Can paintings live outside? Would it be possible to have a garden live within a painting? In an exhibition called Inside Outside, Fabric 8 challenged local artists Daniel James Burt and Romanowski to re-think painting from an outdoor perspective. The artists jumped right in (jumped right out?) in creating unique indoor and outdoor found object and plant assemblage and sculptures.
Beautifully integrated into the artwork are bits of chia pet plants and air plants that derive their water from the air, requiring little to no maintenance. The artists collaborated with Flora Grubb Gardens to determine exactly what type of plants would be best suited to this new art environment. “We do not have green thumbs,” Fabric 8 co-founder Olivia Ongpin explained, “So we knew that if we could keep these pieces alive, anyone could.”
Fabric 8 started out as an Internet business selling unique items by urban independent designers. Their small retail store located beneath a San Francisco Victorian residence in the Mission has now expanded to include a gallery in the back as well as a backyard garden gallery. When I stopped by earlier today, they were preparing the space for a wedding reception over the weekend.
