The Longest Funeral Song

The Longest Funeral Songfeaturing collaborative works byMonica Canilao and Kyle RansonOpening Reception August 1, 2008Through August 29, 2008In collaboration with The Art Syndicate, Space 1026 is pleased to present a collaborative installation by San Francisco Bay area artists, Monica Canilao and Kyle Ranson.This body of work/instalation is the culmination of a longtime friendship and shared vision of Canilao and Ranson.The artists sum up the idea of the show this way, "One Long Funeral Song" addresses the clashes and minglings of two magicks. the black, vampiric conjurings of colonialism and the nature magic of indigenous, poor and creative peoples... the contrast between secret societies and open-armed, cooperitive communities. Monica Canilao and Kyle Ranson build a world around the hope that perhaps a third and beautiful magick could be born from this long and bloodied struggle. Monica Canilao works with found objects and materials such as paper and fabric to weave sewn together structures that explore space, community and life and figures, both animal and human. According to Canilao, she "understands that even the most fleeting moments can be the most poignant ones, and so, she is fearless in her use of disintegrating materials such as paper, fiber, love and hope. What presents in her work is a feeling of spontaneity and mysticism.Monica received her BFA from CCA.(C). She has exhibited at Galeria de la Raza, White Walls, Needles and Pens, 111 Minna, the Luggage Store in San Francisco; The Cinders Gallery in Brooklyn, Jen Beckman Gallery in NY, Black Rat Press and 29 Gillespie in London. Canilao will be participating in upcoming exhibitions at Roebling Hall in NYC with David Ellis as well as artist Swoon's Hudson River project. Kyle Damon Ranson was born July 31st 1969 in Manhattan. With an encouraging hippie mother, he began to draw and paint in early childhood and by the time he was in high school, he was taking life drawing classes at the Lyme academy in Connecticut. He attended three semesters at the Maryland Institute College of Art and then dropped out to immerse himself in the arts and music scene in Baltimore. In 1994 he moved to San Francisco and became a part of the underground punk scene in the Mission. He began to exhibit his paintings in 1998 and has slowly become a pillar of the San Francisco art world. He has shown in New York and London and had several solo shows in San Francisco. His bold paintings often deal with extreme subject matter and can demand alot of the viewer yet there is a delicacy to his work that comes through most in his portraiture. Kyle Ranson lives and works in San Francisco.Curated By Derek IhnatFor more information please visitwww.space1026.comor email artsyndicate@gmail.comDerek IhnatDirectorArt Syndicate(215)-350-6225