Art

One of my new years resolutions was to see more contemporary art this year. To make good on that, I joined the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. I went there on my birthday a few weeks ago, and saw the "Audience as Subject" exhibit, which was ok, and several video installations by Yoshua Okon. I also went to the SF MOMA to see the exhibit on wine. It was interesting (and a label my wife worked on was featured), but I couldn't help but feel that it pandered to the audience in some way. Maybe its the baggage I have from having two alcoholic parents who drank a lot of wine - I associate wine connoisseurship with an excuse for alcoholism. I also felt that the Exposed voyeur photography exhibition pandered to the audience as well - see photos of nekkid and ded people!! There were some interesting pieces, however, especially the random shots of strangers and the footage taken from security cameras. We also stopped by the Cartier-Bresson exhibit, which was packed.

As part of my resolution, I also started reading (or browsing, really) a few art blogs:
White Walls SF, which is about SF street art, ArtNowSF, and Meighan O'Toole's art blog, My Love For You.

I should also mention the Compound in Oakland, where my friend Ryan works, and the Verge Gallery in Sacto, which my friend Liv runs. Both are spaces for local artists that, in my mind, incorporate the best elements of DIY culture (as well as housing some great artists).

What interests me about art is that I don't know anything about it. It's a whole new territory to explore and learn about. Also, as much as I love music, I'm getting burnt on it as a cultural expression. Maybe I listen to too much of it, maybe there is too much of it around, maybe I'm too old to really be involved in the scene. I've been a music fanatic for thirty years. I think its time I explore other art forms as well. Plus, gallery openings tend to happen a lot earlier than concerts. We'll see where I'm at six months from now, once school and work begin kicking my ass in earnest.