At Shooting Gallery two shows have recently opened seeking to take us beyond our everyday existence into the realm of the cosmic and the etherial. The fist called "Floating World Part One" by KEFE (artist pair Kelly Tunstall and Ferris Plock) explores a whimsical version of Japan where the urban and modern meet the ancient and sacred. Here we see a world unmoored, filled with Shinto Kami in converse, palaces that walk, and goggly eyed maidens in stylized kimonos. Brightly colored with a solid sense of humor this show both honors Japanese culture and plays games with its tropes. "The Golden Hour" is a symphony to the Sun created by neon artist Meryl Pataky. Each piece is constructed out of elements created by a star, the neon uses Helium which is the first thing created in nuclear fusion, the framework is made of iron a heavier element made by the star. Carbon is found in the deer hide and wood framed pieces and oxygen is represented by succulents that appear behind the neon. Gold, Silver, and Copper also appear in the show both as material and in Periodic abbreviation and only come into being during a supernova. Thus the show encompasses the entire life cycle of a star. The deer hide pieces are painted like surrealistic Rorschach drawings and the neon is shaped like swords or bands of light.
"Floating World Part One" runs through August 9th and "The Golden Hour" runs through August 23rd at Shooting Gallery. Be sure to view these captivating works in person if in the San Francisco area. Until then, enjoy a few opening night photos below.
Photo credit: Brock Brake.
