This new series of works features Dave’s unique blend of pop culture mashing, and his never-ending ability to create paintings that are sure to make you smile, laugh, and be come jealous that you didn’t think of it first. The shows features a good amount of Big Lebowski inspired paintings, some music references, and Dave even revisits a painting, Freaky Friday, from the first show I ever curated with his new Deebo of the Dead. Take a look at the preview images, and then over to the website to see more.

Dave MacDowell @ G9188

So to celebrate this prolific and inspirational author and artist, we have some links to some amazing interviews and art. Back in 2009 Gallery Nucleus hosted Terrible Yellow Eyes (here), a group show with work inspired by Where the Wild Things Are. Huffington Post has a great interview from 2004 with Bill Moyers (here) , in which Sendak talks about childhood memories and the inspiration behind his work. Finally for some laughs, if you haven’t seen it already, Stephen Colbert interviews Mr. Sendak (here) in preparation for his own children’s book. This is a must see, and shows how much of a character he was. Take a look at some illustrations below, such as a a drawing Sendak made in 1967 for Tolkein’s The Hobbit (shown first).

Finally, RIP Mr Sendak, and from artists, authors, grown-ups, children, and monsters everywhere “Please don’t go. We’ll eat you up. We love you so!”

According to Spoor, Suggestivism “does not center around claiming a title for giving any movement a name, but for introducing a common creative thread amongst several disparate and unique voices within the modern art world.” Richard Chang once stated that Suggestivism has its roots in 19th century artist such as James McNeill Whistler, Georges Seurat and Arthur B. Davies. The show will run until June 30th, so if your in the area, make sure to stop by.

Bold Hype Gallery

Get It Here: Pressure Printing Shop

The entire floor of the White Walls gallery was occipied by a painting by Michael Page. In the front of the gallery, large paintings 72″ x 72″ and exploded with shape and color. The back of the gallery had the smaller works. No matter the size, each on of the paintings in this show were dripping with color, energetic shapes and forms, and helped weave a new world around the viewer. The one thing I was surprised to see, was the amount of gloss on each of the paintings. While it made photographing them a challenge, the depth of these paintings and the textures was break-taking. One such painting Spirit Flow (seen below), looked as though it had gold powder embedded in the gloss.

Each one of the paintings begged the viewer to get lost in them. To stand there at a distance and soak in the colors, the textures, and figures. You then move in slowly and now a whole new world of details opened up. Flecks of color, tiny strokes of paint, and subtle details in the eyes of the faces. It was to hard to decide which painting stole the show for me, as they all seemed so cohesive, and connected. I did find myself coming back to a few paintings multiple times as I made my away around. The title piece Élan Vital, had these perfect classical styled figures in them, something I am always a sucker for. However Two Makes One (seen first above), had this energy radiating from it. The colors Page used in this piece are so intense. I was a big fan of the last elephant inspired painting (here) he did for his last show as well. That solo show at Shooting Gallery have a taste of the scale and content that was to come, and this new show delivered. If your in the area, you need to see this show in person. It closes May 5th at White Walls in SF

Get em here: Phone Booth Gallery Prints

The larger paintings in the gallery were oils on canvas, that was then attached to wood panel. Sergio stated that he enjoys the texture of canvas, but prefers the sturdiness that panel offers. A series of photos were first taken with the model, I’m told somewhere in the North Bay, and then each image was then transferred to the canvas and then painted. One of the things that really struck me, was not only were these painting vibrant in color, but the way that he handles paint is just as exciting. As the layers are built up you can the paint get thicker, and in certain highlighted areas the brush-marks were somewhat impasto. These beautiful little details are always lost in photos. We talked a bit about acrylics, which he has used, but prefers oils. There is just something about the way oils look, and when the subject matter is figurative, I think oils can add a little extra to the entire experience of viewing.

Sacred Spring is Sergio’s second solo exhibition at Modern Eden, and I am already looking forward to his next one. The idea that more classical styles of figurative art is growing, is very exciting indeed. I love pop/dark/and surreal art, but it is figurative art that really drew me into art during the beginning of my studies. It was a mixture of not only the skill level that classical artists achieved in order to render the human form, but the instant connection I feel we have when we view a painted figure. The topic of nudity in art I see also springs up a lot in conversations, and it reminds me of a book by Kenneth Clark entitled The Nude: A Study in Ideal Form, in which Clark makes the distinction between “naked” and “nude”. This is something I think many viewers overlook, the idea that “naked” implies be removed of clothing, vulnerable, and even embarrassed whereas being “nude” creates an image in the viewers mind “not of a huddled and defenseless body, but of a balanced, prosperous, and confident body: the body re-formed.”

If you haven’t seen this show in person, it will be on view until May 4th, otherwise the full show is now posted on the galleries snazzy new website. Sacred Spring @ Modern Eden