The artists and poets of San Francisco and Berkeley who contributed to and formed the First Renaissance in the Bay Area, from 1940 to 1955, were largely local and native California residents, some of whom had been living and working in the Bay Area from the 1920’s and 1930’s, like the poets Kenneth Rexroth and Robert Duncan. The artists and writers of this era knew each other well, were often friends and companions—like Duncan and his renowned friend and partner, the painter Jess Collins (“JESS”)—attended classes together at the California School of Fine Arts (now the San Francisco Art Institute) and Oakland’s School of Arts and Crafts, and often lived in the same apartment buildings and shared studio space.
The famous pioneers of the San Francisco School of Abstract Expressionism, which grew out of the California School of Fine Arts during the years of guidance by Douglas MacAgy, from 1945-1950, include all the famous artists of the period: Clyfford Still, Hassel Smith, Mark Rothko, David Park, Edward Corbett, Elmer Bischoff, Richard Diebenkorn, and of course world renowned photographer Ansel Adams. Many other artists and poets, however, actively participated in the local renascence that created San Francisco’s First Renaissance in art and poetry, which then inculcated the notorious Beat Movement that began in 1955 with Allen Ginsberg’s famous reading of Howl at Six Gallery in San Francisco on October 7th, an event that has been fully documented and abundantly revisited and revived.
Mythos Gallery in Berkeley recently presented a compelling and rare exhibition of artworks by artists and poets of the First Renaissance, expertly curated by Christopher Wagstaff, who had previously in 1992 curated a very successful and informative two-part exhibition of drawings and decorated books by Robert Duncan at the University Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive and the Bancroft Library at the University of California at Berkeley. The catalogue for this exhibition, which Wagstaff edited, included an essay by Duncan written in 1963, “Concerning the Art: This December 1963,” a reminisce of Duncan by his long-time friend, Virginia Admiral (the mother of the famous actor Robert Deniro), an essay by Wagstaff, entitled “An Interior Light: A Note on Robert Duncan’s Crayon Drawings,” and a seminal analysis of Duncan’s art and poetry, “The ‘ELF’ of It,” by Robin Blaser. Several of the art works by Duncan and his friends included in the 1992 exhibition were also in the exhibition at Mythos Gallery. Besides Duncan and Jess, artists in the Mythos exhibit included Madeline Gleason, Virginia Admiral, the sisters Mary and Lillian Fabilli, Paul Alexander, Harry Jacobus, David Young Allen, Ariel Parkinson, Diane di Prima, Lawrence Jordan, Lilly Fenichel and Fran Herndon.
Besides her interesting portrait of Allen Ginsberg, Ginsberg at 25 (1955), Ariel Parkinson’s large painting Girl on Horse (1964) is most striking in its forceful union of composition, color and subject matter. Lawrence Jordan, well-known San Francisco avant garde filmmaker, had on view several superb box assemblages, highly reminiscent of the works of Joseph Cornell, for whom Jordan worked as assistant for a brief period in 1965. Other topical pieces of interest included the paintings, Jack Kerouac and Ginsberg at Tangiers by Paul Alexander and Pauline Kael and Mary McCarthy at Harry’s (1965) by David Allen.
Mythos Gallery owner Sue Steel organized a very interesting series of events in support of the exhibition and its artists, including poetry readings, presentations and discussions by artists, contemporary films, and music. These events were hosted by David Reid, who provided brief introductions and biographies of the artists and poets. Featured speakers and events included the following: Peter Selz, former Director of the UC Art Museum, who provided a brief history of the period and the relationships between painters and poets of the Renaissance; Kevin Killian, Lewis Ellingham, and Tara McDowell, on the subject, “Poet Be Like God” (June 12); Richard (“Dick”) O. Moore and Ariel, with a showing of Moore’s film on Robert Duncan (June 17); the showing of two films “The Household of Robert Duncan and Jess” by David Fratto and Christopher Wagstaff and “Lawrence Jordan: Moments of Illumination” by Kathryn Golden and Ashley James, with a discussion and question period following by Lawrence Jordan who was present at the event (June 18). Poets giving readings also included David Meltzer, Joanne McClure, and Frank Cebulski (May 27).
The current exhibition (July 1 – August 7) at Mythos is entitled “Flight of the Spirit,” and features the artists Sabah Al-Dhaher, Ariel, Michael J. Carey, Paula deJoie, Noelle Dexter, Dorothea Dorenz, Daniela Homesco, Gary Lapow, Martine Makower, Danile Marlin, Amy Evans McClure, Alexander Morocco, Pierre Picot, and Karen Zullo Sherr. A series of events also supports this interesting exhibition, also hosted by David Reid, and includes readings by Jack Hirschman and the Revolutionary Poets Brigade (July 22), and on Sunday, August 8 (3:00 – 5:00 PM), readings by Michael McClure and Diane di Prima. This little gallery on Solano Avenue in Berkeley is quickly becoming a vital and exciting venue for artists and writers of the Bay Area, and its owner Susan Steel is to be commended for her energetic efforts and vision in organizing such outstanding exhibitions and events.
1747 Solano Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94707
510.528.4291
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