Article by Miranda Seaver

Venue: Anno Domini Gallery

Featuring: SKRAPS solo exhibition of Yasushi Matsui

Memory is fleeting. Some things fade into obscurity, and what remains shifts slightly over time, becoming colored and warped as if left in the sun. Senses overlap and eventually create something new based solely on what our brains deemed the most important. I was raised with cameras upon cameras, things that can help with constant documentation and create a massive backlog of picture-perfect moments that I never have the time to look through. Is this the best way to go about life? I used to think so. Now, however, I am more inclined to lean into transience, as Yasushi Matsui does in his print collection SKRAPS.

SKRAPS is a neo-zine currently hosted in Anno Domini, a small independent art gallery in downtown San Jose that specializes in the cutting edge. But Matsui’s zine is not a physical book you can leaf through. Instead he’s taken the artwork from his travels and displayed it on the wall in a cluster of thrift store frames, creating an experience you can view both all at once and one at a time.

Matsui is a modern-day nomad, living out of his van in California, and out of his backpack during his overseas trips. You can see representations of both of these in the large front and back “covers” that bookend the wall of frames. Early on he knew he wanted to remember his experiences, so he picked up scraps of papers and hand-bound them into makeshift sketchbooks that he then used to document his life. The original journals are on display, and keeping with the DIY aesthetic so common in zine culture, he’s scanned his overlapping designs and printed them out on hand-made Washi paper, an ancient process Matsui picked up from a master papermaker in the Atago region of Japan.

There’s something very special in seeing the fruit of Matsui’s traveling as seen through his eyes. He doesn’t provide an exact depiction of his journeys, instead finding his interest in creating something more conceptual. Visual memory combines with the surreal to create mesmerizing images, and standing in front of the zine as a whole you’re given plenty of opportunity to find something new. There’s a butterfly with a view of the ocean in its outstretched wings, flowers blooming from the body of bird and a desert horizon laid out in the torso of a coyote. It’s the type of thing that’s meant to be taken in, eyes scanning the wall from one end to the other, your attention occasionally being caught to certain images like a sweater to a stray branch.

What I think really brings out Matsui’s work is its intent. SKRAPS was made as a private journal, a documentation for his own reference that was only printed for the public on a whim. Because of that there’s no outside influence. We’re seeing Matsui’s memories in a way that only he could decipher, and even then the initial meaning of the work may be long since lost to time. It’s like looking at a stranger’s dream journal – it doesn’t really make a lot of sense, but it’s clear it meant something to someone at some point in time. And there’s something magical about that.

Much like memory, Matsui works in impermanence. He has only made one copy of each of his prints, and once they’re taken from the collection they’re gone for good. SKRAPS also contains two canvas tapestries that were created during a live painting event, a testament to a moment that will never happen again. And once Matsui’s work leaves Anno Domini, it’s unsure where he’ll pop up next. Perhaps Tahoe, or Mexico, or even someplace like Indonesia.

So, take in SKRAPS while it’s still in one piece. It’s absolutely something worth remembering.

Article by Miranda Seaver

Venue: The Regency Ballroom

Featuring: The Edwardian World’s Faire 2020

I was a weird kid. If you know me, even tangentially, this probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise.

I spent a majority of my formative years dressed in ill-fitting thrift store suits, making campfires at the park and carving Pink Floyd lyrics into tree stumps with my brother’s switchblade. I’ve since grown up, and every so often I have been hit with a sense of un-direction. I mean, where do weird kids go when they aren’t kids anymore?

On January 24, I learned the answer to that question: they go to The Edwardian World’s Faire.

The Edwardian Ball is described on their website as “an elegant and whimsical celebration of art, music, theatre, fashion, technology, circus, and the beloved creations of the late, great author and illustrator Edward Gorey”. You may recognize Gorey from his grim black and white drawings depicting old-timey, high society-types. Or, if you’re like me, perhaps you have vague memories of The Gashlycrumb Tinies, an alphabet book consisting entirely of children dying terrible deaths. I’ll admit I don’t know much about his work aside from the feeling of indescribable dread it gave me when I was young, so I turned to a more knowledgable friend to ask what she believed attracted people to the Gorey’s work and aesthetic.

“His macabre subjects and the gallows humor,” she said, “accompanied by the lifework that can range from stark to densely-packed with lines… And a lot of it, though not necessarily macabre, just feels bizarre.”

So what type of people are drawn together in the same of such a bizarre man?

I arrived to The Regency Ballroom about an hour ahead of time, which worked in my favor as the line stacked up quickly. What really struck me first was how elaborate the costumes I saw were. There was a blend of fashion and technology that fit in well coming from the culture of Silicon Valley. I was lucky enough to be in line behind Greg and Lora Price from Steamy Tech in Santa Clara. Their ensemble was drawing in a lot of attention from passersby, especially Greg with his modified top hat containing four wooden walls of light and moving gears. This was built by hand, as was the pendent around Lora’s neck that lit up and acted as a sort of decibel meter.

Steamy Tech works with laser cutters, 3-D printers, and basic programming to create motorized trinkets and kits you can put together on your own. And Greg and Lora are regulars at the Edwardian Ball, coming each year with a new wooden pin to give out. I saw several guests donning this year’s pin of a scroll and quill, along with designs from previous years. It was clear to me that there was a tight-knit community surrounding the Ball, of which Greg and Lora were a vital part.

When the doors finally opened to the crowd I was one of the first inside. And god, there was a lot to look at. The Edwardian Ball takes up three floors of the Regency Ballroom. When you first enter there’s the Grand Ballroom, a vast space with people on stilts and posed on platforms. There were a lot of photo opportunities, from the flying alligator in the center of the room to the set pieces modeling different Edward Gorey stories from previous years. Below that is the Vendor Bazaar, where artisans sell their handcrafted goods, and two stories up is a more intimate space, with the Fireplace Stage and the Museum of Wonders.

Needless to say, I was lost in a heartbeat and overwhelmed almost immediately. Three floors, each packed with entertainment for the entirety of the night. There was a period of time while the line along the block was filing in (There was a metal detector at the door and almost everyone’s costumes had some amount of metal in them), and I used that period to take in the space while it was still relatively empty.

I enjoyed the Museum of Wonders, a hall of oddities reminiscent of a carnival funhouse with a cage containing the severed hands of the Baba Yaga, and a mermaid skeleton displayed in a case. Outside of that I got to see Belinda Blair’s Mechanical Doll, a performance piece where Blair posed as an animatronic doll that would come to life and play a song on her ukulele for anyone willing to toss her a few coins or trinkets.

The street performer energy was strong here, from the actual performers to the lavishly dressed patrons. There was a figure in a fox mask with an luminescent cape that glided through the ball on a pair of roller blades, and another one in a massive skeletal headpiece. The show was incredible, yes, with performances by the dancers of Le Cancan Bijou and the incredible acrobatics and contortionists of The Vau de Vire Society. But what really struck me about the Edwardian Ball were the people that were attending it.

I got the chance to speak with a few of them, and with the ghost of my younger self on my mind, I asked them all what they would say to the weird kids of the past and future.

There was a range of answers, but what I heard again and again was that things get better. One man advised that old clothes come in handy – which, as a lifelong Goodwill advocate, I can definitely agree with. And I spoke with a young woman in a mohawk and ballgown about her thoughts on the subject.

“Don’t stop being weird,” she said. “Other guys are going to some lame house party tonight, and I’m going to have a fabulous time watching people be themselves and be amazing and feel great about themselves. And what’s not great about that?”

This really struck me. Because, while Edward Gorey’s work is rather restrained, the Ball is anything but. These people are here to celebrate – celebrate themselves, each other, and the spark in Gorey’s work that pushed them to continue. And there’s something wonderful about that. There’s a magical quality in the spectacle of it all, the sense of joy without judgement.

When I left the party was still going on, and I left with with a sense of community that I’d never known before. After this weekend the patrons of the Ball will go back to their everyday lives, scattered all across the Bay Area. They’ll be working their jobs, going about their days, perhaps even passing you on the street. You might see them draped in regalia, or they might look so inconspicuous that you don’t notice them at all.

So take their advice, reader, and keep it weird. You might feel like you’re the only one, but that’s far from the truth.

They’re out there. We’re out there. You just have to know where to look.

Revelers at The 20th Annual Edwardian Ball and Edwardian World’s Faire | Photo by Neil Girling

Revelers at The 20th Annual Edwardian Ball and Edwardian World’s Faire | Photo by Leori Gill

Revelers at The 20th Annual Edwardian Ball and Edwardian World’s Faire | Photo by Leori Gill

Revelers at The 20th Annual Edwardian Ball and Edwardian World’s Faire | Photo by Neil Girling

Article by Talia Colarusso | Photos by Lydia Bell

From the moment you pull down 5th avenue in Wynwood on a not so chilly December night you are instantly transported into a living breathing art exhibition unlike any other. From the local artists scraping for some first time recognition on the corner to the coveted photographer with 700k instagram followers who has drawn an international audience taking up space in the chic warehouse across the street, Art Basel is not an event to miss out on.

Red Dot Miami took things up a level this year, hosted in the famed Maya Studio in the heart of Wynwood Red Dot featured over 75 galleries and 500 artists in the span of four nights. From the moment you enter the sprawling studio space the bump of some trendy New York DJ can be heard playing in the background. But before you even have the time to pull your phone out and Shazam the song you are whisked away by the sheer amount of eclectic works splayed out in front of you. As you breeze through gallery after gallery with a chilled lychee martini in hand it is hard not to get swept up in the whimsicalness of an art exhibition of such grandeur size. It was hard to remember that outside of these walls we were still in the middle of Wynwood and not at some underground art show hosted in Berlin. The sheer amount of international artists featured in this exhibition was enough to take one’s breath away. From the contemporary to classic, to down right extreme there was something for everyone’s taste at Red Dot Miami. As always Art Basel has managed to blow my mind even more than the year before. If you have yet to check out Art Basel for yourself, keep an eye out for the dates for 2019’s Art Basel to be posted.

Article by Khatija Hussain

The Queen’s House is one of London’s most historic buildings and one of the only few remaining in Greenwich, London. This beautifully creamed stone paved palace brings the rich history of the lineage of the royals and how the monarchy was passed onto the Queen today. Some visitors have reported of a ghost that lurks in the Queen’s House, a photo was captured in 1966 of a hand but nothing further has been discovered until 2002, when a worker reported a figure dressed in a grey/white dress passing though the walls.

The Queen’s house was built in 1616 by Inigo Jones for the Queen Anne of Denmark, but it was put on hold once the queen had passed. In 1635, the Queen’s House was finished for Henrietta Maria, the wife of Charles I.

Although, Henrietta lived here until 1642, she was able to experience the house before she was sent into exile as her husband Charles I was executed for treason and starting the civil war.

The House holds over hundreds of paintings collected over the years and artwork created recently to celebrate the house’s 400th anniversary. The Queen’s House was closed off in 2016 to be refurbished to match the style of the original décor of the house. Inigo Jones’ architectural design was inspired from his journey from Italy and designed one of the first geometrical floorings along with the stunningly blue Tulip Stairs, which was the first geometric self-supporting spiral stair in Britain. This is where the supposed Queen’s House ghost was reportedly seen.

Each room in the Queen’s House presents paintings of the members that once stood in the house and the finest seaman in Britain. The King’s presence chamber is decorated with royal blue walls and outlined with a rich gold plated carved designs throughout the ceiling and corner of the room. This room hangs the portraits of the king and his courtiers who were royals, philosophers and naval officers.

The top left is a portrait of Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Teddeman. The canvas below is of Vice-Admiral Sir William Berkeley. The top right is Vice Admiral Sir Joseph Jordan and the portrait below is Sir Jeremiah Smith. They were created in 1665/1666.

The gallery has many beautiful artistic works, some created were described as pen paintings displayed in the King’s antechamber. The pen paintings were drawn by the famous Dutch artist Willem van de Velde, the Elder. He was one of the artists to sketch naval battles that he had witnessed. The small room was darkened with grey walls to enhance the sketches and give the viewer a clearer visual of what each detailed mark of the naval ships looked like.

The pen paintings by Willem van de Velde, the Elder were of ‘The First Battle of Schooneveld 23 May 1673’ This was sketched in 1684 (the bottom left). The second sketch was of ‘A Kaag and a Galjoot Close to the Shore with Witte de With in the ‘Brederode’ Leaving the Vlie, 9 June 1645’ (bottom right). The pen painting above was of the ‘The Battle of the Sound, 8 November 1658’. This was fully drawn in 1660.

The Queen’s Privy chamber is filled with portraits of the Tudor Family, the Stuart Family, and the Hanoverians. Each royal family had their turn in ruling England in their own way whilst working with parliament.

The gallery hosted a talk in the Queen’s Privy chamber by a volunteer named James Ears. He delivered a fantastic detailed and informative talk on these three bloodlines. Discussing how each member in these families came to power. The Tudors time was before the Queen’s House and Queen Elizabeth I was just shy of her 70th birthday before she had passed away and remained childless with no one to pass the throne onto. James I of England (6th of Scotland) was next in line for the throne. He was known for being influential and was quick with settling deals with parliament and others. James I was the transition from the Tudors between the Stuarts. The story of how the Hanoverians took the throne continues to be how the monarch is run today by her majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen’s House last room ends with a very detailed painting on the roof of many influential figures in history. This gallery has so much to offer, it is a lovely day out for taking the family and learning something new about England. The queen’s house is not the only place to visit, with this historical site, the Maritime Museum is nearby along with the Royal Observatory. These monuments are the last original historical buildings left in Greenwich that make up some of the history of London and the current royal family.

Article Review by Miranda Caravalho

Here’s the thing: I came out at a pretty young age.

It wasn’t the grand and dramatic story people hear about in movies and the like. My immediate family was supportive, and my more distant relatives responded with a murmur and an empty stare that was neither with me nor against me. I was here, queer – and, evidently, everyone was used to it.

But that’s not to say things weren’t without tension, even if just within myself. I tottered into a group of young queer activists during high school. These were radical, brilliant kids who were marching in protests and putting bills into action that would protect generations. Then there was me. My modus operandi? I wanted to get married to a lady. I may have been accepted, but inwardly I felt wholly inadequate.

So when I saw Rise Up! Social Justice in Art open at the San Jose Museum of Art, I was reluctant to go. I felt that taking space there would be an act of fraud, like someone would notice my presence, point an accusatory finger and shout “That woman! She hasn’t called her congressperson!”.

Still, I went. Maybe it was for the review, maybe it was the seductive siren song of Pride Month making me bold. Whatever it was, I’m glad I went, because Rise Up! is a small but truly spectacular exhibit.

This collection is a variety of mediums – from sculpture, to intricate watercolor, to massive mixed media pieces that literally command space in the room. A good example of this is Mickalene Thomas’s Portrait of Qusuquzah #5, a giant work of enamel, oil and rhinestones that depicts one of Thomas’s many muses in her passion for depicting strong black femininity. Each sequin is placed by hand, adorning the model’s eyeshadow and lips, and her deep, dark eyes stare out at whoever passes her with unquestioned self-assurance. There’s no other way to say it, Portrait of Qusuquzah #5 is a shrine to power that glitters as you approach it from every angle.

I was also drawn to Chris Ofill’s Untitled (Couple E), two portraits that depict an African-American couple dressed in royal regalia. This is a work that grows the more you watch it, as you take in the detail of the watercolor, the precision of the lines in the clothing and the way the colors seep and bleed into each other. It’s strangely soothing, almost cooling in a way. And once more it comes with two more pairs of piercing eyes.

What I went to see, though, and what got me to come back to the exhibit a second time, was Robert Arneson’s Five Times for Harvey, a collection of five portraits depicting Harvey Milk, California’s first openly gay elected official, from his start in office to his eventual assassination. When I first saw these portraits I stood in front of them for a long time. The drawings are all based on the same smiling photo of Milk, but they’re depicted in these frantic, scratching lines and colors – except for the third one. The third portrait is all black and grey. If you look closely you can see the words NO DAN NO scrawled along his upper lip, a reference to Milk’s killer. And in the one following that the colors return with an explosion, blacking out Milk’s eyes and mouth. You can see BANG BANG BANG faintly running across his forehead.

In the final portrait Milk’s face is once again smiling and serene. There’s a gold star painting over it, a nod to the legacy the man left in his wake. It’s a legacy that can’t be shot down, one that rises with each wave of a rainbow flag. I found myself moved to tears right there in the museum.

I left Rise Up! with a sense of pride – who would’ve guessed. I could see my identity displayed in physical form, and it was beautiful. For all the queer persons and POC reading this, let me just say, your humanity is powerful. It is sequins and shadow, and so many colors. It doesn’t matter if you take part in every march or hold yourself more quietly, you deserve to see yourself made into art. Allies too, you have a chance to open yourself up to the souls and minds of your fellow Earth-mates. I don’t know how often I’ll be able to say this without hyperbole, so I’ll say it now – everyone should see this exhibit. Just to entice you I’ve left a few treasures unsaid, so you have a surprise or two in store when you come.

Now, if you excuse me, I have to call my congressperson.

• JUN 8-SEP 30: Rise Up! Social Justice in Art from the Collection of J. Michael Bewley | San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, California

Robert Arneson
Five Times for Harvey, 1982
Mixed media on paper
30 × 24 inches
Gift of J. Michael Bewley
© Estate of Robert Arneson, 2018, licensed by VAGA, New York, New York.

Photography by Lydia Bell | Article by Talia Colarusso

Nestled between Tommy Bahama flip flops and soft rolling sand dunes appears a bright and vibrant artist who is more versed in events such as Art Basil Miami, and Fashion Week Athens and Madrid. How exactly did Billy the Artist find himself preforming a live mural exhibition in the quaint town of Destin tucked away in Florida’s Panhandle?

Well apparently, the art scene in Destin is anything but quiet, the town is home to the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County, CAA’s mission is to bring Walton County into the spotlight as a thriving community for the arts and cultural excellence.

We arrived at the beginning of Art Week for the kickoff event featuring Billy the Artist. The event felt like it was straight out of a New York art exhibition, only the venue and patrons all beamed with that wonderful mix of southern comfort and tropical vibes one can only find in the Florida Panhandle. The event was held at the Foster Gallery and featured Billy the Artist holding a live mural performance in which he danced to the beat of the DJ while he created a large canvas mural right before the guest’s eyes. Not only did the event feature the live muralist but the gallery also hosted the work of 22 local and regional artists, many of which attended the event.

Between the music, the food, and the live art this was a night to be remembered.

The Arc Gallery & Studios held many artists that were all uniquely different from one another. As I stepped into the gallery I was greeted by two friendly ladies who told me about other exhibits that were going to go on in the future. There were many large oil and acrylic paintings, photography, a couple sculptures, and an installation that you first notice when you walk through the door. There are two rooms, yet the first room you walk into is larger than the other.

This gallery is great to visit if you want to meet your local artists of San Francisco. The gallery sometimes holds open studio events that allow visitors to see the artists’ studios. You can check out their work space and even talk to the artist in person about their pieces. For this Artspan Exhibit the studios were not open, but an artist named Nina Fabunmi had her pieces at this event. One piece called “To fit in is to Stand Out” (oil on canvas) was the one that stood out to me the most. Her painting depicted a figure standing on top of a table in a room full of people. I love pieces that show unique brush strokes, because it shows how every artist has their own style of pushing paint around the canvas. Her use of color also made the painting stand out, by using hues of blue and orange.

I personally suggest visiting this gallery if you are an artist in San Francisco. Since the gallery space is small, it is easier to converse and network with people. You can also find out about your local artists and meet them.