INTRO DUCT IONS 2015
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INTRODUCTIONS 2015 JULY 11-27, 2015
Photo credit: Kija Lucas
Introductions has been a core part of Root Division’s annual exhibitions programming for nine years. Conceived as an opportunity to bridge a gap left when the San Francisco Arts Dealer Association (SFADA) discontinued their thirty-year summer programming of the same name, Introductions has become a mainstay of our roster. This show highlights talent in the Bay Area and creates connections for artists with commercial galleries and beyond. Root Division acts as a nexus for the production and presentation of visual art. Our goal is to serve as a connector between artists, the larger art community, and the general public. We offer an entry point for artists as they develop and hone their professional practice. Especially as the arts community faces an exodus of artists moving outside San Francisco and to other cities in search of a more sustainable life, Root Division is strengthening its position as an anchor for artists to remain in the Bay Area. With the opening of our new 13,000 square foot facility in September 2015, Root Division has risen to the challenge to be a beacon for the visual arts in San Francisco. Introductions begins each year as an open call to any Bay Area artist whose work is not currently represented by a local gallery. Reviewed by a committee of three arts professionals representing a diversity of commercial, non-profit, and educational venues, the exposure for any submitting artist is invaluable. Each year we are encouraged and impressed by the quality of submissions, and we are surprised by the number of outstanding artists still operating under the radar of commercial representation. In addition, as we see the model of the traditional gallery evolving under the stress of shifting economies, our intent is to capture both the aesthetic and conceptual magic that comes from experiencing a new artwork in person. This year thirteen artists were selected through intensive review by Catharine Clark (Owner/ Director, Catharine Clark Gallery), Aimee LeDuc (Executive Director, Berkeley Art Center), and Steven Wolf (Owner/ Director, Steven Wolf Fine Arts). In these pages, you will find an essay by Amy Cancelmo (Root Division’s Art Programs Director) contextualizing the work of each artist and bringing the works into conversation with one another as well as within a larger discourse of art practice. Root Division is happy to provide an opportunity for these thirteen artists to add to the conversation of contemporary Bay Area art, especially in assertion that the San Francisco art community has a unique voice. We are proud to debut this group of artists and to support their continued artistic and professional development. Michelle Mansour
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Executive Director
Table of Contents Alexandra Bailliere — 4
Adam Thorman — 11
Michael Bartalos — 5
Merav Tzur — 12
Matthew Goldberg — 6
Anja Ulfeldt — 13
Jon Gourley — 7
Matthew Usinowicz — 14
Malena Lopez-Maggi — 8
Katherine Vetne — 15
Heather Murphy — 9
Tali Weinberg — 16
Courtney Sennish — 10
Essay: Juxtapositions, Amy Cancelmo, Art Programs Director — 17-20
Photo credit: Kija Lucas
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Alexandra Bailliere alexandrabailliere.com
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Head 2015 4 x 23 x 17 in. Cast Hydrocal
Wall Skins (newer) 2015 Variable Poured Latex
Mission: East 2015 60 x 76 x 12 in. 7:24 Video and fabric
Michael Bartalos bartalos.com
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Matthew Goldberg mathyougoldberg.com
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Lobnut 2015 36 x 40 x 40 in. Ceramic, pastry boxes
Slice 2015 32 x 50 x 24 in. Ceramic, rubber, marble, blueberries
Untitled 2013 30 x 23.5 in. Screen print on Sekishu
Untitled 2015 30 x 23.5 in. Screen print on Sekishu
Untitled 2012 30 x 23.5 in. Screen print on Sekishu
Jon Gourley loungerjoy.com
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Photo credit: Kija Lucas
Malena Lopez-Maggi MalenaLopezMaggi.com
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Geodes 2014-2015 5 x 5 x 5 in. Polymer clay, aluminum foil, cardboard, Plexiglas, wood
Oasis 2015 5 x 72 x 48 in. Plexiglas, wood, foam, foil, sugar, salt, glitter, light
Trending Weekly (June 1-7th, 2015) 2015 10 minutes Video
Trending Weekly (June 8-15th, 2015) 2015 10 minutes Video
Heather Murphy heathermurphyart.com
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Photo credit: Kija Lucas
Courtney Sennish courtneysennish.com
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Untitled 2015 12 x 24 x 10 in. Mixed media
That Feeling of Being Backed into a Corner 2015 12 x 24 x 10 in. Mixed media
Nonlinear Motivations 2015 48 x 36 x 15 in. Mixed media
$15,000 Shadow 2015 84 x 40 x 12 in. Mixed media
Photo credit: Kija Lucas
Sunmoon 1 2014 43 x 53.5 in. Archival pigment print
Sunmoon 2 2014 43 x 53.5 in. Archival pigment print
A Proposition Of Likeness 7 2015 43 x 34.5 in. Archival pigment print
Adam Thorman adamthorman.com
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Photo credit: Kija Lucas
Merav Tzur meravtzur.com
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Merav Tzur, JoyAbound 2015 Mixed media installation with photography by Doug Becker
Photo credit: Kija Lucas
Time Machines 1-4 2015
Chair for Provocation 2015
24 x 24 x 12 in. each Donated posessions, wood, acrylic and custom electronics
1:18 Video Loop 2013
Anja Ulfeldt anjaulfeldt.com
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Matthew Usinowicz
Labor 2015 72 x 60 x 2.5 in. Oil, acrylic, enamel, wax pencil on stretched canvas
matthewusinowicz.com
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Trade Tool 2015 72 x 9.5 x 5 in. Mahogany, steel
Photo credit: Kija Lucas
American Brilliant 2015 20 x 28 in. Silverpoint and goldpoint on chalk gesso panel
Inheritance VI 2015 12 x 65 ½ in. Lead crystal kitchenware, melted and mirrored (silver nitrate)
Katherine Vetne katherinevetne.com
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Photo credit: Kija Lucas
Tali Weinberg taliweinberg.com
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Drought Portrait 1 (1982-2014) 2015 33.5 x 32 in. Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) by year for California; hand-woven California-grown organic cotton
Drought Portrait 2 (1982-2014) 2015 32 x 32 in. Average temperature and total precipitation by year for California; hand-woven California-grown organic cotton
Drought Portrait 3 (1982-2014) 2015 32 x 32 in. Warmest temperature by year for California; hand woven Californiagrown organic cotton
Drought Portrait 4 (1982-2014) 2015 32 x 32 in. Coolest temperature by year for California; handwoven California-grown organic cotton
Juxtapositions This year’s “Introductions,” jurors were tasked with reviewing over
and challenge the line between high and low brow, commercial and fine art
two hundred artist submissions. Each artist that responded to the
categories.
open call was invited to submit four images, and a brief statement
Heather Murphy’s videos, “Trending Weekly,” for example, overlay
for consideration. Selecting work from these mere glimpses into
and intertwine audio, visual and textual clips from viral web content to
artists’ practices is no small feat. The jurors, Catharine Clark, Aimee
produce complex and multi-faceted narratives. Part of a larger project
Le Duc, and Steven Wolf, brought their experience in commercial
marking the passage of time as seen through weekly viral trending, the
gallery, non profit, and consulting practices to the table, in a review
videos presented in this exhibition feature footage of the Rachel Dolezal
session that was as funny and witty, as it was serious, considered,
scandal, police brutality at a Texas pool party, new media contemporary
and reflective of their refined sensibilities. When I look at the
footage shot at the recent Venice Biennale, a motivational speech by Shia
thirteen artists selected for “Introductions 2015,” I can’t help but
Labeouf, and the artists thoughts about the Stanford prison experiment.
notice how the artists’ works reflect the professionalism, intellectual
Highlighting the compressed digital experience of multiple realities,
curiosity, and sense of humor of the jurors themselves.
brutalities, and pop culture all viewed from the safety of a screen, the artist’s image remains constant in the upper left corner--a constant reminder
As diverse as the practices of each of these artists are, several
of the consumption (literally snacking while watching) of the multi layered
themes begin to emerge from the grouping. Many of the artists
content. In montaging the footage and mis-matching the audio, layered
utilize wit and surprising juxtapositions to present intelligent
and often humorous narratives are created, complicating meaning, and in
institutional critique with a light touch. Others reflect on the
part implicating the viewer’s passivity in absorbing all content equally.
passage of time and shifts in perception through interesting juxtapositions of familiar imagery. All of the works selected for this
In “JoyAbound,” artist Merav Tzur challenges the passive consumption
exhibition are thoughtful, intelligent, and crafted with a high level
of images of women, highlighting the “trending” representation of what a
of dexterity and consideration of material. Many of the works offer
happy woman should look like. A simple Google image search for “happy
a self conscious reflection upon their own status as an art-object,
woman,” reveals countless photos of women, dressed in white, in fields,
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among daisies, playfully jumping, with butterflies, dancing in the wind,
Malena Lopez-Maggi also utilizes reflection in her installation,
or gazing wistfully in the distance—all complete with soft focus or sun
“Oasis,” a floor based infinity mirror in the shape of a puddle is
filter digital effects. Working in collaboration with photographer Doug
surrounded by a shimmering salt, sugar and glitter. The glowing
Becker, the artist has recreated these situations, placing herself as the
lights reflected in the pool suggest great depths., or the reflection
subject in each scenario, and exaggerating the recurring symbolism used
of the vast celestial unknown. “Oasis,” presents both positive and
in commercial imagery with the use of props, and over embellishment
negative space, a void that reads as a portal to an otherworldly space,
of the stylistic elements in Photoshop. Tzur’s project reflects the
a hint at the possibility of falling into a wormhole, or time travel.
constructed tropes and exaggerates them in playful reenactments.
Lopez-Maggi’s “Geodes,” similarly collapse the future and the past,
For Introductions, the artist presents a mock-tradeshow booth featuring
referencing the centuries of layered geological formations, made by
the photographs printed in large scale, staged with pamphlets, pens,
the chance encounters of air bubbles, minerals, water, heat and time.
buttons and including a performative element of sales representatives
Lopez-Maggi’s constructions are made of synthetic materials, including
for the “program” at the opening reception. Blurring the line between
Polymer clay, aluminum foil, cardboard, foam, and Plexi-glas modeling
fiction and reality, “JoyAbound,” has expanded back into the internet
an enticing constructed history that gestures towards both a utopian
as well, with a dedicated Instagram account featuring testimonials and
and dystopian future.
photos of women who have successfully completed the faux-program. Rooted in natural photography Adam Thorman’s work presents a Though far from a digital expression, Katherine Vetne’s interest in
related perceptual shift creating alien spaces, and alternative universes
Waterford Crystal as subject matter and material began as an internet
from familiar natural elements. In positioning circular areas of inversion
search of her own name in online bridal registries. Upon finding a
in his black and white photography the familiar is made strange
match, the artist was shocked to see that the other Katherine Vetne
and the landscape imbued with a haunting ethereal quality. While
had registered for a $155 Waterford butter dish. The artist became
the imagery is based entirely within the natural world, the resulting
fascinated with Waterford crystal as a symbol of opulence and a vehicle
shift in perception creates an otherworldly experience. The artist
for cultural criticism of class, consumerism, and socially constructed
describes the circular element as “sun as moon, moon as sun,” and
expectations of femininity. Working from precariously abundant still life
when situated unexpectedly within the landscape, the artist collapses
maquettes of the fragile crystal stemware and serving dishes, Vetne
the celestial and terrestrial. For “Introductions,” the “Sunmoons,”
incorporates both Waterford and the cheaper “knock off” versions of
are presented in triptych with, “A Proposition of Likeness 7,” a richly
the same distinctive style in her exquisite silverpoint drawings. Vetne’s
saturated photo in which the disorienting perspective makes, the
interest in deconstructing object and it’s metaphorical meaning, is further
familiar patterning effects of water on sand appear alien, heightening
developed in sculptural objects created by melting the actual glassware
the tension between the real and imagined landscape.
down in a kiln, and coating the glass with silver nitrate--the material used to fabricate mirrors. The reflective melted surfaces bear faint historical marks of the shapes and patterns of the original crystal and are layered further in suggestion of vanity, by reflecting the viewer’s own image in the form.
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Thorman’s celestial imagery is juxtaposed in an interesting interplay
Matthew Usinowicz’s
in the gallery with Courtney Sennish’s concrete sculptural objects.
employment of a three
Although deeply referential to the urban landscape, Sennish’s
dimensional readymade
work offers like-minded shifts in perception and possibility through
object in juxtaposition
weightless and playful juxtapositions of recognizable industrial
with a large-scale abstract
materials. Colliding self-consciously with the interior architecture
painting navigates the
of the gallery, Sennish’s work highlights the mundane and offers
nuanced relationship
seemingly impossible constructions that defy gravitational and
between the world of
locational expectation. In “$15,000 Shadow,” the artist considers
fine art and labor. A
the interaction between nature and the city, referencing the palm
mop leans precariously
tree as a non-native status symbol within the California landscape. In
against a brightly colored
a gritty, three dimensional tactile painting referencing the sidewalk
geometric canvas, its
itself, Sennish’s title further implicates the artwork as a commodity,
head stained pink in
heightening the tension between the subject and the object in the
perfect compliment
context of a gallery.
to the painting, and
The surprising juxtapositions of Matthew Goldberg’s sculptures
suggestive of its utility to
share an affinity in their self-conscious presentation within the
the artist, or to janitorial
gallery. In anthropomorphized forms that slip in and out of the comfortable space of recognition, the artist shifts perceptions of
Matthew Usinowicz
staff. The artist calls into question the distinction
recognizable imagery and objects by creating surprising forms
between art making and labor in the addition of the mop, and successfully
that seem to evolve at differing angles. In this space of ambiguity,
removes focus from the painted imagery, self consciously reflecting on the
the objects evade clear definition, and yet offer an element of
the dissonance in valuation of vocation. Further challenging this distinction,
self-reflection and critique of high and low-brow art; commodity
in his sculptural work, “Trade Tool,” the artist has fabricated the familiar
and sculpture. Important to the structure of each composition
shape of a painter’s palette knife in a much larger than life scale. Expertly
is the interaction between handmade materials and readymade,
produced from mahogany and steel, the craftsmanship associated with
ceramic with marble, rubber and wood, even fresh blueberries, in
painting, woodworking and metalsmithing are brought into constellation
an interplay of tactility that adds layers of interpretations to these
with one another, to produce a tool that is far too cumbersome to wield.
elusive “creatures.” Goldberg’s integrated pedestal elements, imbue the objects with the esteemed reverence of classical
More weightless in presentation, but similarly nuanced in their self-
sculpture, and seem to challenge historical and contemporary
reflective critique, are Jon Gourley’s text based works. Screen-printed in
valuation of three dimensional art objects.
Helvetica on lightweight Sekishu paper and hanging vulnerably unframed by two magnets in the gallery, the works are self deprecatingly modest in presentation. Gourley’s prints challenge their own very nature, and offer inadequacy as subject. Each work is a stand-in for an authentic experience
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or successful attempt at the communication of ideas. The one non-
and hung in a row higher than eye level, these rock tumbler-esque,
character based text in this presentation, “Untitled, 2013,” features
sculptures function almost as clocks, suggesting the passage of time
a flat print of a braille text, which would translate to “You Feel Me?”
and accelerating the wear and tear of the objects they contain.
The print fails the blind and seeing alike, allowing no point of access for communication of meaning. Gourley’s work by nature exposes its
Alexandra Bailliere’s sculptural works also investigate the passage
own inadequacy. Humor is prevalent in the prints; each punch line is
of time through the worn mark of human presence and discarded
delivered in the presentation of its own awkward failure.
refuse suggestive of past actions. In a site-specific installation, “Measurement,” receipt paper pours out a corner into a massive pile
The humor that results from recognizable awkwardness is present as
juxtaposed between the gallery and the commerce of San Francisco’s
well in Anja Ulfeldt’s, “Chair for Provocation.” In this video, the artist
Market Street. This unraveling of record is presented alongside the
interacts with a found office chair, turned performable sculptural object
refuse of another gesture of deconstruction. Bailliere’s, “Paint Skins,”
with the addition of microphones. With every slight movement, or shift
sit low to the ground on a pedestal creating a tension between the
in the artist’s seated position, the amplified creaks that the aged chair
celebrated object and forgotten detritus. The layers of latex house
produce are suggestive of awkward public embarrassment caused by the screeching auditory irritation. The artist’s playful interactions further explore the passage of time through the aging of objects, and fleeting relationships we have with the things that surround and define us in, “Time
Alexandra Bailliere
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Tali Weinberg
Machines.” The artist
paint suggest a deconstruction of the home, or
has created cylindrical
a record of artistic action. In “Head,” the artist presents a cast pillow,
kinetic reliquaries of
its concave shape worn down from repeated use. Its presentation on
discarded objects
a custom pedestal allows the inanimate object to serve as an inverted
donated by the
portrait bust, presenting only the memory of the head that created its
public, turning
shape. Frozen in time, the pillow’s imprint is embedded with a sense
counter clockwise
of presence and absence.
at varying speeds
Tali Weinberg’s works draws upon the presence and absence of water in historical and personal representation of the passage of time. In
visually striking patterned weavings, Weinberg’s, “Drought Portraits,”
moving and changing screens and scrims on the window occasional
represent the artist’s interpretation of historical data of the National
access is offered to see outside, and for the outside to see in. The video
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Climatic Data
presentation for “Introductions” is projected onto layers of translucent
Center within her own lifetime. The artist’s systems of calculations
fabric suggestive of the curtains the artist used to create the work, and
and coding have resulted in a lexicon of patterns representative
offering a layered vision of the light interplay. This video is part of an
of California’s annual temperature, precipitation, and the Palmer
ongoing series of time-lapse videos shot internationally in specific locations
Drought Severity Index from 1982 to 2014. The sources California-
offering interesting perspectives on the shifting of directional light.
grown organic cotton, dyed with a variety of plant dyes and mineral mordants to weave formally minimal geometric patterns in a naturally
Bartalos elected to exhibit “Mission: East,” from his series of videos for
based palette. These weavings literally thread the connection
its locational proximity to Root Division’s former gallery space, and its
between personal histories and the natural landscape, inextricably
dialogue with the shifts in San Francisco’s Mission District. These very shifts
linking natural historical data, within the timeframe of the artist’s own
were the impetus for Root Division’s move and subsequent organizational
lifespan and lived experience.
growth. It seems fitting that “Introductions 2015,” is presented on the
Michael Bartalos tracks time not in years, but in the passage of a
verge of pivotal shift in Root Division’s own trajectory. This exhibition is
day in his video installation, “Mission: East.” The evolution of light
the last that the organization will be presenting in our interim location on
is presented as photographed from the interior of a storefront on
Market Street, a beautiful ending to a transitional era, and the beginning
Valencia Street in San Francisco’s Mission District. Bartalos’ time-
of a new chapter in the organizations history in our new, long term home at
lapse sequence explores the changing light over the course of a day
1131 Mission Street.
through shifting fabrics and screens that the artist manipulates. The meditative migration of the light, suggests the evolution of the world
The themes that have risen to the surface of this group exhibition seem apt
outside, as viewed from a controlled interior space. Representative
for the organization as well. During this time of transition we too have had
of a single day, the artist shoots hundreds of images over the
to consider the passage of time, utilize innovative strategies for conveying
course of weeks to get a range of manipulated moments. Through
our ideas, challenge our own infrastructure, and maintain enough of a sense of humor to get through the challenges. As we move into the next phase of the organizations history, we hope that the artists featured in this show feel a similar rise in momentum in their careers, fostered in part from the exposure gained by opportunities such as this -Amy Cancelmo, Art Programs Director, Root Division
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Photo credit: Kija Lucas
Jurors
About Root Division
CATHARINE CLARK – Owner, Catharine Clark Gallery
Root Division is a visual arts non-profit that connects creativity and community
AIMEE LE DUC – Executive Director, Berkeley Art Center STEVEN WOLF – Owner, Steven Wolf Fine Arts
through a dynamic ecosystem of arts education, exhibitions, and studios. Our mission is to empower artists, foster community service, inspire youth, and enrich the Bay Area through engagement in the visual arts.Root Division is a launching pad for artists, a stepping stone for educators, a door to creativity for
Staff
youth, and a bridge for the public o become involved in the arts.
MICHELLE MANSOUR – Executive Director
Root Division is supported in part by grants from The National Endowment
AMY CANCELMO – Art Programs Director
for the Arts, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Grants for the
LETICIA SALINAS – Education Programs Director
Arts: San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund, San Francisco Arts Commission / Com-
BROOKE WESTFALL – Communications &
munity Investments, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Fleishhacker Foundation,
Walter & Elise Haas Fund, Drusie Davis Family Fund, Adobe Foundation,
Development Manager
Zellerbach Family Foundation, A Better Place Foundation, Crescent Porter
BLAKE GIBSON –Installation & Facilities Manager SUSANA CORTEZ – Outreach & Programs Assistant
Hale Foundation, and Art4Moore.
Catalogue Production IRENE CARVAJAL – Artist/Designer (www.carvajal-art.com) KIJA LUCAS – Exhibition Photographer (kijalucas.com)
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www.rootdivision.org
415.863.7668