The show presents sculptures and works on paper by Ruth Asawa and new paintings by Paul Henry Ramirez. Asawa brought in 'material' reinforcements, changed core elements, or moved the work into a different dimension all together. Ramirez creates positive and negative space using contrasting colors connected by precisely painted lines dividing the picture plane but also referencing shelves or vitrines.
Two exhibitions
Ruth Asawa: Sculpture and Works on Paper
Paul Henry Ramirez: Frothy. Flirty. Feely.
During the month of December, the Rena Bransten Gallery will exhibit
sculptures and works on paper by San Francisco artist Ruth Asawa and new
paintings by New York based artist, Paul Henry Ramirez.
For the past forty years, Ruth Asawa has pushed paper, wire, clay,
concrete, fiber, steel, and bronze into forms that not only taught her
about the different medium, but also honed her skills in the art-making
process. When ordinary paint and paper failed to exactly express her
vision, she brought in "material" reinforcements, changed core elements,
or moved the work into a different dimension all together. This
willingness to utilize unusual media and experiment with process led
Asawa to surprising places. In one example what started on a sheet of
paper as a two dimensional drawing of organic plant patterns became a
three-dimensional wall sculpture of tied and crocheted wire.
Transformation - changing inert materials into dynamic physical forms -
became a signature of Asawa's unique vision.
Concurrently with the gallery exhibit, Ms. Asawa will have an
installation at the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park called "Knit
Together" that will run through January 8, 2007.
Paul Henry Ramirez' abstract paintings embody a similar dynamic tension
as Asawa's but with a sexy exuberance. He combines flat
stylized-squirty shapes, topographical grid-work, slinky-spirals of
filament, and swaying bulbous buds into a wild fusion of form and line.
He creates positive and negative space using contrasting colors
connected by precisely painted lines dividing the picture plane but also
referencing shelves or vitrines. What he's showcasing in them are
sensuous and strange organic arrangements that may be stylized
phalluses, multicolor filigree or giant peanuts. Interpretation is open
as ambiguity is a delightfully recurring theme in Ramirez' work.
Ramirez was born in El Paso, Texas. Recent exhibitions include a
site-specific installation at the Aldrich Museum in Connecticut that
will run through 2006. His work is in their collection as well as
several others including the Austin Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum
of American Art.
Opening: 1 December
Rena Bransten Gallery
77 Geary Street - San Francisco
Hours: Tuesday through Friday 10:30 to 5:30 and Saturday 11:00 to 5:00