Really, really excited that even if I have to leave one awesome art community (in Manchester) I’m coming straight home to another (in the San Francisco Bay Area). So good to be home, so thankful for really bright CCA folks doin’ it.

Just came from Speculative Fictions, a talk at Patricia Sweetow Gallery, featuring Weston Teruya, Jina Valentine, Arnold Kemp, Gail Wight and Jerome Reyes. A great mix of really bright practicing artist-thinkers. I think anytime a commercial gallery pursues an intellectual discussion is really good — this time, the talk ranged from sci-fi, Battlestar Galactica, to conspiracy theories… Weston’s a friend; nevertheless, I think that his new works, incorporating a giant pineapple water tower and too-perfect gazebos are really good. I love seeing the work expand…

The shows at SF Camerawork are really good — all having to do with manipulation and desire. It got me thinking a lot about the manufacture of images, advertising, graphic design, and the crafting of paintings… The photographs are really well crafted. I’m not always easily impressed by photography — my appreciation for technical feats is pretty limited — but I was really impressed with the quality of the works and curation. Thoughtful, good stuff.

Coming up soon:

MFA exhibition opens at CCA Thursday night

Live and Direct opens at Ping Pong Gallery Friday night. Curated by cohort Amanda Curreri, and including a number of really thoughtful CCA MFA artists like Nyeema Morgan and Erik Scollon.