Girl-w_-Pearl

Timeless Dutch painting displayed at de Young Museum

She has captivated viewers for years with her exotic headdress, pictorial elegance and penetrating eyes, and now Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” is finally accessible to an American audience with her first North American stop at San Francisco’s de Young Museum. The exhibit, “Girl with a Pearl Earring: Read More…

Lu Han

A guide to December Oakland Art Murmur

A: ‘Lucid Dreams’ at Betti Ono Gallery The most powerful inspiration can come from beyond our conscious and tangible reality. Such a statement aligns with the thrust of Betti Ono Gallery, whose mission statement is “to inspire limitless creativity.” In “Lucid Dreams,” opening for December’s Art Murmur, eight artists meditate Read More…

Screen-Shot-2012-11-14-at-7.41.04-PM

Graffiti artists find new venue in Ear Peace Records

The gallery space at Ear Peace Records vibed with music, colors and lines as patrons walked along to view the 50 or so artworks hung on the wall. A few wandered outside to grab a beer and check out the murals in the courtyard outside. Celebrating the independent record label Read More…

Jasper Johns, 0 through 9, 1960; oil on canvas; 72 x 54 in. (182.8 x 137.1 cm); Collection of Helen and Charles Schwab, fractional gift to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; © Jasper Johns / Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

Exhibit spans Jasper Johns’ catalogue

Jasper Johns is an American iconoclast. Deftly maneuvering between different styles, but never committing to just one, it is obvious from the SFMOMA’s current exhibition of his works that Johns was inspired by all facets of life. The exhibit, “Jasper Johns: Seeing with the Mind’s Eye,” is a retrospective of Read More…

Jay DeFeo, After Image, 1970, graphite, gouache, and transparent synthetic polymer on paper with cut-and-torn tracing paper; The Menil Collection, Houston; gift of Glenn Fukushima; © 2012 The Jay DeFeo Trust / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, photo: by Paul Hester

SFMOMA shows diverse work of UC Berkeley alum Jay DeFeo

The tall canvas of “The Rose” is smothered in thick, textured oil paint that crafts a mesmerizing 3-D effect while employing rich black and white color tones that depict the spreading petals of a rose and signify the thematic balance between darkness and light. One of the largest-scale paintings present Read More…

baddads.IGNACIO

‘Bad Dads’ features art based on Anderson films

There are two major Wes Anderson camps — either you’ve never heard of the guy, or you eat his movies up like deliciously twee vegan crepes. Building on his signature style of picturesquely framed scenes, dry humor and hopelessly dysfunctional families, Anderson has cropped up quite the following, especially apparent Read More…

artmurmer

Oakland revived by Art Murmur

Oakland at the turn of the millennium looked very different from the city that was ranked as one of the top places to go in 2012 by the New York Times. Since then, the sparse neighborhoods of desolate buildings and fast food restaurants have been replaced by art galleries, restaurants Read More…

Oakland Art Murmur: October

Here is our preview of new shows to see this Friday at Oakland Art Murmur. On the first friday of every month, numerous galleries around the intersection of Telegraph and 23rd St. open their doors from 6-9 p.m. for Oakland Art Murmur.  To read our descriptions of the shows, click on Read More…

oldcrow.annacarey

‘Stand Tall Pt. III’ features diverse set of artists

As artists entered Old Crow Tattoo and Gallery last week, they were met with a narrow strip of white wall outlined by blue masking tape. They found their spots — labeled with their names scribbled on used-up BART tickets — and got to work installing their pieces. Over the course Read More…