Stacy and I had to do a makeup SPARK session so we decided to take advantage of Spring break to visit SFMOMA yesterday. We took the JChurch downtown which arguably offers one of the most picturesque city views on Muni. We started on the top floor to see the outdoor sculpture garden. Stacy is in front of this amazing Richard Serra piece.After Stacy left to go to her Dad's downtown office, i decided to visit two of my favorite galleries before heading back to the studio. Gallery Paule Anglim is showing the work of Rigo 23. I loved his work of one way signs in San Francisco. In his current show, he focuses on birds as pets, translating "Lost Bird" letter-paper sized hand bills onto needlepoint.
It isn't often that i comment negatively about work in this blog but i am going to throw caution to the wind and write that if i saw this at art school, i would say "interesting, can't wait to see what they do as they develop as artists". I see that the topic is personal to Mr. 23 but i balk at art when the concept is more interesting than the visual piece. Also shown were a series of drawings of unmanned airplanes used by the US (and allies) in Afghanistan and Pakistan. So, the connection is that birds and airplanes both fly? The description that accompanies his work is well written but i don't buy Rigo's images of the drone jets as providing a counterpoint to his investigation of lost pet birds. But it sure sounds good.
I then popped over to Modernism, and saw the work of Mel Ramos. I appreciate the mastery he shows but i am weary of the male gaze. So, i quickly glanced at the work (I saw several red dots!) and left, feeling no inspiration from either galleries, and returned to the studio.
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