January 16, 2016
12:00 – 6:00 PM

In conjunction with the public opening of the David Ireland House by 500 Capp Street Foundation, Southern Exposure presents new works by three local contemporary artists that respond to the life and work of the late conceptual artist. A seminal figure in the Bay Area art community from the 1970s onward, Ireland is known for his site-specific installation works, most notably his residence at 500 Capp Street.

6 Block Scores celebrates Ireland’s work with live durational performances in the gallery and along 20th Street by Haegen Crosby, Kari Marboe, and Minji Sohn. Their projects highlight the continued strong influence on young artists of Ireland’s collaborative relationship to material and his commitment to process and repetition.

Kari Marboe’s Basement Clay references the geological connection between the building at 500 Capp Street and Southern Exposure. David Ireland was known for mining resources found in his home, including the clay floor of the basement, which he excavated to the point where it was necessary to install lumber supports to prop up the house. This clay deposit runs under Southern Exposure’s building as well. Marboe has mixed the clay with water to create a slip, and has used this slip to print a story at Southern Exposure and trace a path between the two buildings, speaking to the continued influence of Ireland’s work on artists and art spaces throughout the area. As Scott Hewicker once wrote of Ireland, “David could make dirt sing.”

For Stamping Every Minute, Minji Sohn finds inspiration in David Ireland’s repetitive piece Repeating the Same Work Each Day. From 12:00 to 6:00 PM, Sohn will create an evolving sculpture at the corner of Harrison and 20th Street. For the duration of the day, Sohn will timestamp a series of wood blocks shaped like dominoes, creating a labyrinth of blocks to mark the passage of time. As the rows of blocks collapse and knock each other over, Sohn will begin the process over again, creating a repetitive loop.

In there is nothing new under the sun, Haegen Crosby pushes, pulls and rolls a block of chalk around the intersection of Capp and 20th Streets. As he slowly turns the block into a spherical form, the chalk traces the circumambulating line, paying homage to David Ireland’s dumb balls. When the sphere has reached its ‘perfect’ form, a plaque will be mount on the ball, marking the title and the day of the performance.

Reservations for guided tours of 500 Capp Street can be made at www.500cappstreet.org.