for you or someone you know
Through
October 27, 2024
and the
ArtSpan’s 50th Anniversary of
San Francisco Open Studios
September 28-29
All photos - Photo credit: Andria Lo
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Exhibition: Alice Wu: for you or someone you know Dates: September 6–October 27, 2024
Opening: Friday, September 6, 5–9 pm
Address: MAG Galleries, 3931 18th St, San Francisco, CA
MAG Galleries presents for you or someone you know, the first solo gallery exhibition of Oakland-based artist Alice Wu. The exhibition includes more than a dozen abstract works at the intersection of textiles and sculpture, utilizing techniques Wu developed from twenty years of experimental garment construction and surface design.
for you or someone you know features sculptures inspired by the Chinese tradition of scholar rocks. Collected and displayed as objects of contemplation, scholar rocks are prized for their textures and resemblance to landscape formations. They can be enhanced through polishing, carving, and drilling holes. Wu’s “rocks” are colorful tabletop-sized fabric forms punctuated with cutouts, and filled with fabric remnants, quilt batting, or kapok (a cotton-like plant fiber).
The show also includes wall-mounted sculptural works derived from Wu’s line drawings. She enlarged her marks, and rendered them in vintage jacquard fabric. Layers of molding paste alternatively hide and highlight seaming and the fabric’s weave.
The material culture of everyday life offers a starting point for existential and formal exploration. As she repurposes her carefully saved textiles into this new body of work, Wu reflects on her former years as a sustainability-minded clothing designer. Making these pieces, the artist considers the process of subtraction as crucial as building up form: even the paint becomes sculptural material that she carves away with scissors. By trimming away all excess material, Wu leaves only what matters most.
ABOUT ALICE WU
Alice Wu is a multidisciplinary artist who was raised in the United States and Taiwan. Her practice draws from a former career in fashion to explore themes of performance in everyday life, self-presentation, and reinvention after loss. Her work was recently shown in San Francisco at Edge on the Square, Southern Exposure, and Your Mood Projects. Alice earned an MFA in Sculpture from Yale University.
MAG Galleries is at 3931 18th St., San Francisco, CA 94114. Gallery hours: Thursday & Friday
Alice Wu, Yellowstone, 14x10x5 inches Photo credit: Andria Lo
12–7 pm, Saturday & Sunday 12–5 pm. There will be an artist talk on September 28. For more information please contact Mike Gonzalez, MAG Galleries, at mike@mag-galleries.com, 415-815-5616, www.mag-galleries.com.
for you or someone you know
Exhibition Images
Photo Credit: All Photos by Andria Lo
for you or someone you know, 2024, 48x36x11", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, elastic, wire, textile remnants, kapok, recycled PET quilt batting.
Redstone , 20x15x5", Acrylic on cotton, rayon, wool, organic cotton, leather,, fabric remnants, cardboard.
Redstone , 20x15x5", Acrylic on cotton, rayon, wool, organic cotton, leather,, fabric remnants, cardboard.
Redstone (left), 20x15x5", Acrylic on cotton, rayon, wool, organic cotton, leather,, fabric remnants, cardboard, Bluestone (right), 2024, 24x11.5x7", Acrylic on cotton, silk, wool, organic cotton, fabric remnants, wood
Bluestone, 2024, 24x11.5x7", Acrylic on cotton, silk, wool, organic cotton, fabric remnants, wood
Bluestone, 2024, 24x11.5x7", Acrylic on cotton, silk, wool, organic cotton, fabric remnants, wood
Drawing Close, 2024, 12x17x3", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, elastic, wire, textile remnants, kapok, recycled PET quilt batting.
Drawing Close, 2024, 12x17x3", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, elastic, wire, textile remnants, kapok, recycled PET quilt batting.
Drawing Close (detail), 2024, 12x17x3", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, elastic, wire, textile remnants, kapok, recycled PET quilt batting.
Drawing Close (detail), 2024, 12x17x3", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, elastic, wire, textile remnants, kapok, recycled PET quilt batting.
Yellowstone, 2024, 14x12x4", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, elastic, wire, textile remnants, kapok, recycled PET quilt batting.
Yellowstone (detail), 2024, 14x12x4", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, elastic, wire, textile remnants, kapok, recycled PET quilt batting.
Yellowstone (detail), 2024, 14x12x4", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, elastic, wire, textile remnants, kapok, recycled PET quilt batting.
Let's Transform This Worry Together, 2024, 17x12x2", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, elastic, wire, textile remnants, kapok, recycled PET quilt batting.
Let's Transform This Worry Together (detail), 2024, 17x12x2", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, elastic, wire, textile remnants, kapok, recycled PET quilt batting.
Let's Transform This Worry Together (detail), 2024, 17x12x2", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, elastic, wire, textile remnants, kapok, recycled PET quilt batting.
As Sour As Ever, 2024, 12x10x10", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, leather, elastic, wire, textile remnants, kapok, recycled PET quilt batting.
As Sour As Ever, 2024, 12x10x10", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, leather, elastic, wire, textile remnants, kapok, recycled PET quilt batting.
As Sour As Ever, 2024, 12x10x10", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, leather, elastic, wire, textile remnants, kapok, recycled PET quilt batting.
As Sour As Ever (detail), 2024, 12x10x10", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, leather, elastic, wire, textile remnants, kapok, recycled PET quilt batting.
Sometimes I Get Angry, 2024, 60x30x1", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, elastic, wire, textile remnants, kapok, recycled PET quilt batting.
Days of Being Wild, 2024, 20.25X20.25X.25", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, recycled PET quilt batting, magnets reclaimed from electric toothbrush heads.
Days of Being Wild, 2024, 20.25X20.25X.25", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, recycled PET quilt batting, magnets reclaimed from electric toothbrush heads.
Days of Being Wild (detail) 2024, 20.25X20.25X.25", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, recycled PET quilt batting, magnets reclaimed from electric toothbrush heads.
Lotus in June, 2024, 10.5x21.75x1.5", Acrylic on cotton jacquard, molding paste, textile remnants, kapok
Lotus in June, 2024, 10.5x21.75x1.5", Acrylic on cotton jacquard, molding paste, textile remnants, kapok
Lotus in June (detail), 2024, 10.5x21.75x1.5", Acrylic on cotton jacquard, molding paste, textile remnants, kapok
Little O, 2024, 13.75x10.5x2", Acrylic on damask, molding paste, kapok, fabric remnants, magnets reclaimed from electric toothbrush heads,
Little O, 2024, 13.75x10.5x2", Acrylic on damask, molding paste, kapok, fabric remnants, magnets reclaimed from electric toothbrush heads,
Little O (detail), 2024, 13.75x10.5x2", Acrylic on damask, molding paste, kapok, fabric remnants, magnets reclaimed from electric toothbrush heads,
Swedish Fish for Hire (Snake Plant), 2024, 22.25x7.25x.25", Acrylic on damask, molding paste, kapok, fabric remnants, magnets reclaimed from electric toothbrush heads.
Swedish Fish for Hire (Snake Plant), 2024, 22.25x7.25x.25", Acrylic on damask, molding paste, kapok, fabric remnants, magnets reclaimed from electric toothbrush heads.
Swedish Fish for Hire (Snake Plant) detail, 2024, 22.25x7.25x.25", Acrylic on damask, molding paste, kapok, fabric remnants, magnets reclaimed from electric toothbrush heads.
Giving Gets You Through the Grieving, 2024, 20x16.75x1", Acrylic on damask, molding paste, kapok, fabric remnants, magnets reclaimed from electric toothbrush heads.
Giving Gets You Through the Grieving (detail), 2024, 20x16.75x1", Acrylic on damask, molding paste, kapok, fabric remnants, magnets reclaimed from electric toothbrush heads.
Giving Gets You Through the Grieving (detail), 2024, 20x16.75x1", Acrylic on damask, molding paste, kapok, fabric remnants, magnets reclaimed from electric toothbrush heads.
Lost Horizons, 2024, 32X36x3", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, kapok, fabric remnants, coated wire, resin
Lost Horizons, 2024, 32X36x3", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, kapok, fabric remnants, coated wire, resin
Lost Horizons (details), 2024, 32X36x3", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, kapok, fabric remnants, coated wire, resin.
It Can Be This and That, 2024, 12.5x13X6", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, cotton and polyester quilt batting, kapok, fabric remnants.
It Can Be This and That, 2024, 12.5x13X6", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, cotton and polyester quilt batting, kapok, fabric remnants.
It Can Be This and That 9detail), 2024, 12.5x13X6", Acrylic on damask upholstery fabric, molding paste, cotton and polyester quilt batting, kapok, fabric remnants.
Instar, 2019, Wood, fabric, polyester fill, 16 x 16 x 16 inches
The artist, Alice Wu.
for you or someone you know
ALICE WU
Opening Reception, September 06, 2024
& Installation Images
