The writer's very own Porous Walker, received at the Receiver Gallery

Do you see the Art Murmur as a warm-up or panacea for the nation’s birthday and all the traditions that come with it? We’re talking about the cheap beer, BBQ and late night fireworks the night after the art murmur. This month offers up a great high profile juried show to give a taste of what the future will bring for art-lovers, humor in liberal amounts, and a second chance to see a good show of queer art that I highly recommend.

Mark Inglis Taylor and Porous Walker@ the Hatch Gallery
Hatch Gallery, 492 23rd Street
hatchgallery.org

Reception: Friday, July 3rd, 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.

In the second of its ambitious two-person shows meant to close a year of gallery programming at the Hatch Gallery, Adam Hatch, gallery director, presents a month that should prove to be decidedly tongue-in -cheek.  The concept is to juxtapose the works of two artists that seem different, but have enough ties so that an onlooker can walk without stumbling.   

Mark Inglis Taylor’s work compares rather favorably to that of Space 1026’s Andrew Jeffrey Wright in that it utilizes humor and a penchant for salon style art hanging to put into focus a skewed perspective of modern life from an artist’s perspective. The insight gleaned from a sub-cultural perch is often keen, as is the detachment it provides that can be as illuminating as it can be exclusive. Art shows can break down these barriers. There is no special invite, no guest list, no barrier, and that is what art is about in the end – the engagement of the public, history and the telling of one’s own story as best as an individual can. His inclusion in a recent high profile survey show of Oakland-based artists at what is arguably California’s best private art collection and museum, the di Rosa Preserve, should serve as notice, that this artist is one to watch.

Porous Walker likes to give away art, money and ephemera. I should well know as I’ve received all of the above from The Artist Known as Porous Walker. I shall not divulge his name here, but I imagine a simple Internet search will suffice to explain why ample amounts of excellent Coppola Wine have been served gratis at many of his art shows. Before I attempt to color Mr. Walker’s work with having depth and being worthy of the viewer’s appraisal, I must tell you art should be fun sometimes, and that doesn’t necessarily mean some Burning Man style drug-fueled- bacchanal nor does it mean a diamond encrusted skull selling for a disputed $100 million. Sometimes, the concept behind seemingly novel, gimmicky work holds a viral idea that exceeds perhaps even its author’s intent. I think THAT is what is at work here with a man who uses our consumerism-driven society as material, who serves up a piñata filled with a couple of hundred dollars worth of quarters waiting to be unleashed within (pictured above), who gives his work away or for much less than even what your average everyday artist charges. Now that is conceptual art, and I know there’s a gimmick here, but it’s a damned compelling one. I think of the round of drinks I bought my friends with the thirty-five bucks in quarters I gathered at his show at Receiver Gallery, I think of the hilarious Porous Walker art I got for the price of free that’s hanging in my office while I write this. Now, maybe you should say to yourself rhetorically, “How can I miss this?”

Just Because There are Questions Doesn't Mean There are Answers: New collaborative work by Joy Fritz, Sam Lopes, Matthew Momchilov, Matthew Pawlowski
Blankspace
6608 San Pablo Avenue
blankspacegallery.com/
Reception: Friday, July 3rd, 7 p.m.– 10 p.m.

I first wrote of Sam Lopes’ hauntingly memorable work over a year ago for The Oakbook, and this show of queer artists playfully emulating each others’ styles looks to be a good one. Politics in art, personal or otherwise, should come unforced, naturally, and perhaps with even subtlety to have the greatest effect. As concepts go, this one isn’t original, but its lack of reflexivity goes a long way towards getting my vote of confidence. That, and the fact that it includes one of the Bay Area’s best young drawers, Matthew Momchilov. His name is already memorable and portents to be even more so due to his talent. I have followed his work since I first saw it at Lobot Gallery a few years ago. Ever since, he’s been a much buzzed about talent and has a fairly high profile upcoming group show at San Francisco’s highly reputed Eleanor Harwood Gallery to prove it. Based on just these two artists, how could I not recommend this one?

Bay Area Currents 2009 Group Exhibition Juried by Kevin B. Chen@ The Oakland Art Gallery
Oakland Art Gallery 
150 Frank Ogawa Plaza (entrance on Kahn's Alley, just across from City Hall)
Artist’s talk: July 16, 2009, 6 p.m.             

Here’s what I had to say in an earlier OakBook write-up on the Oakland Art Gallery: While ProArts has been around for 35 years, the Oakland Art Gallery is only seven years old. Still, in that relatively short time, the Oakland Art Gallery has come to a play a vital role in Oakland’s arts community. In a space that feels like something between a museum and a gallery, the OAG offers emerging and mid-career artists a place to show their work. Art world notables like Rene De Guzman from the Oakland Museum of California regularly give lectures and artist talks at the gallery.

It’s time for this year’s edition of Bay Area Currents, the Oakland Art Gallery’s juried show which features several local artists selected by a guest curator primed to take their work to the next level. Such shows are often “stepping stones” to higher profile gallery shows and yes, eventually, hopefully, the holy grail of any self respecting artist -- the eventual museum retrospective.

The venerable Oakland art institution ProArts has moved into the Oakland Art Gallery and this is their first show under new management. At the recent artist’s reception for Bay Area Currents, I had a chance to speak with their Exhibitions and Program Coordinator, David Huff, and here’s how he described the show’s place in the local art firmament -“This show is a runoff of studio visits…We have had almost 300 submissions, which were narrowed down to, I think, 26 studio visits with 11 artists selected for the show. We look at a show like this, when an artist hits certain natural plateaus, when they have been out there in artists’ run spaces, they have been in juried shows before, they have trouble breaking in to getting solo shows, we really think of this being a showcase – not just of an artist’s singular works, but of artists that are ‘people to watch.’ We hope this will be a jumping off point that will be a bridge between emerging and mid -career artists.” The artist’s talk for this show will be a rare opportunity for the public to engage with and question the appointed next generation of emerging artists. These are the artists you’ll likely one day see in a museum retrospective many, many years down the line. It’s certainly a can’t- miss, and I have refrained from talking about the artists’ work , because sometimes it is important to go into a show  without any preconceptions – to look at everything with an unshaded critical eye. This is such a show. I’ll be there. Come and join me.