Bonanza: Arrangements

Gallery 16 presents Arrangements, Bonanza’s first exhibition with the gallery. Bonanza is the collaborative practice of Conrad Guevara, Lindsay Tully, and Lana Williams. Their work draws upon the artists' respective experiences as a filmmaker, sculptor, and painter and centers around issues of identity and authorship. Bonanza will presents an array of painting and sculpture, with two large paintings, ten small-to-medium size paintings, and five sculptures—in addition to installation that will activate elements of the gallery space. All members of the artist collective will be in attendance at the opening reception, Friday, September 7th from 6 to 9PM.

In regards to the concept behind Bonanza, the singular name acts as a stage name for which the trio performs under. It’s with this moniker that Bonanza challenges the fixity of identity and the notion of the singular heroic artist. The abstract paintings on view in Arrangements are a collaborative effort—laying down canvas on a table, everyone painting simultaneously. Occasionally, Bonanza takes a break to get a birds eye view of their progress from a second floor. Engaging in a group conversation, Bonanza discusses what’s working and plan the next course of action. This dialogue and negotiation is playful, giving silly names to describe certain moments and potential marks in the paintings. 

Similar to musical and floral compositions, Bonanza arranges their paintings and sculptures with special emphasis on balance, contrast, variation and harmony. Each composition is a constellation of elements and marks, the results of three subjectivities merging as one. Their individual pieces perform together creating rhythms and transitions highlighted by material sensibilities, color interactions and placement. Arrangements require negotiations—verbal and formal, playful and strategic. 

In addition to painting, Bonanza produces five steel-based sculptures, about the height of a bar table. Bouquet-like "arrangements" created from cement shapes and various other materials sit atop powder coated steel bases, specifically designed for these sculptures.

Bonanza's diverse projects have included installation, film and fashion. The artists regularly employ abstraction, performance and humor, often using their projects as a platform for others. Bonanza has exhibited at Alter Space, Minnesota Street Project, Southern Exposure, Interface Gallery, Walter and McBean Galleries and the di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art in the Bay Area. Their work has been written about by VICE, SFAQ, Art Practical, KQED, Elephant, Daily Serving and the East Bay Express. The artists have produced several films, including their first film, The Initiation, a horror film that satirizes the rise of big tech in San Francisco and The Drought which investigates the effects (real and imagined) of the water crisis. They are currently Artists in Residence at the San Francisco Recology Center.