San Francisco Gallery Highlights 2017

January is an exciting month for the arts in San Francisco with must-see exhibitions and art fairs by innovative, contemporary artists to welcome the new year. LSS Art Advisory has outlined our recommendations below:

GALLERIES

Richard Learoyd at Fraenkel Gallery (January 5 – March 4, 2017):

Opening on January 5th, Fraenkel Gallery will host an exhibition of large-scale photographs by Richard Learoyd.  The show will feature still lifes, black-and-white photographs of Californian and Eastern European landscapes, as well as studio portraits.

Nicole Wermers at Jessica Silverman Gallery (January 10 – February 18, 2017):

Grundstück, a solo exhibition by Nicole Wermers, will be on display at Jessica Silverman Gallery from January 10 – February 18, 2017.  Through various mediums such as sculpture, collage and multimedia installation, the exhibition humorously explores the “conceptual and formal foundations of the manmade world (quote courtesy of Jessica Silverman Gallery press release).”

The Human Form at John Berggruen Gallery (January 13 – March 4, 2017):

The Human Form, on view from January 13 – March 4, 2017 at John Berggruen Gallery, explores the utilization of the human body in art from the 20th century to present day. The exhibition is the first to be held at the gallery’s new location across from SFMOMA and features works by established artists, such as Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Willem de Kooning, as well as leading contemporary artists including Cecily Brown and Kiki Smith.

Miguel Abreu at FraenkelLab (January 10 – February 4, 2017)

From January 10 – February 4, 2017 FraenkelLab will host a collaboration with Miguel Abreu Gallery, New York. The show includes works by eight contemporary artists that are rarely seen in San Francisco. Among the artists featured in the exhibition are Liz Deschenes, Rochelle Goldberg, Sam Lewitt and Jean-Luc Moulene.

Kazuo Shiraga and Kour Pour at Ever Gold Projects (January 13 – March 18, 2017):

Opening on January 13th at Ever Gold Projects, Earthquakes and the Mid Winter Burning Sun features work by Japanese artist Kazuo Shiraga and Los Angeles-based artist Kour Pour. While they differ in artistic processes and time periods, Shiraga and Pour explore the issues surrounding and the relationship between Western and Eastern cultures.  

MUSEUMS

Summer of Love at the de Young (April 8 – August 20, 2017):

This spring the de Young will host an exhibition entitled Summer of Love: Art, Fashion, and Rock & Roll. The exhibition is a 50th anniversary celebration of the counter-culture that flourished during the summer of 1967 in San Francisco and will feature over 300 iconic memorabilia including photographs, rock posters, costumes/textiles, and film.

Rodin at the Legion of Honor:

On January 28, 2017 the Legion of Honor will open, Auguste Rodin: The Centenary Installation, a new installation of August Rodin’s works to honor the centenary of the artist’s death in 1917. The exhibition will feature nearly 50 marble, bronze, and plaster objects all presented in a new context. The Fine Arts Museums have invited international artists Urs Fischer and Sarah Lucas to conceive installations combining new and existing works in dialogue with the museum’s Rodin holdings.

Diane Arbus at SFMOMA (January 21 – April 30, 2017):

SFMOMA will present the West Coast debut of diane arbus: in the beginning from January 21 – April 30, 2017 in the new Pritzker Center for Photography. Bringing together over 100 works, many on view for the firs time, the exhibition explores the formative years of the photographer’s career, spanning the years 1956 – 1962.

 

Matisse/Diebenkorn at SFMOMA (March 11 – May 29, 2017):

On March 11th, SFMOMA will present Matisse/Diebenkorn, the first major exhibition “to explore the profound inspiration Richard Diebenkorn (1922–1993) found in the work of Henri Matisse (1869–1954) (quote courtesy of SFMOMA press release).”  To explore the commonalities present in the artist’s works, the exhibition brings together 100 paintings and drawings, 40 by Matisse and 6o by Diebenkorn.

 

Hippie Modernism at the Berkeley Art Museum (February 8 – May 21, 2017):

On February 8th, the Berkeley Art Museum will present Hippie Modernism: The Struggle For Utopia, an exhibition curated by Greg Castillo.  The exhibition will explore the counter-culture that flourished during the 1960’s and 70’s and its impact on art/architecture and design throughout the globe.

 

ART FAIRS & MORE

FOG Design+Art Fair

The fourth annual FOG Design+Art Fair will take place at the Fort Mason Center from January 12 – 15, 2017. Bringing together 45 prominent international galleries, as well as contemporary design dealers, Fog Design+Art Fair celebrates prominent influencers, creatives and contributors to visual art and design. FOG also offers a series of exciting programs, as well as 21POP, the acclaimed installation by Stanlee Gatti.

 

Untitled Art Fair

From January 13 – January 15, 2017, Untitled will be held in San Francisco at the historic Pier 70 In the Dogpatch neighborhood. “Untitled innovates the standard fair model by selecting a curatorial team to identify, and curate a selection of galleries, artist-run exhibition spaces, and non-profit institutions and organizations, in dialogue with an architecturally designed venue (Courtesy of Untitled Press Release.” Featuring 50 galleries from 10 different countries, Untitled brings together a diverse array of leading international artists and exhibitors, providing a unique opportunity for not only cultural exchange but cultural relativism, as well.

 

Yves Klein at Grace Cathedral

Yves Klein’s groundbreaking Montone-Silence Symphony will be presented by Dominique Lévy at Grace Cathedral on January 12th. The extremely influential symphony seems to mimic Klein’s renowned Monochrome Paintings by creating a symphony tedium and silence. Despite the unusual startling symphonic elements, it is the silence that is most unsettling yet powerful and affecting element of the composition, not the sounds themselves. The piece produces conflicting emotions within the audience, demonstrating the immense impact and value of silence.

 

 

Other Noteworthy Exhibitions:

• Justin Aidan and Wendy White at Capital Gallery (January 14 – February  25, 2017)
• Takeshi Murata at Ratio 3 (January 14 – February 25, 2017)
• Laeh Glenn at Altman Siegel (January 5 – March 4, 2017)
• Rosy Keyser and Brie Ruais at Romer Young Gallery (January 12 – February 25, 2017)
• Jacqueline Humphries at Crowne Point Press (December 7 – January 28, 2017)
• Trevor Paglen at Cantor Arts Center (March 15 – July 31, 2017)
• Michael Armitage at Berkeley Art Museum (Through April 2, 2017)