 HOME
- NEWS
- GOOD STUFF
- INTERVIEWS
- OPENINGS
- VIDEO
- MUSIC
- CALENDAR
- ABOUT
- RSS
- SHOP - FFDG >>>STREET ART || PAINTING || PHOTOGRAPHY || COLLAGE || ILLUSTRATION || DESIGN || GRAFFITI<<< contact us | |

Home FEATURES David Choe Interview
|
Written by Trippe
|
|
Thursday, 04 January 2007 11:17
|
 A preview of this Bay Area painter's show at Jonathan Levine Gallery in NYC. We spoke with him before the show opened.
We interviewed David like 6 years ago... We thought now would be a great time to catch up with him since he has a big solo show opening up at the Jonathan Levine Gallery in NYC Saturday January 6, 2007... Other that, Dave doesn't need much of an intro. Read about the show, his CCA experience, his relationship with Heidi Fleiss, the films he's working on, and check out some of his current work.
So your show opens on Saturday. I imagine shit's pretty hectic right now. Any last minute tasks? What's your mental state before opening up such a large show?
It's really intense, because besides the jail art show I did in new york last year, I've never done a huge painting show that flexes all my creative bones in the big apples and people been asking for it for years so I hope I don't dissapoint... plus the fact that some of the work sells in the 5 figure range it alienates a lot of my deadbeat fans that can only afford my one dollar zine's... You try to please everyone, but in the end I just end up making shit that makes me happy, and hopefully someone else likes it too. Plus, it doesn't help that people say shit like, "I admired and connected wth your work because it was raw, fresh, unglamorized, and a "not giving a fuck attitude towards it". Your work was the level I wanted to be on. I'm over it now though. No offense, but you shouldn't get too comfortable doing the same type of shit over and over. I know it sells, but cmon, man." It's like, do I like the work or the story of the artist? The line became blurred for me in regards to you."... whoa?! that's fucked (some guy wrote that on my blog 5 minutes ago http://davechoe.blogspot.com)... Bottom line though is that I don't give a fuck, I make art that I like for myself, to express myself, and if my personality gets in the way of that then don't read or watch any more interviews. If you think I'm reapeating myself your fucking tripping. Also, I'm tripping on security, I got my friends and family and some undercover on look out, but the loonies and crazies have been jacking my paintings at my last few shows. We caught one at the Upper Playground show and really did a number on them. It's not ok to steal paintings. You will get fucked up... Anyways, right now my house looks like those crazy peoples house when they die, and the police come in a year later and the trash is stacked a foot deep and everthing smells like milk and furry meats.
How would you describe the work in this show?
Really mental. A lot of painting right before I go to bed and right when I wake up. A lot of dreams of far away places... places I want to go... places I'm scared of. A lot of watercolors and tons of mixed media shit... tons of subliminal erotic dirty styles.
Your monster Scion truck was pretty sweet. What happens to those cars after Miami? Did you get to keep it?
I was at soul assasins studio last month and cartoon has his car, so I can't wait for the day I get mine. I'm gonna wreck that shit in the first week.
Where are you living now? Heard you're bouncing about.
I was living in New York to help art direct Jewcy. After that I flew to LA to hitch hike and frieght hop from downtown L.A. to miami. I slept a lot in the street last month (that was for http://www.vbs.tv) then I've been lecturing and demo-ing alot... so I end up seeing the inside of a lot of hotels. I'm hardly ever at home in San Jose.
You went to CCA. What's your opinion of the school? Would you recommend it?
Sure. Take Barron Storey and Vincent Perez. Try to get laid and then drop out.
Speaking of Barron Storey, I noticed him in the documentary that's being made about you. Your work seems similar. How did he influence you and your work?
Well my whole life I've been dirty Dave. So barron worked right into my dirty styles. The dirty styles rules all other schools and styles. The layering, the personal touch to everything, I'm from the school of dirty styles, but it's more than just style and surface, it's every dirty thing that's inside you. Dirty styles is painting on found object besides a blank peice of paper or blank white wall, this started for me when my dad would bring home used xeroxes's from work so I could crayola all over the backs, then moved onto painting on bus benches and other shit on the street because I couldn't afford canvases... so even before you start there's some history, there's some spills, chills and marks, then you keep creating more history on top of that, spilling, spraying ,dripping, creaming, collaging, making a mess. All this ugly dirty shit and hopefully the end product being something that's tolerable and beautiful... something born from that filth. Creating hope from dark beginings... the fucking dirty styles. It's theraputic as hell. It sounds easy, but most people really suck at it, and a lot of people try. Some people that are great at it like Bill Sienkiewicz , Dave Mckean, Ashley Wood, John Copeland, Jeff Soto, Barry McGee, MARS-1, and dave kinsey. Barron Storey is the current king of the dirty school... past kings were Rauschenberg and Klimt... I'm just a pawn.
Speaking of the documentary, tell us about it. When's it due out?
Fuck man, I don't know. I leave Harry alone to make his movie... check http://dirtyhandsmovie.com/ for updates.
The movie that I helped out in and did some voices for that is done is WE ARE THE STRANGE (an animated movie that my friend M. strange made over the course of the last 3 years, with a little help from me and Sean Boyles) is officially in the Sundance festival!! Not only is it in, it's showing four fucking times (is that normal?)!! and I think it's the only animated feature that got in this year. The hollywood types are already sniffing around, offers from all the major studios are starting to come in... Can't wait to see how this all plays out. I'm excited as fuck. I'll see you all in mormon country next year. It's gonna blow your fucking mind. You've never seen anything like this. Here's the schedule for PARK CITY,UTAH: Friday January 19th. Egyptian. 11:59pm --- Saturday January 20th. Egyptian. 12:00pm --- Sunday January 21st. Broadway 4. 6:00pm --- Saturday January 27th. Holiday IV. 9:30pm


On your site you mention something about working on a project for Heidi Fleiss, the LA madam. What's that all about?
Remind me to tell you another day. I can write a book about that period of my life. She had me paint horses for her bedroom, and tried to pimp me out to rich older ladies... It was a fucking trip man... Heidi's a really cool lady but out of her fucking mind.
Describe an average day.
I actually answered this question once like it was a homework assignment here.
Describe the process of creating a new work.
Skribbles and scrwals and drafting and sketching with markers pens pencils and crayons, collages with matte medium, next a juicy super wet super loose pelican watercolors, don't wait for it to dry, light mist spray from a neutral to dark krylon, tighten up with acrylics, tighten up even more with color pencils and different inks in rapidographs, set the whole thing back with workable fixitve, oil wash over entire painting bring out the highlights by wiping away darks, set the whole thing in stone with kamar varnish remove unwanted parts with graffitti remover and begin the whole process until desired effect is achieved, end with oral sex.
Any New Years resolutions?
Colonic
What is the worst thing that happened in 2006?
Not making it to the toilet (happens once every other year)
What was your greatest accomplishment in 2006?
Just living my life the way I want... every day is a blessing. I get flown all over the world to basically showoff- especially getting to live out my second life as a musician. People recognizing the drum skills as well as the art skills... After all these years, it's still pretty new for me... One of the biggest highlights for me this year was playing with the Miami high school marching band at Art Basel... In the last few years I've got to jam with Aceyalone, Peanut Butter Wolf, Mad Lib, Cutsoquick, The Fingerbangerz, Ted Shred and the Dandy Warhols... playing beats is as important to me as art.
Read in an interview about you getting lost in the Congo for two weeks. What was that all about?
Well I actually went twice... Once when I was 19. That's when I got lost and then again a decade later last January when I was 29. I didn't get lost that time, but my translator almost had his head chopped off by the chief's sister. Watch the preview here.
What are some of your future plans after this show?
Brutal anal sex
{moscomment}
|
| Sten & Lex for The Katowice Street Art Festival
More great street art by the Italian duo, Sten & Lex, this time in Poland for the Katowice Street Art Festival.
 |

 |
| TrustCorp @Lebasse (+Los Angeles)
TrustoCorp's all new work for their exhibition at LeBasse Projects in Culver City, Los Angeles is a perfect continuum from past work that embraces the bipolar "have/have not" socioeconomic identity of Los Angeles, which they recently established their new studio in.
 |

 |
| The Sound of Dust
I didn't know if you came across this video yet, but I ran into my friend Brian Hanson yesterday who helped film and edit it. It's a film short documenting the work and philosophy of Huntington Beach surfboard Shaper Tim Stamps. Super rad and really inspiring! Anyhow take a peek.
 |

 |
| Murals at Harry Wirtz Elementary
Last year, Eric Caruso a teacher at Harry Wirtz Elementary School (Paramount, CA, near LA) had an idea to invite some artists to paint some murals at the school because there wasn't an arts program for the kids. That brilliant idea resulted in some awesome murals by artists Seitaku Aoyama, Yusuke Hanai, Rich Jacobs, Tim Kerr and Albert Reyes.
 |

 |
| Ryan De La Hoz @RVCA through 5/25
Ryan De La Hoz' show in the Upper Haight at RVCA runs through this Saturday... And the next time you're in the Mission, be sure to swing through his new shop on 14th St, Cool Try... We need to get over there soon and do a little photo feature for ya.
 |

 |
| Daniel Chen @The Book and Job Gallery (SF)
The Book and Job Gallery (San Francisco) really stepped it up with the opening of Daniel Chen's loveBlast on May 4th. Complete with a doorman, piano player, old fashioneds, and some really nice paintings, I could hardly believe I was at the Book and Job. The paintings varied in size, and the show was balanced nicely between them, the spray-can work on the walls, and the smaller drawings displayed throughout. The kind notes Chen wrote on the walls are certain to brighten your day, and the rest of the work is definitely worth a look. It was a very classy evening and I hope they continue to intersperse shows like these into their schedule in the future
 |

 |
| Skull & Sword at FFDG, SF
FFDG opened up the group show featuring original works by the artists of the world famous Skull & Sword tattoo last Friday here in San Francisco. Thanks to the huge crowd who turned out to support these four incredibly talented artists. Here is a taste of the show, and be sure to swing in to view in person. The show runs through June 8th.
 |

 |
| Gary Baseman Interview
Gary Baseman's retrospective "The Door is Always Open" at the Skirball in LA opened recently to massive crowds in a huge celebratory opening party. The exhibition is so complex and personal, delving into Baseman's background, family history, and all the layers of prolific work that he has done over the years. After the opening festivities winded down, I caught up with Baseman for an interview. We discussed the underlying meaning to some of the components of the show and how it felt for him, coming from such an honest personal perspective in putting this massive show together.
 |

 |
| Mark Mulroney at Ever Gold (+Photos)
Fertile Menace, a new show of Mark Mulroney's (NY) work opened at Ever Gold on May 4th and it's not one to be missed. It is intelligently hilarious, with jokes riffing off sex, Foucault, and the body, and while it makes you laugh it's also going to make you think.
 |

 |
| Sanjay & Craig Premieres Saturday
Our buddies Jay Howell, Andreas Trolf, and Jim Dirschberger are hyped as their show, which they've been working on for like 2 years, premieres on Nickelodeon Saturday. From the trailers we've seen so far and from what Jay has told us about, the show is going to be pretty epic. Congrats to those radical fellas.
 |

 |
| Skull & Sword at FFDG, Friday (7-10pm)
Here's a little taste of work by the artists of the world famous The Skull and Sword tattoo shop who open their show at San Francisco's FFDG on Friday, May 17th (7-10pm).
 |

 |
| Amir H. Fallah Studio Visit
Following his solo exhibition "The Collected" at Gallery Wendi Norris, painter Amir H. Fallah is in the throes of developing more new works for upcoming international exhibits. We spent some time in his studio in Highland Park, Los Angeles recently, discussing his process and inspiration.
 |

 |
| Bubi Canal's "Chrystelle" (+video)
We were first introduced to the photography of Spanish born NYC based Bubi Canal when he emailed us his great video Trust in Me a couple years ago. His solo show Special Moment recently ran at NYC's Munch Gallery in February, and he recently released his newest video Chrystelle below.
 |

 |
| Michael Garlington & The Metaphysical Fundraiser at 111 Minna
Although I missed the opening of Northern-California photographer Michael Garlington's newest show, Constructed Realities, I was fortunate enough to see the work still up during the Metaphysical fundraiser a couple weeks back at 111 Minna. Metaphysical fundraiser, an auction to benefit Wayne Ernzer. --- The ghoulish photographs in their heavy, hand-made frames are reminiscent of photos from the old west, and the glass crucifixes, complete with fetuses and guns, emphasize the accumulated time within the works themselves. Whether you're looking at the frames, the photos, or both, this show deserves a visit, and a walk through the golden archway Garlington constructed around the front door.
 |

 |
| John Felix Arnold III in Japan (Part 3)
Fecal Face contributor Rachel Ralph (rachel(at)fecalface.com) has been profiling this Oakland based painter as he travels about Japan. In this segment, we feature some photos as he prepared for this show and residency at Spes-LaB in Tokyo which opened last weekend. Arnold will be featured in SFMoMA's Minna Street windows on June 8th.
 |

 |
| Alex Lukas & Richard Colman @Guerrero Gallery
Last Saturday, here in SF's Mission district, Guerrero Gallery opened two new shows with Philly based Alex Lukas and SF based Richard Colman respectively. Colman's work occupied the project space while Lukas' work and foliage was presented in the main space. Worth getting to if you haven't already.
 |

 |
| High 5s: Mexico-Land
Just got back to SF after a little trip south to Sayulita, Mexico. After 10 years without a vacation, me and the Mrs. headed south for some mental time off sitting in the sun, swimming and enjoying the watery Mexican beer. Here are some photos as we get back into the swing of things again.
 |

 |
| High 5s: Puttin' The Pee in the Pod
For 13 years I've been blogging up randomness. Here's more of it.
 |

 |
| Dimitris Polychroniadis (+Greece)
Athens, Greece based designer, architect and artist Dimitris Polychroniadis emailed over more of his work which consists of mixed media, pop-humorous diorama sculptures that make a comment on the harsh realities my country and much of the world is facing at the moment.
 |

 |
| Skull & Sword at FFDG Featuring: Grime, Henry Lewis, Yutaro, and Lango
FFDG will open a group show with the artists from the famed Skull & Sword Tattoo on Friday, May 17th (6-9pm). Artists: Grime, Henry Lewis, Yutaro, and Lango. Below are a series of videos on Grime for Vice's Tattoo Age produced in 2011. Fascinating look at one of the greatest tattoo artists alive today.
 |

 |
| ARYZ at Fifty24SF
ARYZ (Spain) opened his newest gallery show at Fifty24SF last Friday and, if you live in the Bay Area, you need to go. This dude can obviously paint, and he doesn't need an entire building to show his impecable skill. The show has lots of small works on paper which contrast his highly-defined line work to his hard-edged painted objects. The contrast between the hard and soft was the most striking thing to me about his work, since I had never seen it in person before, and the washes blend with the thick paint seamlessly. The show also contains a larger work on canvas, a huge head suspended in the back of the room, and a big wood sculpture of a wolf figure. This diversity in such a small space was impressive, and those of us that went to the opening even got to meet the man in person. If you didn't make it out this weekend, check it out before May 31st when it closes and these works will be off to some very happy new homes.
 |

 |
| David Bayus @Water McBeer
Water McBeer is please to announce its latest exhibition "Precious" a solo exhibition by David Bayus (April 6 - May 4, 2013) -- David Bayus born 1982 holds his BFA from the Savannah College of Art and his MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. David lives and works in San Francisco and is a founding member of the basement collective. This will be his first exhibition with the world renown Water McBeer Gallery highlighting his most recent achievements with paint and digital media. David Bayus will be exhibiting 5 relatively large-scale mixed media works along with a collaborative object featuring Hungarian sculptor H.R KOONS.
 |

 |
| Hard Time Mini Mall @The Shooting Gallery
The Shooting Gallery handed over the reins to the Red Truck Gallery (a New Orleans based gallery) which curated their new show, Hard Time Mini Mall and opened the it on Saturday night. This is my favorite show (so far) in the Shooting Gallery's new space and was packed full of art, a mini bar, and cowhide rugs. The Red Truck Gallery chose works with clear craftsmanship and it was easy to see in Ian Berry's denim assemblages and Chris Roberts-Antieau's awesome quilts. The space was completely packed, making it hard to see each piece individually, but this show deserves a second trip anyway. I look forward to spending more time with the chandeliers, automatons, and paintings before the show comes down on May 4th.
 |

 |
|
|
 |

The No Watch Watch
Friday, 24 May 2013 15:55
Like wearing a watch but don't want to bother with all that pesky technology, Barcelona based artist Axel Brechensbauer has you covered... We also dig this great truck sculpture.
Perfect watch for the Memorial Weekend

//////////
Wednesday, 16 June 2010 17:39

Zoltron RollUP
Thursday, 23 May 2013 12:46
Rollup by Zoltron as spotted near Fecal Face HQ at 18th and Valencia which he completed a couple weeks back.
Zoltron on Valencia at 18th

///
Wednesday, 25 April 2012 11:56

Watch Out, Art World: Amazon Is About to Start Selling Art
Wednesday, 22 May 2013 11:05
This day may have been inevitable, but now it's finally here. In its attempt to take over the world - or at least everything that can be bought and sold in the world, Amazon is launching an art gallery.
This summer Amazon is planning to launch a Fine Art Gallery where customers will be able to purchase original artwork offered by a select group of invited galleries via Amazon.com. ~continue reading

“INSIDE OUT” SHOWCASES THE EYE-POPPING STREET ART THAT AIMS TO CHANGE THE WORLD, ONE FACE AT A TIME
Tuesday, 21 May 2013 10:43
A new HBO documentary looks at the work of street artist JR, whose giant portraits force people in troubled areas to confront the humanity that's all around them... On the day JR found out he'd won the $100,000 TED Prize, the French pasteup artist found himself in China being questioned by police for doing his thing on the streets of Shanghai. ~continue reading
Street artist JR HBO documentary premiered yesterday, May 20th

Art Basel to bring international flair to Hong Kong
Tuesday, 21 May 2013 10:37
Art lovers, collectors and gallerists will gather on Thursday for Hong Kong's inaugural edition of Art Basel, sealing the city's status as an international art hub and Asia's leading art destination... Hong Kong has surged to third place in the global art auction market behind New York and London and Western galleries are falling over each other to open franchises in the former British colony. ~continue reading

Ferris Plock Friday at Benny Gold
Monday, 20 May 2013 11:07
Our buddy Ferris Plock opens a small show of drawings at Benny Gold on 3169 16th St this Friday, May 24th (7-10pm) featuring 31 drawings priced at 75-140 bucks.
Ferris also released the video Fingered! he produced with animator Jim Dirschberger. View it
Ferris Plock Friday at Benny Gold in SF

SFAI's MFA Show "Currency" Opening Friday
Thursday, 16 May 2013 09:00
Wowzas, there's a lot of art happenings this weekend, and while you're making the rounds, be sure to stop at SFAI's MFA show Currency opening Friday, May 17th at the beautiful old SF Mint Building (88 5th Street).
SFAI's 2013 MFA graduates—working in painting, photography, printmaking, film, sculpture, installation, digital media, performance, and across media—will present work that embraces the Institute's signature spirit of experimentation and conceptual risk-taking.
Opening reception: Friday, May 17, 7–9 pm & running through Sunday 11-6pm daily. -- complete details
|


 |
|
| |
|


| Sten & Lex for The Katowice Street Art Festival
More great street art by the Italian duo, Sten & Lex, this time in Poland for the Katowice Street Art Festival.
 |

 |
| TrustCorp @Lebasse (+Los Angeles)
TrustoCorp's all new work for their exhibition at LeBasse Projects in Culver City, Los Angeles is a perfect continuum from past work that embraces the bipolar "have/have not" socioeconomic identity of Los Angeles, which they recently established their new studio in.
 |

 |
| The Sound of Dust
I didn't know if you came across this video yet, but I ran into my friend Brian Hanson yesterday who helped film and edit it. It's a film short documenting the work and philosophy of Huntington Beach surfboard Shaper Tim Stamps. Super rad and really inspiring! Anyhow take a peek.
 |

 |
| Murals at Harry Wirtz Elementary
Last year, Eric Caruso a teacher at Harry Wirtz Elementary School (Paramount, CA, near LA) had an idea to invite some artists to paint some murals at the school because there wasn't an arts program for the kids. That brilliant idea resulted in some awesome murals by artists Seitaku Aoyama, Yusuke Hanai, Rich Jacobs, Tim Kerr and Albert Reyes.
 |

 |
| Ryan De La Hoz @RVCA through 5/25
Ryan De La Hoz' show in the Upper Haight at RVCA runs through this Saturday... And the next time you're in the Mission, be sure to swing through his new shop on 14th St, Cool Try... We need to get over there soon and do a little photo feature for ya.
 |

 |
| Daniel Chen @The Book and Job Gallery (SF)
The Book and Job Gallery (San Francisco) really stepped it up with the opening of Daniel Chen's loveBlast on May 4th. Complete with a doorman, piano player, old fashioneds, and some really nice paintings, I could hardly believe I was at the Book and Job. The paintings varied in size, and the show was balanced nicely between them, the spray-can work on the walls, and the smaller drawings displayed throughout. The kind notes Chen wrote on the walls are certain to brighten your day, and the rest of the work is definitely worth a look. It was a very classy evening and I hope they continue to intersperse shows like these into their schedule in the future
 |

 |
| Skull & Sword at FFDG, SF
FFDG opened up the group show featuring original works by the artists of the world famous Skull & Sword tattoo last Friday here in San Francisco. Thanks to the huge crowd who turned out to support these four incredibly talented artists. Here is a taste of the show, and be sure to swing in to view in person. The show runs through June 8th.
 |

 |
| Gary Baseman Interview
Gary Baseman's retrospective "The Door is Always Open" at the Skirball in LA opened recently to massive crowds in a huge celebratory opening party. The exhibition is so complex and personal, delving into Baseman's background, family history, and all the layers of prolific work that he has done over the years. After the opening festivities winded down, I caught up with Baseman for an interview. We discussed the underlying meaning to some of the components of the show and how it felt for him, coming from such an honest personal perspective in putting this massive show together.
 |

 |
| Mark Mulroney at Ever Gold (+Photos)
Fertile Menace, a new show of Mark Mulroney's (NY) work opened at Ever Gold on May 4th and it's not one to be missed. It is intelligently hilarious, with jokes riffing off sex, Foucault, and the body, and while it makes you laugh it's also going to make you think.
 |

 |
| Sanjay & Craig Premieres Saturday
Our buddies Jay Howell, Andreas Trolf, and Jim Dirschberger are hyped as their show, which they've been working on for like 2 years, premieres on Nickelodeon Saturday. From the trailers we've seen so far and from what Jay has told us about, the show is going to be pretty epic. Congrats to those radical fellas.
 |

 |
| Skull & Sword at FFDG, Friday (7-10pm)
Here's a little taste of work by the artists of the world famous The Skull and Sword tattoo shop who open their show at San Francisco's FFDG on Friday, May 17th (7-10pm).
 |

 |
| Amir H. Fallah Studio Visit
Following his solo exhibition "The Collected" at Gallery Wendi Norris, painter Amir H. Fallah is in the throes of developing more new works for upcoming international exhibits. We spent some time in his studio in Highland Park, Los Angeles recently, discussing his process and inspiration.
 |

 |
| Bubi Canal's "Chrystelle" (+video)
We were first introduced to the photography of Spanish born NYC based Bubi Canal when he emailed us his great video Trust in Me a couple years ago. His solo show Special Moment recently ran at NYC's Munch Gallery in February, and he recently released his newest video Chrystelle below.
 |

 |
| Michael Garlington & The Metaphysical Fundraiser at 111 Minna
Although I missed the opening of Northern-California photographer Michael Garlington's newest show, Constructed Realities, I was fortunate enough to see the work still up during the Metaphysical fundraiser a couple weeks back at 111 Minna. Metaphysical fundraiser, an auction to benefit Wayne Ernzer. --- The ghoulish photographs in their heavy, hand-made frames are reminiscent of photos from the old west, and the glass crucifixes, complete with fetuses and guns, emphasize the accumulated time within the works themselves. Whether you're looking at the frames, the photos, or both, this show deserves a visit, and a walk through the golden archway Garlington constructed around the front door.
 |

 |
| John Felix Arnold III in Japan (Part 3)
Fecal Face contributor Rachel Ralph (rachel(at)fecalface.com) has been profiling this Oakland based painter as he travels about Japan. In this segment, we feature some photos as he prepared for this show and residency at Spes-LaB in Tokyo which opened last weekend. Arnold will be featured in SFMoMA's Minna Street windows on June 8th.
 |

 |
| Alex Lukas & Richard Colman @Guerrero Gallery
Last Saturday, here in SF's Mission district, Guerrero Gallery opened two new shows with Philly based Alex Lukas and SF based Richard Colman respectively. Colman's work occupied the project space while Lukas' work and foliage was presented in the main space. Worth getting to if you haven't already.
 |

 |
| High 5s: Mexico-Land
Just got back to SF after a little trip south to Sayulita, Mexico. After 10 years without a vacation, me and the Mrs. headed south for some mental time off sitting in the sun, swimming and enjoying the watery Mexican beer. Here are some photos as we get back into the swing of things again.
 |

 |
| High 5s: Puttin' The Pee in the Pod
For 13 years I've been blogging up randomness. Here's more of it.
 |

 |
| Dimitris Polychroniadis (+Greece)
Athens, Greece based designer, architect and artist Dimitris Polychroniadis emailed over more of his work which consists of mixed media, pop-humorous diorama sculptures that make a comment on the harsh realities my country and much of the world is facing at the moment.
 |

 |
| Skull & Sword at FFDG Featuring: Grime, Henry Lewis, Yutaro, and Lango
FFDG will open a group show with the artists from the famed Skull & Sword Tattoo on Friday, May 17th (6-9pm). Artists: Grime, Henry Lewis, Yutaro, and Lango. Below are a series of videos on Grime for Vice's Tattoo Age produced in 2011. Fascinating look at one of the greatest tattoo artists alive today.
 |

 |
| ARYZ at Fifty24SF
ARYZ (Spain) opened his newest gallery show at Fifty24SF last Friday and, if you live in the Bay Area, you need to go. This dude can obviously paint, and he doesn't need an entire building to show his impecable skill. The show has lots of small works on paper which contrast his highly-defined line work to his hard-edged painted objects. The contrast between the hard and soft was the most striking thing to me about his work, since I had never seen it in person before, and the washes blend with the thick paint seamlessly. The show also contains a larger work on canvas, a huge head suspended in the back of the room, and a big wood sculpture of a wolf figure. This diversity in such a small space was impressive, and those of us that went to the opening even got to meet the man in person. If you didn't make it out this weekend, check it out before May 31st when it closes and these works will be off to some very happy new homes.
 |

 |
| David Bayus @Water McBeer
Water McBeer is please to announce its latest exhibition "Precious" a solo exhibition by David Bayus (April 6 - May 4, 2013) -- David Bayus born 1982 holds his BFA from the Savannah College of Art and his MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. David lives and works in San Francisco and is a founding member of the basement collective. This will be his first exhibition with the world renown Water McBeer Gallery highlighting his most recent achievements with paint and digital media. David Bayus will be exhibiting 5 relatively large-scale mixed media works along with a collaborative object featuring Hungarian sculptor H.R KOONS.
 |

 |
| Hard Time Mini Mall @The Shooting Gallery
The Shooting Gallery handed over the reins to the Red Truck Gallery (a New Orleans based gallery) which curated their new show, Hard Time Mini Mall and opened the it on Saturday night. This is my favorite show (so far) in the Shooting Gallery's new space and was packed full of art, a mini bar, and cowhide rugs. The Red Truck Gallery chose works with clear craftsmanship and it was easy to see in Ian Berry's denim assemblages and Chris Roberts-Antieau's awesome quilts. The space was completely packed, making it hard to see each piece individually, but this show deserves a second trip anyway. I look forward to spending more time with the chandeliers, automatons, and paintings before the show comes down on May 4th.
 |

 |
 |