Gunderson at Fecal Face Dot Gallery
Life / Art / Skate
For a decade that spanned from the mid-90s to the early 00s there was a large amount of skater related art shows in S.F. a co-mingling aspect/part of what has been called the "Mission School" that has gathered a group of friends into a genera. Folks like Chris Johansen, Jo Jackson, Dave Schubert, Margaret Kilgallen (RIP), Barry McGee and others. It's alawys been present in the city but during those years there seemed to be a show with either Rich Hart, Ed Templton, Thomas Campbell, Johansen, Tobin Yelland, Mat O'Brien, Barry McGee, MARS-1 and later the Hamburger Eyes crew (and hundreds of others) almost every weekend. A strong current of skater made work was on the walls of fly-by-night galleries and one night shows. Over the years it has become more polished, people are still using found objects but their styles have gotten tighter and their work subsequently more refined.
Henry Gunderson is a skate rat through and through but he's also a very talented painted and artist. Currently going to school for art, he has found S.F. to be stimulating art-wise and skate-wise. This was his second solo show at Fecal Face Dot Gallery and his work has evolved over the year. More detail and a clearer vision of what he sees his work to be. He's not yet 21 but there is definitely something he is expressing in his work and make the viewer see.
The main reason I was there that night was to work the door and make sure the gallery wasn't too packed with people. Nothing sucks more than not being able to see the art at an opening.
This was my favorite piece in the show, great colors and sweet way of displaying it.
He used cork board frames for some of his work, this one held all of the smaller pieces in the show.
Chris Becker and his dog.
Lots of kids came out. Aside from a few older folks, the crowd was under 30.
Small space that fills up fast, still bigger than their last spot.
Skaters came out to support one of their own, but they sure have gotten tame. Only a couple bombed the hill the gallery is on and there wasn't one broken bottle. Kids these days.
That's Henry in the blue shirt. Just got a new camera and still learning all the bells and whistles of it. The one portrait I shot of him was so bad he looked like a bunny.
We kicked everyone out at 10:30 and swept up the sidewalk. Smokers and Twix lovers unite!
