Uncertainty, Prints by Besarion Khidesheli & Industrial furniture and sculpture by Jeff Ritter

Artist Party November 14th 2015, 6 to 9pm

Show runs October 25th, 2015, through December 26th 2015

Two Oakland artists working both in and from uncertainty - The lack of certainty, a state of having limited knowledge where it is impossible to exactly describe the existing state, a future outcome, or more than one possible outcome.

Besarion Khidesheli - Artist

"My name is Besarion Khidesheli, I'm a 24-year old self-taught artist from Tbilisi, Georgia, currently based in Oakland, CA. I have been moving from place to place every two years since I was 15 years old. I have been lucky enough to spend good chunks of my late teens and early adulthood in Georgia (the one in Europe), different parts of California, Mali, and Spain. At first, such movement made me anxious -- there are many uncertain aspects to upcoming adventures. Eventually, this anxiety transformed into excitement. My most recent project titled 'Illusions' is centered on the theme of uncertainty. In terms of technique, I first draw by hand, then scan my drawings, digitally adjust these images, and finally re-print them on canvases. I usually find the most interesting details of a given work once it is done, as each step adds a new level of complexity. Also, the viewer can never be certain of what the piece represents. Different angles invoke different emotions and understandings, making my work quite introspective. I have come to appreciate uncertainty in most aspects of life, and I hope to convey that feeling in other humans as well."  besartion.com,   https://www.facebook.com/besartion

Jeff Ritter – Industrial furniture design & sculpture

Jeff Ritter a self-taught artist living in Oakland Ca. Ritter uses reclaimed steel along with different mediums creating functional industrial furniture, and sculpture. Custom orders available.

Poker face

Drawings by Yvette M. Buigues & Ceramics by Julie Stevens

Artist Closing Show Party Saturday September 5th, 6 to 9pm

Show runs July 19th, through September 6th 2015

 

 

 

 

 

Two passionate Oakland artists explore a more whimsical side of life.

Yvette M. Buigues - Drawings

Yvette M. Buigues lives and works in Oakland, California. Her inspiration comes from no one place in particular; in her work one can see and feel her exploration of the emotional, physical and spiritual aspects of everyday life. Through bold images she speaks to relationships between people, the state of the world, the human condition. The mulitple layers of color and detail often times contain subtle observations and a darker sense of humor. Buigues works most often with acrylic paint. she finds great pleasure and touches base with whimsy in her pen and ink drawings, and experiments in seriography. About the drawings: I have always kept a journal of drawings. Until recently they mostly stayed there, not meant for others to see. At the suggestion of a friend, I began posting them on Instagram and Facebook, the response was inspiring, so here they are. Whimsical yet possessing plenty symbolism and emotion, I find these entertaining with a life of their own.  heavyblackline.com  buigues.tumblr.com
 

Julie Stevens - Ceramics

ulie Stevens is Bay Area artist who loves to work with color, texture and different shapes. Architectural shapes being a favorite. She is a painter and a ceramicist. A fan of all things in favor of Oakland and the diverse, wonderful folks who live here... you can also find her most days at her day job cutting and styling hair in Oakland. Her paintings can be found on  Pintrest.

Parallel Universe

Paintings, illustrations and sculpture of Karl Hauser & Scot Maupin

Artist Party Saturday April 25th, 6 to 9pm

Show runs April 6th, through May 30th 2015

Artists Karl Hauser & Scot Maupin work crosses the line into a parallel universe, that is, if a line exists at all.

Karl Hauser

In my drawing, I'm interested in seeing how characters can portray emotional reality. Years ago, a visitor to a curated show featuring my work wrote a comment in the guest book recommending that I see a psychiatrist.  While therapy can be very useful, it doesn't offer as direct a relationship to the ineffable.  Most of the time I have no idea what I'm doing, or where, the drawing will lead. I enjoy the process of mark making, the unknowable and uncertain outcome. In parallel with that investigation, I enjoy ongoing experimentation with the formal dimension of art making.  ArchitectureofAgony.com

Scot Maupin

Scot Maupin is a Bay Area Artist. This series of pieces were all done with colored pens he fell in love with while living in Japan. As the son of an elementary art teacher, Scot has always found doodling on anything and everything to be useful for both filling his time, and emptying his mind.
These pieces are mostly 'stream-of-consciousness' drawings. Faces, nearby objects, and underwater creatures seem to find their way into the work more often than not, but Scot is never sure where the picture is going until he finishes. Reversing the usual order, the colors are chosen first, then the line dictates what shape is being drawn, and that in turn determines what object it could become. Drawing this way in ink makes him commit to the line, and look always forward in the process, not backward to erase or correct. Once Scot can see the shape in the cloud, he adds detail so that others will see it too.   smaupin.com

Shock and awe

A group show…
Opening Party Saturday September 27th, 6 to 9pm

Show runs September 11th, through November 8th 2014

Shock and awe (technically known as rapid art dominance) is a military doctrine based on the use of overwhelming creative power, dominant artistic awareness and maneuvers.  Showcasing spectacular displays of artistic power to paralyze the enemy’s perception of art and destroy their will to fight to remain boring.

An eclectic group of artists, most of whom reside at the Historic Cotton Mill Studios in Oakland.

Artists include:

Charles Boyd- Watercolor Artist

Cheryll May Macintyre- Painter

Craig Riedel – Photographer

Darcy Vasudev – Henna Artist

Hannah Woebkenberg - Abstract Artist

Ian G. Fabre - Interdisciplinary Artist

J. B. Mackinnon – Champion of creativity

Jeff Ritter   - Alchemist, Mad man & Industrial furniture designer

Lucciana Caselli - Visual Artist

Marty McCorkle – Painter

Sam Breach- Fine Art Photographer

Susan Tuttle - Fine Art Photographer

Thomas Lindahl Robinson – Photography

Wendy McDermott – Painter

Impeccably Installed

Paul Baker, Constructed Sculptures

Scott Schryver, "Figstract Expressionism"

Opening party, March 15th, 6 to 9pm
"Well-Phrased" Artists' Talk: Friday March 26, 7 to 9pm
Show runs March 10th though April 29th 2014 

Thousands of people in the Bay Area make art, and perhaps hundreds work in the museum field. But overlapping those two groups results in a much smaller number, perhaps just Paul Baker and Scott Schryver.

Baker and Schryver tap their museum backgrounds to present recent personal works with the skill, precision, and impact acquired in those marbled halls. “Outsider art” is a common phrase for marginalized or self-taught artists. Ironically, Baker and Schryver can lay claim to the description of "inside outsiders" since they are conversant with the world of established art institutions…but that in no way guarantees attention, let alone appreciation. Enjoy this unique show of two artists balanced between two worlds.

Paul Baker, Constructed Sculptures

Paul's found-object work, which he terms "constructed sculptures" since 80% of each piece is built from scratch, combine wit, intuition, arcana, and museum-level craftsmanship in an interactive enigma the viewer is encouraged to explore through action and memory. pbakerart.com

Scott Schryver, "Figstract Expressionism"

Scott Schryver is an Oakland-based artist dealing in non-figurative and figurative works on paper as well as pyrography on wood panels. Schryver's work has been compared to Pablo Picasso's as well as that of a kindergarten class in Point Richmond. Neither is accurate. Schryver delves into the narrative of everyday life. "I create characters and situations," says the artist. Once the ink hits the paper, it starts speaking. Giving directions." I don't always like the direction but I always learn a thing or two," says Schryver.

"My paintings are my experiences," says the artist as he sips a peppermint tea and fans his pale face with a worn copy of Art in America. - Scott Schryver

Schryver's recent works are a combination of sumi ink and acrylic on cold press paper. They are an opportunity for Schryver to capture the gesture, the quick sketch and "freeze" it with paint. Posterity begins where the paint covers the white negative space of the paper, trapping the sumi-inked figure or non-figurative sketch. scottschryverart.com

Positive Identifications, Prints by Whitson Hunter, Sculpture by Jeff Ritter

Positive Identifications

 
Prints by Whitson Hunter, Sculpture by Jeff Ritter

Opening party Saturday March 30th 6 – 9pm
Show runs through April 27th

Two Oakland artists create work that speaks to our human experience of time, space and identity.

Whitson Hunter
I define art as the physical manifestation of thoughts, predicated upon concept development, the creation process and the viewing experience. As an artist my ultimate goal is to make the immaterial material by efficiently communicating ideas or train of thought. Positive I.D.’s is a series of black and white linoleum prints with collages. Individually, each piece was made to illustrate human attributes and experiences. Collectively they illustrate relationships and commonalities. I hope this body of work can encourage understanding and solidarity among humans.

Jeff Ritter
Going down the river, a clockwise deflection, images on wooden chairs.