An enthusiastic audience crowded into SF’s intimate Museum of Craft and Folk Art space for Clare Rojas’ We They, We They, last night. Complete with Peggy Honeywell performance of six or seven songs (my favorite being “Miscommunication”), it’s hard to believe Rojas is only now honored with her first solo show in a museum setting. Nevertheless, within her hometown of San Francisco and at the City’s folk museum appropriated the experience altogether.

(Twist? That you?)

Most striking is the artist’s assemblage of a large “wall quilt,” individual paintings on wood panels that, when examined up close, appear like a life-sized jigsaw puzzle wrapping around three-fourths of the space. In this realm, combined with her intricate line work and incorporation of symmetric pattern repetition and shapes (similar to that of Twist … coincidence?), Rojas’ work exhibits a new sense of maturity relative to progression. Additionally, her narrative remains a focal point through her figures, which, noticeable were many of the character’s heads hung low, pensive and focused down towards the earth. Critical elements of joy and love where evident in other works where figure’s heads tilt back in laughter, or a heart-shaped nose balances graphically bleeding eyes. Of particular notice to those in relationship with the ocean and its fluid properties, Clare’s love for surfing makes its way through her brushstrokes in trees branches that crest like waves. In all, an understanding tenderness for family, nature, folk tradition, high art and popular culture is as evident as ever in her unique visual “domestic abstraction” language.

“Historically and perceptually, figuration and abstraction in painting have been in an ongoing dialectical dance. Clare Rojas, in her new work for MOCFA, reinforces this idea with a dazzling balance between the representational and the abstract rendered through a series of images in paint on varied surfaces,” said curator Natasha Boas. 

Also amusing was Rojas’ video installation (in collaboration with Andrew Jeffery Wright) of animated illustrations morphing, altering, taking further images set forth within fashion magazines (although, some may say defacing, but honestly, all women have shared similar thoughts at one time or another). A beautiful model endorsing products until Clare takes the still image’s story one step further by animating her version of what comes next. What’s funny is a friend once ran into Rojas at a local nail salon, who commented at one point, “I just love looking through these magazines!” So there you have it, now we know why.   

We They, We They

May 14–August 22

Museum of Craft and Folk Art            

Share on Tumblr