THE ASSOCIATED STUDENTS’ ART GALLERY
Volume 1
ABOUT US The Associated Students Art Gallery (AS Art Gallery) is a student-run and student-funded program of the Associated Students at the Cesar Chavez Student Center. The gallery is dedicated to bringing the visual and interdisciplinary arts to the multicultural student body at San Francisco State University and beyond.
MISSION The AS Art Gallery is an open space that serves San Francisco State University’s student community at the Cesar Chavez Student Center. As a body made by multiple and diverse communities and voices, the gallery’s mission is to promote dialogue, reflection, knowledge, and critical debate through a series of programs and activities that empower, inspire, and support student’s learning and creative process. AS Art Gallery’s exhibitions, lectures, screenings, and workshops aim to stimulate intellectual, creative, and personal development. The gallery collaborates with community-focused artists and organizations, contemporary artists, as well as feature students and non-student projects. Our program aims to explore visual languages and forms. Through critical thinking, we are interested in exploring the relationship between art, histories, cultures, and communities. The Art Gallery programming is inspired by the cross-cultural student community of the University and by extension of San Francisco and Bay Area inhabitants they represent.
contents
Anh Bui Clement Tsang Devora Ohebshalom Elaine Chow Erica Gray Gabriel Escobedo Gabriel Medina Jessica Tafoya-Soberanis Maggie Becerra Marilyn Roxie Mark Ochinero Max Andrew Rosen Savannah Jackson
anh bui
52 Pages They Used to Define Me From 1/03/17- Present. Ft. Columbus. Digital
Clement Tsang Angela Angie Angel. City and Trolleys. Wet Weather and Wind, Hella Cutty and wine in warm places. Her rose red cheeks drained of blood. Her faceskin taut frozen in brown wax creases. Windbreaker wants to be torn by branches and melted from fires in a city that is haunted. In a city with no river only shit and pavement and tornados of plastic, paper, air, detritus, street soul in its death, woke into a city she lived in. See city, see greed, see cynicism. See coldness, maybe what she saw was a mere ruse on speed dial but, not her bloated face not an autopsy not medicine.
Devora Ohebshalom
Indigenous Reclamation
Mizrachi in the Exploration of The Nameless
Elaine Chow
Amphibian Malformations and Why It Matters
Erica MARIE Gray
Dysthymia, My Sweet Pea I packed up my depression and hid it away in a box and together we can watch it rot We can admire the mold and bacteria that stems from my sufferings or we can ignore the stench and pretend, pretend that the abnormalities are not there I gathered my collection of horrific memories and watched you light them into flames As I observed all those recollections ash away I could not help but feel as if they were still alive, still so relevant to this day You will eventually forget that my box exists but I won’t. I’ll attempt to consign to oblivion but I won’t. One day, microbes and grotesque bacterium won’t be the life that grows from my misery, but rather something beautiful; prepossessing, maybe zinnias or sweet peas or lilies But no matter, My box will eventually be considered radiant by all eyes
Gabriel Escobedo
Gabriel Medina
Jessica Tafoya-Soberanis
i’m dumb for looking but you actually think he’s in a healthy relationship? no, right? he loves Her? and doesn’t miss me? at all? i feel like he just channeled his energy in someone new
i know he didn’t fall for me as hard as i did but damn. am i that easy to forget about. i’m sure there are qualities that i have that She doesn’t now i’m crying because do you hear how fucking insecure this is why do i need his approval or but if i were to be in bed with s love or attention omeone, caress them, hold them i’m more than enough, i would definitely be thinking i’m enough about You???? i’m strong why can’t i so my question still stands be strong?????? doesn’t he think about me? why am i still crying over this boy doesn’t he miss me? who treated me shitty is he over me ? who made me feel unworthy i don’t wanna cry anymore a part of me is hurt, obviously i wanna be healthy but a part of me is just curious i feel kinda empty because now i if so, if he is over me. how? don’t have anyone to just be how do you get over someone myself with have fun, be a dork with
at least when i had You around, it felt like I could breathe and i’m scared i’m so scared of having to do this alone everything reminds me of him and i’m trying to be strong but i get angry at myself for not being over it because it’s been fucking years that i’ve been dealing with this heartache/letting go bullshit i’m going to be okay, i know that with everything in me. I just wanna speed up the process and be happy, too. i wanna not be reminded of him. i don’t want anything to do with him because for so long he was everything. i keep reflecting on how much he’s hurt me and it makes me so fucking sad i’m so sorry jessica i’m so so sorry
you deserve the world and i’m so sorry i let you go through this for so many years i love you so much you’re so worth it okay? don’t be so angry and impatient with yourself one day at a time some days you’ll feel good and over it and others you’ll feel super shitty and both are okay. you fell so hard for this boy, i don’t blame you. i get it. i do. but you have to be healthy okay? no more toxicity. you gotta be strong and work on your insecurities. you most definitely cannot take the path of self-sabotage through emotionally unavailable men. okay jess? not anymore you can’t do that. you can’t do that because you don’t want to. because it hurts you. because you deserve SO much more i’m sorry jess i love you. and you love you too, okay??
Magdalena Becerra Nunca Me Olvidaré Lo siento, abuelita. Lo siento por todas las personas que no la ayudaron cuando llegó a Los Estados Unidos. Con cinco hijos y dos hijas, y sin dinero y sin oportunidades para aprender inglés. Lo siento por todo. I am sorry we never spoke enough. In Spanish at least. I wonder if assimilating to the “American Dream” made you lose your sight in one eye. The other stayed true to your roots and I am grateful. Quiero practicar mas. Conocí a una abuela en mi trabajo que me abrazó por ser la única empleada que pudo hablar Español But it was never you. Lo siento, nunca entendí whenever you made arroz con leche or champurrado. Now I want to bring it to your hospital bed. Y le digo lo mucho que la amo. Thank you for teaching me strength in hard work, And for always cracking jokes Y terminando mi cerveza a pesar de la cara agria Seguiré practicando para ti Despite my assimilated accent Yo sumergiré en un idioma que fluye directamente de la lengua. I won’t be ashamed De la forma en que yo sonido. I’ll focus on speaking a language everyone should know, viviendo en el México original. And I’ll remind myself why you moved here, After being born in San Gabriel in 1928, To moving to an underground home to avoid the killing of many in order to escape the Mexican-American War. El Sueño Americano le trajo de nuevo a California en Agosto de 1974. “This is America, speak English.” was on repeat day in and day out. Since 1974, to 2017 in Wyoming with my parents. I’ll speak whatever the hell I want, pinche cabrón. I thank you for bringing my own mother to school every day at the age of 13 Sólo la hacía más fuerte y aprendía sobre la resiliencia mexicano-estadounidense. Despite everyone’s sneers in assimilated hell. The h is silent in Spanish. Sé que ya no puedes recordar, pero recordaré por las dos And how I should never let go De una identidad que puedo llamar mi casa.
Marilyn Roxie
Mark Ochinero
Max Andrew Rosen
Untitled When will it finally end? I can no longer pretend Dreams of mortality and eradication Vehement pain in my stomach Unable to function Why can’t I be like everyone else? The headlights just keep coming Maybe I drank too much I’m trying, but it will never be enough
Crosswalk Too much alcohol consumed at once Words are harder to pronounce Down the street I slip and stumble Closer to the highway, I feel the rumble Of the cars speeding left and right Tonight is going to be the night Where all of the voices finally go away No more suffering will I have to pay Sitting in the middle of the road I fall into a helpless mode And swoon over thoughts of things going right Too late now, it’s time to end the fight As the headlights near, tears leave my eyes The last sensation I’ll know is cry With seconds to go, sense creeps back in
Savannah Jack Becoming Love She felt the sea Deep under her bones Felt the waves Push and glaze... The tide Roll open and wide... She felt her power Answering in her bones Her old way Coming to a close She felt the new Chapter of her life emerge And trusted all the world Enter the unknown. Yet somehow... she knew It was going to be okay A time of rebirth from the old ways, The old thinking To enjoy life now in fruition In pleasure And help serve her mother Nature. Danced in dreams, Danced in the call You hear it...don’t you all? You feel it... don’t you all? Echoing among the grass, When you yourself go past A place of understanding. And knowing. Allowing yourself to be a success Allowing yourself to journey on that next step To charge forward with no regret And enter wildly into the unknown, Totally trusting yourself And your spirit Your earth self becoming love
appendix
artist statements
Anh Bui Anh Bui is an interdisciplinary artist from the city of Hanoi, Vietnam. He moved to San Francisco, USA, at the age of 10. Anh uses art as a way to explore his personal experiences living between two cultures, and place these experiences within his local sociopolitical and cultural context. The resulting body of work explores ideas of trans-cultural identity, power balance, and cultural conflicts to subverts conventional narratives produced by Vietnamese and Western infrastructures. Anh received his Bachelor of Arts at San Francisco State University (SFSU) with a dual emphasis on Sculpture and Painting in 2014. He is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Museum Studies at SFSU with a focus on curation and education.
Clement Tsang Clement Tsang is an undergrad in the Creative Writing program transferring from Pasadena City College. During his last semester at state he will be finishing up a collection of short stories written through the lens of food justice and culturally appropriate issues of consumer, producer, community, and Earth.
Devora Ohebshalom Indigenous Reclamation An exploration of Persian Jewish women artwork, which is the artist’s lineage, at a time when all three identities are being isolated and highlighted in the global culture. The artist uses ancient Judeo-Persian style and stages Vulva as a power and mystery women hold to piece together fragmentations of her history of diasporas, persecutions and colonization. Mizrachi in the Exploration of The Nameless Exploring an Israeli-Persian woman’s movable identity as a political statement in tribalism, honour, and individuality. The two women and their vast raw power are the birth of new. This is a confrontation of dismantling collective identity. The bold outline of the body is stating something is being born anew in her vulnerability at that moment.
ELAINE CHOW
I am currently a senior at the School of Design at SFSU. “Amphibian Malformations and Why It Matters” is the first part of “ECOZines”, a series I am creating to call attention to environmental issues we are intimately connected to. The idea is to condense big issues, like waste management, climate change, and environmental justice, into bite- size zines that help people understand how we are all interconnected.
ERICA MARIE GRAY My name is Erica Marie Gray. I’m from San Jose, California and I currently attend San Francisco State University where I am a Creative Writing major. I am also an Italian American feminist. Writing has always been my outlet. I’ve been writing poems since I was in middle school. In eighth grade one of my poems was actually published. I’ve always turned to writing poetry in order to express myself. Life has many ups and downs, and what keeps me going through the lowest of times is poetry. The words I write are often the feelings and words I fail to say or to express.
Gabriel Escobedo
Gabriel Escobedo is a Mexican-American multimedia artist and fourth year student at San Francisco State University, born and raised in San Marcos, California. Influenced by Expressionism, Pop Art, Photojournalism, and Abstract art, Escobedo’s art aims to explore emotion evoked by vivid colors and enigmatic characters. Escobedo’s paintings use an artistic style centered on a light-hearted world in which, through a richly-colored yet simple environment, the viewer can experience elevated emotions through visual stimulation. In photography, Escobedo’s work is an exploration of images as tools for both messages and expression, looking into how a story is told through people, shapes, words, and environments.
Gabriel Medina I created them in response to my generation’s obsession with the iPhone. So much joy and anger can come from one small device. The top piece alludes to a digital heart break, someone longing for contact, pleading for a simple call back. The second piece show the iPhone in abstract form, different than how we see them everyday while still maintaining it’s sleek and minimal design. What art means to me: Art is taking your ideas, inspirations, and curiosity and making into something tangible to share with humans around you. It evokes emotion and is a personal experience unique to each person. It is the purest and most intimate form of humanity. chose to use the same color palette to portray a continuous theme
Jessica Tafoya-Soberanis
Xicanx. Coffee enthusiast. Future educator. Unlearning in San Francisco, but originally from Los Angeles. I wanna do super radical activist work in my community. Obviously the more brutally emotionally draining shit I go through, the more I have to write about. I’m grateful for all of it, though. My mom most definitely got me in tune with my creative side, so thanks mamma. I want to be able to teach, write, and speak in a way that my abuela understands, not coded in all the academic elitist words we’re taught in. I love writing the way I think-messy and all over the place-just like me. I cut my hair when I’m stressed, anyone else? I’m not sure if I’m doing this correctly. These things are awkward and cheesy. My abuela tells me I should write for zines all the time so, here I go.
Magdalena Becerra I’m a rad dad/space mermaid that tries to radiate good vibes despite my anxious tendencies. I write to let my feelings out and hope someone hears me from outer space and never feels alone as a result of that. I’m graduating SFSU this semester with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in sexuality studies. Wish me luck because I don’t know what I’m doing with my life!
Marilyn Roxie Bio: Marilyn Roxie is a video artist and photographer exploring androgyny, male submission, and queer subculture. They live and work in San Francisco. About the art: The photo series features Ciel, a friend of the artist, shortly after they came out as non-binary. The images explore the complexity of the coming-out process: joy and closeness, contemplation, uncertainty, distancing.
Mark Ochinero
I am a local bay area artist, that hails from San Jose, California, but I now reside in San Francisco. I currently attend San Francisco State University as a Studio Art major where I practice my wide range of artistic passions. My main creative focuses are drawing, painting, printmaking, and photography. For all my non-photographic art, my style can be describes as fun, cartoon-like, with very linear objects and vibrant colors. My subject matter in both photography and my drawings/paintings is almost entirely based on people and characters. I’ve never been one to take photos of landscapes or still-objects, but I am very inclined to take photos of humans and their interactions.
max andrew rosen I don’t know if I would call myself an artist, I just use writing as a way to vent my emotions. I’m a fourth year environmental studies student. Contrary to the stuff I write, I am mostly an upbeat person. A lot of my writing is based on past experiences. Within the last year I have found sobriety and am using that as a foundation for a happier, more fulfilling life.
Savannah jack I am a Student at San Francisco State University. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. I have used poetry as a tool of expression since I was little. I compose poetry that involves aspects of nature, humanity, and our divine connection to love. Travel and the hidden symbolism in life and nature inspires me to create from the heart. I want to continue to compose art that helps bind us together, and remember that love is the highest vibration there is. To truly use our voices and talents to create a more loving world. I am inspired by Rumi, Paulo Coelho and Eckhart Tolle.
The ASI Art Gallery Cesar Chavez Student Center 1650 Holloway Ave. San Francisco, CA 94132 Topher Maka, Director Renae Moua, Assistant Director Anh Bui, Gallery Assistant Ewart Bungo Jr., Gallery Assistant Javier Etchegaray, Gallery Assistant (415)338-2580 artgallery@asi.sfsu.edu asiartgallery.wordpress.com facebook.com/associatedstudentsartgallery