Tony Berlant "Sea Saw" 42"x62", 2009
For whatever reason, I rarely find myself at 49 Geary for First Thursdays. But last night, there I was, wandering down stuffy halls to inspect the dressed walls of equally stuffy galleries. Was it the ventilation or the crowd? I can’t really say. Be it blood or air, let’s just say there were circulation issues and leave it at that.
And what about the art? The highlight for me were the metal collages by Tony Berlant at Brian Gross Fine Art. The layers and textures of the pieces are made more compelling by the soothing color palette with which he works. They remind me of ocean waves and of desert landscapes without being cliché.
Tony Berlant "Western Addition" 38"x58", 2009
Tony Berlant, detail
Tony Berlant
As for the rest of the shows, there were a few peaks amongst a sea of valleys. Here are a few of my picks from the evening:
Collage by Amy Ross
Amy Ross, detail
Erin Curren
Josh Dov
Teo Gonzalez
Teo Gonzalez, detail
Stephen Sollins
Stephen Sollins, detail
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