Amy Vázquez, April 1st-May 31st 2012 – (Re)construction
7 Apr 12
Amy’s work is made with a variety of media including but not limited to watercolor, acrylic, gouache, india ink, ink pens, graphite and colored pencils. Using organic and geometric forms, her work focuses on the juxtaposition between the natural and the man-made which we are constantly surrounded by in the urban landscape. She incorporates natural patterns, imagined floral imagery and obtrusive forms.
Her solo show titled “(Re)construction” showcases Amy’s meditative works on paper as well as a small collection of paintings on wood. With these pieces, she aims to create new landscapes that exist in the threshold between the familiar and the unknown. She achieves this by playfully exploring the balance between excess & simplicity, chaos & serenity.
To view this and more of Amy’s work you can visit her website at: www.amyvazquez.com
Tatum Mangus, February 1st-March 30th – be(longing)
3 Feb 12
“This is a story of a girl who’s mother’s family is from another place; a place the girl could never quite call home, try as she might. A place she always longed to be a part of, only to realize she will never truly belong.
Tokyo, November 2011″
Tatum Mangus graduated from the Academy of Art University with a BFA in Fine Art Photography. She currently resides and works out of San Francisco. She loves to cook, travel, and sit by a warm fire. She also loves her cat, Margot.
The city of San Francisco is a great example of diaspora. The majority of its inhabitants were not born and raised here; those natives are the rare birds (about 37%). We exhibit a giant melting pot of cultures and Tatum is a great example of this. So many of us have roots thousands of miles away and finding that place where you feel you belong is sometimes a lifelong process.
The 18 pieces that embody her show be (longing) are a great example of the juxtaposition between being a part of something and yet feeling far from it.
You can see more of her work from this show and other series in her website
Dylan Kelly, December 1st-January 31st – Graffiti Helps
25 Nov 11
Dylan Kelly is a local muralist, illustrator and graphic artist. His show, titled “Graffiti Helps”, will be a look at street art and how it can actually give back to the community, encouraging cultural growth and even serving as a therapeutic medium. It is Dylan’s intention to capture the many facets of his murals, fine art, and graffiti, weaving them all together with this installation of mixed media paintings, drawings, and photos of his recent mural endeavors in the south bay. In his own words:
“Graffiti helps me create without having to get anything approved, or criticized, by outside influence. It is also an ever-accessible avenue, where there ARE risks involved but ultimately the satisfaction I get when something impactful and beautiful is created out-weighs the risks. Graffiti is also an act of rebellion and a cry of freedom for visual arts. Why should all the images we see on the streets be paid for by corporations? I am a firm believer that walls are not owned by property owners but by the folks that have to use the streets everyday. I also get a great sense of purpose and motivation when I’m creating a mural or painting on the street and homeless families thank me for giving them something new and hopeful to look at. This is why I must paint and whether I have permission to or not, it’s bound to happen because it helps me feel liberated!”
Steve Javiel, October 1st-November 30th 2011
1 Oct 11
Steve Javiel is exhibiting from October 1st through November 30th. Here’s what Steve says about his work:
“My work is focused around experimenting with recreating the aged, decayed, layered surfaces around me. I believe that these aged surfaces tell a story and that they are a raw reflection of their environment—the aging is not premeditated. To someone a wall or a train means nothing, but to me it represents an untold, and unappreciated story. The layers of textures, typography, colors, graffiti, and decay, have all been applied and manipulated in some form by humans, nature, time, and the environment. This random orchestration fascinates me. By painting my own representations of these surfaces, I form a connection to it and I am paying homage to it as if it is a wise elder. These surfaces have emotions and stories to tell and I feel they are revealed if you are willing to look passed the “ugliness” of them. I also see myself as an aging wall and I take the techniques I have learned from reinterpreting the look of decayed surfaces and create my own walls that represent my own experiences. This duel approach to creating my artwork continuously evolves over time as I grow and change and as my environment changes and ages around me. The mediums I use to create my paintings are acrylic, oils, pumice, joint compound, paper, posters, spray paint, stencils and what ever else I can get my hands on. The process is layers on top of layers until the surfaces take on a life of their own.”
I you didn’t make it to the opening reception and have yet to see his work, you still have time to come check it out. You can also take a peak at his website: www.stevejaviel.com
Also you can enjoy this video he made of the art up on the wall at shop:
Chris Spurrell, August 1st-September 30th 2011
1 Aug 11
Chris Spurell’s exhibit, Landscape and Self, was featured at the shop from August through September. He was featured during the North Beach Art Walk from September 24th-25th. Here’s a statement from Chris pertaining to the show:
“These images are a series of emotional and transformative responses to people I have photographed over the last three years. Beginning as close up portraits, reference is subverted to the extreme, and geomorphic and biomorphic forms emerge. The intent of this work is to employ this abstraction of reference and the expressive use of color in order to highlight the connection between the self and the planet, between the ways self/other are abused and the way the planet is abused. This concept is inspired by the scale and nature of environmental degradation on the one hand and rooted in a set of spiritual convictions that speak to immanence and connection on the other. We cannot heal the planet until we heal ourselves. In this work I wanted to move beyond the landscapes and portraits I was working with. I wanted to explore digital mixed media and abstraction and at the same time retain a connection to the things I really care about. Through this exploration of tonal structure, depth and contour, I investigate notions of perception and reference, highlighting the visual relationships between landscapes, maps, tissues, organic matter and the underlying humanity of his source material. I am struck by the way people see and react to this works; many see rivers, canyons, even biological forms, yet the starting material for this work is photographs of people. That connection, imprinted in the structure of the image is a reflection of the way we interact with the world.”
For more information on this show, visit Chris’s Landscape and Self blog here.
Asenet Martinez, June 1st-July 31st 2011
1 Jun 11
Asenet Martinez showed her work at Cykel from June 1st through July 31st. The pieces were a small selection of past work, both prior to and part of her thesis project at the Academy of Art University. Here’s an excerpt of her artist statement: “I grew up surrounded by culture and tradition, religion and superstition. I let my instincts guide me and try to find meaning in the most ordinary things. It’s my ability to notice little details in everyday circumstances that have led me to see the messages in these written manifestations. Messages that have helped me through some difficult times and that because of my religious upbringing have come to believe are sent to me by those I’ve loved and lost.” Asenet continues to shoot black and white and street photography and she has recently started making the transition into medium format color film.
If you were lucky enough to have seen her work at the shop and are interested in more information or purchasing a piece you can contact her at: asedance@yahoo.com
Tim Gonzalez-Mena, April 1st-May 31st 2011
1 Apr 11
Cykel opened it’s doors Friday, April 1st, 2011 (no joke). Selecting Tim Gonzalez-Mena as our our first featured artist was an obvious choice. His images give you a sense of peace, the subject matter is beautifully framed, minimal and cleanly designed compositions, which tie well with the aesthetics of our shop.
Tim is a Bay Area photographer with a love for landscapes. His desire to see new things often takes him far from home, collecting images to share. Each of his images features a refreshingly simple tranquility. When he is not out with his camera, Tim is an instructor at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
