Zhang Huan, ‘To Raise the Water Level in a Fishpond (Distant)’, 1997, C-print on fuji archival paper. Image courtesy of Rubell Family Collection, Miami.
June 5th – August 16th – 28 Chinese at the Asian Art Museum: This exhibition, organized by the Rubell Collection in Miami, presents 48 artworks from 28 contemporary Chinese artists. Featuring painting, installation, photography and new media, 28 Chinese brings together a multiplicity of practices and perspectives. While the exhibition offers only a sample of the dynamic contemporary art scene in China, it represents some of the most notable Chinese artists working today. The Museum is located at 200 Larkin Street.
Ajit Chauhan, ‘Untitled (Talking Away)’, ‘Knock, Knock, Knock’ and ‘Nessus Shirt’, all typewriter ink, pencil on paper. Images courtesy of 2291 3rd Street.
June 5th – July 11th – Ajit Chauhan: Concrete is not Always Hard at 2291 3rd Street, presented by the Minnesota Street Project: For their inaugural project, 2291 3rd Street presents an exhibit of recent works on paper by San Francisco based artist Ajit Chauhan. Chauhan uses a typewriter to investigate the visual or plastic potential of language. Chauhan’s typewriter drawings use the repetition of single letters to form a sequence of fields and shapes. The opening reception is on Friday, June 5th 6-9 pm.
Bernie Lubell’s wood machines and the Avitor airship from 1869. Images courtesy of Southern Exposure.
June 13th – June 27th – Bernie Lubell: Up in the Air at Southern Exposure: Bernie Lubell creates unlikely wood mechanical metaphors for the human condition. Gears, pulleys, bellows, valves, levers, human force and sophisticated engineering power his interactive wooden machines. As an artist who has lived and worked in the Bay Area for 40 years, his influence is felt in the work of many local artists. Collaborate with Bernie as he sets out to build an airship in the gallery at Southern Exposure. In two workshops and ongoing studio hours, visitors and Bernie will work together to create an air powered flying machine inspired by Frederick Marriott’s 1869 airship Avitor, expanding on Bernie’s ongoing research into breath and the force of air. The closing party for Up In The Air is Saturday, June 27th, 6 – 8pm. Southern Exposure is located at 3030 20th Street.
Tammy Rae Garland ‘Smoke Screen’ 2013, C-print. Image courtesy of Jessica Silverman Gallery.
Through July 19th, Tongue-in-Cheek in the Gatehouse Gallery at the di Rosa Preserve: This exhibition explores the continuing legacy of humor and absurdity in Bay Area art through the lens of a new generation of artists. In an increasingly fraught social and political context—both locally and abroad—many artists have turned to comedy to reflect upon and illuminate the absurdities of daily life. Tongue-in-Cheek presents a selection of these works in painting, photography, sculpture, video, text, and performance by artists Tammy Rae Carland, Jonn Herschend, Bessma Khalaf, Jennie Ottinger, Kate Rhoades, Chris Sollars, Lindsey White, and Wonderment Consortium. Known for its oft irreverent collection, di Rosa provides an apt context to examine this powerful approach to art making that favors laughter as a critical tool. On Saturday, June 20th from 2-4 pm there will be a free-form open mic event with the Wonderment Consortium. The di Rosa Preserve is located at 5200 Sonoma Highway in Napa.