The Midway Gallery Presents LIVEWIRE on July 15th
11 Jul, 2016
On July 15th, The Midway Gallery in San Francisco, CA, will present LIVEWIRE, a group exhibition by The Midway’s Art Director, Kelsey Marie Issel and abstract artist and curator, Carly Ivan Garcia. Together they have selected internationally known artists for LIVEWIRE. Each artist is recognized for their work’s bold visual impact that expresses a sense of vitality through aggressive processes such as social intervention, and works that stir emotion. The Midway Gallery’s new programming desires to enhance public engagement through site-specific, immersive installations, all artists will be creating environments unique to their distinct styles.
[Above featured image: Shawna Peterson, Shopping, neon, Budweiser cans]
LIVEWIRE will consist of six artists whose practices capture the spirit of raw energy igniting a live wire. Each of the artists’ works are recognized for their amplified use of vivid colors, bold patterns and dynamic techniques, but at the same time aim to also stimulate their audiences through a range of senses and topics including humor, nostalgia, consumerism and pop culture. Each artist will create a site-specific installation serving as an immersive environment for his/her pieces. Featured artists are Carly Ivan Garcia, Brian Leo, D Young V, Eddie Colla, Kristin Farr, and Shawna Peterson.
Also on view at The Midway Gallery’s emerging arts space is Gods & Monster’s Gallery, which will celebrate its new exhibition This Swarthy Face curated by Travis Ridlehuber. LIVEWIRE and This Swarthy Face will be on view July 15 – August 27 with an opening reception on Friday, July 15 from 6-10pm with the artists in attendance. Guests will enjoy food and drink, as well as live music by Death Cheetah and performance art at the opening reception.
LIVEWIRE: about the artists
Carly Ivan Garcia is a self-trained “neo-modern abstract” artist whose energetic compositions are meditations on himself and the landscape that surrounds him. His striking color palette and unapologetic brushwork endow his paintings with palpable intensity. For LIVEWIRE Garcia will create large-scale paintings on The Midway Gallery’s walls that mimic his canvas work for the show. The artist has been represented in New York City by Tinca Art Inc., Art Now NY and AHA Art Gallery, and in San Francisco by Zener Schon Gallery. His work has shown internationally in both gallery exhibitions and art fair presentations, and has been acquired into both national and international private collections.
Brian Leo’s work explores the socio-political through oft satirical renderings referencing pop culture and the appropriation of logos, media clips, internet memes, and the like. Using a language of symbols and recognizable imagery, Leo’s small-scale, brightly colored paintings are displayed in clusters resembling a media-blitz. Leo’s work has received critical attention in the New York Times, the Miami New Times, the Korea Times, the Korea Daily, the Brooklyn Rail and other publications.
Shawna Peterson has been working with neon tubing since 1987, making her one of the original Bay Area neon artists. She began her neon career in the commercial scene but later gained an apprenticeship with neon-tube bender, R.J. Wells. Peterson has since been designing and creating her own unique sculptural and furniture pieces, often incorporating found material and discarded signage to create new forms. Artists and institutions she has collaborated with include Sarkis at the San Francisco Art Institute, Bill Kane, Mike Krouse, Jan Zivic, SFMOMA, and others.
D Young V’s street-art style reveals glimpses into a post-apocalyptic world where everything is reborn without knowledge of the past. This dystopian society is constantly changing and evolving as the artist himself grows with every new experience. His works have been seen in LA, Miami, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Thailand, Mexico, Guatemala City, Edinburgh and several other places. Every new travel creates added elements to his work, making the travel experience an integral part of his process.
Eddie Colla’s defiant characters can be found spray-painted in cities across the globe on streets overwhelmed by consumer signage. His art interrupts the redundancy of advertisements by offering viewers a refreshing moment to reflect on the space they inhabit. His work has also been featured in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, the Huffington Post and the Chicago Tribune.
About The Midway Gallery
Located in the DogPatch, the burgeoning arts district of San Francisco, The Midway Gallery is situated within the multidisciplinary creative complex, The Midway. Their new programming focus asks artists to activate the 3000 square foot space as an integral component to their body of work, and embrace it as a departure point to challenge their practice. The resulting environment is meant to offer viewers a rare and heightened experience of the work. www.themidwaygallery.com
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