Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Joe Rees "Transformer" @ Steven Wolfe Fine Arts SF

Joe's showing his neon sculpture as well as Target Videos. Opening Reception is Friday night, Nov. 20th 6-8 pm

JOE REES TRANSFORMER
November 20 – December 22, 2009Opening Reception Friday, November 20, 6-8 pm


Joe Rees produced striking and disparate bodies of punk rock video and neon sculpture in the 1970s and 1980s, which haven’t been seen for years; both will be on view at Steven Wolf Fine Arts this November.

Rees and the gallery have recreated a selection of his neon sculptures, almost all of which were lost in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, and not seen since that time. Eerie, spare representations of chairs and tables, crucifixes and eye-glasses, the neon sculptures earned Rees a reputation for invention and craftsmanship and the San Francisco Art Association’s Adeline Kent Award in 1980. The economy of Rees’ forms, the way they seem to comment on minimalism, his mixture of glass with other materials such as wax, concrete and found objects, prophesied by decades work by other neon-centric artists, such as Ivan Navarro.

Even before the earthquake, Rees was lured away from his neon practice by the siren song of the portable video camera. He was one of the first artists in San Francisco to get one, and as the founder of Target Video he used it to document the punk rock scene like no one else. Some rare and obscure footage of studio mayhem from Target’s 18th Street and South Van Ness headquarters, ground zero for the local punk scene, will be screened in the show along with better-known footage of performances by bands like The Cramps, The Germs and The Avengers.

In the 1980s, Rees traveled all over the U.S. and Europe screening punk rock shows, but he moved to Reno following the destruction of his studio and slipped into invisibility. Classics like The Cramps at Napa State Mental Hospital, an insane show in which it is at times difficult to distinguish between the band and the audience, were still in circulation. But the enormous archive, with footage like a deadpan concert by Crime at the San Quentin jail, in which band members dress up in sheriff’s outfits and performed for gun-toting prison guards, ethnically-divided prisoners and one brave go-go dancer, were completely out of sight. It’s only been recently that the Target Video archive has begun to find its way back into the spotlight. The Getty Museum included Rees in its 2008 survey, California Video, there was a massive outdoor show last year at MOCA Los Angeles and on February 18th and 20th Yerba Buena Center for the Arts will host a screening of SF punk rock shows and footage from Rees’ archive of Survival Research Laboratory shows.

Steven Wolf Fine Arts

49 Geary Street, Suite 411

San Francisco, CA 94108

415-263-3677

www.stevenwolffinearts.com

Monday, November 2, 2009

Target Video on SF's "Pirate Cat Radio"

Target Video will be on Pirate Cat Radio in SF's Mission District and online tomorrow night, 6-8pm. Ruby Ray will also be on hand and we'll be talking about the "Punk Passage" show at the SF Public Library on Wed. night (Nov. 4 6-7:30pm) and the first wave of the SF music and art scene.

http://www.piratecatradio.com/

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Free!!! Target Video Show at SF Public Library

All SF Bands!!!
November 4, 2009
6:00-7:30pm
San Francisco Public Library
Main Branch
Koret Auditorium
100 Larkin @ Grove
Civic Center, SF

Monday, October 12, 2009

Brendan Mullen RIP



Brendan Mullen R.I.P. October 12, 2008

We received the very sad news earlier today that our good friend, Brendan Mullen, passed away. Always a vociferous scene historian, Brendan was truly the "Mad Scot." He's known for his many, many contributions to L.A's music history, including founding the Masque, booking Club Lingerie, and as the chronicler of L.A. punk history in his various books.

He was also a drummer, recorded for posterity one day (or was it two?) at the Target studio on So. Van Ness. He was playing drums with Geza X and the Mommymen. Brendan and Geza were up for the weekend as was Don Bonebrake, who was up with X. They all played up a storm that day in the studio. We spent all day shooting the Mommymen. As evening fell we sped over to Berkeley to tape X.(The Mommymen opened.)Then it was back for more studio shooting. Those were the days (and nights.)

Brendan is missed by us all. Our heartfelt prayers and love go out to Kiteri and Brendan's family.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Joe Rees "Neon Sculpture" @ Steven Wolfe Fine Arts SF

Joe Rees' exhibit at Steven Wolfe Fine Arts opens on November 20, 2009. Before punk rock, Joe was an accomplished neon sculptor. This is a great chance to see some of his really incredible, early work.
Steve Wolfe Fine Arts
49 Geary St. , Ste. 411
San Francisco, CA 94108

Target Video's "SF Punk" November 4, 2009


Anyone who's actually read the Target show poster for the SF Library show knows that the date is wrong on the poster. Sorry for the confusion. The show date is November 4th. The show will be of SF bands and artists.

Here's the location info:

Target Video "SF Punk"
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 6 p.m.
San Francisco Public Library
Main Library, Lower Level, Koret Auditorium
100 Larkin Street (at Grove)

Friday, July 31, 2009

San Francisco Target Show!


This great Target Video presentation will be on November 4, 2009 as part of the exhibit "Punk Passage" . Ruby Ray will finally have her legendary photographs on exhibit from Sept. 12 - November 21, 2009. Ruby's exhibit as well as the Target Video show focus on the early San Francisco scene. Another "do-not-miss" evening! Show starts promptly at 6pm and runs to 7:30pm.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Joe Rees L.A. Record Interview



Joe Rees taping Nervous Gender at the Target Studio, Feb. 1980.
Joe Rees is interviewed by Chris Ziegler of the L.A. Record.  Joe talks about the origins of Target, art, Target's many collaborations, classic shows and the future of the Target Library.
http://larecord.com/interviews/2009/04/30/target-video/#more-30323





 

Killer show!

Dez Cadena of Black Flag speaks direct from the Target Video Studios toilet.  1980.
Thursday night's Target Video shows were really exciting with a great screen and killer sound.  The terrific crowd didn't hold back and applauded their favorites .  It was such a great show and all the video looked so cool on the big screen!  Thanks to all who made it down.  Let us know who your favorites were.  Send us an email to be added to our list for future shows.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Target Video's "Raw Power" April 30th

Alice Bag from Target Video's taping of The Bags. Photo © 1979 Joe Rees. 

Target Video's "Raw Power"

The upcoming Target Video show at the Silent Movie Theater will be quite a departure from past shows. Unlike other Target shows, this one  basically presents footage direct from the vaults. Uncut. Unmixed. Raw and original.  We have begun calling the show "Raw Power" for its sheer voyeuristic quality.  The pieces document explosive musical events from the late 70's and early 80's.  The soundtracks are all original: from a simple camera microphone recording to studio mixes.  Presented more music tv style than movie.  An authentic thrill ride through the West Coast's punk past.  It's not pretty.  It's raw and the way it was. Be there!

Monday, April 6, 2009

Thursday April 30,2008 at the Silent Movie Theatre

Chip Kinman/The Dils at SF Civic Center. Photo © Jill Hoffman Kowal.
Target Video's next show is Thursday, April 30, 2008 at the Silent Movie Theater at 611 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA. (www.cinefamily.org) We'll be showing some great stuff from the library: Suburban Lawns, Nervous Gender, BPeople and other gems.  The show starts at 7:30 with an hour focusing on early LA bands.  The second hour will feature art performance and "post-punk" bands.  Be there!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Target Video show at Cinefamily, Los Angeles

Joe Rees shoots Factrix at the Target warehouse, SF as par of the "Live at Target" shoot.

Target Video will be showing at the Cinefamily on Fairfax in LA on April 30.  The show will feature Los Angeles bands in the first hour and art/industrial/post-punk material in the second hour.  There will be some Q&A with Joe Rees and Jackie Sharp at the show, too.  The show closes out Cinefamily's two month series: "Post-Punk Junk."  The series screens every Thursday during March and April.  They are screening some terrific gems.  Check their website for more specific information: www.cinefamily.org

Target Video in Croatia

Ted Falconi let's loose in San Francisco from "Flipper Live" Photo © Joe Rees 1980.

Target Video's "Flipper Live" will screen at the Dorf Film Festival in Croatia.  Festival dates are March 5-8 and the festival spans 2 cities: Vinkovci and Zupanja.  Let us know if you get a chance to attend.  Check out the festival's website: www.dorf-vk.com

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Lux Interior RIP

Brian Gregory and Lux Interior from the Target Video, "The Cramps Live at Napa State Hospital" Photo © Joe Rees 1978.

Target Video is very saddened by the news of Lux Interior's passing yesterday.  He was a friend and great artist.  He will be missed by us all.