San Francisco Collectors Circle: White Walls & Shooting Gallery

Unseen On TV by Erik Foss

On November 14th, Gen Art members attended the opening exhibition of works by renowned graffiti artist ESPO, Japanese surrealist painter Yumiko Kayukawa and Erik Foss at White Walls | Shooting Gallery.

Guests enjoyed complimentary Ménage à Trois Wine and sweets provided by Divine Chocolate.

About The Artists:
Steve Powers (also known as ESPO) isolates moments, images and phrases of daily life to create an emotional revelation within the viewer. Maintaining his graffiti and signage aesthetic, ESPO’s new collections of shadow boxes are made with enamel and aluminum. They are backlit: shining in honesty, complexity and truth. This exhibit brings attention to matters of love, life and all the complicated situations in between. Notorious for his dark humor combined with eloquence ESPO’s paintings.

Yumiko Kayukawa’s pieces often tell a story communicating with dynamic composition, intriguing poses and fluid patterns. Scenic environments are electrified by bold imagery and color, painting with acrylic, using ink for outlines and accents on wood panels and canvas. Her traditional kanji characters enlighten the viewer with titles that give greater understanding to the piece. Emanating a certain famine appeal, Kayukawa plays on themes of nature, fantasy and fashion.

Seemingly naïve perceptions of sex, religion and politics are represented in the form of collage, combined to form a disordered setting for Erik Foss’ new exhibition, Unseen on TV. This collection is fueled by a sociological deviance from American culture, while at the same time reflecting the cultures very ideals. Foss’ raw collages on distressed paper are an assembled collection of antique pornography and photographs, dating as late as the 1800’s. Erotic cut out hearts cover the faces of stoic portraits, questioning the distinction between offensive vs. provocative or private vs. public concern. Manipulating American history and politics with fearful symmetries and collective despair, Foss dares to push the boundaries of relative understanding.