Cover | Alejandro Rivera
The Origin of Flowers (oil and acrylic on canvas). To view a painting by Mexican artist Alejandro Rivera is to enter into an alternate universe, a place where time has collapsed, allowing artifacts of disparate civilizations to engage in a continuous and complex dialogue. His works have a labyrinthine, densely narrative quality that both invites and rewards extended contemplation. Rivera’s ability to manipulate symbols has allowed for compositions that speak incisively about the timeless, collective nature of human experience. Rivera’s paintings can often be read as allegories of contemporary life—especially in Mexico, where elements of American pop culture have become deeply ingrained in society. Yet for all their depth of symbolism, Rivera’s paintings are not prescriptive. They are, more than anything else, expansive works, testaments to the boundless potential of the human imagination (summary from Caldwell Snyder Gallery). His work can be seen at Caldwell Snyder Gallery, Union Square, San Francisco, 415-392-2299, www.CaldwellSnyder.com.
COMING SOON: The Monthly gets downright soulful with a visit to Lady Esther’s, and Nosh Box offers a lesson on IPAs. Meanwhile, The Kilduff File catches up to stand-up funny guy Moshe Kasher, author of Kasher in the Rye: The True Tale of a White Boy from Oakland Who Became a Drug Addict, Criminal, Mental Patient, and Then Turned 16. And Reese Erlich gets Anne Hallinan and Peter Coyote to talk about what’s worth watching these days.
