Natasha Shawver
Alter Idem
Natasha Shawver
Ernie Shawver
Opening reception: Thursday, February 4th, 5-7pm
Artist's Reception: Saturday, February 13th, 2-4pm
Natasha Shawver (b. 1960)
Using natural organic earth pigments, Natasha Shawver constructs figurations that could be taken for pure abstraction. Her collage aesthetic integrates cells of solid color and texture, manifesting brut figures within loose geometries. The personalities are complex, while the technique is intuitive and almost whimsical.
Natasha Shawver-
In the early 1980's I used public wall space; boarded up store fronts along Telegraph in Berkeley to announce local upcoming events using black paint and rolls of butcher paper. I also at this time helped produce shows for kalx radio, where I made "sound collages" using multi media recording loops.
With a similar attitude I made hand-painted 16mm films, projecting them at local multi-media events along with local bands like "Flipper" and "Fang".
I also found camaraderie with auto-didactic work of self taught artists, as well as cartoonists .
In 1995 I began making sculptures, scavenging for "found objects" and building figures which also served as models which I would paint.
In the last ten years I have painted on large banners for public places.
Exhibitions:
2010 A440 Gallery "Alter Idem," San Francisco, California
2010 Firehouse Gallery, Berkeley, California
2009 Mama Buzz, Oakland, California
2003 Berkeley Art Fair
2003 Berkeley Art Project
2001 SFAI graduate show, San Francisco, California
2001 Stuart Street Mural
1999 Kitty Katty's "Queen Spider Lady Show"
1999 Micaela Gallery "Icons," San Francisco, California
1995 - 2010 Amoeba Music robot sculptures window installation
1987 Adeline St. mural
1985 Scooby's Gallery
1984 Berkeley Square - painted film projection,
1984 KALX radio - poster series
1983 Au Coquelet "Art Brut"
1983 Telegraph Ave. murals
1983 Ruthies Inn mural
Ernie Shawver (1936 – 2005)
Toothpicks, papier-mache and cardboard (fugitive materials) make up the obsessive architecture and fluid logic of this posthumous exhibition of Ernie Shawver's intricate structures.
In 1990, Natasha's father, Ernie, moved from Houston to the Bay area to live and work with Natasha. In 2000 Ernie began to become less verbal. Eventually his sculpture became a primary form of communicating, measuring time, and recording memory. Natasha's work, during this time, moved towards abstraction and pure formal explorations. Art became the primary communicative mode for daughter and father.
