Art Seen

By Patricia B. Dwyer

12/6-1/12: “The Painterly Art of Happiness & Other Stuff...” by Matte Stephens
Subtext Gallery, Little Italy
subtextgallery.com
Inspired by 1950s-era graphics, illustrator Matte Stephens has created whimsical imagery for the likes of Disney, Tiffany & Co. and American Express. This series of illustrations captures his world travels and the characters he’s met or seen along the way.

12/7-1/24: Brian Bent
Surf Indian, Pacific Beach
surfindian.com
Hot rods, 1930s surf culture and 1950s rock ‘n’ roll inspire Brian Bent’s bold, geometric paintings, which take “old school” appeal to a righteous new level. Find more art, apparel and random junk/goodies at Hot Rod Garage Sale, Bent’s new shop, in North Park.

12/11-1/14: “Home” by Cathrine Edlinger-Kunze
ArtrtHatch, Escondido
arthatch.org
A German painter living in Carlsbad, Cathrine Edlinger-Kunze has focused on capturing the human form since age 16, when she began studying under famous German painter Max Mertz. Her recent paintings of dancers and other performers will be on display during this show at ArtHatch.

12/13-12/25: Ambition
Voz Alta Project, Barrio Logan
Tattoo artist and painter Sergio “Splurgeo” Hernandez curated this show of urban and urban-inspired San Diego-bred artists whose ambitions involve bettering their artistry versus getting rich.

12/13-1/12: Fast Forward
Low Gallery, North Park
lowgallerysd.com
More than 40 artists of various media and genres will come together for this group show at North Park’s new Low Gallery.

12/14-2/1: Fresh to Death
Rosewood San Diego, East Village
rosewoodsandiego.com
Los Angeles-based graffiti artist Freehand Profit - known for dismantling rare, expensive sneakers to build his famed sneakerhead gasmasks (see picture) - is joining other new wave urban artists for this group show and charity art auction benefiting the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego.

12/21-3/23: “Chicanitas: Small Paintings from the Cheech Marin Collection (size doesn’t matter)”
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Downtown
mcasd.org
See diminutive (16-inches-square or smaller) from comedian Cheech Marin’s private collection of works by Chicano artists.