I'm super excited to announce that the next show I curated will take place at a space near and dear to all our hearts: D-Structure SF! As hard as I've been working to put this show together, I'm pretty sure the artist - John Wentz - has me beat. Check out a sneak peek of some of the work you can expect to see and mark your calendars! The opening for "Adapative Radiation: New Work by John Wentz" will open on Friday, March 6th from 8pm-Midnight.

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FEBRUARY 1, 2009 – D-Structure SF and curator, Lainya Magaña, are pleased to present Adaptive Radiation – a collection of new works by Bay Area artist, John Wentz. The show will include installation, works in oil on aluminum panel, and a selection of works on paper. For Adaptive Radiation, Wentz continues his exploration of the human condition, weaving elements of mysticism and mythology into his pieces. Tightly rendered portraits representative of today’s youth interact on the canvas with Superheroes – the modern-day hero archetype and symbol of Wentz’s own, personal, childhood. These subjects are placed in the midst of a vast negative space amongst under paintings of Sacred Geometry and Golden Section imagery as a way to explain the subjects’ existence on a psychological plane and to further develop a sense of mysticism in the work.

JOHN WENTZ is a contemporary realist striving to understand the human condition through the lens of psychology and mythology. Inspired by the writings of psychologist Carl Jung, Wentz’s work explores how the archetype of the hero – and specifically the superhero – influences the human experience. Wentz was born and raised in the Bay Area and graduated with distinction from the Academy of Art University, where he won multiple awards. His work has been shown in national and international publications and resides in numerous private collections. John currently teaches at his alma mater focusing on painting, drawing, human anatomy, color theory, and composition.