Joshua Petker: Neon Black
The Shooting Gallery
San Francisco, CA
13 January – 3 February

Review by Tonya Warner

First of all, let me state two things important to this show: first, I hate neon (and by which I mean the bastardization of colour, not the sorta-defunct dance night or actual glass lights) and secondly, I hate scenester art – especially pictures of scenester girls. That said, my first impression upon entering the Shooting Gallery from the far superior Chris Yormick show next door at White Walls, was, “oooh, girls and skulls and neon, oh my!” The show, which is surrounded by sloppy and hastily painted wall decoration, mainly consists of portraits of scenester girls with flesh tones of bright pink, green, and yellow, striking faces that are trying to be sexy, provocative, bitchy, or just generally messed up. There are definitely visual reminders of Suicide Girls, the hipster porn site. (Incidentally, the image above does no justice to the retna bleeding intesity of colour found in this show).

The subjects of these paintings are so distractingly obnoxious in their self-indulgent vacuity that even some of the more interesting pieces, such as “Bottle Up and Explode” (a reference to Gustav Klimt? come on) appear as more visual vomit. The saddest thing about this show is that it is clear that Petker is technically not a bad painter and sometimes shows interesting technique, such as the work “Santa Monica BLVD,” where he mixes paint with magazine images, which are partially ripped off to reveal blank canvas beneath.

Don’t try to call any of this ironic – there is nothing ironic about endorsing and furthering a trendy style that surely needs no further aggrandizement. And don’t try to excuse this work because Petker has roots in graffiti or uses reclaimed canvases – everyone and their mother has a link to street art in the San Francisco gallery scene in this day and age, and that’s no excuse to create ugly, boring art – the show next door fully drives this home.

Assisted by fancy mirrors dotted amongst the paintings (both emphasizing the elements of vanity and appearance, and reflecting the opening crowd), it becomes clear that Petker’s intended audience is the same as his subject matter – truly art for the Arrow Bar set.

[links to certain references have been provided for those outside the Bay Area]

http://www.shootinggallerysf.com/

http://www.joshuapetker.com/