Scratch | Dennis McCauley

Titled for the artist’s street name as well as his process, this exhibition of impressionist-inspired paintings offers viewers an often-overlooked view of San Francisco. Images of the moon, an owl, iconic San Francisco buildings, or the classic sign of the Western Hotel on Leavenworth, are created with layers of paint applied with a plastic fork or spoon or some other object found on the street. When the paint dries, he often then cuts into it with razor blades, creating a dynamic texture and furthering the impressionistic feeling of the work, and creating a near perfect metaphor for this city: it’s impossible to see clearly from too close or too far away.