ArtMRKT 2013 had a new location, and therefore had a new experience built into it. I have never been much of a fan of the Fort Mason buildings, since their long, linear shape gives one the feeling of having to walk for an eternity to get out of the place, particularly if walking from the back of the building. Also, having been to a number of art fairs there, the organizers never seem to change the overall arrangement of the place. With three hallways running on the long axis

Christopher Taggart, '(Real) Nude (Military Men)', 2010, (hand-cut UV laminated photographs on wood, 124 x 60 inches); (Image courtesy of Eli Ridgway Gallery) Our society has become focused on and obsessed with the little things in life that seemingly would not matter much in the grand scheme. It is not the individual little things that matter, however; it is the aggregation of them into composite images that so captivates us. In fact, we are so obsessed with ‘big data’ and ‘

ArtMRKT San Francisco really stepped up its game this year and put on a spectacular showing for the art consuming public. Represented were both well established dealers and also those galleries who are just emerging or are beginning to establish themselves. There was also a special section for Stephen De Staebler, whose works is always a must see. The following is part two of my journey through the fair. Robert Arneson at Brian Gross Fine Art, ArtMRKT San Francisco 2012 (Imag

It is Art Fair week in San Francisco again and everyone is anticipating a great showing this year. Like last year there will be three venues – artMRKT, ArtPadSF, and the San Francisco Fine Art Fair– with different moods and aesthetics for each. I am looking forward to going to the Concourse Center to see artMRKT and the Phoenix Hotel for ArtPadSF, where the work, to my mind, is more visually interesting and has an edge to it. The San Francisco Fine Art Fair at Fort Mason, if

Paul Schiek, 'Hepburn,' 2011, chromogenic print, edition of 7 (16 x 12 inches) (Image courtesy of the Stephen Wirtz Gallery) Photography was forever changed with the introduction of cheap digital technologies that have allowed for the mass proliferation of imagery to a level never seen before. In response, various artists have either embraced or rejected these technologies in various degrees. Three current exhibitions of photography embody the various responses by artists to

Works by artist Aubrey Learner from her show 'Circadian' at Eli Ridgway Gallery (Image courtesy of Eli Ridgway Gallery) Entering into the Eli Ridgway Gallery to see the show by Aubrey Learner, ‘Circadian,’ I was struck, from a distance, by the eerie and slightly disgusted feeling of seeing a display of taxidermied insects, like one would expect to see in a entomologist’s office. Walking up to see the works closer, I was relieved of the feeling of seeing actual insects and sim

This month the San Francisco art galleries are putting on powerful shows of a diverse range of artists. The following shows are not to be missed: Image courtesy of Brian Gross Fine Art Josephine Taylor at Catharine Clark Gallery. Ms. Taylor has produced another show of stunning and haunting works in colored pencil and ink. The works include her signature large scale drawings of complex figural arrangements, smaller scale portraits of figures, and the introduction of small col

Travis Collinson's painting 'Upsidedown, 2007 - 2010.' (Image courtesy of Eli Ridgway Gallery) In the recent exhibition 'Travis Collinson: Paintings and Drawings,' at Eli Ridgway Gallery, artist Travis Collinson investigated the sense of place humanity has within its surroundings, as well as one’s perception of it, through a series of paintings and drawings shown for the first time in San Francisco. Collinson’s compositions, which are created by the artist from combining phot