THE TENDERLOIN PROJECT

I’ve been conducting photo and video workshops every Thursday over at the Community Arts Program whereby I utilize the Tenderloin Project digital workstation.  Some of the projects that I work on with participants are ongoing, while other workshops are centered around a one-time project to simply learn the basics of using a camera.  Today I worked with a participant named Jim.  This is Jim…

As part of today’s workshop Jim and I took a stroll over to the Museum of Modern Art, a place that I always enjoy taking participants to.  Along the way Jim documented the sites and textures of Market street.  Below is a selection of photographs that Jim took throughout the course of the day.  He has no real plans for an ongoing project, but hopefully these will constitute the beginning of him immersion into photography.  Stay tuned…

British-based street artist Ben Eine recently blessed SF with a visit during his solo show at White Walls.  He had a chance to hang out with Hugh Leeman for a bit while here and gave Hugh some love in this recent video of him painting back in London.  To see more of Hugh’s work check out HughLeeman.com. To see Eine’s work check out http://www.einesigns.co.uk/.

The fine folks at Print magazine wrote a really nice online editorial that’s featured on their blog, imprint.  It coincides with the article they wrote for the 2011 New Visual Artist winners featured in the April edition of Print.  To see the full online editorial please click here.

It is a huge honor to be exhibiting my photographs from The Tenderloin Project at Phaidon Books in NYC this month.  The exhibition kicked off on April 21 and included work from all the award winners featured in Print magazine’s annual new visual artists issue – “The Top 20 Visual Artists under 30.” To the left of the exhibition is another installation featuring the work of photographers such as Nan Goldin, Jeff Well and Nobuyoshi Araki. It’s beyond unreal to be sharing a wall with such influential and important artists to this project and to see where these singular images continue to travel to. I was in town for the opening and was great to celebrate with family, friends and the other award winners!

I did the first print workshop with one of the main participants I’ve been working with through the Tenderloin Project at the Community Arts Program.  Amazing to see this project evolving and turning into physical prints from participants utilizing the workstation.  More to come soon…

Really excited for the new show opening at The Community Arts Program tonight.  New works will be presented by a range of incredible artists from the program.

Show opens at 5pm, tonight.

“IDENTITY THEORY”
March 25 – April 29, 2011
Artist reception: Friday, March 25, 5 – 7 PM
Admission: free to the public

A group exhibition in which the artists of the Community Arts Program present a modern take on the classical concept of “self-portraiture,” investigating the various stages and possibilities of self-identity. We persuaded the artists to venture into their psyche, and to encourage their ego to tango with their id; reverential self-reference is the whole idea of this project. In an new era of digital media where people often chose to represent themselves through the use of avatars, social networking and blogs, we introduce a multi-media exhibit that explores the darker and more complex aspects of our persona and how we choose to portray ourselves to the world.

For more information, please contact Ivan Vera, Community Arts Program Manager at 415-553-4525 ext 304 or ivera@hospitalityhouse.org

I just got a few prints back from The TL Project show in Tokyo.  This is the print that Mike Giant and I did for the show.  They are signed and numbered, editions of 150.  I have 20 prints left that I will be selling through the website.  For buying details please email sean@thetenderloinproject.com.

Each month the Community Arts Program presents new works of art made by participants at the program.  Currently on display is an amazing show that features the work of Jeff Roysdon and Jim Housley.  During the show openings, other artists from the community are invited to exhibit their art and to offer it for sale.  This gallery space is provided entirely free of charge and all artists who sell work are able to keep 100% of the sales.  It was great to see so many folks come out to CAP for the show’s opening and I encourage people in the area to view these amazing works while the show is still up!  

Met up with collaborative artist Mark Bode in Oakland over the weekend.  He has a show opening March 11th in Brooklyn at the Urban Folk Art Gallery (101 Smith Street New York) with Stan 153 and Dr. Revolt.  Was extremely excited to hear that the collaborative piece we did together for The Tenderloin Project will be featured in the show.  Have fun in NY Mark!

From the official press release…

The show will include works from such notorious artists as Dr. Revolt, Mark Bode, Stan 153 and Jean 13.  Dr Revolt is one of the founding members of The Rolling Thunder Writers (RTW) and is infamous for taking over the 1 subway line with his signature graffiti  style. Stan 153, who got his start on the corner of 153rd Street and Eight Avenue defined the landscape of Harlem in the dawn of graffiti history, the 1970’s. He has been documented in The Faith of  Graffiti by Norman Mailer. Jean 13 who also gained fame in  Harlem during this time, was one of the few  writers  on the first Graffiti Wall of Fame. Mark Bode, son of the legendary comic book artist, Vaughn Bode, has developed quite the following for taking his family legacy and applying it to the comic and tattoo worlds. He is also well known for his tribute murals to his father’s notorious comic characters such as Cheech Wizard.

A very special thanks to Benny Gold for his amazing Tenderloin Project collaboration.  This tee was initially created for the TL Project show in Tokyo and it’s great to now have the shirt available here in the states.  You the man Benny! http://shop.bennygold.com/products/the-tenderloin-project-x-benny-gold for more details…