SF/Arts

As unprecedented out-of-control fires have become an annual event, wreaking havoc on California’s communities, some artists are sharing their personal experience and creativity while portraying the real-time visual effects of the fires on the landscape - and on our minds.

One such artist is British artist Simon Bull (well known for his portrait of Barack Obama, commissioned by Muhammad Ali). Bull’s new collection of paintings titled “Beauty from Ashes” is the artist’s visual response to the fire-filled skies of Northern California. These works are characterized by sweeping swaths of red, orange and yellow in the artist’s inimitable way - blending paints of different viscosities and textures - confronting the viewer with virtual blistering fire and ominous smoke.

15% of all sales will be donated to the California Wildfire Relief Fund.

Beauty From Ashes by Simon Bull
Through Thursday, December 31
Meuse Gallery, St. Helena, CA

Napa Valley photographer and journalist Tim Carl has spent several years photographing the devastation wrought by Napa Valley and Sonoma wildfires. His work is on display at the Napa Valley Museum — as well as virtually — until March 29, 2020.

“Each photo I take attempts to tell a story. Often those stories are about our relationship with nature, and nowhere do they resonate more than through the near-annual fires that occur in and around California’s Wine Country. The enormous toll on lives and livelihoods of these ferocious infernos are often overshadowed by the courage, self-sacrifice, unity and resolute resiliency of the communities affected. Beyond the human inspiration brought about by wildfires, nature’s miraculous ability to rebound after what is often mind-numbing devastation also speaks to our shared connectedness, responsibility and the future that is so intimately linked to the health of our environment.
The most evocative and powerful photos do not preach or try to sell anything. They allow the viewer time to ponder what matters most.”

Real/Time: Art of the Moment – Tested By Fire – Virtual Exhibition by Tim Carl

Through March 29, 2021
Napa Museum of Art, Yountville, CA

Captions:
Beauty From Ashes, 9x12 acrylic on canvas, by Simon Bull
Images from 2017 Napa Valley wildfires, by Tim Carl