The tables have turned: instead of telling you what we think about art shows, we’re heading out to gallery openings to get In Your Face and find out what the beautiful people think. Armed with one camera and a microphone, Emmanuel and I headed to Michael Rosenthal Gallery, which is nearing its one-year anniversary in The Mission. We were excited to see LA Artist Megan Whitmarsh‘s embroidered masterpieces (a crowd favorite), and we were also determined to find out what was up with the group show’s perplexing title, Annual Biennial.
Michael Rosenthal, Gallery Owner
“The Annual Bienial is a celebration of all the great artists that I get to work with. We have Megan Whitmarsh’s work, Jane Fine from New York, and a whole host of people who I really love working with. I love anything that’s ironic so I thought of that name [Annual Biennial] and I thought, ‘Why not make people confused if I can?’ And I don’t do anything straightforward so it’s an example of my humor.”
Megan Whitmarsh, Annual Biennial Artist
“I want to make things because I can’t help it, but at the same time I feel sort of freaked out by how much stuff there is in the world, so when I do make stuff I want to be really conscious about it and I want to contribute to the beauty and optimism of the world. I was a big fan of The Muppet Show as a kid and, when I moved to New York, I saw the pilot at the Museum of Television and Radio and it was the first time I saw it as art rather than just a TV show. I realized that just by really believing in your own eccentric, weird vision you can express what you’re feeling to other people and it radiates.”