Pier 24 + The Apocalypse

Having lived in San Francisco for 10 years, I always love going back. Even though I haven’t lived there in over a decade, I still feel a strong spiritual connection to that city. One of my favorite rituals when I go back is to stop in at Pier 24.

It’s hard to describe the place to people that haven’t been there. Simply put it’s one of the best photo galleries in the world. Every year or so, they organize a world class show with world class artists in a world class space. And they limit the number of people they admit, so it’s always quiet. And it’s always beautifully laid out and lit, and it’s just one of my favorite places on earth. And it’s free!

The current show, titled This Land, is one portrait of America. Not surprisingly, a lot of it is dark: Foreclosed homes, police brutality, racism, abandoned shopping malls, and a general sense of apocalyptic doom pervade the show.

It’s heavy. Which is probably why I was drawn to the light. In this case Alec Soth (above) provided a break from the doom and gloom. His work is also dark, but there is also a humor and a humanity to it that makes it feel different.

My favorite piece by far was an hour-long video by James Nares, titled Street. Scored by Thurston Moore. I mean, come on. I watched the whole thing and loved every perfect minute.

Here are a few minutes:

STREET is an unscripted 61-minute high definition video filmed by artist James Nares over one week in September 2011. The final video is a mesmerizing experiment in the nuance and beauty of everyday people and people-watching; providing a global view that extends beyond the streets of New York where it was filmed: from Battery Park to the furthest reaches of Upper Broadway, and West Side to East Side in Nares’ personal homage to actualité films. In Nares’ words, “I wanted the film to be about people. All it needed were magical moments, and there are enough of those happening every moment of any given day.” The soundtrack for the film was composed and performed by Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore. -For more information on artist James Nares visit: http://www.paulkasmingallery.com/artists/james-nares -New York Times Review: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/12/nyregion/in-james-naress-street-taming-the-galloping-city.html?_r=2

Oh, and while I was there I saw Lee Friedlander. No big deal.