Flatlanders & Surface Dwellers is a group exhibition featuring diverse visual art media that explore the intimate and exotic realm of surface texture which evokes visceral, multi-sensory responses. Throughout the history of art making, the artist’s relationship with surface has been a serious consideration. Renaissance artists, striving for illusion, expected the viewer to ignore the surface. Modernists embraced the surface and made it a primary consideration.
Press
March 2013
We Heart - Sugar and Spice
Welcome to the bonkers Wonka world of Allison Renshaw, who is currently exhibiting a collection of work under the umbrella title Better Than Candy which shares the sweet, sickly and sharp flavours and vivid colours found in the factory of Dahl’s homicidal eccentric. Her mixed-media creations are a bit like a packet of Dolly Mixtures that have been left in the glove compartment all summer, incongruous ingredients fusing together to form chaotic clustered bon-bons.
Folio Weekly - Hope Amid the Ruins
Through a colorful rendition of a dark reality, Sarah Emerson became an expert on a place she’s never been. Emerson’s mural installation, based on her imaginary interpretation of Japan’s suicide forest Aokigahara, is on display at the Haskell Atrium Gallery in the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville. Her “Underland” is a continuation of a series of paintings she’s created based on her imaginings of the forest.
SF Examiner - Allison Renshaw's Colorful Collages Put Sweetness in Chaos
Beautiful, colorful fragments inspired by modern living and nature compose abstract collages and mixed-media pieces by Allison Renshaw in the exhibition “Better than Candy.” On view at Mirus Gallery (in the South of Market space’s first solo exhibit since it opened in November), the show includes about 20 works made in the past four years, from small untitled collages with white and neon backgrounds to massive, chaotic paintings like “Fever.”
Examiner - Weekend picks for March 7th -10th
Chaotic fragments of color and texture define their own internal rhythm in the mixed-media images of Southern California artist Allison Renshaw. Her first Bay Area solo show, "Better Than Candy," features her recent work on a theme of convergence. As in our day-to-day reality, genres, cultures and styles collide, and new stories emerge.
SF Gate - Bay Area Weekend Picks, March 7-10
Chaotic fragments of color and texture define their own internal rhythm in the mixed-media images of Southern California artist Allison Renshaw. Her first Bay Area solo show, "Better Than Candy," features her recent work on a theme of convergence. As in our day-to-day reality, genres, cultures and styles collide, and new stories emerge.
Juxtapoz - Issue Preview: April 2013 w/ Ralph Steadman, Erik Parker, Parra, and Hunter S. Thomson
Yes, it was a quick month (no Leap Year here), and we are here again to announce another new issue of Juxtapoz. In our April 2013 issue, we are proud to feature legendary fine artist Ralph Steadman and his longtime collaborations with friend Hunter S. Thompson. With contributions from former Rolling Stone editor, Ben Fong-Torres, X-Files creator Chris Carter, and Jux writer Nathan Spoor, we are proud to help usher in a year of celebrating one of the most iconic artists of our times, Mr Ralph Steadman.
The April issue also features:
Jaime Brett Treadwell and the new Pop Surrealism
San Francisco Bay Guardian - Happy Women's History Month, dammit let's celebrate
Mirus Gallery is in the final days of “The Looking Glass: Refraction Through the Female Gaze”, in which 17 female artists interpret the female form, messing with the art world's standard depictions of woman as vessel for whatever the hell conceit the painter/illustrator/sculptor is trying to get across. Kimberly Brooks, Rachel Walker, Mercedes Helnwein, Claire Pestaille, and Casey O'Connell all have pieces in the show.
February 2013
Encinitas Patch - Locals Only: Allison Renshaw
It’s easy to feel sensory overload in a tech-savvy, pop culture-heavy world that inundates us with a wealth of information and experiences. That chaos is given vivid life in Allison Renshaw’s art. The local artist creates mixed-media works with acrylics, oils, spray paint, and collage, with the content combining the natural landscape, urban elements, fashion, and architecture.
Hi Fructose - Preview: Allison Renshaw’s “Better than Candy” at Mirus Gallery
Southern California-based artist Allison Renshaw will open a solo show titled “Better than Candy” at San Francisco’s Mirus Gallery on March 9. Mixing collage with painting, Renshaw’s artworks take explosive forms with material sourced from fashion and surfer magazines, classic cartoons and early 20th-century abstract painting spinning in galactic orbits. “Currently, I am attracted to how different ‘histories’ of painting can co-exist in a single image: hard-edge, Abstract Expressionism, figurative and street art,” said Renshaw. “I am really interested in how different cultures collide and how this reflects our current environment. My work is formed of particles of the urban landscape and our everyday culture.” Take a look at our preview of “Better than Candy,” images courtesy of Mirus Gallery, and check out the show March 9-April 6.
Galerie Roccia - Alexandra Levasseur
Over the past few weeks, Alexandra Levasseur has been holed up in her studio to prepare for her next exhibition. She’ll present her first solo showing at the gallery in June 2013. Needless to say we are utterly thrilled! But just for the pleasure of it, we offer you a sneak peek. She put the finishing touches to this work… today!!!
Hi Fructose - Opening Night: “The Looking Glass” at Mirus Gallery
Last weekend, San Francisco’s Mirus Gallery opened their group show, “The Looking Glass: Refraction through the Female Gaze.” Focused on female painters who create figurative works featuring primarily female subjects, the show demonstrated a diverse array of perspectives on the portrayal of femininity in the art world. Stand-out pieces included Alexandra Levasseur’s mixed-media works that reflect wintertime solitude and Sandra Chevrier’s colorful, expressive portraits. The complete roster of artists includes Kimberly Brooks, Sandra Chevrier, Naja Conrad-Hansen, Mercedes Helnwein, Alexandra Levasseur, Jen Mann, Sari Maxfield, Alyssa Monks, Jennifer Nehrbass, Casey O’Connell, Claire Pestaille, Rachel Walker, Janelle Wisehart and Christine Wu. Take a look at our exclusive opening night photos below and check out the show before it closes on March 2.
Huffington Post- The Looking Glass: Refraction Through The Female Gaze' Comes To San Francisco's Mirus Gallery
Who knows how to portray the female form better than a renowned group of female artists?
For the next three weeks, SoMa's new Mirus Gallery will attempt to answer that question with its third exhibit, "The Looking Glass: Refracton Through the Female Gaze." The group show, featuring works by Sandra Chevrier, Naja Conrad-Hansen, Mercedes Helnwein, Alexandra Levasseur, Kimberly Brooks and more, showcases women's bodies through a variety of unexpected mediums.
But don't expect a bundle of dainty flowers.
"The artists featured in the The Looking Glass challenge the preconceived notion that the female form in art represents a sense of delicacy and untouchable beauty," a statement announcing the exhibit explains. "Creating a new discourse and exploring the woman's role in artistic context, The Looking Glass is a celebration of the female form that ultimately transcends objectification."
Take a look at some of the pieces featured below, and be sure to stop by Mirus Gallery before Saturday, March 2 to view the stunning collection in person.
Hi Fructose- Preview: “The Looking Glass” Group Show at Mirus Gallery
While the percentage of female subjects depicted by male artists is disproportionately high in art history, Mirus Gallery aims to subvert the ever-present male gaze in Western art for the next exhibition, “The Looking Glass: Refraction through the Female Gaze.” Opening February 9, this group exhibition features female painters who depict female subjects in their work. The line-up of exhibiting artists include Kimberly Brooks, Sandra Chevrier, Naja Conrad-Hansen, Mercedes Helnwein, Alexandra Levasseur, Jen Mann, Sari Maxfield, Alyssa Monks, Jennifer Nehrbass, Casey O’Connell, Claire Pestaille, Rachel Walker, Janelle Wisehart and Christine Wu. Rather than portraying the female form as merely delicate or seductive, these artists challenge the norms of depicting the female body, using portraits of the so-called fairer sex to explore both cultural and personal themes. Take a look at our preview of “The Looking Glass,” images courtesy of Mirus Gallery.
ArtistADay- Jaime Brett Treadwell
Jaime Treadwell was born and raised in a suburb of Philadelphia. Treadwell completed his formal art education at the State University of New York at Cortland, and went on to earn his MFA from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002. Treadwell’s work has been exhibited throughout the United States and abroad including New York, Miami, Boston, South Korea, Vancouver, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Publications and reviews include New American Paintings, Direct Art Magazine, Philadelphia Inquirer, Miami Times, Philadelphia Weekly, Philadelphia City Paper, and Saatchi Online TV Magazine. Jaime Treadwell lives and works in Philadelphia where he is a full-time Assistant Professor of Art at Delaware County Community College.
Jaime describes his work by saying, “I am intrigued by my social surroundings ranging from small neighborhood cultural identities to grander differences among rural, urban, and suburban life. I find pleasure merging conflicting imagery, design, and color. I often use vivid cheerful colors to masquerade or obscure the realities within my paintings. Recent paintings suggest gypsy-like carnival communities isolated from others, prepared to travel, re-settle, and re-create their own versions of utopia. I fuse imagery from various time periods and cultures to construct a communal habitat for religious icons, fairies, cherubs, nymphs, dancers, and prostitutes that appear to live in a world of harmony”.
January 2013
Blue Canvas Interviews Jaime Treadwell
Jaime Brett Treadwell was born and raised in a suburb of Philadelphia. He completed his formal art education at the State University of New York at Cortland, and went on to earn his MFA from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002. Treadwell’s work has been exhibited throughout the United States and abroad, including New York, Miami, Boston, South Korea, Vancouver, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Chicago. Publications and reviews include Juxtapoz books, JPeople magazine, Who’s Jack magazine, New American Paintings, Direct Art magazine, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Miami New Times. Treadwell lives and works in Philadelphia, where he is a fulltime assistant professor of art at Delaware County Community College.
It is difficult not to see your work as a commentary on contemporary American kitsch. Would you say your work is explicitly about this or are there other themes at play?
American kitsch is definitely a consistent major theme throughout my work. I use American kitsch as a vehicle to touch on various themes. My work tends to become visually overstimulating, incorporating multiple elements such as religion, high art, low art, historical art, contemporary art, ideal beauty, sex, sexuality, gender roles, and social identity, among other things. I like to dig around these issues and playfully experiment by merging abnormal relationships. Recently I have been incorporating these ideas into pop-up or tent city–like communities. I imagine a subculture evolving from various American cultures where lowbrow and highbrow appear to exist as one. To achieve this, for example, I sometimes place a religious fi gure or a Greek statue on top of a camper or mobile home. Although these types of shrines, by way of lawn ornaments and such, exist throughout America, I enjoy taking it a step or two further. Americans have the freedom to display what is important to their identities, and I am fascinated to see how humans go about showcasing what defines them.
Many of your pieces depict towers of people, trailers, and various objects assembled like neon monuments on a black void. Can you explain the reasoning behind your aesthetic choices here?
I usually find myself painting two-dimensional versions of a sculptural assemblage of “found objects” that can also be used as a livable habitat for carnival or gypsylike communities. Each element of the assemblage is a deliberate decision both formally and conceptually. I find myself adding, changing, and adding again, to the point where I often put myself in a problematic situation with regard to composition and concept. Most of my decisions are not predetermined, but in the end everything must work together like a well-oiled machine. I was once told by the artist Pepon Osorio in graduate school that “when you have a perfect marriage of form and concept, you have success." Since that point, I have been attempting to meet those standards within each painting. In This Place Does Not Exist, I used the TransAm phoenix symbol for what it represents. When I was younger, this symbol represented everything that was cool, awesome, and darkly mysterious. The image of the Trans-Am exuded unapologetic beauty, sex, and power. However, symbols can change meaning over time. One group of people may now view it as proudly showcasing masculine freedom, whereas another group views it as trashy, ostentatious, and embarrassing. These different points of view are what I enjoy mixing together. I love the dichotomy between meanings of imagery or symbols. When I am painting, I have the most fun when I can transcend the perceived limits of imagery and meaning into one glorious happy homogeneous place. I get a sense of personal victory if I can pull that off.
Do you think teaching art to others has infl uenced your work in any way?
Absolutely… I have not taught painting very much, which may sound odd being that I am a painter. I teach mostly drawing, color and design, and 3-D design. I now realize that teaching, researching, and working with those three courses has defi nitely made me a better painter. I try to include more in my paintings than just the conversation of painting relating only to its history. Good painting, good photography, good sculpture, or just good art is all the same thing to me. I think art is more successful when it moves beyond the discipline and relates to much more. I believe that teaching subjects like 3-D design has helped me to consider more than just issues in painting.
What is the art scene like in Philly right now?
I think the Philly art scene is doing pretty good. We definitely have an abundance of artists, youth, and energy; however, the support from contemporary collectors is another story. I don’t think we compare to NYC and LA in that regard, but times are changing and I see more and more interest. There have been various articles about Philadelphia being the sixth borough of New York City. I have met several “creatives” who have moved down here from NYC because it is a happening and aff ordable city to live in, and is still close to NYC. We also have amazing art schools here that pump out very talented MFA graduates each year. I also have met a few graduates from other blue-chip programs, such as RISD and Yale, who have decided to reside here. We have the Fabric Workshop and Museum, Vox Populi Gallery, the Artblog, and so many more amazing establishments for the arts. Philadelphia is becoming a hot spot…
December 2012
Hi-Fructose - Opening Night: “Escape Velocity” Group Show at Mirus Gallery
San Francisco’s Mirus Gallery opened a new show last Saturday titled “Escape Velocity” (previewed here). Titled after a physical concept that describes matter traveling at a speed fast enough to escape the Earth’s gravitational pull, the show featured some cutting-edge abstract artworks that give a taste of what’s to come at the new gallery for the coming year. The participating artists approach abstraction in numerous ways, from works that seem to throttle through space with dynamic motion to contemplative studies of quiet scenes.
Hi-Fructose - Preview: “Escape Velocity” at Mirus Gallery
This Saturday, the new San Francisco space Mirus Gallery (where we last saw the spectacular group show “Crucible” featuring Mars-1, Oliver Vernon, NoMe Edonna, David Choong Lee and Damon Soule) will open another group show, “Escape Velocity,” featuring a wide array of artists working in innovative modes of abstraction. From highly distorted figurative works to refined linework and forms that appear to hurl through space, the show presents an eclectic array of styles and gives a taste of what’s to come for the gallery. The complete line-up includes: Tom Berenz, Steve Budington, John Deardourff, Joshua Dildine, Michael Dotosn, Julian Duron, Mattiahs Duwel, Sarah Emerson, Clark Goolsby, Daniel Healey, Dean Monogenis, Kenji Nakayama & Dana Woulfe, Pepa Prieto, Allison Renshaw, James Roper, Jaime Treadwell and Bas Zoonjens.
Juxtapoz: Clark Goolsby @ Mirus Gallery, SF
NYC-based Clark Goolsby has a big-ass spread in our January 2013 issue (that was fun to write). Just in time, Goolsby will have a few new pieces in a group show at Mirus Gallery in San Francisco, that opens Saturday, December 15. The second show at Mirus, Escape Velocity will feature works that are surreal, abstract, philosophical, but also feature figurative, familiar shapes and personas.
Along with Goolsby, James Roper, Kenji Nakayama, Jaime Treadwell and other great selections will be in Escape Velocity. Definitely worth a stop-through.
November 2012
SFStation: Spectrum
The foundation, vision, and future of Mirus Gallery through Paul's own words in a great interview by SFStation's arts & culture blog...
Paul Hemming is a nightclub owner, DJ, record producer and restaurateur who most recently has been working on a new venture—an art gallery, Mirus, recently opened in the SoMA that features the work of emerging and established artists and aims to foster a spirit of collaboration.
When did you first get the idea to open up the art gallery?
I got the idea three years ago and it’s taken three years of planning. We’ve remodeled the entire building.
When did you start collecting art? What made you want to collect contemporary art?
I’ve been collecting art for 10 years. These artists, I’ve had personal relationships with for 10 years, some longer than others. Damon actually did a commission for my record store—I have a record store over on Valencia called Zen City Records—and he did a piece for me in 2001. Through him I met a lot of these other guys.
I like art that speaks to me instantaneously. With this art [that I've chosen for the first exhibition Crucible] there are so many levels and dimensions that it truly is contemplative and contains elements of many past art forms—realism, surrealism, abstractionism.
Tell me a little about the artist-in-residency program set to launch in 2013.
Beginning in 2013, we are going to fly them in and put them up and clothe them and feed them while they work on a body of work and then promote them. Finding upcoming artists is something I’m really passionate about.
How did you come up with the name Mirus Gallery?
I was searching endlessly for a name that could embody the work. I wasn’t interested in putting my own name, but I didn’t need that. I wanted something that reflected the art so I thought, how could I describe the work? I came across Mirus which is Latin for astonishing and strange—it had a nice ring to it, and it just kinda struck me.
You are know for your sustainable business practices—how will these be applied to the new art gallery?
I’m going to be curating certain shows that are going to be built around reclaimed items. I love when you have those artists that basically just go around gathering trash—one man’s trash is another man’s treasure—putting that together and composing it into art.
Do you have any future shows planned?
Escape Velocity—the speed which you need to reach to escape the gravitational pull of the planet. That’s just a metaphor for the work. The work to me from these artists is really that next level, almost other worldly, powerful kind of style–there’s 15 to 20 different artists but what ties them together…there is a cohesive thread through the style of work.
And how does the opening of Mirus fit in with your overall creative vision?
This is the jewel on top of all of these things because I love to inspire people and I love to be inspired and to be able to share that passion with people. You can tell people are really moved. Some people will walk by and not really register it and others will walk by and ask what is this.
I truly believe in these guys–maybe in five years or 10 years or 20 years–people will look back and recognize what these guys are doing.
artbusiness.com Reviews "Crucible" Opening
Mirus Gallery: Crucible - Collaborative Works by Damon Soule, David Choong Lee, Mars-1, NoMe Edonna and Oliver Vernon.
Review by RWM: Wild. Freeform. Collaborative works still in motion. Grab onto something before you do fall into these paintings which display a life of their own. Cool but disconcerting for those who are looking for connections been the disparate parts. Fervent.
Comment by AB: The "Convergence" and "Further" artists are at it again, inviting us to bask in their dynamic utopian wonderlands, visions so uplifting and sumptuous, you just want to dive right in (for those of you playing the home version, "Convergence" and "Further" are the two books that survey the collaborative works of these five artists). The future doesn't always have to be apocalyptic, foreboding, violent and degenerate, does it? Lord knows we have way more than enough art about that. Positivity and potentiality beat gloom & doom any day of the week-- as they certainly do here. So come on down, leave life's travails at the door and glimpse the promised land. Well worth a visit.
Arrested Motion Reviews "Crucible"
Mirus Gallery, an exhibition space in downtown San Francisco founded and established by art collector/entrepreneur Paul Hemming, opens with a group show consisting of collaborative and individually created works by a dynamic collection of artists (that are also long-time friends), including Damon Soule, David Choong Lee, Mars-1, NoMe Edonna, and Oliver Vernon. The kinetic works in the exhibition burst with energy and sharp colors and represent the fine technical skill and expressive cosmic imagination of each artist. Check out some of the pieces in the show here and make it to the gallery to see the monumental pieces for yourself.
Hi-Fructose - Mars-1, David Choong Lee, Oliver Vernon, Damon Soule and NoMe Edonna at Mirus Gallery
Last Saturday, the new San Francisco art space Mirus Gallery opened its inaugural show, “Crucible,” a collection of collaborative and individual works by Mars-1, David Choong Lee, Oliver Vernon, Damon Soule and NoMe Edonna. Impressive, mural-scale paintings spanned entire walls, swallowing the viewers with their dazzling patterns and psychedelic forms. The three center-pieces of the show were created at Burning Man when gallery owner Paul Hemming invited the artists to paint live at the festival for its past three iterations. Smaller-scale individual works surrounded the large pieces, demonstrating each artist’s distinct hallucinatory visions.
October 2012
Hi-Fructose - Preview: Mars-1, David Choong Lee, Oliver Vernon, Damon Soule and NoMe Edonna at Mirus Gallery
Each working with a different mode of psychedelic painting, members of the art collective Furtherrr strive to create harmony within their individual paintings and with one another in their collaborative process. Mars-1, David Choong Lee, Oliver Vernon, Damon Soule and NoMe Edonna, all long-time friends that comprise the collective, will open a group show at the new San Francisco art space, Mirus Gallery. Opening on November 10, “Crucible” will showcase the artists’ individual works as well as impressive, large-scale collaborative canvases (the centerpiece of the show spans 7 x 16 feet). Full of abstract imagery, the works in the show appear full of fluid motion, reigning chaotic elements into a standstill.