San Francisco - April 08, 2005

What a Long, Strange Trip

Niagara Art Exhibit

Say you smoked a bunch of opium and downed a tumbler of absinthe. What would the world look like?

No one’s recommending that you run out and do such things, mind you. But you can get a glimpse of the effects at “Beyond the Pale,” a new exhibit of recent works by artist Niagara (yes, just one name) at The Shooting Gallery.

Inspired by the opium dens and absinthe bars in San Francisco at the turn of the last century, the collection depicts women on mind-altering journeys. Using layers of paint, gold leaf, decorative Chinese papers, and faux jewels, each piece represents a different stage of a drug-induced high. The bright colors and ultra-feminine images keep the creations lighthearted and fun.

Niagara, an artist from Detroit, sang for punk bands in the ’80s. All that time spent designing posters and album art got her hooked on painting.

No word whether she was doing the other things that go with rock ‘n’ roll.

“Beyond the Pale” is on display April 9-May 7 at The Shooting Gallery, 839 Larkin Street, between Geary and O’Farrell Streets (415-931-8035 or shootinggallerysf.com).

  Artsy