feather2pixels

In 2009 when I was furiously producing a screenprint on wood for every intersection of Twenty-Fourth Street in the Mission District, I had the foresight to print a few copies on paper.  Here in 2012 I wish my 2009 self had even more foresight because a few copies is not enough.  This delayed regret comes to the fore only now because I just saw a professionally-framed version of Mission Street and it looks fantastic.   Ever the wise art collector, Z-Mom purchased this diptych at my Fall Open Studios with top secret plans to spend three times the amount on a frame job and hang the result on a very prime bit of dining room wall.  Last night in Santa Cruz I saw it for the first time at its new home and I immediately wished I made more.  I don’t really like frames, but this could change my thinking.  At least for multi-panel prints on paper.  It looks great.  It looks better matted and framed than it does unframed.  So thank you, Ziggy.

These are photos of my exhibition of Twenty-Fourth Street Cityscapes on Wood in the office of San Francisco (District 9) Supervisor David Campos at City Hall.  If one is on the premises, getting married or applying for bankruptcy, one could mosey upstairs and check it out.  Every intersection of Twenty-Fourth Street in the Mission is represented except Shotwell and Osage.  They are in an undisclosed location.  A third rate video of this installation is here.

Valencia to Vermont, my installation of 24th Street screenprints on wood, is now hanging in the office of Supervisor David Campos in City Hall.

It is an honor to see my work on the same hallowed walls that enclosed the likes of Harvey Milk, Dianne Feinstein and George Moscone, preventing them from falling out of the building and helping them determine where rooms ended.  This is all the more exciting for me because Mr. Campos does admirable work representing the Mission and Bernal Heights on the progressive wing of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors –these cityscapes document our mutual district by intersection.   What a cool opportunity!

Thanks to Sheila and David for making this possible.  Thanks to EB for helping with a tricky install and the camera work.

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Look, an article about the Local Mission Eatery design.  My esteemed colleagues, architects  Seth and Kelli do a good job of articulating their concept in this piece.

Yo! Local Mission Eatery just won California Home & Design reader’s choice award for best designed restaurant in San Francisco!

I would like to think that my 30-foot long installation of geographically ordered screenprints on wood tiles that visually map the Mission District by intersection had something noteworthy to contribute to the execution of this concept, but alas there is no love for (nor even mention of!)  Valencia to Vermont to be found anywhere on the website’s otherwise triumphant press release.

Eh, that’s okay. It’s my friends friends Kelli Franz and Seth Pare-Mayer (architects),  Sterling Tougas (contractor), Yaron Milgrom and Jake Des Voignes (co-owners) who deserve the kudos for a thoughtfully realized project.   I was just happy to be along for the ride.

Check it out here.

Bless me internet, for I have a confession to make.  I am not proud of my actions but I know that you will forgive me.  What have I done you ask, oh all knowing and sensible protocol of digital information transfer?   Well, I’m just going to write it quickly without thinking.  So here goes.   Judge me sympathetically.

Earlier this year, I sat in front of a computer for fifty hours and taught myself CSS and HTML.

There.

Yes there were many other things of much greater importance that needed to get done than sitting in front of a computer for fifty hours and learning CSS and HTML.  And yes almost every other part my life including my art already involves sitting in front of a computer to a near depressing degree that hardly justifies the addition of leisure time.  But as the code of this sub-par website became more obsolete by the minute, my ego just couldn’t handle the unfaced challenge of acquiring the knowledge needed to thrust it from 1998 standards.  I knew nothing and, with the deed now done and in the words of Ben, I now know next to nothing.

Ostensibly, the purpose of this fools errand was to get a fresh internet start with documentation of my latest series, Valencia to Vermont.   And I guess the point of this post is to announce that the series is officially online, programmed kind of the right way, and ready for your onslaught of clicks.  Just remember, even the stuff that looks the same was made from scratch, it took me a long long time, and I am a stubborn asshole who would rather pretend he can learn anything than pay someone competent to do anything right.

Prepare to be underwhelmed.  I give you:    (The website)

Valencia to Vermont is a top pick this week at funcheapSF.com! Fears of a third grade birthday repeat (total attendance: 0)  are being allayed.  In fact I think that for the last two weeks I have been secretly hoping that loads of people come to my possibly fun and definitely cheap opening.  Enough so, that I printed real flyers, decided to set up a little printing station and plan to give out genuine newsprint proofs from the production.   If ink blotches on post consumer waste aren’t enough to bring in the masses, I don’t know what is.

Next event: Wednesday.  Come check out this pain in the ass of an installation and see what all the non-fuss is about.  As for the lack of posts last month, well, I have been busy  moving and procrastinating at my day job.  However next week school is out and I start anew.  Get ready, internet. 

Earlier this week, the 24th Street Project was finally ready to be installed at the new Local Mission Eatery. So I bought a 6 pack, rallied some friends, and we spent six hours fastening a grid of 350 wood tiles to six enormous slabs of MDX.  Three days later the industrial grade glue still hasn’t come of our hands, but I have a warm feeling from knowing how dedicated my friends are in my time of need.

Thanks to:

• Jim
• Erin
• To-Shi-O
• Cat
• Yaron (owner of Local Mission Eatery)
• Laser

And now you shall witness the proceedings on this third rate video I made.  (Pay attention to the second part of the time lapse and you can see the inimitable Phil–proprietor of the legendary Philz coffee shop two doors down–look on with questionable approval)

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The final tile of the 24th Street Project.   (The “info, maps and more” are on their way, in anticipation of tripling my monthly hit count from ten to thirty. )

So the art opening for the 24th Street project isn’t on March 5th anymore.  Actually, I think the art opening for the 24th Street project isn’t happening anymore.  Luckily, aside from feather2pixel’s five loyal readers who were expecting free booze and sandwiches, I anticipate next to nobody will care.  I’ll just have to get the next round for you guys.  If it was my space and I had my way, then there would be an art opening for the 24th Street project.  Every day.  But it is not and that is okay.

Regardless, beginning next week, the art will be open to the public until the end of time.  Or at least for as long as combination locally sourced gourmet sandwich shops/patisseries remain financially solvent in the Mission District.  And hopefully that is a long long time.

In the meantime, you have to check out my Twitter debut!   From the Local Mission Eatery account, this is me in the space, rounding corners of the 360 blank art wall tiles.  I have finally become the modern man I knew I could be.

Here is the promo postcard to the restaurant art opening!  It is more of a bookmark, I guess.  Worth the half a day it took me to design? Probably not.  Worth the $30 cost to print 500 at nextdayfliers.com?  I would have to answer in the affirmative.  That place rules.

The 24th Street Project has an opening date at Local Mission Eatery!  On March 5, 2010 from 7-9, we will have an official art opening with food and art and screen printing and whatever other tricks I stuff up my sleeve.  More details soon.

The restaurant for the 24th Street Project has an online home. Kind of.