The Shadow Goes About Face

Perhaps the most basic art form that most people see are portraits. Now imagine a gallery full of portraits. This is what comprises ARTWorkSF's March exhibit "About Face".

One of the works at the exhibit

In Gallery One is a solo show by artist Pat Wipf entitled "The Right Angle".

Top: Artist Pat Wipf with one of her works
Bottom: Another of Pat Wipf's works

In the Video Room is Tim Roseborough and his work "Facial Deconstruction".

A view of Tim Roseborough's video

In Gallery Two and Three are works from the following artists:

• Cherie Pinsky
• Melissa Phillips
• Carol Kummer
• Dannell Powell
• Mary Lou D'Auray
• William Ulrich
• Charlotte Niel
• Beryl Fine
• Michelle Mccarron
• Eric Feathers
• James Lee
• Jan Small
• Barbara Landis
• Christine Tsouo
• Katia Fuentes
• John Fitzsimmons
• Jeffrey Blankfort
• Crystal Silver
• Alla Viksne
• Annekarin Glass
• Mira White
• Anna Seven
• Linda Muelle
• Andrew Ogus
• Eileen Graham
• Kat Flyn
• Kristen Cummings
• Chester Elmore
• Pauline Crowther Scott
• John Wotipka
• Tamera Avery
• Xiaoyang Zou
• Rolando Rosler
• Paul Marin
• Sherri Cavan

Artists attending the reception with their work:
Top: Sherri Carvan
Center: Xiaoyang Zou
Bottom: Katia Fuentes

This show was curated by Matt McKinley with Bob Gerbracht as Juror.

A work entitled "Matt" at the exhibit (Yes it is THAT Matt)

Matt and Bob describe the show as thus:

During the jurying process, Bob and I shared very thought provoking and revealing dialogue over what constitutes the fundamental components of a 'successful' portrait. Is it rendering with precision? Is it capturing a person's 'essence' through color, line or other formal elements? How does the background, or everything in the work that is not the subject, affect the perception of the individual depicted? What weight should be given to compositional arrangement? Our conclusion, far from final but satisfactory in terms of defining parameters for selecting work, is a dialectic conception of formal and 'emotional' content. Reflecting the spectrum of considered criteria (the primary ones being listed previously) our exhibit seeks to show not only work at both ends of the continuum but the overlap and interpenetrations of precision, technique, spirit and personality as they dialogue about pictoral primacy directed towards capturing an accurate image of the individual subjects.

As you can see, every media was used here. One might think that a room full of portraits might be a boring exhibit, but The Shadow found this to be fascinating. It is something to be experienced.

Works by Dannell Powell (top) and Katia Fuentes (bottom)

You can view this exhibit through March 15, 2008 at the ARTWorkSF Gallery, 49 Geary Street, Suite 234, in downtown San Francisco. As always, all works are available for sale or rental (3 month period).

Scenes from the reception

More pictures from the reception are available here.