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I know this weekend might be over powered by my Residency show, but don’t forget that I will also be displaying all new works at Fabric8 for their (1)4 year Anniversary Show that opens this Saturday night.

Here is sneak peek of the work…somewhat of a new direction for me.

There will be food carts, unadulterated fun, and great work on display from fellow artists Daniel Fleres, Norm Maxwell, Reuben Rude, Romanowski, Ursula X Young, and myself. Cheers!

Exactly one week from now, my artwork from my 4-month long Residency at the SF Dump will be unveiled. With the help of an excellent team of helpers (assistants and staff at the program), these past few days have been the most productive days at the studio. With the Residency coming to an end, it’s crazy to look back and remind myself that I brought this whole show together with materials that were on their way to the landfill. From concept to creation, the body of work was brought to life in under 4 months and created on site in a freezing cold warehouse.

Needless to say, my experience here has been the most challenging yet most rewarding, and I am looking forward to the growth in my art practice given the knowledge I have learned here.

Alice likes to be mysterious.

Thanks Deborah, James, Micah, Amelia, Sharon, Alice, and Donovan for all your gluing, sanding, and crafty times.

Donovan working out the foundation.

A few days ago, I finally had the chance to check out the Academy of Sciences. It did not let me down one bit. In fact, it was even more amazing than I had imagined. My girlfriend and I went randomly with some friends so we didn’t have our cameras (doh!), but we were able to take a few shots with our phones. Definitely planning a date to go back and spend a whole day there. Overall, there had some of the most remarkable species of plants and animals…even an Albino Alligator!

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Hey all. Just released 3 new products through Uncommon — a new company that’s creating custom mobile phone cases. They kicked off their first season with a lot of great artists and the product is pretty official. So if you’re into customization and you have one of those fancy phones that’s all the rage these days, then I suggest you spend some time and money to invest in an even fancier protective case.

Get them here >>

Just wrapped up a a great interview for This is Fly Magazine — an online magazine about the amazing world of fly fishing. We talked about recycling, my current Residency, and the meaning behind my houses. It was interesting for me to be approached by a demographic I knew nothing about, but after inquiring more about them, I learned how simplistic and beautiful fly fishing is. I also realized that although we may have different hobbies based on the influence of our environment, we all have the same basic need, to get out and have fun.

Read more >>

Two more weeks until the artwork needs to be completed for my next show, The Last Shall Be First. I switched gears from the large paintings to working on the center piece installation, a digital media piece, as well as some smaller works.

My good friend and multi-media artist, Paul J Encinas, offered to collaborate on a film piece that will be running on old TV’s and DVD players found in the dump. We are both inspired by the hands on approach to film and will be creating 3 motion sequences with found materials.

Setting up the shot. Thanks Laura for the help!

Moments before mayhem.

Working out the water sequence.

Introducing, Alice McGillicuddy, my new helpful assistant who came all the way from New York as part of her college field work. She will be helping me with the installation as well as tie in all the odds and ends to round out the show.

And finally, a quick look behind the scenes.

So if there is one place that never sleeps, it’s the dump. Being the final output of society, it constantly has to keep up with our waste. Some days it’s tough to take in, but with the deadline of the show looming, I have been spending less time in the public dump area and more time in the studio finishing the artwork.

I have taken the “house” motif for another run with this body of work but have pushed my color palette and materials selection to a whole new height. Combining large scale paintings, a multi-media piece, and one larger than life installation, my goal is to not only show the influence of the environment I have been working in during my Residency as well as develop my ongoing theme one step further.

Oh, and there will be Tv’s.

Details on the next show >>

My girlfriend and I decided to save money and have a San Francisco Christmas this year. We plan to open the home and play host to all of our friends who don’t have family locally. I found lights and tree ornaments at the dump and we pulled a plant in from the backyard to make it all come together. This year is less about spending money and more about spending time together. Cheers everyone!

stocking: courtesy of my mom / 49 mile sign: courtesy of SF

Our entry way. I think we plan to keep the lights up year round.

I will be selling affordable goods for 50% OFF this Saturday at Fabric8’s Holiday Sample Sale in San Francisco. There will be great deals by local artists and designers. Artwork, clothing, music, food — be there!

Fabric8
3318  22nd Street @ Valencia St
San Francisco, CA 94110

The Last Shall Be First
Artist in Residency Program
Recology San Francisco (formerly known as, SF Recycling & Disposal, Inc.)
503 Tunnel Ave
Brisbane CA 94005
January 22, 2009 @ 5-9pm // January 23, 2009 @ 1-5pm

Artwork created entirely out of materials collected and repurposed during a 4-month Residency at the San Francisco Dump.

More info >>
Teaser video >>

Artist Statement:
Regardless of religion, spiritual stand point or belief, we can all agree that we are only on this Earth for a short moment in time. Everything around us is temporary and life is what we make of it. Even the most horrible situations breathe new life and change into our existence. And, most importantly, our perception is our reality.

With this understanding, I remain positive during the most difficult trials as I know they are here not by coincidence, but for a purpose, and that one day they will pass.

Society has exploded into what it is today, leaving behind a wake of destruction. What began as the “American Dream” is now a place where the selfish and greedy thrive on the backs of the working class poor. All too often, the wrong people are in charge and, with mega-corporations more powerful than governments, the world has made a turn for the worse.

However the Internet, one of the few forms of free press left, has allowed us to do our own research on the so-called “powers that be” and spark communication with people from all backgrounds through an open forum, revealing similar stories and an awareness that this problem exists all over the world.

Today, one by one, people are refusing to keep control in the hands of the evil few and are empowering themselves by becoming part of the innovative and self-sustaining community we were meant to be. There is a shift occurring, and it is up to us to bring the power back to the people.

“The Last Shall Be First” is a statement regarding the largest group of people, who are on the bottom and fighting for survival but deserve more. It also refers to the origin of my artwork, because everything created for this show was made from the waste of others. As well it is the positive affirmation I most often find myself repeating when the troubles of the world seem far beyond my capacity.