curiot opens the solo show Age of Omuktlans Friday, March 8th @FFDG in San Francisco.
Thanks for We Heart for the coverage of Jay Howell's show running through March 2nd at San Francisco's FFDG.
The title of Jay Howell's new solo show, Enthusiastic Person, couldn't be more apt; as an arty type of guy he's got it damn near perfect. Dividing his time between art directing, illustrating for major companies, designing characters for hit (dare we say cult) animation series like Bob’s Burgers, and general West Coast of America style skater dude loafing with girlfriend and dog; Howell seems to be living the dream, or at least his version of it. ~read on
Thanks to everyone who came out to last Friday's opening of Enthusiastic Person @FFDG here in San Francisco. Such a fun evening to celebrate Jay Howell's newest works and sculptures.
Jay Howell @FFDG Wednesday, 06 February 2013 /// Written by Van Edwards
LA based Jay Howell opened his current solo show in San Francisco's Mission district at FFDG last Friday to a huge crowd (pics later today) featuring over 40 new works including, for the first time, one of a kind sculptural works.
The show Enthusiastic Person runs through March 2nd and can be viewed in person Wed thru Sat (1-6pm). Works can purchased online: ffdg.net
FFDG is pleased to present Los Angeles based artist Jay Howell in his third highly anticipated solo show with the gallery entitled “Enthusiastic Person” featuring over 25 new mixed media cartoon-styled works on paper. Currently in production on the first season of the animated children’s show “Sanjay and Craig”, which Howell is Executive Producer, Co-Creator and Art Director, Howell will exhibit recent colorfully bright and whimsical drawings featuring the cast of characters, patterns and geometric shapes so recognizable as Jay Howell works. The 2013 Noise Pop music festival will feature Jay Howell's artwork on all their promotional materials.
Jay Howell is an all around kind dude that lives in Los Angeles with photographer girlfriend Ruth Swanson and a dog named Street Dog. When he's not illustrating for Vans or drawing skateboards he can be seen on the streets fuckin' around and sayin' classic shit. Jay designed the main characters for Fox's hit show, "Bob's Burgers". He is currently working as an Executive Producer, Co-Creator and Art Director on "Sanjay and Craig" an animated children's show for Nickelodeon.
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 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
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
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 (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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Brooklyn based artists Sheryo and The Yok recentely completed the mural "Pipe Dreams" in Long Island City at 5 pointz. The Yok also emailed over some photos fom a recent trip to Mexico for the Festival Anonymous held near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico from this past January... Awesome, we're heading to Mexico in a couple weeks.
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