Hydra
NICK MAKANNA

The fountain, that ancient conduit by which precious drinking water was carried and captured, morphing into a decorative tool to display power, wealth and aesthetic sophistication, and now a constant of urban planning and over the top garden stores. Yet as drought becomes incessant throughout California and beyond, what metaphorical significance does the common fountain have, as an infinite loop of water is moved up and down in a meditative rhythm. Within Hydra, San Francisco based ceramic artist Nick Makanna tackles the strange resonances of this almost cliche form, amidst a summer of undeniable climate calamity, providing a space for reflection and resilience in a tumultuous time.  
Entering the garden space where the exhibition is situated, viewers are greeted by a series of ceramic window grates backed with colored plexiglass providing the first peek into the space where a series of saturated and organic plant-like ceramic forms intermingle with the actual vegetation of the brick-lined space, spindly sculptures playing off of the surrounding fruit trees and cacti. The central work within Hydra, Wishing Well II (Charred Remains), is a six foot tall fountain resembling a large sunflower with architectural embellishments guiding a spiked stalk from the large basin of water beneath, shorter tendrils surrounding the reservoir. This strangely biomorphic form is glazed predominantly in a consuming carbon black, polka dots of brilliant periwinkle and a hit of bright orange at the flower’s top providing a levity to the surrounding darkness–water slowly trickling from holes poked through the base of the crowning flower, cascading down the work’s structural reinforcements and spiked stalk, collecting in the large basin beneath before being ushered back into cycle. Viewers are encouraged to take a penny from an adjacent plate, make a wish and place it into the basin of the largest, employing the fountain as both a reflective device and a vessel for our collective hopes and anxieties.

Hydra

more to come.

Runs through September 26th
(Email us for an appointment / Tues - Sat 12 to 6 pm)

Accessibility: Plenty of parking in the neighborhood if not in the
driveway. The exhibition is only presented in the backyard, with no access
and or entry point through the interior of the building. The entrance is
through the side gate directly into the garden. There are no steps
to enter.

1401 Thomas Ave. SF CA 94124