John Hundt "Totems" through February 14, 2009; Jack Fischer Gallery; Tue-Fri 11-5:30, Sat 11-5; 49 Geary St, Suite 440, San Francisco; (415) 215-9016; www.jackfischergallery.com; This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
 
These are strange times we live in.  The economy is in free fall, and at the same time the nation is elated by regime change in Washington.  John Hundt’s collages embody the atmosphere of uncertainty, while offering a comforting though slightly unsettling retro feel.

Collage is a trend right now, both near and far.  In New York, the New Museum did a show last spring devoted to contemporary collage, called “The Unmonumental Picture.”  Closer to home at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, “Assemblage + Collage + Construction” debuts at the end of this month.  And at the Jack Fischer Gallery in San Francisco, John Hundt’s solo exhibition, “Totems,” is up through February 14, 2009.

John Hundt’s collages are painstakingly constructed images of surreal creatures and beings.  John says he is not a religious guy, but each of the anthropomorphic images in the show could be an object of reverence in some way.  

The artist collects copious source material from garage sales and thrift shops, and stores stacks of vintage printed matter in his home archives (much to his wife’s chagrin).  His process begins by poring over these textx and finding a graphic image that comes alive for him- something with perfect curves or a pattern that captivates, then keeps it top of mind until the next puzzle piece reveals itself. 

His source materials are 1950s porn mags, old science and math text books, and periodicals with names like “Sunbathing for Health” (circa 1940s, Canada).  His choice of instrument is a beloved pair of extremely sharp German steel scissors, which surgically remove chosen specimens from their natural environment.

Works with names like “raptor,” “shaman dance,” “and “double wing totem” evoke memories of the famous bar scene in the original Star Wars, Rube Goldberg machines, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  From the annals of art history, Hundt’s work brings to mind Leonardo da Vinci’s notebook sketches, Surrealist Max Ernst, the political photomontages of WWI artist John Heartfield, and Bay Area legend Bruce Conner. 

Curators who exhibit collage in their museums know John Hundt’s work.  Senior Curator at the New Museum, Laura Hoptman, picked John’s work last year for the “Juried Annual” at Oakland’s Pro Arts, an exhibition of its member artists that showcases new and emerging talent (Hoptman guest-curated using digital submissions). Curator Susan Hillhouse saw John’s work at Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica in 2007, and included him in the upcoming survey of collage.   

John studied for three years at the San Francisco Art Institute in the early 90s.  In 1999 his work was included in a show juried by Roy DeForest at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts.  He’s been included in six regional museum shows since 2001 and been recognized in several shows juried by local art professionals such as Kenneth Baker, Catharine Clark, and Rene de Guzman.  This is his second solo show with Jack Fischer Gallery.