RAW

2011-11-25T19:46:00.000-08:00

Great to see ya'll come out!!!

2009-11-29T23:59:00.001-08:00

pics of the show!!

2009-11-29T22:16:00.000-08:00

Sean Olson:Sarah Willis:

Chris Piallat:

Group installations:

Brandon Trustcott:
John K. Melvin:

Colby Claycomb:

John K. Melvin:
Group:

Group:
Barry Beach:
Kit Rosenberg:
Jesse Walton & Ruth Hodgins:

pics of the show

2009-11-14T02:10:00.001-08:00

And yes, for those of you who so happen to be out of town for the show at Root Division, I will be posting images of the works shortly. Stay tuned. Stay very tuned.

Preview

2009-11-12T20:22:00.001-08:00

To see the rest, you'll have to come to the show! This Saturday, 7-10pm, Root Division.

2009-11-08T17:36:00.000-08:00

ROOT DIVISION PRESENTS: Second Saturday November 2009

RAW
An exhibition of new Bay Area sculpture and installation

Curated by John K. Melvin

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Root Division is proud to present our November Second Saturday event, an exhibition of new Bay Area sculpture and installation, guest-curated by local artist and curator John K. Melvin.

The work in RAW has a distinct materiality, and each of the artists is uniquely aware of its presence. Whether assembled from found objects or crafted from items not typically associated with fine art, the sculptures and installations featured in this show work to declaim the fundamental appeal of objectness.

Artists like Colby Claycomb, Brandon Truscott, and Sarah Willis evoke their own personal narratives by exploiting the built-in meaning of used materials. Others, like Barry Beach, John K. Melvin, and Kit Rosenberg take a more detached approach, boiling down a conceptual premise to its most essential material elements. But regardless of how each artist approaches their work, there is a shared enthusiasm to maintain the integrity of the chosen medium.

Details are on-line at http://raw-rootdivisionsf.blogspot.com

Artists:

Barry Beach
Colby Claycomb
Benjamin Echeverria
Sean Olson
Christophe Piallat
Kit Rosenberg*
Brandon Truscott
Jesse Walton
Sarah Willis

*Root Division Resident Artist

Opening Reception: Saturday, November 14th, 7-10 pm
Sliding Scale Suggested Donation: $2-$20
Exhibition Dates: November 11th-December 5th, 2009
Gallery Hours: Wednesdays- Saturdays, 2-6 pm (or by appointment)

ROOT DIVISION
3175 17th Street (at South Van Ness & Shotwell)
San Francisco, CA 94110
www.rootdivision.org
415.863.7668

ABOUT ROOT DIVISION:
Root Division is an arts and arts education non-profit located in the Mission District of San Francisco. Root Division's mission is to improve appreciation and access to the visual arts by connecting personal inspiration and community participation. We provide subsidized studio space to working artists in exchange for their service in creating shared learning opportunities for the community. Artists develop creatively and professionally by teaching art to underserved youth, leading adult education classes, and producing exhibitions that showcase local emerging artwork. By combining multiple opportunities for creative exchange, Root Division cultivates an artistic ecosystem that enriches life throughout the Bay Area.

Root Division is supported in part by grants from Grants for the Arts: SF Hotel Tax Fund, The San Francisco Foundation, and the Walter & Elise Haas Fund. The Second Saturday Exhibition Series is sponsored by the Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation, the San Francisco Arts Commission through a Cultural Equity Grant/Organizational Project Grant, and the Zellerbach Family Foundation.

Install in Progress

2009-11-08T17:04:00.001-08:00

a friend from Ever Gold stopped by....

Cinnamon/Entomology alley by Sean Olson leading into Sarah Willis' installation...

Front room madness...More to come!!

2009-09-09T03:28:00.000-07:00

its coming....

2009-07-23T22:57:00.000-07:00

Latest Works in Progress

2009-07-12T15:59:00.001-07:00

Sarah Willis
Izumi Yokoyama
Christophe Piallat
Christophe Piallat
Barry Beach

More Proposals

2009-07-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

Sean Olson
Sarah Willis
Izumi Yokoyama
Jesse Walton
Colby Claycomb

Proposal Images

2009-07-12T15:42:00.000-07:00

Ben Echeverria
Sarah Willis
Brandon Truscott
Kit Rosenberg
John K Melvin

Barry Beach

Curatorial Statement

2009-03-12T18:34:00.000-07:00

RAW

Does a fabrication methodology honest in its technique engage larger themes or is it a product of our times? Is there honesty in allowing the work to show the hand of the artist? If so, does this honesty impart something to the conversation? What does it mean when a thing is made in an honest manner?

These are just a few of the questions initiated by artists in this exhibition. Many of them work with found objects, images, or video; consistently all of the artists remain true to the material used in their work with a focused yet raw manipulation of material or content. For many of the artists, material and content are interchangeable terms, thus the honesty of fabrication is inherent from start to finish.

Such parameters for production are often difficult to navigate and amongst this group of friends, sculptors, and thinkers, this exhibition represents an ongoing conversation.

Each of the artists is sensitive to their subject’s materiality and they actively utilize it to engage their internal dialogue. This sensitivity may result in using ‘found’ materials in such a manner that the found-ness is left bare and naked to the viewer, as in the work of Brandon Truscott or Sarah Willis; or as in the case of Barry Beach and Jesse Walton, the material is typical of a construction site, and that infamous aspect is left bare and manipulated in a manner that acknowledges the origin. Others are more esoteric in the conceptualizations, and the source content can be socio-political commentary on the home, culture, or more directly related to personal memory such as the works of Izumi Yokoyama, Kit Rosenberg, or Ben Echeverria.

Notions of value are discussed through a variety of the works: an object is given new value; Internet video becomes a point of discussion; or the material is manipulated in such a way that its ephemeral nature denies commoditization. Consistently, these artists challenge notions of value and transcend craft to a deep respect for a primal presence in the work; these artists have the sensitivity to sense that presence and their respect for it shows in the works. A socio-political perspective in many of the works drives this respect. The works address the viewer.

It could be said that there is an art historical context, given Fluxus, Minimalism, and even Conceptualism; however, what is being said in these works is less about theory and more about humanism. The artists in this exhibition grapple with subject matter that is very personal and specific to their perspective. This humanistic approach is perhaps a political or sociological statement; for the purposes of this exhibition what is hoped, is that their honesty lends itself to a thoughtful and straightforward dialogue. Throughout all the works in this exhibition the works strongly identify their maker, or more, specifically, they are raw extensions of the human maker.

J K Melvin 2008

RAW v2

2009-03-08T22:52:00.000-07:00

The first of many, I hope that others will use this blog as a means for communication related to this curatorial project at Root Division in November 2009. I am extremely excited about this project and am anxious to see the resultant conversations and dialogues that pass through this portal. As time goes on, myself and others will use this blog as a place to post, communicate, and collaborate.