INTRO DUCT I O N S 2 0 1 4 ONE DOZEN BAY AREA EMERGING ARTISTS
introductions 2014
Photo Credit: Kija Lucas
September 10-27, 2014
Introductions has been a core part of Root Division’s annual Exhibitions programming for eight years. Conceived as an opportunity to bridge a gap left when the San Francisco Arts Dealer Association (SFADA) discontinued their thirty-year summer programming of the same name, Introductions has become a mainstay of our roster. This show highlights talent in the Bay Area and creates connections for artists with commercial galleries and beyond. Root Division acts as a nexus for the production and presentation of visual art. Our goal is to serve as a connector between artists, the larger art community, and the general public, and we offer an entry point for artists as they develop and hone their professional practice. Especially as the arts community faces a potential exodus of artists to move outside San Francisco and to other cities, Root Division is working to be an anchor for artists to remain in the Bay Area. Introductions begins each year as an open call to any Bay Area artist whose work is not currently represented by a gallery. Reviewed by a committee of three arts professionals representing a diversity of commercial, non-profit, and educational venues, the exposure for any submitting artist is invaluable. Each year we are encouraged and impressed by the quality of submissions, and we are surprised by the number of outstanding artists still operating under the radar of commercial representation. In addition, as we see the model of the traditional gallery evolving under the stress of shifting economies, our intent is to capture both the aesthetic and conceptual magic that comes from experiencing a new artwork in person. This year twelve artists were selected through intensive review by Kevin B. Chen (Former Curator, Intersection for the Arts), Jack Fischer (Owner, Jack Fischer Gallery), and Maysoun Wazwaz (Gallery Manager, Mills College Art Museum). In these pages, you will find an essay by Amy Cancelmo (Root Division’s Exhibitions and Events Director) contextualizing the work of each artist and bringing the works into conversation with one another as well as within a larger discourse of art practice. Root Division is happy to provide an opportunity for these twelve artists to add to the conversation of contemporary Bay Area art, especially in assertion that the San Francisco art community has a unique voice. We are proud to debut this group of artists and to support their continued artistic and professional development. – Michelle Mansour, Executive Director, Root Division
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table of contents Jennifer Brandon — 4 Marshall Elliott — 5 Rodney Ewing — 6 Patrick Hothan — 7 Todd Lavine — 8 Lisa McCutcheon — 9 Sam Metcalf — 10 Mie Hørlyck Mogensen — 11 Raphael Noz — 12 Jeana Poindexter — 13 Stephanie Rohlfs — 14 Kate Short — 15 Essay: Riding the Line Amy Cancelmo, Exhibitions & Events Director, Root Division — 16
ISBN # 978-0-9895890-2-4
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JENNIFER BRANDON www.jenniferbrandon.com
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Screen V 2013 40 x 39 in. Chromogenic print
Improbable Irrigation (Double Negative)
Site Fossils
2014
2014
1:19 Loop
18 x 36 x 22 in.
Video
Plaster, concrete, silt
MARSHALL ELLIOTT www.marshallelliott.com
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RODNEY EWING
Witness (Emmett Till)
Cloud Jars
2013
2013
60 x 40 in.
Dimensions variable
rodneyewing.com
Silkscreen, ink, dry pigment, and salt
Images on Mason jars
on paper
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Sbarro 2013 30 x 40 in. Oil on canvas
PATRICK HOTHAN www.patrickhothan.com
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Photo Credit: Kija Lucas
TODD LAVINE www.toddlavine.com
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Within These Walls 2012 48 x 96 in. (installation) Digital archival prints
Pruning Day 2 2013-14 50 x 82 in. Mixed media collage and watercolor on Yupo
LISA MCCUTCHEON Lisamccutcheon.com
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Photo Credit: Kija Lucas
SAM METCALF sammetcalf.com
black box 2014 90 x 51 x 51 in. Aluminum blinds, aluminum extrusions, light, areca palm, chair, sensors, electronic and
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mechanical components
Photo Credit: Kija Lucas
Installation view, from the series’ Survivng California and Stay Tropical 2014 Dimensions vary Ceramic, plaster, brass, wood, rope, fake fruit
MIE HØRLYCK MOGENSEN www.miemogensen.com
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Photo Credit: Kija Lucas
RAPHAEL NOZ www.raphaelnoz.wordpress.com
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Sky Cup Land Cup, from Future Souvenirs From the Great Exhibitions of the Past 2014 15 x 12 in. Oil on metal
Getting To Know The Width Of The Line Between 2014 11 x 8.5 in. (each)
JEANA POINDEXTER
Series of 50 inkjet prints
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Photo Credit: Kija Lucas
STEPHANIE ROHLFS
www.stephanierohlfs.com
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Untitled (InstallationView) 2014 96 x 144 x 18 in. Epoxy clay, wire, string, acrylic paint
Photo Credit: Kija Lucas
Fissure 2014 120 x 78 x 20 in. Wood, paint, light, subwoofer
KATE SHORT www.kateleeshort.com
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Riding the LinE It has been a challenging year for the arts in San Francisco.
the subject of a series of prints. Poindexter uses language and
Shifting economies in the city have forced longstanding
varied density of line to explore personal and paradoxical
commercial galleries to shut their doors, many artists to
juxtapositions of concepts and ideas. For example, in Bought
scale down or relocate their studio practice, and non profit
in and Sold out, the hierarchy of how much weight is given
spaces like Root Division to navigate the turbulent real estate
to the space between each concept differs depending
market. Yet in the face of these struggles it is exhibitions like
on the viewer. The artist uses this to show the manipulative
Introductions that reassure me that artists will continue to
and malleable nature of language and interpretation. In
thrive in the Bay Area. In conducting the studio visits, and
presenting her own assessments, the artist is interestingly riding
overseeing the installation of works for this ambitious exhibition,
the line between public and private in her work.
I am struck by the earnest and optimistic dedication of these
This line, the tension and evaluation between two points
twelve artists. Many of the works contain an element of humor,
of inquiry seem to permeate this exhibition. Perhaps a sign
wit, and playfulness--perhaps a method of optimism and
of the times in San Francisco: much needed optimism for the
tool for light-handed critique. Others use natural elements
future with a healthy dose of skepticism and critique. Marshall
as allegory or employ formal design concepts as ways to
Elliott’s sculptural and video work playfully presents the tension
destabilize perception and engage audiences. Selected
between the presence of humanity within natural systems. In
by a jury panel, these artists present formal, contextual, and
Improbable Irrigation (double negative), the artist documents
material explorations. Larger meaning can be found in the
a portable sprinkler functioning at the site of Michael Heizer’s
interstitial spaces between form and content in often surprising
prominent earthwork, Double Negative (Mormon Mesa in
juxtapositions presented as part of this exhibition.
Overton, Nevada). In this “site-responsive” work, the sprinkler
In her work, Getting to Know the Width of a Line, artist
rhythmically (optimistically) attempts to cover the expanse
Jeana Poindexter has made this idea of interstitial content
of the canyon with its limited resource and reach, the futility
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of its action suggesting a commentary on environmentalism and the role of humanity in nature. Similarly Elliott’s sculptural installation Sight Fossils, the artist comments on the tangible remnants and relics of advancing technologies through the mound of fossilized cameras cast in plaster and silt. These forged fossils speak of created histories through the objects we leave behind, as well as the beauty of the discarded. Likewise, Patrick Hothan’s meticulously rendered paintings of trash highlight what is left behind. In removing the objects
Raphael Noz
from context, Hothan has created a body of work that could
Bowl Ladle Bowl, from the series Future Souvenirs from
be read as portraits of consumption. His delicate handling of
the Great Exhibitions of the Past
his subject, often signifiers of vice--discarded cigarette packs,
2014 13 x 15 in. Oil on metal
coffee cups, sugar, and malt liquor—bring that which we hide, or throw away to the forefront. What stories are told by the
the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, the US Civil rights movement,
objects left behind?
and Hurricane Katrina. Images from these national historical
Familiar objects, shapes, and colors can define moments,
moments (as well as images from the South African Apartheid
histories and cultural references. In Raphael Noz’s series,
protest in which police disbursed crowds with Purple Rain)
Future Souvenirs from the Great Exhibitions of the Past, the
are printed on Mason jars filled with varying levels of salt and
artist has conflated traditional Mexican and Colonialist
water. Ewing explores ideas of surface tension, evaporation,
aesthetics. Forms of Wedgwood servingware, a status symbol
and water as a “universal solvent.”
of sorts, are presented in a style and material inspired by the
Visualizing those most affected by failed governmental
Mexican tradition of hoja de lata, or hammered tin. These
interventions is also employed by Todd Lavine in his series of
works explore the fall of Mexico at the hands of the Spanish
photographs, Within These Walls. Working with students after
Conquistadors, and nod to the emergence of the Mexican
the passing of the Massachusetts Educational Reform Act
mestizo race.
(MERA), a 1993 (pre No Child Left Behind) law which coupled
Similarly reimagining histories through artistic intervention is
state developed curricula and standards with testing and
Rodney Ewing. In his series of works on paper entitled, Fact
accountability policies. The artist documented the limited
& Fiction, Ewing presents images of historical figures with
academic pathways and narrowly defined standards for
well-known fictional texts complicating and questioning the
student success that resulted from the laws enactment.
congruent narratives that inform our cultural understanding
Lavine asked students to articulate their response and visualize
of history. Addressing issues of war, race, religion, and
the effects of the changes that MERA caused them each
global narratives, these silkscreened portraits emerge from
personally. Their shared expression of disempowerment
poured pigment, inks, and salt suggesting the amorphous
is palpable in the intimate photographs. Lavine’s work
understanding of historical figures. Water is a powerful
demonstrates documentary photography’s ability to empower
symbol in Ewing’s work. His installation Cloud Jars deals
through visibility.
with the impact and significance on African Americans in
In a series of photographs of abstracted forms, Jennifer
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Brandon addresses the power that photography has on
mechanized by the motorized structure of the artwork itself.
controlling the gaze. In her series, Screens, Brandon presents
Metcalf’s work speaks to tension between control, access,
meticulous photographs of reflective masses. For these
and movement.
works the artist created forms from mirrored privacy window
Lisa McCutcheon also utilizes natural elements as a
film--exposing a material meant to control the gaze. In her
metaphor for systems of control and forced conformity. The
accompanying video work, Screenings III, the forms are
artist’s large-scale collage work is inspired by the heavy
brought to life in real time, activating the prismatic qualities
pruning and disfiguring of suburban trees to make way for
of the material, through motion. The changing shapes of the
development. To create the amorphous forms, the artist
artists own studio are reflected and distorted as the material
“prunes” her own existing paintings of trees. By cutting and
moves.
layering existing works on Mylar, McCutcheon forms complex and exquisite formal compositions giving new life, and movement to her organic forms.
Samuel Metcalf Installation view of Device for simulating the motion of a tumbleweed,(left) and black box (right)
2014 Photo credit: Kija Lucas
Samuel Metcalf’s kinetic sculptures similarly toy with ideas of access and visibility. Situated in the gallery’s front window, black box, interacts with viewers in the gallery, and the public on Market Street. A motion sensor closes the blinds each time a person approaches the work—denying access to the cubicle-like office space he has created. The work’s presence in a gallery also suggests the tensions of shifting landscape in the Mid-Market neighborhood of San Francisco. Metcalf’s
Todd Lavine Bradley in 704 Wood Technology 1, Academic
2012 20 x 16 x 1.5 in. Digital archival print, edition 1 of 3
Stephanie Rohlfs’ work similarly layers materials and
Device for simulating the motion of a tumbleweed, mimics the
design elements. The artist’s mixed-media installation has a
natural motion of a tumbleweed the artist found rolling along
purposefully handmade aesthetic, creating a playful and
the highway. The plant’s natural freedom is constrained and
spatially complex environment. Rohlfs’ drawings, sculptures
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and wall painting consider formal aspects of color, line and
destabilize the viewer’s experience through surprising
composition with a hint of awkwardness and self-conscious
juxtapositions of materials and precarious positioning of
failure. Her whimsical sculptural arches stand and sag,
sculpture. Addressing personal narrative through humor and
interact, and stand alone, interacting in relationships that
the language of materiality, Mogensen’s media choices—
suggest character flaws and quirks. Rohlfs’ work challenges
brass, wood, plaster, ceramic, and fake fruit--suggest weight,
perspective in the real and imagined environment
dexterity, possibility, and the attempt to slow down or control
incorporating 2D and 3D components that delight and
chance and change. The artist reflects on her upcoming
disorient.
departure from the Bay Area by freezing each moment
Kate Short’s work also creates a controlled environment,
and opportunity, represented by fruit, in to a burly cast of
both sonically and visually. Her new work, Fissure, utilizes low
plaster. The artist’s dreams and worries about her career and
frequency sound and minimalist sculptural elements to both
transition are explored in two accompanying video works,
entice and disrupt the senses. The hum of the low frequency
Optative Drawings, and Some worries I have, in which the artist
is felt most in the vibration of the body and is palpably
humorously draws and narrates line drawings. Mogensen’s
disorienting when a viewer engages with the sculptural object.
work is at once playful and whimsical, yet formally and
The tension between being drawn in by the sculpture and
contextually compelling, often straddling the line between
pushed back by the sound offers momentary reflection on the
form and content.
physical act of encountering an art object or space. Mie Hørlyck Mogensen’s sculptural interventions also
The worries Mogensen expresses are not unlike those of any of the artists presented in this exhibition. Finding a way to
Rodney Ewing Installation view of Cloud Jars,(left) and Fact and Fiction (right)
2014 Photo credit: Kija Lucas
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make work, maintain connections, and navigate change will continue to be a challenge for artists in the Bay Area in the coming years. It is a privilege to facilitate opportunities like this exhibition to present the inspiring work of emerging artists, who are confidently, and capably pursuing their practice. In these turbulent times, we are all riding the line between Yesterday and Today, but in seeing the earnest engagement of each these artists, I remain, optimistic for tomorrow. – Amy Cancelmo, Exhibitions & Events Director, Root Division
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jurors Kevin B. Chen – Artist & Curator; Former Program Director for Intersection for the Arts Jack Fischer – Owner, Jack Fischer Art Gallery Maysoun Wazwaz – Program Manager, Mills College Art Museum
staff MICHELLE MANSOUR – Executive Director AMY CANCELMO – Exhibitions & Events Director EMILY DOMAN – Education Director Brooke Westfall – Communications & Development Manager Blake Gibson – Facilities & Installation Manager
catalogue production NATALIE CHRISTINE – Designer (www.natalieachristine.wordpress.com) KIJA LUCAS – Exhibition Photographer (www.kijalucas.com)
about root division Root Division is a visual arts non-profit that connects creativity and community through a dynamic ecosystem of arts education, exhibitions, and studios. Our mission is to empower artists, foster community service, inspire youth, and enrich the Bay Area through engagement in the visual arts.Root Division is a launching pad for artists, a stepping stone for educators, a door to creativity for youth, and a bridge for the public to become supporters of the arts. Root Division is supported in part by grants from Grants for the Arts: San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund / Voluntary Arts Contribution Fund, San Francisco Arts Commission / Cultural Equity Grants, Walter & Elise Haas Fund, Drusie Davis Family Fund, Adobe Foundation, Zellerbach Family Foundation, Morse Foundation, A Better Place Foundation, and Art4Moore.
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P.O. Box 411605, San Francisco, CA 94141 (Mailing) 1059 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 (Location)
www.rootdivision.org 415.863.7668
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ISBN # 978-0-9895890-2-4