departure is the work of these five material driven artists: Tim Armstrong, Ramiro Cairo, Katerina Connearney, Miles Epstein and Rachel Leibman. They are gathering together for the first time to create an art and shopping experience in the most immersive way possible, in a place where things “just show up”. Innovated objects will be presented in a way that can inspire you to see them in a different light. The show opens Friday, May 12th and will run thru July 7th.

 

 

“Of economic necessity and invention, I have discovered a way to make monotype prints with materials salvaged from dumpsters. My skull prints are made using tar paper, mop heads and camping fuel gathered from dumpsters near construction sites and homeless encampments, I like the simple suggestion of a burning fuse. Mounted on the back of each print is the original collage. The wall sized work is an experiment using old car gaskets, stove burners and instant coffee. Originally conducted on a cement floor, the drawing was then coated with elastomeric roof paint and burlap and peeled off the ground. I am mainly interested in using undiscovered processes as an artist, in containing a method as it leads to a metaphor.”

 

 

 

Ramiro Cairo is an Argentine artist, based in San Francisco. His speciality is the reuse of disused objects and technological scrap, creating works of art and design, such as TV mirrors, TV coffee tables, circuit board lamps, vacuum tube figurines and sculptures in limited editions.

“Most of my work navigates the space between design and art, between functionality and personality, combining creativity, surprise, humor and reuse. I’m motivated by finding a different use for objects originally built for a particular  purpose. My challenge is to find them a new line of work, giving them an extended lifespan and making them useful again.”

“Bricks for good is my latest work in which I make objects out of bricks. The tape dispenser is the first object of this series in which the pieces are shaped by chiseling down the brick as if it was a sculpture, using a hammer, chisels and an angle grinder. Why bricks? Well, I just want to give them a good use instead using them for a nonsensical Wall.”

 

 

Katerina Connearney is a figurative artist and woodworker originally from Greece and currently living in San Francisco. In this exhibit, the focus is on making functional furniture pieces from (almost) all recycled or reclaimed materials. The majority of the materials were, appropriately enough, found here at Building Resources. “One never knows what beautiful and promising bit of rusty metal or weathered wood one will come across when ambling around (the yard), and more often than not we go home with these treasures not knowing why or how we will use them. The fun is in playing with them – rearranging, bending, taking apart, putting back together, and eventually seeing what is recreated.”

 

 

“This is the second time I’ve had the opportunity to show work at The Reclaimed Room and I am honored and inspired to be showing with four other talented artists. We all know this space in our own way, and all work very independently and in different materials: brick, canvas, wood, plastic and metal, objects of interest, tissue and paper.”

“Of note is the name of this show. Hanging out at the yard I am most inspired when someone leaves with something encouraging, be it an idea, an inspiration, or a doorknob. departure speaks to the inspiration of the material object.”

 

 

 

 

Rachel Leibman is a mixed media artist from San Francisco. Her artwork spans the gamut from tiny two-dimensional collages to room-sized installations. The unifying thread in all her pieces is repetitiveness and obsessive attention to detail. Leibman’s process is extremely meticulous and labor-intensive.

For the “departure” exhibit, Leibman has chosen to display two large installations from her “Vessels” series. “Elijah Makes the Rounds” is composed from vintage kiddish cups; goblets used in Jewish rituals such as Passover seders. With a sly sense of humor, this piece evokes sweet childhood memories. “Daily Dose” is composed from hundreds of plastic prescription pill bottles, collected from Leibman’s friends, family, and her own personal stash. This piece is a commentary on the state of the pharmaceutical industry in the U.S.

Leibman’ artwork has been exhibited in numerous solo and group shows on both coasts. Her collages are part of many private and public collections including Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco, American Airlines HQ in Dallas, and the Art Collection at the Hebrew Home in New York City.