FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pablo Guardiola

January 12th – February 16th, 2008
OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday, January 12th, 6-9pm

little tree gallery
3412 22nd St @ Guerrero
San Francisco, CA 94110
415.643.4929
www.littletreegallery.com
info@littletreegallery.com

little tree gallery is pleased to present Pablo Guardiola’s newest body of work in his second solo show at the gallery. The photography and sculpture in the exhibition is striking in both composition and color. But as the conceptual value of the work begins to unfold, the realization that each piece is dynamic and abundant comes to the fore.

Sunset in a Bucket is a smart and deceptive piece. It is a photo of a red bucket that has lost most of its color due to being in the sun. The majority of the bucket is white, while only the thicker parts, the rim and bottom, maintain a red hue. The title refers to the red in the bottom of the bucket, impossibly illuminating this object in decline. In order for the bucket to achieve abnormal colorization, Mr. Guardiola left it outside for over three years. During this period, the bucket was recording light, mimicking a photograph. The result is a photo within a photo. And yet we must still give prudence to the bucket and its symbolic qualities. A container: a metaphor for what we hold. The surface: a sentiment.

Mr. Guardiola will also display a photograph of a greasy brown paper bag placed on a table. There are other objects there as well, but they remain beyond the focal plane. At a glance, that is all one sees, a simple scene. But then, upon further inspection it becomes obvious that the grease on the bag is in the shape of a world map. The familiar landmasses are unmistakable, as the evolved piece envelops the viewer in thought.

Sticking a postcard of a tropical city onto a blue fence, then photographing the scene is awkwardly familiar. Postcards easily end up on walls, fridges, and bulletin boards. They are most often bought during vacations in order to take home memories or used as a means to share an experience with others. Conversely a fence is halting and limiting. With the postcard on the fence, it’s as if escapism is being suspended, albeit temporarily. The blue colors from the fence matches the blue water in the postcard, so the postcard becomes an island in the turquoise sea that is the fence. The sense of separation the piece exudes is matched by the possibility of an outlet. A gap in the right of the fence spews a hidden scene, giving the piece a metaphorical portal.

Pablo Guardiola’s work has shown extensively in the U.S. and abroad. He’s in the permanent collection of The Capitol Group and has shown at New Langton Arts in San Francisco and the San Juan Museum of Contemporary Art in Puerto Rico, among others. He lives in San Francisco.

For inquiries and questions regarding the show, please contact J. Brent Large by phone at (415) 643-4929 or by email at info@littletreegallery.com.