(photo by Scott Beale)
San Francisco's 1:AM Gallery opened a most unique show in support of the rehabilitation of their neighbor, the fantastic site-specific "Defenestration," a huge multi-storied building, whose furniture resides on the outside, wriggling and escaping their confines. The project, an unofficial SF landmark since it's birth in 1997, was created by conceptual artist Brian Goggin with help from a nefarious crew of never do-wells and cohorts. Check out extensive coverage of the opening night, which included Brian Goggin and the nefarious John Law rappeling off the side of the building, on Laughing Squid.

Our next Gallery Spotlight finds us within the fascinating world of long-time art dealer and collector Yves Laroche of Montreal, Canada's Yves Laroche Gallery. Yves has been involved in the arts for longer than most of us have been pattering around this fine planet, beginning his adventure in 1979. He’s stayed true to his course through the fat and lean days, braving uncharted territories from his early days as a poster publisher to his current state as an international curatorial powerhouse. Join us as I sit down with Yves and gets to know one of the new contemporary art world’s most genuine and creatively generous souls.

Here's a sneak peek at a few of the pieces to premiere at the Hi-Fructose 5th Anniversary Group Exhibition. Take a look at the paintings from Lori Earley, Mia, and Yoko d'Holbachie. See detail views of the works here and look for more show previews coming soon..

We just had to show you Oakland artist Scott Hove's wonderfully delicious piece for the Hi-Fructose 5th Anniversary Group Exhibition. See detail views here and look for more show previews coming soon..

Hi-Fructose Volume 15 features an extensive cover feature on the evolution of James Jean , which including a special sketchbook section from him, we discover the art of Kristina Collantes, feel gravity's pull with painter Jeremy Geddes , cross-section ghosts with sculptor Kate MacDowell, throw shapes with James Marshall (Dalek), uncover the art of Al Columbia , probe inner space with Colin Christian . We spotlight Mark Ryden's new solo show and the She-Wolves of Miss Van. Check out preview images for Hi-Fructose Vol.15. We'll show you the cover soon... Don't miss this volume of Hi-Fructose available in April!

Both Kevin Cyr (HF vol.10) and Jessica Hess both create masterful landscape paintings, albeit of derelict spaces. Their classical inspired paintings of contemporary urban landscapes are often cover from tire to wind shield or sidewalk to support beam, with grafitti, rust, and decay. Their new show "Temporal Surfaces," curated by HF contributor Lainya Magana, opens March 6th at White Walls in San Francisco. See a preview of their show here. And look for Kevin Cyr in the Hi-Fructose 5th Anniversary Group Exhibition.

Spirals of rope and thread are carefully layered to create the amazing sculptures by the artist known only as Jim who began creating these sculptures in 1980. Be sure to check out his Skull Gallery for a look at his amazing hanging craniums here.

Ecoli, the HIV virus, and Small pox all get the glass blown heirloom treatment from Luke Jerram. Jerram creates an unbiased and dare we say beautiful look at these microbiotic killers by stripping the usual color off and representing them in a literally clear way. Says Jerram: "These transparent glass sculptures were created to contemplate the global impact of each disease and to consider how the artificial colouring of scientific imagery affects our understanding of phenomena." and this testimonial from an HIV victim supports his argument: "Knowing that millions of those guys are in me, and will be a part of me for the rest of my life. Your sculpture, even as a photo, has made HIV much more real for me than any photo or illustration I've ever seen. It's a very odd feeling seeing my enemy..."