KALEID gallery presents featured exhibits by photographer Josh Hires and assemblage artist Philo Northrup.

Artists’ Reception First Friday May 2nd, 7-9pm
Music by Elevator Out

The Market 2.0 by Josh Hires

On the surface, The Market is a look at a single day in the life of the many street vendors in Bay-Area farmers markets. This collection of work is a culmination of Josh Hires’ targeted research and photography efforts over the past 2 years. Initially a BFA project at San Jose State University, the images strive to show us a dual purpose. Firstly, they showcase a cultural phenomenon that is rather unique within the scope of America’s agriculture scene. Second, and perhaps most importantly they address the larger question of “what is for dinner, and how do the varied answers to this question effect us as a society”.

Comprised of a series of 20×20 and larger Light Jet Prints, the show displays several aspects of our daily eating habits, but most specifically the habit of shopping at a local farmers market.

Josh Hires is a Bay Area photographer who has shown in venues from San Joaquin Valley’s Spectrum Photography Gallery to magazines and other Central Valley Publications.

Rampart by Philo Northrup

Philo Northrup has been working on his Rampart project since 2006. The term, rampart, means an imposing fortification or castle wall. Northrup’s rampart consists of a series of large found-object assemblages, which, when displayed close together, form one giant construction that covers an entire side of a building.

The basic concept is to take the practice of assemblage – recombining disparate objects into a cohesive whole – to a grander scale so that the resulting piece is Monumental.

The individual components focus on color and texture using standard geometric shapes (see above image “Blue X”). Often the base objects are construction materials such as doors and windows.

The Kaleid Gallery will show a small version of Rampart, a larger version will be exhibited at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History in 2009.

Northrup’s artwork has been exhibited at numerous venues including the San Jose Museum of Art, USC Museum of Art, Triton Museum of Art, California Museum of Art, Venice ArtWalk, LACE Annualé and the Bayannale.

Most recently he had a solo show at the True World Gallery in Joshua Tree, CA. Northrup is best known for his ArtCars, which have appeared in articles in the New York Times, Washington Post, Artweek, LA Times, SF Chronicle, SF Weekly, San Jose Mercury News, Juztapoz and Wired.

This reception is part of the South FIRST FRIDAYS art walk and is free and open to the public.