Sassafras

Ferris Plock, Porous Walker, Dave Hopp, Don Pendleton, Kelly Tunstall, Michael Sieben, The Polaroid Jay, Todd Francis, Travis Millard, Gina M. Contreras, Jason Adams

Heron Arts is pleased to announce Sassafras, a group exhibition featuring Dave Hopp, Don Pendleton, Ferris Plock, Gina M. Contreras, Jason Adams, Kelly Tunstall, Michael Sieben, Porous Walker, The Polaroid Jay, Todd Francis and Travis Millard. The opening reception for Sassafras is Saturday, November 9th, 2024 from 6-9pm. It is free and open to the public. The exhibition will be on view to the public until December 14th, by appointment only.

The show’s title, Sassafras, has layers of meanings with the artists involved in the exhibition. Many know of sassafras as a type of tree, tea or even a street drug nickname but for the purpose of this show, sassafras is defined as a person that is sassy, sarcastic, and funny. This intentionally tongue-in-cheek title lends to what the viewer expects to experience when interacting with the artworks. This collection entertains with irreverence, boasting color-saturated street art influences with humor and skateboard culture folded in. This character-based exhibition features mostly semi-autobiographical characters that come with a bevy of compelling backstories. Other works include minimally stylized polaroid photo grids, low brow illustrations highlighting dark humor, surreal cartoons and comics, contemplative feminine figures in simple interiors, otherworldly mermaids and many other off-the-wall, street art representations that parody pop culture.

ARTIST BIOS

“The Dave Hopp has, well, done a lot of stuff. He’s made things—lots of things, actually. Some of them are probably important, though he’s not one to boast. His creative journey? It’s been a mix of joy, experimentation, and, frankly, some moments of ‘what on earth am I doing?’ But hey, that’s art, right?

Whether it’s painting, sculpting, or making things that defy easy description, The Dave Hopp just keeps at it. There’s no grand philosophy here—he just enjoys making things and hopes you’ll enjoy seeing them. After all, art’s supposed to be fun, isn’t it?

And then, there are the photographs. Sometimes, he points a camera at things and clicks, capturing moments that feel right. Don’t ask him why, he just does it. Maybe they mean something, maybe they don’t—but like the rest of his work, they’re here for you to figure out.”

–George Patton Thorogood

Don Pendleton is an American artist, Grammy Award winning designer and illustrator working out of Dayton, OH. He has produced work for over 50 brands across the globe and participated in more than 40 group exhibits and solo shows internationally, including a solo museum exhibit at the Huntington Museum of Art ('Fine Lines') in 2014. His work has been featured in over 40 magazines over the years from various art, skateboard and culture publications (including the cover of Juxtapoz Magazine with a feature article in the issue) and he continues to work commercially with design and illustration as well as dedicating time to the fine art realm with his painting.

Ferris Plock is a San Francisco-based artist who lives within the city with his wife, Kelly Tunstall (Plock’s partner in the artistic duo KeFe), and son Brixton. Plock brings a dedicated focus to his work that is paired with a wild sense of originality. Through a variety of mediums including acrylic, watercolor, spray paint, India ink, gold or silver leaf, and collage Plock creates highly detailed works, often character-based paintings on wood panel, that combine contemporary pop culture with the aesthetic of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblocks. Widely-accomplished and with a diverse range of artistic interests, Plock has created illustrations for many high-profile clients, has been involved in solo and group exhibitions both nationally and abroad, and also served as the 2010 SF Recology Artist in Resident.

Born in Fresno, California, Gina M. Contreras incorporates drawing and painting to examine the complexity of traditional and cultural standards. Contreras uses self-portraits to embrace the narrative between her conventional Chicana upbringing and her admiration for modern lowbrow culture of self-awareness and body acceptance. In 2008, she received her BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. Her work has been exhibited throughout the US and internationally. She currently lives and works in San Francisco.

Jason Adams is the BURNING BOY. Burning to transcend the confines of the status quo the only way he knows how--through creativity, hard work and the DIY Punk Rock ethos he grew up with. He has a burning desire to achieve self-reliance by finding ways to survive and thrive in this crazy world we all live in through self-expression and creativity. Call it skateboarding, call it art? Whatever, it’s all the same to him! In his mind’s eye Burning Boy is beyond selling products. It is a platform to achieve a way of life he strives to create, and with support, to inspire others to create their own.

Kelly Tunstall was born in 1979 and received her BA from California College of the Arts and Crafts in 2002. In stylized figural works, Tunstall deals with the contrast between a compositional, portrait-like formality and a more casual revelation of method. In her solo practice, Tunstall creates stylized portraits of mermaids, twins, and other creatures which desire to exist beyond the limitations of the medium of painting; a microcosm of the modern world at large; inhabited by people as they seem, where the paintings function as a mirror of our most fantastic selves, or as we exist in dreams. Tunstall consistently employs visual shorthand; universal symbols and fables which call on universal themes. Tunstall works in San Francisco, where she works frequently in collaboration with her husband, Ferris Plock.

Michael Sieben is a professional designer, illustrator and writer whose work has been exhibited and reviewed worldwide as well as featured in numerous illustration anthologies. He lives and works in Austin, TX, with his wife Allison, son River, and daughter Eve.

Porous Walker is a father of 2 daughters and a person who loves art and laughing.

Jay Aguilar (The Polaroid Jay) is a Polaroid artist and photographer from Santa Clara, California. Known for his portrait work that ranges from close friends and family to other creatives/musicians/well known figures. All of his work is created with fresh Polaroid film batches and vintage Polaroid cameras.

Todd Francis is an American artist born and raised in Los Angeles. For over two decades he has created iconic skateboard graphics for a number of companies including Antihero (Todd created the original Eagle logo), Real, Spitfire, Stereo and Element. Todd has partnered on signature design projects with respected brands such as Vans, Stance, HUF, Activision and Firestone Walker, and his studio art has been shown in galleries around the world including Subliminal Projects, Fecal Face Gallery and 1700 Naud. His work combines often-bleak humor with environmental and political themes, using a variety of media to convey his message. Todd is a longtime art contributor to Penthouse magazine, and his work has been featured in numerous skate, art and culture magazines including Juxtapoz, Vice, Monster Children, Complex and Thrasher.

Travis Millard is an artist, musician and founder of Fudge Factory Comics. His illustrations have appeared in Hollywood Reporter, Mad Magazine, Wired, and many more. Travis has created record covers for The Get Up Kids, Dinosaur Jr, Kurt Vile, Aesop Rock, and others. Travis produced & art directed the indie video game “Freedom Finger" available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox and Steam. Travis is also currently a drawing professor at the University of Kansas.