Current Exhibition:

Madrone Art Bar presents: On the main wall: CLOSING PARTY FRIDAY, AUGUST 27TH 6-9 PM Photographer Larry Schorr: Madrone Art Bar, San Francisco is pleased to introduce to San Francisco and announce the first ever local showing of Photographer Larry Schorr. Larry began taking photos in the midst of heaving masses of intoxicated humanity at rock concerts in 1969 and continued on until the early 80\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s. Until a time when artists and promoters started preventing people from bringing cameras into venues without a photo pass. Which he never had. At that point he continued going to shows but left the camera behind. He printed his photos at the San Francisco Rec Department rental darkrooms, but did nothing with them besides amusing himself and his friends. Fast forward a few decades later, Larry decided to pull out his negatives and found details that he never knew existed. In these photo’s there is a certain consistency of vision and composition that runs throughout his images. The photo’s stand on their own as being well-composed and having an emotive quality, even to those viewers who are unfamiliar with the musical artists pictured. In this show, all the images represented are from local music venues that no longer exist. Music venues like The Mabuhey Gardens, The Boarding House, Winterland, The Old Waldorf, Temple Beautiful and others. Some of the artists represented are The Tubes Blondie. Elvis Costello, Devo, The Dead Kennedys Eddie and the Hot Rods, The Motors The Ramones, Patti Smith, Buzzcocks Sex Pistols, The Talking Heads & others. This show represents an era of San Francisco musical history that is worthy of exploration. AND In the Window: Shawna Peterson Front: “Sorry” Neon tubing with neon gas, reused door, vinyl 78.5” X 28” X 5” Shawna Peterson has been a commercial neon tubebender for over 20 years. Currently she creates artwork using old sign panels, found and re-used objects, and new neon. At one time the old signage and objects performed a function, and had a clear meaning or purpose. Shawna enjoys re-animating the found objects by changing their use, deconstructing the forms that were once alphabet, or in the case of the piece “Sorry”, adding words to an everyday object. Shawna Peterson has been bending neon tubing since 1987. She began her neon career with fabrication, pattern-making, and design work. This eventually led to an apprenticeship with the neon tube-bender, R.J. Wells. While working for a nationwide sign company, she worked extensively in the commercial neon field, producing signs for companies like The Gap, Safeway, Starbucks, Payless Shoe Source, Miller Brewing, and Hollywood Video. Shawna has also done neon work for numerous other Bay Area projects, like the Yahoo! sign, the San Francisco Symphony\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Black and White Ball, Citizen Cake, Luna Park, The Last Supper Club, Andalu, Frisson, and Bongsu to name a few. Currently, Shawna still bends commercial neon projects, but she also creates neon art both independently and for other artists. She designs and produces her own neon sculpture and furniture. She is interested in using old signage in her artwork, transforming found metal cabinets and plastic faces into new, original pieces. Shawna bends new neon to work with her sculptures that incorporate the old sign fragments. In addition, she enjoys working with artists to create the neon they envision for their own art. Artists that she has worked with include Sarkis at the San Francisco Art Institute, Bill Kane, Mike Krouse, Jan Zivic, SFMOMA, and others. Plus rotations from the vault: Featuring Artists: Alex Andreas, Patrick Brennan, Mik Gaspay, Mike Giant, Pete Gronquist, Jeremiah Jenkins, Nathon Koch, Michael Spike Krouse, Don Langson, Olivier Laude, Henry Lewis, Dennis McNulty, Albert Reyes, Micah Rivera, George Schroder, Slinger, Pat Templeton, John Vachon & Walker Evans. Coming Soon, September 2010 to December 2010 Bodies in Space, currated by Anthony Torres

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