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SEQUENCE:18741239
CREATED:20101207T212300Z
DESCRIPTION:Autobody Fine Art Presents:\n"The Lost Isle of Neptune"\nFeaturing artists 
 Renee Castro and Ken Davis\nDecember 10th , 2010- January 28th, 
 2011\nOpening Reception: Friday, December 10th, 7 - 10:00pm\n \n \nThe 
 Neptune Beach Amusement Park was located on the island of Alameda at Crab 
 Cove. The Park was served by the Southern Pacific Transportation Company 
 and ferries from San Francisco and it operated from 1917 until it closed in 
 1939. Admission to the Park was only a dime and it was described as a place 
 for private picnics, with a clubhouse for dancing, and barbecue pits. The 
 Cottage Baths were vacation cottages, available for rent, but more 
 frequently let out to the carnival employees and freak show characters. Its 
 two outdoor pools hosted swimming races and exhibitions by swimmers such as 
 Olympian Johnny Weismuller, who later starred as the original Tarzan, and 
 Jack LaLanne who started a chain of health clubs. The Park also featured a 
 hand-carved carousel from the Dentzel Company and a Ferris wheel. Although 
 the Neptune Beach Amusement Park no longer exists, some of the housing has 
 been relocated within Alameda and the memory of the Park lingers 
 romantically for the old veterans of the naval base in Alameda and also for 
 the newer inhabitants and visitors to the island which includes the 
 featured artists in this exhibition,, Ken Davis and Rene Castro. \n \nKen 
 Davis, in particular, is interested in the intersection of linguistics and 
 aesthetics that become the focus of his artwork based on the historiography 
 of signage. All of his signs/images/artworks are meticulously 
 hand-lettered, using the fonts and materials (Ken is a master of 
 "One-Shot," sign enamel) associated with the traditional craft of signage. 
 However, Ken Davis takes the work beyond this realm by grouping disparate 
 phrases within complex installations that sweep across walls and through 
 rooms. Particularly fascinated with Victoriana and the darker underbelly of 
 the Romantic age in Alameda, Ken Davis' world is meant to be read on a 
 variety of different levels.\nAutobody Fine Art has occupied a pivotal 
 position in the resurgence of cultural identity and belief on the island of 
 Alameda and we were particularly curious to revisit a monument that seemed 
 central to the islands' previous identity. Rene Castro's beautiful, finely 
 detailed art work has always dealt with the way in which women, in 
 particular, occupy a space that is both magical and terrifying, but can 
 also be a conduit for understanding the emergence and incorporation of oral 
 and visual traditions within communities. Rene frequently pictures the 
 "feminine" through a variety of proscribed identities: Aviator, Matador, 
 Mythical Creature, Whore, to name a few. With the history of the Neptune 
 Beach Amusement Park awash with character types, Rene Castro's imagination 
 will be free to transform and elevate the freak show into something 
 startlingly beautiful.\n \nFor more information and images, please contact 
 Amy M. George, Exhibition and Events Director, Autobody Fine Art at 
 info@autobodyfineart.com, or give us a buzz at 510.865.2608.\n\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/12/07/18665950.php
SUMMARY:The Lost Isle of Neptune
LOCATION:Autobody Fine Art Gallery \n1517 Park Street \nAlameda Ca\n94501
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/12/07/18665950.php
DTSTART:20101211T030000Z
DTEND:20101211T060000Z
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