The Second Annual Altoids Curiously Strong Collection

Curious? Well, a little. Sometimes it's hard to live up to such a bold and branded proclamation. The current collection of work in the name of the little mint “not recommended for the faint of tongue” is a complement to on-going Altoids sponsorships of not-for-profit groups whose goals match its own – to work with and generate meaningful exposure for talented young artists. Created in 1998, The Curiously Strong Collection was established to honor and support today's “most talented, emerging visual artists in America.” A panel of “highly regarded experts” from San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Houston, Greensboro, and Chicago selected the twenty-five artists featured in the compilation. Some of the more peculiarly potent picks highlighted in the 2000 showcase, currently on view at the luggage store, include Seong Chun's tiny sculptural works of text on crocheted paper; Reanne Estrada's creeping, crawling, coagulation of hair embedded in spice-scented glycerine soap; D'nell Larson's “Bump,” a pair of self-help bumper cars in the form of soft, fluffy swans used to navigate the rocky road of relationships; Michael Gonzalez's “Themplex” series of over-stylized Wonder Bread works; Michelle Segre's drawing of a brittle, barren Umbrian hillside; and Danielle Gustafson-Sundell's “candy-oh's” brick of cozied comfort and care. The show also features some works that appear to just be curiously wrong, such as Patrick Miceli's “Other,” which consists of over three-thousand disposable cups from dozens of fast food establishments piled into a corner of the gallery. Why would someone collect these? Why are they considered art? Why were they selected? Has Your Mouth Ever Got You Into Trouble? Pow. Right In The Kisser.

the luggage store
1007 Market Street (near 6 th ), San Francisco
Wed. – Sat. 12p.m. – 5p.m. (and by appointment)
(415) 255-5971 (Megan Wilson)