Summer makes way for the Fall as August comes to a close. It was month packed with juicy stories for our readers. Just to make sure you don’t miss anything, AM brings you another edition of Second Helpings. Get served after the jump.
Sleepboy recommends:
1) Josh Keyes – “Natural Selection†@ Swarm Gallery
Although there were only four pieces in this show (one showed up later), we were still impressed with the paintings he produced. Being able to pick his brain a little with an interview also made it especially special for us.
2) Shawn Barber – “Tattooed Portraits: Snapshots” @ Shooting Gallery
Shawn Barber brought true “low brow” to SF with his solo at Shooting Gallery last month, and oh how sweet it was. With his specialty being tattoo art, which was one roots of the movement, we are reminded that how it all started is still relevant to our times. For those who want more, Barber has another show coming up this week in Montreal.
3) Chris Stain & Armsrock – “I Know There Is Love†@ Ad Hoc Art
With Ad Hoc closing their doors (more on this later), the gallery certainly went out with a bang. Chris Stain and Armsrock graced the space with some of their best work to date, not to mention some immersive installations. Make sure you check out the duo interview we did with them as well.
Stephen recommends:
1) FAME Festival 2009 Coverage
The FAME Festival artists just keep outdoing each other with each new mural that’s put up. As expected, Blu absolutely killed it with his piece and it was great to see Word To Mother and Sam3 working on a much larger scale.
Shepard Fairey
2) “The Thousands” Group Exhibition @ Village Underground
What a tease! An awesome collection of works from some of the top street and contemporary artists curated by RJ of Vandalog. One of the broadest overviews of these genres in London this year, we’re looking forward to this exciting show.
3) Guy Denning – “Celebrity Will Eat Itself†@ Carmichael Gallery
We were absolutely captivated by the emotion embodied within Denning’s dark and grim series of portraits exploring the unseen side of celebrity life. Great technique, amazing use of texture… what more could we ask for?
Juggernut3 recommends:
1) Openings: Mode 2 – “Reality, Fantasy, And The Web†@ Lazarides (Newcastle)
It’s been a while since we got to see Mode 2 work. A definite treat that was delivered at Lazarides (Newcastle). Mode 2 actually created this entire body of work on location at the gallery. Quite amazing what this man can do with some found cardboard and wood boards eh?
2) Openings: Dalek & Delta Exhibition @ Elms Lester
Didn’t know what to expect when we heard that Elms Lester was going to host Dalek and Delta. Both artists are methodical in their own geometric tempos, yet both vastly different. The final result? A very nice creative synergy of colors, shapes and patterns to make this one of the picks for this month.
3) Showing: Robert Longo Retrospective @ MAMAC (Nice)
We’ve been talking about Robert Longo for a while now. Then, the lucky people in France get this great retrospective at the MAMAC. Commemorating the last 20 years of Robert’s high profile career, the amazing show displayed some the iconic works of this contemporary artist. Definitely worth another look-see.
