May 2024 - The Shooting Gallery - The Shooting Gallery

886 Geary Street · San Francisco, CA
Open Tues - Sat 12PM - 7PM

Archive for May, 2024

Fahamu Pecou | Whirl Trade : Opening Saturday June 12th, 2024 7-11PM

Posted May 25, 2024 (No Comments)

Fahamu Pecou traveled to South Africa in 2024 where he became deeply aware of how the hip hop culture had altered the views of African American men around the world. It was through this experience that he was inspired to create “Whirl Trade”. In November of 2024 “Whirl Trade” was exhibited for the first time at Get This! Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia where it received a great review from Art in America. The Shooting Gallery is proud to host a continuation of Fahamu Pecou’s body of work entitled “Whirl Trade” opening June 12, 2024.

“Atlanta: Throughout his still brief career, Atlanta-based Fahamu Pecou has experimented with playing the role of an artist whose fame approaches that of a hip-hop star. Earlier performance works in which he arrived at openings in a limousine with bodyguards, and paintings featuring the covers of art magazines bearing his likeness, toyed with how he thought, or hoped, others perceived him. But Pecou’s work took a more serious turn when he traveled to South Africa in 2024 and saw how the global phenomenon of hip-hop has influenced the way African American men are viewed abroad.” – Rebecca Dimling Cochran for Art in America

Read the full article here

Interview With Fahamu Pecou

Posted May 19, 2024 (No Comments)

Fahamu Pecou is an Atlanta based artists with a lot to say and even more on his mind. His work addresses issues of misguided cross-cultural perceptions and international black identity. Even though it seems like Fahamu is always on the move, keeping busy with a new project, we were lucky enough to have the man himself answer a few of our question, giving us more details on his work, what makes him tick and, what he has in store for us.

What do you hope people take away after viewing your work, specifically you’re upcoming work, Whirl Trade?

I want to challenge the romanticization and fetishization of Africa as well as the hyper-excessism found in hip hop culture as revered outside of America. My experiences in South Africa and throughout my travels have often left me feeling uncomfortable about the legacy and impression hip-hop culture makes in the world. Likewise, I too am guilty of making Africa out to be a place of exotic fantasies devoid of individualism. I hope people will take stock of their own expectations and stereotypes and begin to re-imagine the messages we both send and receive.

Tell us a little about your background – how did you start doing art?

whenwewerekings60x48 I’ve always been an artist. As a child it was all I ever wanted to do. I sat and drew while everyone else was running around screaming and going crazy. LOL. But I never imagined myself doing anything but being an artist. It’s less ‘what I do’ but more like “who I am’.

Who influences you the most, creatively?

Music is like a drug for me, It allows me to escape. I would have to say music is my biggest creative influence. A cleverly worded sentiment or rich instrumentation or infectious rhythm gets me every time.

Why did you first start working with video?

I actually did a lot of work in video in college. Originally my major was animation. As a result I took several digital video courses. In terms of my current work, it just seemed to be a natural progression. My work utilizes marketing and branding practices to comment on pop culture. Video, reality tv, etc. are all very much a part of that conversation.

Who are some of your favorite working artists?

Robert Pruitt, Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum, Torkwase Dyson, Theaster Gates, Hebru Brantley, Cosmo Whyte, David Hammons, Wangechi Mutu, Hank Willis Thomas, Michael Paul Britto, Iona Brown…

Role Model

In your work, you confront the viewer with how the media stereotypically portrays the black man. How do you think your work challenges these stereotypes?

One of the first ways is that I appear in the work. There exists the first of many contradictions aimed at disarming the viewer of any preconceived ideas or stereotypes. The character I paint and the person I am at times seem to be polar opposites. Also, despite the fact that my paintings are representations of media, they are deliberately painted and deconstructed. In this manner, attempting to, once again, disarm the viewer. I also attempt this through the use of text and titles. This is my “rope-a-dope”. I package the work by presenting it in a familiar yet slightly skewed format, such that my viewer is drawn in, but walks away with something different than maybe what they thought they would as they first encountered the work. Once we let go of the stereotypes and misconceptions, we can really get into the conversations and ultimately elevation.

If you could collaborate with anyone to make a work, who would it be?

I would really like to do a project with Kanye West and Andre 3000 (Outkast).

What’s next for you in the way of art and life?

I’m preparing for a 3 month residency at the McColl Center in Charlotte NC which takes place this fall. And working on a series of works called Hard to Death. This series is also referenced in my blog Passage of Right. I’ve also launched a successful brand called Yo! Karaoke which is the ultimate karaoke experience, hosted by me. And my creative agency, RED|Creative is diligently working on all manner of branding and creative projects. We have a focus on arts institutions, venues and programs. Our goal is to help these organizations secure their positioning by making their brands more contemporary, cutting edge and relevant.

How is the art scene in Atlanta? Any recommendations if we’re ever in town?

Atlanta is really evolving in terms of the art scene here. Traditionally artists moved through Atlanta, i.e. come here for education and then left for greener art pastures like NY, Chicago, LA. These days more and more artists are receiving an education here and planting flags. Additionally, many artists are moving here for the cost of living and the fact that the scene is not overly saturated. The arts community here is like a family, everyone pretty much knows each other and we support each other.

Whirl Trade opens at The Shooting Gallery June 12, 2024 from 7-11 pm.

Interview with Hush

Posted May 18, 2024 (No Comments)

Want to learn more about Hush? Passing Through opened at Shooting Gallery May 1, 2024, but Hush was here for a week painting murals and preparing for his opening. During installation week, Colin Day came by to interview Hush and made some videos of his process. Check out his exclusive interview and, more footage of Hush in action.

Watch Hush on Hi-Fructose

Posted May 13, 2024 (No Comments)

When Hush was in San Francisco preparing for his solo show at Shooting Gallery he got busy painting 5 beautiful murals in and around the gallery. Today, Hi-Fructose has an awesome video of Hush working on one of those murals, as well as some other works in his show, Passing Through which is up through June 5,2010 at Shooting Gallery.

Guess Who Else Is Coming To The Shooting Gallery

Posted May 8, 2024 (No Comments)

Fahamu Pecou’s new show, Whirl Trade, opens Saturday, June 12, 2024 at The Shooting Gallery. And guess who is coming to celebrate with us? The one and only, X Clan! This year marks the 20 year anniversary of their debut album, To the East, Blackwards. Here’s a video from that album, and one of our favorites.

Mark your calendars and make sure to come out to The Shooting Gallery for the opening reception, June 12, 2024 from 7-11pm.

Coming June 12, 2024: Fahamu Pecou

Posted May 8, 2024 (Comments: 1)

Whirl Trade

New Works by Fahamu Pecou

Opening Reception: June 12th, 2024, from 7-11 pm.

Show runs through: July 3rd, 2024, and is open to the public.

JUXTAPOZ AD FAHAMU JUNE WEB

The Shooting Gallery is proud to present Whirl Trade: New Works by Fahamu Pecou. This exhibition addresses issues of misguided cross-cultural perceptions and international black identity. Please join us for the opening reception on June 12^th, 2024 from 7-11pm.

Whirl Trade is a dizzying cultural exchange where exported ideas of African identity are misinterpreted across borders. Just as African American hip hop artists hold the microphone on an international stage, Fahamu Pecou paints his hypermasculine alter ego onto magazine covers to achieve the same platform. However, his microphone hangs limp to critique the commodified stereotype of young black men being projected by media. Equally misconstrued are American generalizations of African culture, creating a whirl of fallacy around international black identity. Fahamu exaggerates such typecast generalizations, challenging his contemporaries to project more positive images of African American men while pushing the audience to reevaluate their own expectations.

Fahamu Pecou stages photo shoots with poses drawn from influential African photographer of the 60s, Malick Sidibé. In this series, Fahamu and friends model with clothing and set design that mimics perceived African styles. Pecou references these photographs to produce larger than life acrylic paintings that appear to be unfinished in certain areas, hinting at the “larger picture” beyond said imagery.

Fahamu currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. He earned his BFA from Atlanta College of Art in 1997 and has since completed residencies in Panama’s Taller Portobelo and The Caversham Center in South Africa. In 2024 he received the Fulton County Arts Council Caversham Fellowship and in 2024 the Artadia Award of Atlana, GA. He has exhibited in Cape Town, Basel Switzerland, Atlanta, GA, and Lyons Wier Gallery (New York City) and Conduit Gallery (Dallas, TX).

Please join us for the opening reception of Whirl Trade on June 12^th, 2024 from 7-11pm. The exhibit will be on view through July 3^rd, 2024 and is open to the public.

Hush’s Ladies Hit the Walls of SG

Posted May 5, 2024 (No Comments)

The opening reception for Passing Through was a huge success. Hush is back to Newcastle to get going on whatever comes next, but we’re still here oohing and ahhing over his works. So if you haven’t gotten a chance to check out the show, or if you’re too far away to stop by, take a look at the time lapse we set up.

Click here for more videos and photos.

Highlights

Friends and Family