I installed my “Linemen” acrylic paintings on canvas for the first floor at Strut last night.
The subjects of the paintings were inspired by Instagram influencers. The loopy-lined figures of young male posers represent the swag, attitude, and stance of these would-be influencers. Seen here, they become an artistic expression of social media’s obsession with self.
The opening reception is Sunday, September 16th, 2018 from 6-8pm at Strut (470 Castro St., San Francisco).
photo collages by Joseph Abbati
from: abeautifulindiscretion.tumblr.com
“A Beautiful Indiscretion” is a documentation consisting of two collages of 1600 photos selected from over 50,000 photos I have posted on Tumblr. It began as a blog started over 8 years ago about gay erotica, fetishes, and male beauty. I curated these posts appropriated from other Tumblr blogs into a series of ten-photo narratives.
Each photo has been cropped, color corrected, or made black & white to focus on the figure or subject matter. The collages include narratives reading in vertical strips, much like the navigation on Tumblr.
The opening reception is Sunday, September 16th, 2018 from 6-8pm at Strut (470 Castro St., San Francisco).
Some “HEADS” from my “Linemen” series that will be on view at Strut (470 Castro St., SF) with opening reception on Sunday, September 16th from 6-8PM. These will be installed on their first floor gallery while another work of mine “A Beautiful Indiscretion”, two 800 photo collages, will be featured on their third floor gallery. https://www.facebook.com/events/708226909544844/
“Basket Balls” is a new sculpture in the ready-made tradition that is part of the “Queerky” exhibit I curated.
Just finished the third “Linemen” triptych painting. Acrylic on canvas 30H X 32W.
“Queerky” is a Pride 2018 exhibit at the office of Senator Scott Wiener in the California State Building that I curated with twenty-two artists. The expression of the LGBTQ community is often coded with references only experienced in a queer narrative. The artists include Austin Boe, Jordan Joel Pennock, Oscar Gallegos Zamora, Jeffrey Braverman, Dawn Rudd, Kevin Lewis, Charly Brown, Christopher Tandy , Jeffrey Horvitz, Terry Furry, Brett Kaufman, Karl Fjelstrom, Bruce Beaudette, Ajuan Mance, Joseph Abbati, David Spiher, Chad Berwald, Gooch, Shanon Okay, Nick Aitken, Akeem Pina, and Kenshi Westover.
Medium and large size format artwork (painting, photography, drawing, wall sculpture, mixed media, digital, performance, and video) will be on display. A reception will be held on Pride day, June 24th, 2018 at the 455 Golden Gate Avenue, Suite 14800 from 12pm to 3pm.
With this series of triptychs I’m interested in form, graphics, and color. The forms come from my “linemen” illustrations that capture the swag and poses of young men. These are combined with op-art style graphics that reverberate with color, setting a feeling on each canvas of time warps and parallel universes which I am interested in.
New triptych painting that is part of my “Linemen” series. Acrylic on canvas measuring 35″W X 34″H
Senator Scott Wiener and Joseph Abbati (curator) will host an exhibit in his office at the San Francisco California State Building (455 Golden Gate Ave) to celebrate Pride. The theme of this exhibit is “Queerky”, for all that is queer and quirky within the LGBTQ community. The exhibit will be up the month of June. A reception will be held on Pride day (Sunday, June 24, 2018) overlooking the Civic Center plaza festivities.
JosephAbbati.art 