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Aaron Geman
Five to Nine Thoughts and Some Shit that Sells
David Seiler
NeWork/Muwekma
Mercury 20 Gallery
25 Grand Ave. (at Broadway)
Oakland, CA 94612
Exhibition dates: June 5 – June 27, 2009
Opening Reception: Friday, June 5 from 6-9pm (in conjunction with Oakland Art Murmur)
Meet the artists at Afternoon After: Saturday, June 6 from 12-4pm
Aaron Geman is an inventor. Presently, he invents art. The artistic realm finds Geman’s inventions unfettered by practical limitations. As an engineer, he conceives a rotary engine to power a vehicle. As an artist, he conceives an art machine to express thought. Among the engine's largest obstacles are thermodynamics and material science, while the art machine faces mainly the artist’s own critique. Geman creates precise, elegant machines from unlikely materials such as junkyard motors and bicycle grease. He sculpts with steel, wood, light, and acrylic, but also incorporates drinking straws and sewing pins. He invents thought-conveying machines.
Aaron Geman, Existential Dilemma, steel, wire, motor, photo credit: Douglas Spielman
Aaron Geman arrived in the Bay Area in 2007 to present and install a mechanical puzzle/sculpture prototype to Google. His installation at Google was part of a quest to fund a larger, permanent version of the prototype. Towards this pursuit, Aaron had taken an indefinite leave from Brown University and driven across the country. He now does metalwork at his West Oakland warehouse where he also develops new kinetic sculpture. Aaron was a final round selectee for the Artist-in-Residence program at San Francisco Recycling and Disposal Inc. and received the Editor's Choice Award at Maker Faire 2008. He was recently commissioned by the City of Piedmont to design and create an award for their 4th of July Parade. In June he will be presenting work at the San Jose Tech Museum's 10 Year Anniversary.
The multimedia work of artist David Seiler imagines a chaotic, turbulent fantasy land. Pink girls smash, explode, run, touch, and cry as they enact dances of the Muwekma--the indigenous people of the East Bay--in a future Oakland sculpture park. The artist’s astonishing visions in sculpture, drawing and painting result from his life and its current process and are inspired by the past and future streets of this great Land of Oak for the strange yet beautiful times in which we live.
David Seiler, Studio View , 2009, photo credit: David Seiler
Born and raised in the Bay, David Seiler graduated from the Academy of Art in San Francisco with a degree in Sculpture. He lives, works, bikes and loves in Oakland, CA.
In the Backspace: A group exhibition featuring current painting, photography, sculpture and mixed media from gallery artists.
Mercury 20 is an artist-established and operated gallery located in Oakland, CA. A collective comprised of 20 members, Mercury 20 exhibits high quality, innovative work from emerging and mid-career artists, and promotes art in the community. Gallery hours are Friday 4-7pm and Saturday, 12-3pm, and by appointment.