reviews

Hunting

Sacramento's News & Entertainment Weekly
Volume 20, Issue 18, Thursday, July 24, 2008

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FOR THE KILL
by Shoka

"The horrible thing is, it's really fun to shoot a machine gun," artist Kerry Loewen admits. He made the surprise discovery at a shooting range in northeastern Oregon while filming himself and others shooting for Hunting, his art installation now showing at Block. Among those letting off rounds is a girl of about 10, confidently shelling with a silencer.

Loewen cast nearly 200 bronze bullets and carved people's names into them. Packed with gun powder and sand from a children's playground, these bullets line a wall of his installation. A poignant criticism on violence and war, the nonstop sound of guns being loaded and fired is unnerving, as is the footage of people shooting animals and disturbingly displaying their trophy kills on three digital photo frames.

This don't-miss show continues through Sunday, July 27, with a closing reception on Saturday, July 26, from 6 to 9 p.m. Block is located at 1020 10th Street, (530) 409-3304, www.blockdowntown.com.

—Shoka

You Are West of Me, I am East of You. You are East of me, I am West of You.

By Helen Zou,
Sacramento News & Review, D'Art Section
June 12, 2008

The MacGyver of Art

By Josh Fernandez,
Sacramento News & Review,
November 15, 2007

When I last saw installation artist Cheri Ibes, she was in Benicia standing on a ladder, placing old eyeglasses in select areas throughout a white room. The end result of her strategized insanity was a study of form that gave castoff spectacles---twisted, bent and mangled---the appearance of movement, flight, and a new, insect-like life, transforming the once bare room into a haunting ecosystem. Now she’s here, and has opened Block, located at 1020 10th Street---as expected, she has some impressive tricks up her sleeve. This time, she’s collaborating with Bay Area sound composer Daniel Konhauser to create a piece using burnt out light bulbs from a defunct poultry farm and more than 100 cream-colored lamp shades from a thrift store to create an installation where even its shadows can be considered masterpieces. Check out the opening of Infrastructure on Saturday, November 10, from 6-9pm. Through mid-December.

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Midtown Monthly, November 2007, p.38

Another Grand Opening of note is area artist Cheri Ibes' BLOCK Gallery,
which is taking over part of the old Himovitz space at 1020 10th Street
(right above Bud's Buffet). The space opens November 10 with
Infrastructure, an installation by Ibes and composer Daniel Konhauser.
Ibes' former gallery, Arsenal 17 in Benicia, was known for high-end,
extremely formal installation work, so expect good things here.