Tonight @ 7 p.m., Paul Clipson presents an extensive show of his work in Super-8 and 16mm in SFMOMA’s Phyllis Wattis Theater:

In previous posts I’ve waxed eloquent thusly:

“Experimental filmmaker Paul Clipson, who modifies the Dionysian-Romantic vision and cinematic practice of Stan Brakhage and Bruce Baillie by a remote, Apollonian, graphic... More

The Berkeley Center for New Media and Berkeley’s Department of Art Practice recently hosted a gallery walk-through with some of the artists featured in Worth Ryder Art Gallery’s current exhibition, Knowledge Hacking, described as a project that “invites artists to use the university research environment as raw material for their work.” While many of the issues raised by this collaboration between BCNM and WRAG’s curator Anuradha Vikram deserve serious exploration, I want to mention here just one exchange that occurred during the panel... More

This is the second in a multipart series unofficially conjoined to the publication of Radical Light: Alternative Film & Video in the San Francisco Bay Area, 1945–2000, and the accompanying film series currently being presented by the Pacific Film Archive and San Francisco Cinematheque (in partnership with SFMOMA). Tonight’s show at th... More

The first comprehensive exhibition of the work of Eadweard Muybridge, protean genius of early photography, is coming to SFMOMA next February. It will arrive by way of the Corcoran Gallery in Washington and now Tate Britain, where I caught the show a day or two after it opened earlier this month. Tate Britain in Pimlico is the original Tate Gallery,... More

This is the first of a multipart series unofficially conjoined to the publication of Radical Light: Alternative Film & Video in the San Francisco Bay Area, 1945–2000, and the accompanying film series currently being presented by the Pacific Film Archive and the San Francisco Cinematheque (in partnership with SFMOMA).  This Wednesday evening’s show at the PFA features a semi-rare screening of Christopher Maclaine’s THE END, the exciting appearance of David Meltzer, and a super-rare visit by Wilder Bentley II, who in 1953 played Paul... More

[I’m going to try to commission event reports for each of the Open Space Thursdays discussions — first up is a report on last Thursday’s “Bay Area art writing” conversation, from writer and artist Ariel Goldberg. If you were there — or not — responses much welcome and encouraged.]

Getting Away with Language

Ariel Goldberg

True Story: earlier this month, I was at the ticket inspection stairs of SFMOMA when my pen got the hairy eyeball. I’m sorry, we’re pencil only. A security guard later offered me a pencil when I tried to use the ink.

Then Open Space Thursdays was born as a blog-comes-to-life event. Suzanne Stein introduced the invited conversationalists, and Dominic Willsdon proposed topics of discussion. As we sat with refreshments in stationary orbits of couches and chairs, our purpose was to discuss the interpretive language a museum may produce; art criticism as language of evaluation; and writing that exists alongside, while not about, visual art.

The evening p... More

[from SFMOMA Assistant Curator of Photography Erin O'Toole]

The June 18 death of Joe Deal was a deep blow felt throughout the photography world. A widely respected and much loved artist and educator, Deal will be sorely missed by his former students, fellow photographers, and legion of friends in the community.

Although I never had the opportunity to meet Deal, I have long been an admirer of his work, particularly the photographs he made in Southern California in the late 1970s and early ’80s. Perhaps the fact that I grew up in Los Angeles in ... More

[For almost two years we’ve been running a regular “One on One” series of posts, featuring curators or SFMOMA staff on a single work of art from our collection. Beginning today, the column will feature artists, writers, poets, curators, and others, from around the country, responding in any manner they like on a work of their choosing. It’s a distinct pleasure to begin this new iteration of the series with a post from Patricia Maloney, editor in chief of Art Practical.]

On September 11, 2001, I was walking down 6th Avenue and had reache... More

“Somehow it makes the painting feel more relaxed, instead of being pinned upon the wall like it’s being crucified … [The painting can] stand in its own shit and watch the other paintings being crucified on the wall.” — Chris Ofili

“The Triumph of Shit,” a screed against most contemporary art, by Donald Kuspit includes the memorable lines: “To paint is to stick the extra finger of the physical paintbrush up one’s psychic anus, forcing one’s body ego to excrete a painting,” and, “The artist has become an unreflective ... More

[Our host for next week’s Open Space Thursdays conversation event is artist Jessica Tully. She’s invited cephalopod expert Richard Ross and author and environmentalist Adam Werbach to join us in a participatory parlor game, as we consider the possible civic implications of the myths and metaphors surrounding the otherworldly octopus. 7 p.m. on ... More

On the occasion of Pickpocket Almanack’s Fall Season, an email exchange between Joseph del Pesco and Sean Dockray just prior to a public conversation at Bétonsalon in Paris, France, about the Pickpocket Almanack and The Public School.

KEY:
PA = Pickpocket Almanack
TPS = The Public School

Sean Dockray: Mainly I’ve been trying to think about how the projects could weave into each other a bit, instead of being like Coke and Pepsi; but how our thoughts and the projects could cohere and illustrate the world around, how they can remain distinct... More

In “I Dreamt I Was a Nymphomaniac,” Kathy Acker somewhat wryly describes the art world as “the bohemia of finances.” Still, questions of money and capital in the art world transpire. Occasionally during my tenure as blogger at OPEN SPACE, I will post discussions with local artists and curators about the economics of their practice. I recent... More

I first saw Jason Jägel’s boisterous, hectic painting on the walls of the first Bay Area Now show at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, here in San Francisco. Wow, when was that — 1996, 1997? Jägel continues to this day to produce some of the headiest, craziest, and most beautiful work in California. I’ve wanted to write something about him ... More

Carey Perloff is the artistic director of the American Conservatory Theater. She likens Robbert Flick’s Along Ocean Park, Looking West, Summer (1980) to a curtain rising at the theater. Thanks, Carey, for so fantastic a talk. Readers, click the thumbnail for a larger image and slightly better view on the small pictures that make up the whole work... More

Kenneth Foster is the executive director of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. He’s speaking here about Joanne Leonard’s Sad Dreams on Cold Mornings (1971), and particularly on the competing impulses and contradictory themes taking place in this picture. Thank you, Ken!

Remember the end of Manhattan, when Woody Allen asks himself what makes life worth living? Last January, during SFMOMA’s three-day 75th anniversary celebration, 75 people from the Bay Area creative community gave extremely short talks — 7.5 minutes or less! — on a single collection work of their choosing. Someone called it “manic splendor” — and it was. You can follow the 75 Reasons to Live talks as we post them by checking in here.

Congratulations, Charles, Kent and Jason. They each won a collection of works from Chris Sollars and SFMOMA. The contents included one C-print of either March, 2010, Skull – after Voluptas Mors, 2010, or Sigh, 2010. Two paper covers to reconstruct Tuttle and/or Fountain. A 4″ x 4″ C-print taken by an unkown SFMOMA visitor; Chris with striped ... More

Sometimes during my tenure as blogger, I will go see Hollywood blockbusters with people and document, in impressionistic fashion, our experience. This is episode six.

I went to go see Toy Story 3 in 3-D (2010, dir. Lee Unkrich) with SFMOMA Curator of Media Arts Rudolf Frieling. We met at the Metreon, bought tickets, and were given our 3-D glasses. We saw the film in a theater that was almost empty and curiously devoid of children. Then we took BART to the Mission, where we had a drink and ate blood sausages at Schmidt’s.

We talked about 3-D... More

[Five questions to SFMOMA artists, staff, or guests. Today’s interviews are with two of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. If you’re from San Francisco, you’ve probably seen them around town, helping charities, hosting events, and bringing joy to the city. I caught up with Sister Selma Soul and Sister Tuna Noodle at one of Rebecca Solnit�... More

[Five questions to SFMOMA artists, staff, or guests. JD Samson of  Le Tigre and The New England Roses is also the cofounder of the performance group Dykes Can Dance. Her current project, MEN, performs TONIGHT in the museum’s atrium as part of Now Playing.]

Do you collect anything?

I collect small-scale RVs and camper vans. I have about 25 now. S... More

RENNY PRITIKIN, MEG SHIFFLER, BRANDON BROWN, PATRICIA MALONEY, ERIN O’TOOLE

Hosted by Suzanne Stein & Dominic Willsdon

9.23.10, 7 p.m., 2nd floor. Please join us!

Starting NEXT WEEK, Open Space will be hosting occasional, real-life Thursday-evening gatherings, here at SFMOMA. The idea is to take our online forum — which has been so dynamic... More

On August 20th I shared the results of a One Day Artist Residency that took place at SFMOMA. The post can viewed HERE. Following his tenure at the museum, Chris Sollars acquired three bags from the SFMOMA MuseumStore and has made a collection of ephemera from his residency. Each bag (found on-site) contains objects and photographs (prints) documenting the actions made by Sollars while in residence at the museum. These collections will be given away this coming Friday, September 17th, at 4 p.m. Simply enter the museum and locate the artist wear... More

In a nice bit of news: a local, San Francisco–based architecture firm—EHDD—will partner with Snøhetta on the museum’s expansion. And, for anyone out there wondering where exactly SFMOMA plans to put all those extra feet of museum, a map:

ø, Snøhetta!

In other expansion news, our website now has a special section devoted to tracking deve... More

Our regular feature, Collection Rotation. Every month, I invite a guest to organize a mini-exhibition from our collection works online. Please welcome artist, filmmaker, and founder of Mr. Lady Records, Tammy Rae Carland. Superb.

http://media.sas.upenn.edu/pennsound/authors/Stein/1935/Stein-Gertrude_If-I-Told-Him.mp3

http://www.newmedia-art.org/cgi-bin/show-oeu.asp?ID=150000000036249&lg=GBR

(more…)

Chip Lord is a media artist working with video and digital photography, and was a founding member of the art and architecture collective Ant Farm. He’s talking about Terry Fox‘s 1976  sculpture, A Metaphor. And for more Terry Fox, see Sarah Roberts’s talk on Pendulum Spit Bite, just below. Thank you, Chip!

Remember the en... More

Sarah Roberts is SFMOMA Associate Curator of Collections and Research, and she’s talking here about Terry Fox’s print Pendulum Spit Bite (1977). It’s quite delicate and especially difficult to read in the video, click the thumbnail for a slightly better view. Or come down and see it in person! The work is only on view through next... More

A Sunday selection of DANGER by way of Sesame Street.

The entire world today: DANGER DANGER DANGER

(more…)

Maurice, the pug, steals the show in this pic by Sergio.

“I’m actually trying to get photos of him in front of different landmarks around SF, like the SFMOMA building. He was in a playful mood that day and started tugging on his leash to get my attention, so I thought that would make a great shot.”

Thanks Sergio and Maurice!

We choose the Flickr pictures of the week from anything tagged “SFMOMA”. You tag too!

This is pt. 4 and the conclusion of my contemplation of a theme drawn from Elliot Lavine’s typically-inspired grab-bag film series NOT NECESSARILY NOIR (sadly, now concluded), at the Roxie Theater (Click on highlighted sections for trailers, etc. Click here for pt.3, the previous entry in this series):

Meditating on Schrader and his w... More

In “I Dreamt I Was A Nymphomaniac,” Kathy Acker somewhat wryly describes the art world as “the bohemia of finances.” Still, questions of money and capital in the art world transpire. Occasionally during my tenure as blogger at OPEN SPACE, I will post discussions with local artists and curators about the economics of their practice. I’ll b... More

Peter Samis isSFMOMA Associate Curator, Interpretation, Education. (Which distinguished title barely covers it!). He’s speaking here about Wright Morris’s Storefronts, Western Kansas (1939). I thought it nice to post this one in advance of our upcoming Free Tuesday program Where Was the Home Place? Wright Morris at 100. (next Tuesday, noon, the Wattis theater, FREE.)

Remember the end of Manhattan, when Woody Allen asks himself what makes life worth living? Last January, during SFMOMA’s three day 75th anniversary celebration, 75 people from the Bay Area creative community gave extremely short talks—7.5 minutes or less!—on a single collection work of their choosing. Someone called it ‘manic splendor’—and it was. You can follow the 75 Reasons to Live talks as we post them by checking in here.