Event

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Eleanor Harwood Gallery

September 27 - November 1, 2008

Info

http://www.eleanorharwood.com/
(415) 867-7770

1295 Alabama Street San Francisco, CA 94110

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Paul Wackers, Hallucinatorium

The Secret Life of Plants is a group show. Paintings by Johanna St. Clair and Paul Wackers as well as photos by Sean McFarland and a garden installation in the front of the gallery by Dan Carlson comprise the show. Dan Carlson also curated the show. Sean McFarland Sean McFarland's images in this show are nearly invisible photos where areas of light and contrast subtly guide the eye throughout the image. One example is image #4 (untitled). There is an image of a footpath or clearing that is dappled with light in the foreground but as the image recedes from view so does the light. McFarland has manipulated these photos to pull out uncanny areas and tease out mysterious elements, leaving us with a feeling of disquiet despite the initial calm presented. Images in the show are all photos of managed public areas and parks: nature that "takes the wild out of wilderness". McFarland received an MFA from CCA and has had much success with his photography. Johanna St. Clair Johanna eeks out the details amongst a confusion of branches, leaves and blooms in her oil paintings. She delivers us to her exquisite hand via her paintings that shun any era, and trend and leave us with timeless beauty. Interestingly she has shifted her imagery in this show to all paintings of a scene of a landscape whereas in previous shows she has painted a near cellular description of plants. She has also juxtaposed slices of scenes in a chevron-like pattern creating disorienting and lush images. Paul Wackers One of the gallery favorites: Tournesol Painting Award Winner Paul Wackers, who is currently in residency at the Headland's Center for the Arts is also in the show. Paul's most interesting work in the show is perhaps his framed diptych entitled Hallucinatorium. This is Paul's first work on paper that we have exhibited and it's interesting to see the loose, yet controlled quality of work on the new medium. In his work you will see familiar tropes utilized in previous paintings: the use of the diptych, the combination of taught and loose mark making techniques, as well as the inclusion of a vague and undefined architectural element. However there are some areas of unusual commitment necessitated by the use of paper such as the gentle, almost translucent sky. To paint over and over it would have robbed the sky of it's delicate gold and blue gleam, something that I am delighted to see. Wackers recieved his MFA from SFAI.

Sean McFarland, (untitled)

Johanna St. Clair