WHAT IS IN THE DEFENESTRATION BUILDING (AKA HUGO HOTEL)?
March 02, 2010
Rubble filled interior.
Baroque wallpaper peeling off.
Missing steps on the staircases.
Rats.
Brian Goggin.
Diving furniture seeking a purpose.
A TV looking for a little love.
Radio being restored to be better than its former self
Lamps waiting to add color to their life.
Brian, the creator of this magical universe
We asked Brian how he stands to be in a dilapidated building all day with no outside light peering in. He said what keeps him motivated to create and maintain these animated furniture pieces was the obligation he has to freeing the furniture from its usual dwelling place. How does he deal with the difficult environment? A flash light, a particle mask, and a lot of help from his friends and the ghosts.
“OPERATION RESTORE DEFENESTRATION” opening this Friday, March 5th from 6-10pm!
COMMUNITY SERIES #7b: 1:AM KIDS REPRESENTIN’!
March 01, 2010
Last Saturday, we spread the word about YO! Youth Outlook and U.S. Census Bureau contest titled “Count Us In” (if you are still interested in entering, you must turn your ideas in today!). We told the kids at the gallery about this great opportunity and Roman let these lucky kids get down on one of our 2-panel walls. Maher, one of the kids who is always in the gallery sketching in his book, aspires to be an artist. This was a great opportunity for him to take the skills he has learned from the different artists that pass through the gallery and incorporate it into his FIRST ever mural. He rallied up his buddies, Josh and Sahill, and they did their thang.
Josh and Maher learning about characters from Josue
Josh making his sketches come alive!
Maher, the man with the master plan
Proud of his creation
Finished wall... YEA!
Maher, Josh and Sahill did an amazing job in making this happen. Our fingers are crossed that they win… Good luck! We are so proud of you!
“THE CITY” ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: HILARY WILLIAMS
February 27, 2010
Lately, every time we see a group exhibition in San Francisco, we see Hilary Williams name as one of the artists showing. Whether it be 111 Minna, Polarity Post Productions, Arc Studios or 1:AM gallery, Hilary’s work is there. You may ask, why is she everywhere? Because she is a highly sought out artist that creates impeccable work. Here is some photos of her art:
Hilary Williams' prints at 1:AM gallery (on the right, Will Manville on the left)
"The Golder Hour of Molten Twilight" by Hilary Williams
HILARY WILLIAMS’ ARTIST STATEMENT:
Since my first introduction to screen printing, I have been enthralled by its graphic quality, bold colors, and the way it lends itself to layers. I studied the technique beginning at California College of the Arts in 2000, and work in this medium passionately creating limited edition prints as well as incorporating its ideas and methods into my other works of painting and fabric. Through layering, collage and juxtaposition, I strive to make dense pieces that deal with the absurdity and poignancy of our world by laughing, crying, or standing back in awe.
I use collages of photography, drawing, painting, patterning to create layers of images and meaning. My works deal with a variety of emotions about the coexistence of our urban landscape, nature, and humanity. I am continually inspired by my surroundings, today’s urban and natural environments, and have drawn some inspirations as well from Dada, Surrealism and Pop art. Along with exterior and interior architecture and urban life themes, in many pieces I also merge these with the rural and natural landscape, as well as its figures. There is always some humor, irony, as well as melancholy in my pieces that continually thread through my work and ideas in some way. I desire to create a surreal vision of reality that incorporates the past, present, and future of our worlds landscapes and characters, causing reflections on where we are today.
In creating my screen prints, I take most of my own photographs, and each other stencil is created by hand, with ten to twenty layers stenciled and then printed on each piece. My paintings are composed of layers of acrylic, screen printing and other mixed media materials. My fabric sculptures are created with recycled fabrics and other materials with screen printing.
Check out more of her work on her website.
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF “THE CITY” @ 1:AM GALLERY! MAKE YOUR WAY DOWN THERE RIGHT NOW!
COMMUNITY SERIES #7: PAGING SAN FRANCISCO YOUTH – BE CREATIVE AND WIN MONEY!
February 27, 2010
The other day, team 1:AM had the pleasure of receiving a visit from our friend, Josue Rojas. Josue has mastered the art of aerosol paint and shown at the gallery a couple of times. But in this blog post, we aren’t going to talk about his creative skills, we are going to highlight what he does for our community and about this contest that will put money in your pockets.
Josue works for a non-profit organization called YO! Youth Outlook. YO! Youth Outlook is an award-winning literary journal of youth life in the Bay Area. Featuring in-depth reporting pieces and first-person essays, comic strips and poetry pages, YO! is the communication outlet for youth who feel their voice and visions need to be seen and heard. YO! is a bridge to the world of youth expression. YO! chronicles the world through the eyes and voice of young people – between the ages of 14 and 25. From reporting pieces on Palestinian American youth in the Bay Area to interviews with gospel hip-hop bands; from photo essays by homeless youth to journal entries from temp workers in Silicon Valley, YO! offers a unique window into California’s youth subcultures.
So when he rolled up in a City Car Share and doubled up in front of the gallery (by the way, this is highly discouraged, the meter maids have been fierce around here), we knew he wanted to talk business. He told us about a great opportunity that the San Francisco youth could take part in and even, potentially win money. How much you ask? Josue told us $1000 bucks! Yeeee! So to do our part for Josue and our community, we promised we would spread the word. The only catch is, if you enter, you need to turn in your creative submissions by THIS MONDAY, MARCH 1ST @ YO! Outlook, 275 9th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94103.
Here is more info about the contest:
Every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau conducts a national survey that aims to count every person living in the United States on one particular day, April 1st. The information the Census gets is used by government to determine how to distribute funds around the country to communities like yours based on population.
These numbers help to plan for schools, transportation, and clinical services in your neighborhood. These numbers also determine how many representatives each district gets to elect to state and federal government.
The Count Us In contest gives you an opportunity to come up with the best message that will persuade people you know to participate in the Census. It’s the first time young people have been asked to help in shaping the advertising messaging for the SF community and will really help spread the word in communities where there is the highest risk of an undercount.
We need your help; communities that don’t get counted wind up getting the least number of services funded by the government.
Eligibility: Entrant must live or work in San Francisco County and between the ages of 14-21.
Timing: All entries MUST be submitted no later than March 1, 2010. NOT POSTMARKED BY.
How to Enter: Be as creative as possible! No more than three entries per contestant. There are six categories:
a. T-shirt: a graphic or tagline printed on a t-shirt
b. Poster: a drawing, photo or graphic design
c. Poem or rap (no more than 3 minutes long)
d. Video (no more than 1.5 minutes long)
e. Tweet or text (no more than 140 characters): For this category we are looking for the contestant who can write a creative and compelling 140 character social media message and get it read/re-tweeted as many times as possible. use social media to your advantage!
f. Street art (graffiti, murals): use your artistic skills to create a mural that could potentially be painted on a wall in the city.
All submissions must be original work completed by a San Francisco young person. Submit your entry, with your first and last name and your address to YO! Outlook, 275 9th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94103.
Contestants can submit their entry in any language. If your entry is a language other than English, you must submit a translation of the text to aid the judges.
Please submit entries in the highest resolution possible, if applicable. Video can be shot on a variety of formats – ranging from high end, high def camera to cell phones or consumer cameras but cannot be larger than 100 MB and must be one of the following formats: AVI, MOV, WMV, MP4, MPEG, FLV, 3GP, and 3G2. Entrants can edit video using software on a computer at school, a community center, or at home. Posters must be submitted in .gif, .jpg, or .jpeg, .ids format and may not exceed 5 MB.
Prizes: First place winners in each category receive $1,000. Second place winners will receive $500.
Judging: A panel of distinguished advertising experts, artists and media practitioners will judge all entries. Entries will be judged on the originality, of the message, the creativity of the design and the overall impact of the overall impact.
Winners List: Winners will be announced in mid March 2010. The winning entries will be used to promote the Census between late March and the end of July 2010. All entries become the property of New America Media and YO! Youth Outlook for the duration of the Census ad campaign.
Sponsors: City and County of San Francisco and the U.S. Census Bureau
Click here to go to the official site.
CRACK OPEN YOUR BLACKBOOKS AND GET CREATIVE!!!
THE HISTORY OF THE DEFENESTRATION BUILDING
February 26, 2010
Photo by Florenica Aleman (2002)
1997 to Present Day
This multi-disciplinary sculptural mural involves seemingly animated furniture; tables, chairs, lamps, grandfather clocks, a refrigerator, and couches, their bodies bent like centipedes, fastened to the walls and window-sills, their insect-like legs seeming to grasp the surfaces. Against society’s expectations, these everyday objects flood out of windows like escapees, out onto available ledges, up and down the walls, onto the fire escapes and off the roof. “DEFENESTRATION” was created by Brian Goggin with the help of over 100 volunteers.
The concept of “DEFENESTRATION”, a word literally meaning “to throw out of a window,” is embodied by both the site and staging of this installation. Located at the corner of Sixth and Howard Streets in San Francisco in an abandoned four-story tenement building, the site is part of a neighborhood that historically has faced economic challenges and has often endured the stigma of skid row status. Reflecting the harsh experience of many members of the community, the furniture is of the streets, cast-off and unappreciated. The simple, unpretentious beauty and humanity of these downtrodden objects is reawakened through the action of the piece. The act of “throwing out” becomes an uplifting gesture of release, inviting reflection on the spirit of the people we live with, the objects we encounter, and the places in which we live.
The ground level has served as a rotating gallery for the vibrant artwork of street muralists. This unconventional gallery, along with the “Defenestration” sculpture, has been a cultural draw to the neighborhood.
“OPERATION RESTORE DEFENESTRATION” going down next Friday, March 5th from 6-10pm! Meet the artist and be captivated by his charm creativity and vision.
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