Nature Calls 4_27—5_25

Wow this year is flying with a turbo cape. Too much work and not enough time tapping the keys with editorial goodness. Good Friend and inspired artist, Bwana Spoons made a call out to the wild and is traveling to San Diego to premier his curated group show, Nature Calls at Subtext.

Nature Calls Curated by Bwana Spoons of Grass Hut
April 27th – May 25th, 2012

Opening Reception: Friday, April 27th, 6-10pm

This Spring, we’re bringing a little Portland to San Diego. Imagine a club house (or hut) made of beards, fluorescent paint, driftwood, plastic toys, beat up skateboards, swimming suits, colorful string and bottle caps. That’s Grass Hut! Now imagine a show curated by their founder, Bwana Spoons. That’s Nature Calls! Featured artists include Chris Reed, Ansis Purins, Jill Bliss, Mark Murphy, Alex Chiu, Martin Ontiveros, Jason Vivona, Snaggs, Skinner, Michelle Valigura, Amanda Visell, Ryan Berkley, Justin Scrappers Morrison, Kiyoshi Nakazawa, Arbito, Tripper Dungan, Josh

Sweet thanks for the invite Mr. Spoons, jump in the game and check it out. Sweet.

Lucid Dreams Featured Art 07/08—08/09

Jonathan Viner

Hairpin

Oil on panel : 18x18” : 2011

“Lucid Dreams” curated by Mark Murphy, features 32 world-class fine artists from around the world. Now on exhibition in San Diego, CA, “Lucid Dreams” features 60 unique paintings, assemblages, sculptures and one-of-a-kind opportunities to add to your personal art collection.

“Lucid Dreams” is on exhibition now through August 9, 2011. Additional photography available upon request. Thank you for taking a closer look.

Marc Bell

We Are Not Connected To Snyder of Berlin

14x11x3/8" : Mixed media on board, 2011

Rorro Berjano

Elewa Oddara

30x30cms : Mixed media, 2011

Tim Biskup

Color Hole

Cel-Vinyl Acrylic on Masonite, 2011 : 11x14”

Ludovic Boulard Le Fur / Loubard

self portrait

45/45/15cm : acrylic on wood cut and assembled sculpture, 2011

Marc Burckhardt

Kindred

Acrylic & oil on wood panel : 12.5" x 10.5" image : 16" x 18" with frame, 2011

Victor Castillo

I am ready

Graphite on paper : 14x14 inch (18 x 18 inch with frame), 2011

Jorge Catoni

Trastorno

18x18” : 2011 : • SOLD

Mathieu Desjardins

Mixed Media

18x18” : 2011 : • SOLD

Rai Escalé

Wash Me Clean

15.35x15.74" : acrylic on collage mounted on wood, 2011

Jim Houser

Waylaid

Acrylic on Canvas : May, 2011-07-06

Tim Hussey

Adrift 3

graphite powder, acrylic, oil pastel, Galkyd on wood panel : 18x18" : 2011

Tasha Kusama

Sempre

mixed media on panel, 16x20” : 2011

Daniel Munóz “SAN”

untitled

13x14.5" : graphite on paper, 2010

Meggs

Out of Sight Out of Mind

36x36" : mixed media on wood panel

Joel Nakamura

Dreamy Octo

18x18" : 2011 : mixed media on metal panel

Billy Norby

Dawn

Oil on panel, 2011

Irene Hardwicke Olivieri

Rising Above Resistance

18" x 8.5" : Oil on Wood, Shaped board, 2011

Kevin Paulsen

Spoor of Man w/ Fireflies No. 1

18x18" : Pigment atop plaster on Velour mounted on panel, 2011

Kevin Paulsen

Spoor of Man w/ Fireflies No. 2

18x18" : Pigment atop plaster on Velour mounted on panel, 2011

Souther Salazar

"half asleep"

Acrylic, Ink & Collage on wood panel : 18" x 18" x 2 3/4" : 2011

Bonnie Marie Smith

"Heaven and Earth"

earthenware, porcelain, glazes, paints, gold leaf, found objects, 2011

27 pieces total : available as one collection

Matt Stallings

ICEE Storm

Acrylic on Wood : 16x16” : 2011 • SOLD

Tasha Rae Tatro

Wonderland

Hand-forged, sterling silver, antique time piece : 2011

Mark Todd

Dreamer

Cel Vinyl on Wood Panel : 18x18” : 2011

Marco Wagner

Heimat gerne

Mixed media on paper : 33x35cm, 2011

Esther Pearl Watson

Gas and Coke

Acrylic, Foil on Canvas : 18x18" : 2011

Megan Whitmarsh

5Th RAY

embroidery on fabric : 6"x6" : 2011

Marco Zamora

Building Blocks

ink and gouache on wood panel : 18x18 : • SOLD

Plug Me Video

My good friend Tim Mantoani and Chris Park worked hard collaborating on this video for Plug Me. You can see this exhibition in person at Subtext, now and through May 16, 2011. Sweet thanks to Tim and Chris. Share it with your pals.

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Plug Me Gallery Installation

Plug Me kicked off on Friday night to a crowd of more than 300 people over the night from 6 pm to 11 pm. Traveling guests included artists Martin Wittfooth, Billy Norby and Matt Rota from Brooklyn, as well as amazing friends and professionals from all around San Diego. Good vibes were felt as people were greeted to a spectrum of colors and other worldly creatures in a cohesive exhibition entitled “PlugMe.”

The evening was generously sponsored by Vitaminwater Zero and Smartwater by Glaceau. And I believe all libations were evaporated by 10:15pm. Tim Mantoani provided great photography of the show, and represented in this entire entry. Tasha Rae Jewelry presented 6 custom silver sterling pieces based on the characters in the show, a great compliment.

You can see “Plug Me,” featuring 42 framed works and an additional 58 printed pieces in custom-packaging created with hours of hand assembly by visiting Subtext in San Diego. Each art piece is packaged with a certificate of authenticity, letterpress printed of course. Visit Subtext 2479 Kettner Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101. Subtext will remain open on each Saturday from 11am—4pm now and through May 16.

Plug Me Proclamation

“Plug Me” opens this Friday, April 15 at Subtext in San Diego and thought to share part of the journey over the prelim years trying to discover my inner artist. Five years ago I started doodling each day and dedicated myself to develop a better understanding about the artists I work with. Almost instantly otherworldly creatures began to present themselves in thematic fashion within my sketchbooks and I was hooked.

The creatures were loose, figurative, non-anatomic, existing within their own political, socio and religious environments. Some angry, while others complacent within the world they occupy. And as the sketchbooks filled obsessively, new lessons were noted and experimental forms began to take shape. Twenty-two sketchbooks have now been filled corner to corner.

In 2006, I documented the first group of drawn meanderings in a limited edition book entitled, “Scribble: Pushing Line Round and Around.” “Scribble” featured 38 drawings created over 18 months and was an honest attempt to share the importance of developing creative potential while revealing an individualistic voice (aka “style).

Later in 2006, with the oil crisis on our hands, I decided to create a thematic body of work upon the pages of a 1924 fur trapper’s ledger acquired on Ebay. The final compilation was an editorialized oil perspective about Johnie West’s ledger that detailed his hunt for fur vs. the United States over indulgence and search for “mo” black gold. The group of 30 drawings were mixed with oil factoids and comic like characters. The 40 page “zine” was distributed at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con. Newsweek noticed, picked one up and then published “Oil” in their October 9th issue.

In 2008, I continued to create oil inspired paintings. The featured characters found themselves scrambling for steady ground as their environmental habitat was being unearthed in the search for more oil. William Shakespeare provided a quote about oil and Napoleon provided a font created out of human bone and “Oil Too” was published and released during Comic-Con.

The latter half of 2009 and half of 2010 was spent focused on “Survey Select,” an exhibition featuring 32 live events, 68 fine artists and 100 paintings celebrating Narrative Art. During the opening event in July, Dylan and Don from Subtext invited me to exhibit a solo collection of personal work on April 15 the following year.

Ok, never have done a solo, but knew I wanted to create a cohesive body of work. At the time I reflected on what affected me most in the media: The bail out—a political gush that rewarded bad behavior; the war in Iraq—more political and economic discharge that invited the question, “What about our own backyard?;” environmental and climactic shifts—the BP oil spill; and personal upheaval dealing with intellectual property theft and financial embezzlement by greedy foes disguised as friends… Art became my refuge.

“Plug Me,” short and to the point—an opportunity to make light of the often “too heavy” onslaught of media rumpus, political clamor and socio brouhaha. To immediately get right into it I took two major trips to the Midwest to learn more about the letterpress—worked in Cleveland at Zygote Press with Cathie Bleck and Detroit at the College of Creative Studies with Don Kilpatrick and his students. This was a great opportunity to collaborate, learn and focus on getting work completed for the show.

Collaboration is an important dimension I partnered up with Tasha Rae Jewelry to create a line of creature inspired jewelry hand forged out of sterling silver. Tasha’s creations and signature expertise add a great dimension of original thinking as she added her own unique voice and eye for detail. Can’t wait to share out the “bling.”

“Plug Me” features 40 framed pieces, 5 watercolors, 4 mixed media collage pieces, 5 hand painted letterpress pieces, 1 mono-print, 26 block prints, 12 sterling silver one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces created by Tasha Rae Jewelry and one installation piece featuring an assortment of random drawings and unique prints. “It’s time for a beverage!”

Please join me this Friday at Subtext for the premier opening of “Plug Me.” Opening reception Friday, April 15 6PM—10PM at 2479 Kettner Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101 and generously sponsored by Vitaminwater Zero and Smartwater by Glaceau. Please email for preview list or jump in and follow the news on Twitter or hit up the FB event page. See you soon and looking forward.

Plug ME on April 15 at Subtext

“Plug Me” the first solo exhibition by artist and designer Mark Murphy will be featured at Subtext in San Diego April 15 from 6 PM to 10 PM and on exhibit from April 15 to May 15, 2011.

“Plug Me” is a collection of hand-printed, one-of-a-kind block and letterpress originals, as well as a strong showing of drawings and watercolors. A brightly colored display of works on paper awaits the viewer as other worldly creatures scramble for coexistence with human kind as a string of poor decisions and climactic shifts are pushing all life to the brink. Hoping to minimize the damage, Mark’s wild-eyed creatures search out whimsical resolutions that look to bung up the problem.

“Man and nature are aggressively searching for coexistence these days. As the forces of weather, economy, religion, health and politics are in an agitated state and the world has noticeably sprung a leak.”

Mark Murphy has practiced graphic design as principal of Murphy Design over the past twenty years, collaborated with over seven hundred artists from around the world and has actively archived living artists in 32 books, two documentaries and twelve major fine art exhibitions.

“Plug Me,” featuring new works by Mark Murphy at Subtext in San Diego April 15—May 15, 2011. Opening reception Friday, April 15 6PM—10PM at 2479 Kettner Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101 and generously sponsored by Vitaminwater Zero and Smartwater by Glaceau.