The
Kink markers were flowing like never before.
The Mezzanine was packed last Saturday night. On December 6, 2008 starting at 8:00 PM and enduring until the early hours of the morning, there was a creative thunder blowing through the streets of San Francisco. On a stage that is famous for the music that is performed upon it, were two amazing painters local to San Francisco, CA. Robert Harris and Ian Ross expressed their creative desire. This is the same stage performed on by Q-Tip, Common, Ghostface Killah, Rakim, Mos Def, Keyshia Cole, Guru/Jazzmatazz, RJD2, All American Rejects, Nas, Snoop, EL-P, Public Enemy, Method Man, Kool Keith/ Dr. Octogon, Jurrasic 5, Dilated Peoples, La Rocca, and much more. This stage that is blessed with the performances of so many great musicians has been endowed with live paintings by two gifted local artists.
These two ripped it up with the paints and markers.
RH created a fusion of faces that appeared to symbolize the city life, where people live stacked upon one another. The color choice and overall creativity was astonishing. On top of the face structure, like a totem pole, one face stretched toward the sky as if breaking loose but at the same time adding to the tower like composition. This piece was on a 4 x 8 foot board so that the view of the live painter stretched far and wide.
Below the painters there were fashion designers and thousands of consumers shopping for their holiday gifts. Above the painters, on the second story were even more designers with unique gifts. The huge concrete walls were covered with local art and photography from 150 different artists.
The Venue:
Housed in a historic two-story warehouse, Mezzanine features large expanses of unobstructed wall space, soaring ceilings and immense skylights. The adaptable space measures over 12,000 square feet with mezzanine levels that can be divided into smaller, more intimate spaces.
Centrally located at 444 Jessie Street, Mezzanine is nestled in the heart of San Francisco’s downtown district adjacent to Union Square, Nordstrom and San Francisco Shopping Centre, and is a short walk from Yerba Buena Gardens, Sony Metreon, Moscone Center, and all major hotels. Parking and mass transit are steps away.
