May 7 to June 11 – Jim Campbell: Wandering at Hosfelt Gallery: Jim Campbell uses technology to filter images of daily life, mediating the audience’s encounter with his subjects and amplifying the flow of time and memory. Campbell primarily utilizes LEDs to translate time-based subjects—scenes of jostling crowds, found home movies, and the rhythmic movements of nature, such as waves and clouds—into blurred, sculptural or gridded forms that test the limits of perception. Exploring the line between representation and abstraction, Campbell plumbs the human ability to interpret information and “fill in the gaps” necessary to create a complete idea. Opening reception is Saturday, May 7, 3–5 pm.
May 7 to June 11 – Edie Fake: Night Life at Rebecca Camacho Presents: Edie Fake’s work blurs the lines between geometric and organic forms with structures adorned by elements that serve as both decorative and protective, Fake’s precise, intimately scaled, gouache paintings on panel center exploration of identity in the transgender and queer experience. In a series of paintings analogous to sewing patterns, Fake considers the nourishment of personal presentation. Highlighting the importance of being able to wholly create or piece together from varying elements one’s external appearance, to adorn oneself in clothing and decoration that exemplifies self-care and intimate preferences, Fake’s impulse to paint towards situations that are significant on a singular scale becomes a larger queer dialogue of expression, visibility, and acceptance. Opening reception is Saturday, May 7, 4 – 7 pm.
Ongoing to August 28 – Wendy Red Star: American Progress at the Anderson Collection at Stanford University: Wendy Red Star was raised on the Apsáalooke (Crow) reservation in Montana. Red Star’s work is informed by her cultural heritage and engagement with many forms of creative expression, including photography, sculpture, video, fiber arts, and performance. This exhibition explores the ideas of Westward Expansion and Manifest Destiny through the lens of John Gast’s 1872 painting, American Progress. Gast’s painting exemplifies the justification of American settlers driving Indigenous communities off their land during the 19th century.
May 20 to 31 – Headlands Center for the Arts Benefit Art Auction held at Fort Mason Center: Showcasing works from more than 60 partnering artists and galleries, this benefit features silent and live auctions; creative experiences to bid on; site-specific installations from Headlands Alum Carole Kim, Annie Albagli, and Anja Ulfeldt and art activations inviting you to engage and play with practicing artists. The preview exhibition is free and open to the public. Purchases tickets to the May 31 auction here.
Thursday, May 19, 6:30 pm – CAAMFest 40: Rice and Asian Americana presented by the Asian Art Museum on Zoom: Rice farmer Robin Koda and wheat farmer Mai Nguyen join chef and cookbook author Diep Tran for a conversation about the complex role of rice in the formation of Asian Americana. In popular culture, rice plays many roles, from a crop that symbolizes the ingenuity, thrift, and resilience of Asian American farmers to a food that represents Asian American cuisine as a whole. In this event co-presented by CAAM and the Asian Art Museum, they will explore the many narratives of rice and consider if these stories expand, or narrow, our understanding of Asian American culture. Buy Tickets for this online event here:
May 5 to June 25 – Kikuo Saito: Ouray at Altman Siegel Gallery: Altman Siegel presents Ouray, the gallery’s first exhibition with the estate of Kikuo Saito (1939-2016). Long overlooked within traditional art historical discourses, Saito’s practice, and life, articulate a state of in-betweenness. Informed by his background in the theater, the artist created space for himself within established Color Field circles by devising a distinctive lexicon that integrated his multitude of experiences and artistic interests. Hence, Saito’s paintings are both historically significant and timely, reflecting a need to contemplate the hybridity and complexity of personal identity.