By Chris Jalufka | 12.10.2013
It was in September and the show was for artist Brandon Bird. I’d only seen his work online in fragments — a thing here. A thing there. So I made it out to San Francisco, The City, to see it in person at Bird’s show ‘The Art of The Astonishing World of Art‘ at Gauntlet Gallery.
It’d been a long time since I actually set foot in a gallery for an opening, or for any other reason, and it turns out I missed the experience. Chatting with the artist, the curator — gallery folks. No goal other than to look at what others have made.
Living in a world where over ninety percent of our physical space is taken up with practical elements (desk, chair, table, couch) it’s rare that we find ourselves out of reach of those objects designed for a useful and generic life. The gallery space is built for a single purpose — to exhibit art. A deliberate box of white walls and soft light. Once you’re inside there is nothing left to do but soak it in.
This Saturday I’m heading back to San Francisco and back again to Gauntlet Gallery. This time it’s for their first anniversary show ‘Sex, Drugs, Money & Guns.’
From Gauntlet Gallery —
‘Gauntlet Gallery is pleased to present our 1 Year Anniversary Show: Sex, Drugs, Money & Guns. In just 12 months Gauntlet Gallery has made a name for itself within the art world by featuring a variety of diverse and incredibly talented local and international artists.
Curator Luke Lombardo has chosen artists for the anniversary show that have helped in building the gallery’s foundation and represent the direction to come. The opening reception will be held Saturday, December 14th, 2013, from 7pm – 10pm. The show will be on display through January 18th, 2014 and is free and open to the public.
Sex, Drugs, Money & Guns. Ever present in our everyday lives, each component forces the individual to honestly examine their own potential for lust, gluttony, greed and aggression while we contemplate the risk and cost of experiencing them fully. This forces us to ask whether we seek the orgasm, the high, wealth, or violence, or whether we simply want to experience the actions and reactions surrounding them.
Sex, Drugs, Money & Guns are all controversial topics precisely because they trigger visceral emotional responses and Gauntlet Gallery is proud to present such a stimulating and thought provoking show.
The show will feature works by Alec Huxley, Famous When Dead, Ben Clarke, Brianna Angelakis, Claudia Bicen, DYoungV, Desiree Chung, Edith LeBeau, Gina Kiel, Giulio Rossi, Helen Bayly, Helice Wen, Jason John, Jeff Ramirez, Jenny Liz Rome, Johannah O’Donnell, John Wentz, Jonathan Bergeron, Juuri, Kellen Breen, Keith Rein, Lisa Pisa, Nick Flatt, Ransom & Mitchell, Robert Bowen, Ryan Milner, Ruben Ireland, Serge Gay Jr., Syd Bee, Wednesday Kirwan, Xiau-Fong Wee, Lauren YoungSmith and William Arvin.’
The opening reception is on Saturday December 14th, 7PM -10PM and the show is up through January 18, 2014.
Those in the San Francisco area should make it out, if not for the art then for the free beer, and if not for the free beer then just to do something different with your Saturday night.
Here’s a taste of what’s in store —
Johannah O’Donnell
Kellen Breen
Jen Liz Rome
Ransom and Mitchell
Alec Huxley
Keith P. Rein
Edith LeBleu