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Home  FEATURES Interview w/ Yokonori Stone
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Written by Chad Calhoun
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Tuesday, 03 April 2012 10:38
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Yokonori Stone may have started out as a "dumb kid," who performed poorly on exams and was constantly chided for never paying attention, but today she's attracting the attention of curators in Asia and Europe as a young feminist artist who has a cunning ability to distill images of raw debasement. This summer, she'll have her American debut at Ever Gold Gallery with a suite of works that simultaneously embrace and ridicule her new hometown, San Francisco.
This spring I visited "Nori," as her friends call her, in her small apartment in the Western Addition neighborhood to talk about how she's been settling in and what's behind this new body of work. We sat on the floor of her living room and ate red bean mochi while we spoke. -Chad Calhoun
Counterfit Barry McGee
A plan for sucess in San Francisco
Mission Hipster
Ms. Stone interviewed by her friend Chad Calhoun
So how long have you been living in the Bay Area?
I have been here for just over a year.
Do you think the San Francisco scene has affected your work at all?
Absolutely. The generosity of this city constantly surprises me and all the great artists working here is very inspiring.
You've said that you think of your work as therapeutic. I think that's very interesting since so many artists today are focusing on external concerns rather than internal ones. Often I see artists engaging with the politics of representation or using art to comment upon current systems of oppression, whether cultural, visual, or political. You seem to be moving in a totally different direction.
I am not using art for anything except my own personal enjoyment and to gain a better understanding of myself. I wish I had the courage to tackle such important topics like sweatshop labor and gender equality but I am just a simple artist, and no one really cares what I think about such topics. They'd rather listen to Hilary Clinton or Reverend Al Sharpton.
.jpg)
Bamberger Classic (Nicely Done)
San Francisco Group Show
Another way that I see this—that your work is different from most of the art that's being made and exhibited—is that you create small works on paper. You don't do monumental works and you don't make videos or take photos.
I'd like to make monuments but they won't fit in my apartment, so I am not sure how I would be able to work on such things. Videos require a lot of technical skill that I do not have. I can't even figure out how to set up a facebook page. As for photos, there are just too many out in the world right now. I just don't think I have anything to add in terms of taking pictures of things.
Let's go back to the question of the "therapeutic" part of your art. Is it the making of the work that is therapeutic? Or is it the kind of images you make that is therapeutic? You do produce some disturbing images. But the images are also funny. I wonder which part of your production is therapeutic for you.
I take a lot of comfort from just working on things I like, but if I do not like the subject I can not enjoy the process. Like monkeys, I hate monkeys, especially baby monkeys. If someone told me that I had to make a picture of a baby monkey I would want to die. I try and only do what I enjoy, so I sit and make funny pictures all day except when I have to go to my job.
Chinatown Pigeon
Fulsom Street Fair
Tim Lincecum and Vida Blue
Where do you work?
You can find me working behind the scenes at the Trader Joe's over on Masonic. I stock shelves and keep the back store room tidy. I get an apron and don't have to wear those awful Hawaiian shirts.
I'm surprised to hear you say that because so many of your works have a tropical or beach theme. But I agree, they are awful shirts. Although I love Trader Joe's -- so many great deals in their dairy case.
Oh Yes! You should also try the frozen tamales, they are pretty good.
Shhh! Cant you see Barry- McGee is working
The guy from wikilinks
Totally Fake- Barry McGee
Okay, but getting back to your work, Freud said that jokes can only serve two purposes. They are either hostile or obscene. Freud also said that smutty jokes "unfailingly produced a cheerful mood" among common people. In other words, are your paintings jokes?
What is "smutty"?
Well, it's when you look at something dirty and it turns you on.
I don't think my work would ever turn anybody on, even in San Francisco, but I do think that they are kind of like jokes. It is fun to say things that aren't polite, and I think it is fun to hear such things as well.
Welcome to the Tenderloin
The Golden Gate
---
Yokonori Stone
Welcome to the Tenderloin
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 5th, 6-10 PM
@Ever Gold Gallery, San Francisco
Exhibition runs until April 26th
|
| Ian Kimmerly @Dolby Chadwick
SAN FRANCISCO --- Local painter Ian Kimmerly opened his newest show Continuous Wave at Dolby Chadwick on Thursday night, and these are some of the best paintings I've seen in a while.
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 |
| High 5s: 1 + 1 = 1
This editor has been posting images from his life for the last 13 years. Cats, sailboats and living one's life in the city of San Francisco. Visual randomness.
 |
|
| The Black Robe at Spoke Art
Spoke Art opened The Black Robe on Thursday night, with the work of Barron Storey, Mike Dringenberg and Keita Morimoto, and was curated by Eidolon Fine Arts.
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| Michael Alan Interview
These days New York-native multimedia artist, Michael Alan, has been incredibly active artistically in the big city. Between staging hours-long Living Installations at the New Museum and other DIY spaces, exhibiting his drawings and paintings in group exhibitions and hosting an unusual solo show in the home of his mother, Alan proves that there is no rest for the wicked. I caught up with him recently to hear the latest, the backstory, and what's next.
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| Mute by Youth Lagoon
Have you been listening to Youth Lagoon's newest album Wondrous Bughouse? If not, do. It's one of the best albums we've heard in awhile.
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|
| Viborg International Billboard Painting Festival
Henrik Haven, who keeps us up to date in all that's Copenhagen, emailed over some photos from the Viborg International Billboard Painting Festival that's running throughout June. In this short installment he introduces us to the work of urban/graffiti artist and illustrator NYCHOS.
 |
|
| Kelly Tunstall's A16 Commissions
Kelly Tunstall, who's showing w/ Ferris Plock at FFDG this August 16th, recently finished some commissions for A16 in Oakland. Here's a little taste, and check out her last year's show at FFDG.
 |
|
| Brendan Monroe Sculptures, A How To
Brendan Monroe, whose show Melting Into the Floor runs through June 15th at LA's Richard Heller, creates these great wooden sculptures and featured a bunch in the show... He's often asked how he goes about making them and gives us at Fecal Face a little 'how to' on the process.
 |
|
| Mural by Curiot (+Mexico)
Mexico City based Curiot, whose sold out solo show Age of Omuktlans ran last March at FFDG, just finished this great mural entitled "El Retorno de Akhankutli" in Mexico. He recently completed one in Berlin too which we'll be posting in the coming week. The guy is very very talented in our eyes.
 |
|
| The Pizza Slice(r) by Henry Gunderson
This made our day. Not only do we love pizza but we also love Henry Gunderson... So a board shapped like a hot slice designed by Henry Gunderson for The Good Company, well... this writer needs to go for a slice right now.
 |
|
| Wendell McShine @Fifty24SF
Wendell McShine (lives in Mexico City, from Trinidad) opened his newest show, Raccoon's Law, at Fifty24SF on Saturday night. ARYZ was a tough act to follow, but McShine held his own in the space... With a combination of a mural, a video, and both drawings and mixed-media works on paper, the diversity of this solo show was impressive. The Raccoon drawings were especially attractive as the way he executed them looked like they actually had fur coming off the page, and you can only imagine how soft it would be to touch. I was lucky to see his work in person through this show, and I hope to encounter more in the future.
 |
|
| Honey Boo Boo's Amurrican Starquest
Ingrid Wells just got her MFA from The San Francisco Art Institute and these oil paintings from her Honey Boo Boo's Amurrican Starquest were on display as part of the recent MFA exhibition... Ingrid Wells works and lives in San Francisco.
 |
|
| "Out the Window" at Prohibition Gallery
Henry Gunderson emailed over some photos from his recent group show with Andrew Luck, Jordan Bogash, and Mario Ayala "Out The Window" which ran at the Los Angeles based Prohibition Gallery.
 |
|
| The Tornatos in Moore, OK by Justin Clemons
I got there the day after the tornado came through. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. My mind just could not grasp what my eyes were seeing. It was just too much to take in, too much to process. So, I did what comes naturally and took images. It sort of helped me separate from the chaos and helped me focus.
 |
|
| Hyuro "In/Between" at ArtRebels
Check out this, what could be, one of the longest murals ever created. Hyuro from Valencia, Spain was recently in Copenhagen for the solo show "In/Between" at ArtRebels.
 |
|
| ARYZ's TL Mural and The Apple
Rachel Ralph spotted Barcelona-based ARYZ working on his mural in the TL a couple weeks back, and we forgot to share the pics. His show at Fifty24SF opened back in April.
.jpg) |
|
| Oversized Paintings by Jeffrey Cheung
Jeffrey Cheung emailed over some photos from a recent one night show he had at Terra Gallery/ event space. The May 19th show also featured live music by Oakland garage rockers Twin Steps and Coldtergeist.
 |
|
| Alison Blickle at Eleanor Harwood thru June 15th
Great solo show by LA based Alison Blickle (Born 1976) up now at San Francisco's Eleanor Harwood gallery. History of Magic Part 1... The Hermitage runs through June 15th 2013. -- 1295 Alabama St. Hours: Wed thru Sat (11-6pm)
 |
|
| John Felix Arnold III in Japan (Part 4)
Well, it looks like John Felix Arnold rocked Tokyo with his opening with Koutaro Ooyama at Spes Lab a few weeks back. Even a language barrier couldn't prevent the success of their collaboration. They invited everyone they met on trains, in cars, cafes, bars, restaurants, and people responded by attending, and bringing their families and friends as well.
 |
|
| Sanjay & Craig Premiere Party (+LA)
Last Thursday evening, I was lucky enough to get invited to Nickelodeon's premiere party for their newest cartoon, Sanja & Craig, created by three awesome dudes - Andreas Trolf, Jim Dirschberger, and Jay Howell. Hosted at Tony's Salon with pizza provided by Pizzanistas, the premiere party was filled with libations and celebrations, even a break-dance battle broke out. Congrats to everyone who worked on the show, and especially Trolf, Jim, and Jay who all have been working tirelessly on it. Sanja & Craig premiered Saturday 10:30 am 11 am on Nickelodeon. You can watch Sanjay and Craig Episode 1: Brett Venom on hulu. and read about how the guys came up with it in this interview with The LA Times. Now, here's some photos from the premiere.
 |
|
| Travis Millard Was Almost Rusty Millard
Drawing Stories is a new series from our buddy Travis Millard. Grab a cup of hot coco, get your slippers on and enjoy some time with your uncle Millard.
 |
|
| Tofer Chin @Lu Magnus (+NYC)
Los Angeles Christofer Chin (Tofer) emailed over some install shots of his current show Ar running in NYC at Lu Magnus through June 29th. Simple/ clean and continuing his op artstyle Tofer Chin features new paintings, photographs, and sculpture continuing his exploration of geologically and architecturally inspired Minimalist forms.
 |
|
| Sten & Lex for The Katowice Street Art Festival
More great street art by the Italian duo, Sten & Lex, this time in Poland for the Katowice Street Art Festival.
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Tonight We Fight @New Image, Sat
Wednesday, 19 June 2013 10:54
LOS ANGELES --- mark down Saturday, June 22nd on the calendar as New Image Art will be opening Tonight We Fight featuring works by John Malta, Pacolli, Mildred, Dillon Froelich, Eric McHenry, Teddy Kelly, Luke Pelletier, Sean Morris, Yarrow Slaps, Ben Jensen, Nathan Brown and Miles Jackson.
- show details
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Wednesday, 16 June 2010 17:39
Whole Foods Rips Off Corey Arnold?
Tuesday, 18 June 2013 13:57
Tucker Nichols emailed over this Whole Foods poster (below right) which looks a lot like one of Corey Arnold's photos (bottom left). Coincidence? Where they inspired by Corey's photo? Did Corey actually shoot the photo? Who knows and Corey is fishing for salmon right now (like this), so we can't ask him to find out.
Wait, on this Instagram, Corey Arnold writes "Ripped off!", so we guess that's your answer.
Whole Foods highly inspired by a Corey Arnold photo. Ripped off?
///
Wednesday, 25 April 2012 11:56
Homemade Tattoos (+How To)
Friday, 14 June 2013 10:00
Yeah, bad tattoos are basically a bummer, right? But they're also pretty much a rite of passage for bored and disenfranchised-feeling teenagers the world over. At least it was for about 95% of the people I know. Going to a reputable tattoo shop and getting a wizard or unicorn drilled into your lower back is totally fine, but nothing really takes the place of sitting around with a bunch of friends and some beers, enthusiastically taking turns poking each others' arms full of bad ideas-which actually is fun at any age.
Homemade Tattoos
Andreas Trolf's feature is an olde but goodie
Oakland: Organizers Trying to Keep Monthly Street Art Party Alive
Wednesday, 12 June 2013 15:18
OAKLAND -- First Fridays is hoping Oakland hasn't seen the last of the one of a kind event... The street art party is free to attend, but organizers say with police and other costs the price tag to throw the monthly party is $20,000... The City of Oakland has been footing the bill for months and after kicking in $500,000, it's pulling the plug... Organizers are now asking for donations and developing a vendor fee schedule to try and keep the party alive. ~continue reading
From a Fecal Face visit to one in 2008 ( pics)
June Group Show @Guerrero Gallery Saturday
Thursday, 13 June 2013 09:52
SAN FRANCISCO -- Guerrero Gallery, here in the Mission, opens their summer group show this Saturday, June 15th, featuring works from a steller lineup: Daniel Albrigo, Ryan Travis Christian, Alejandro Diaz-Ayala, Frohawk Two Feathers, Michelle Guintu, Justin Hager, Cody Hudson, Terry Powers, Rye Purvis, Victory Reyes, Jamie Williams, and Yarrow Slaps.
~complete details
Work by Alejandro Diaz-Ayala
Austin McManus Photography
Monday, 10 June 2013 14:06
NYC based Austin McManus updates his site with more tasty photography like the below image from his "Partner in Crime" series.
Image from Austin McManus' "Partner in Crime" series
SOEX's Monster Drawing Rally
Tuesday, 11 June 2013 12:42
SAN FRANCISCO --- Southern Exposure hosts thier annual Monster Drawing Rally Friday, June 14, 2013 at THE NWBLK, 1999 Bryant Street (at 18th). Tons of great artists auctioning works at a starting price of only $60.
A live drawing and fundraising event with 120 artists working side by side. The event lets spectators to observe artists in the act of creation, providing the opportunity to watch a drawing come to life, and to purchase a work of art minutes after its completion. Drawings are available for purchase immediately for just $60 each.
~complete details
Disputed Banksy graffiti art sold for $1.1M in London
Tuesday, 04 June 2013 14:00
Wonder if our old emails with Banksy are worth a few thousand dollars. It seems everything the dude touches is worth a million dollars these days! Nutty and much deserved.
A disputed Banksy graffiti artwork removed from a gritty London neighbourhood has sold for approximately $1.1 million US at auction. The provocative Slave Labour (Bunting Boy) sold at a private auction held by concierge firm The Sincura Group at the London Film Museum on Sunday, according to Bloomberg news service. The spray-painted, stenciled work depicts a child labourer using an antique sewing machine to create a Union Jack bunting.
-Continue reading
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| |
|
| Ian Kimmerly @Dolby Chadwick
SAN FRANCISCO --- Local painter Ian Kimmerly opened his newest show Continuous Wave at Dolby Chadwick on Thursday night, and these are some of the best paintings I've seen in a while.
|
|
| High 5s: 1 + 1 = 1
This editor has been posting images from his life for the last 13 years. Cats, sailboats and living one's life in the city of San Francisco. Visual randomness.
|
|
| The Black Robe at Spoke Art
Spoke Art opened The Black Robe on Thursday night, with the work of Barron Storey, Mike Dringenberg and Keita Morimoto, and was curated by Eidolon Fine Arts.
|
|
| Michael Alan Interview
These days New York-native multimedia artist, Michael Alan, has been incredibly active artistically in the big city. Between staging hours-long Living Installations at the New Museum and other DIY spaces, exhibiting his drawings and paintings in group exhibitions and hosting an unusual solo show in the home of his mother, Alan proves that there is no rest for the wicked. I caught up with him recently to hear the latest, the backstory, and what's next.
|
|
| Mute by Youth Lagoon
Have you been listening to Youth Lagoon's newest album Wondrous Bughouse? If not, do. It's one of the best albums we've heard in awhile.
|
|
| Viborg International Billboard Painting Festival
Henrik Haven, who keeps us up to date in all that's Copenhagen, emailed over some photos from the Viborg International Billboard Painting Festival that's running throughout June. In this short installment he introduces us to the work of urban/graffiti artist and illustrator NYCHOS.
|
|
| Kelly Tunstall's A16 Commissions
Kelly Tunstall, who's showing w/ Ferris Plock at FFDG this August 16th, recently finished some commissions for A16 in Oakland. Here's a little taste, and check out her last year's show at FFDG.
|
|
| Brendan Monroe Sculptures, A How To
Brendan Monroe, whose show Melting Into the Floor runs through June 15th at LA's Richard Heller, creates these great wooden sculptures and featured a bunch in the show... He's often asked how he goes about making them and gives us at Fecal Face a little 'how to' on the process.
|
|
| Mural by Curiot (+Mexico)
Mexico City based Curiot, whose sold out solo show Age of Omuktlans ran last March at FFDG, just finished this great mural entitled "El Retorno de Akhankutli" in Mexico. He recently completed one in Berlin too which we'll be posting in the coming week. The guy is very very talented in our eyes.
|
|
| The Pizza Slice(r) by Henry Gunderson
This made our day. Not only do we love pizza but we also love Henry Gunderson... So a board shapped like a hot slice designed by Henry Gunderson for The Good Company, well... this writer needs to go for a slice right now.
|
|
| Wendell McShine @Fifty24SF
Wendell McShine (lives in Mexico City, from Trinidad) opened his newest show, Raccoon's Law, at Fifty24SF on Saturday night. ARYZ was a tough act to follow, but McShine held his own in the space... With a combination of a mural, a video, and both drawings and mixed-media works on paper, the diversity of this solo show was impressive. The Raccoon drawings were especially attractive as the way he executed them looked like they actually had fur coming off the page, and you can only imagine how soft it would be to touch. I was lucky to see his work in person through this show, and I hope to encounter more in the future.
|
|
| Honey Boo Boo's Amurrican Starquest
Ingrid Wells just got her MFA from The San Francisco Art Institute and these oil paintings from her Honey Boo Boo's Amurrican Starquest were on display as part of the recent MFA exhibition... Ingrid Wells works and lives in San Francisco.
|
|
| "Out the Window" at Prohibition Gallery
Henry Gunderson emailed over some photos from his recent group show with Andrew Luck, Jordan Bogash, and Mario Ayala "Out The Window" which ran at the Los Angeles based Prohibition Gallery.
|
|
| The Tornatos in Moore, OK by Justin Clemons
I got there the day after the tornado came through. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. My mind just could not grasp what my eyes were seeing. It was just too much to take in, too much to process. So, I did what comes naturally and took images. It sort of helped me separate from the chaos and helped me focus.
|
|
| Hyuro "In/Between" at ArtRebels
Check out this, what could be, one of the longest murals ever created. Hyuro from Valencia, Spain was recently in Copenhagen for the solo show "In/Between" at ArtRebels.
|
|
| ARYZ's TL Mural and The Apple
Rachel Ralph spotted Barcelona-based ARYZ working on his mural in the TL a couple weeks back, and we forgot to share the pics. His show at Fifty24SF opened back in April.
|
|
| Oversized Paintings by Jeffrey Cheung
Jeffrey Cheung emailed over some photos from a recent one night show he had at Terra Gallery/ event space. The May 19th show also featured live music by Oakland garage rockers Twin Steps and Coldtergeist.
|
|
| Alison Blickle at Eleanor Harwood thru June 15th
Great solo show by LA based Alison Blickle (Born 1976) up now at San Francisco's Eleanor Harwood gallery. History of Magic Part 1... The Hermitage runs through June 15th 2013. -- 1295 Alabama St. Hours: Wed thru Sat (11-6pm)
|
|
| John Felix Arnold III in Japan (Part 4)
Well, it looks like John Felix Arnold rocked Tokyo with his opening with Koutaro Ooyama at Spes Lab a few weeks back. Even a language barrier couldn't prevent the success of their collaboration. They invited everyone they met on trains, in cars, cafes, bars, restaurants, and people responded by attending, and bringing their families and friends as well.
|
|
| Sanjay & Craig Premiere Party (+LA)
Last Thursday evening, I was lucky enough to get invited to Nickelodeon's premiere party for their newest cartoon, Sanja & Craig, created by three awesome dudes - Andreas Trolf, Jim Dirschberger, and Jay Howell. Hosted at Tony's Salon with pizza provided by Pizzanistas, the premiere party was filled with libations and celebrations, even a break-dance battle broke out. Congrats to everyone who worked on the show, and especially Trolf, Jim, and Jay who all have been working tirelessly on it. Sanja & Craig premiered Saturday 10:30 am 11 am on Nickelodeon. You can watch Sanjay and Craig Episode 1: Brett Venom on hulu. and read about how the guys came up with it in this interview with The LA Times. Now, here's some photos from the premiere.
|
|
| Travis Millard Was Almost Rusty Millard
Drawing Stories is a new series from our buddy Travis Millard. Grab a cup of hot coco, get your slippers on and enjoy some time with your uncle Millard.
|
|
| Tofer Chin @Lu Magnus (+NYC)
Los Angeles Christofer Chin (Tofer) emailed over some install shots of his current show Ar running in NYC at Lu Magnus through June 29th. Simple/ clean and continuing his op artstyle Tofer Chin features new paintings, photographs, and sculpture continuing his exploration of geologically and architecturally inspired Minimalist forms.
|
|
| Sten & Lex for The Katowice Street Art Festival
More great street art by the Italian duo, Sten & Lex, this time in Poland for the Katowice Street Art Festival.
|
|
 |
