Jeff Eisenberg at Ping Pong Gallery (SF)

In April, the tiny artist-run Ping Pong Gallery presented a show of new work by San Francisco artist Jeff Eisenberg. His game is reverse simulation: he makes drawings that look computer-made, but they are entirely hand-drawn. Each work consists of multiple layers of translucent mylar, on which he draws using varied combinations of colored pencil, graphite, watercolor, and gouache. It is a labor-intensive process.

The drawings reference CAD drawings of structures, computer-generated scientific visualizations, modern architecture, science fiction, and other visual motifs in science and engineering. A particularly interesting feature is the sense that each drawing captures an unfolding process influenced by many variables, where the outcome is uncertain and may not be benign.

The drawings operate as Rorschachs for a certain swath of visual culture: as you study them, a lot of referents come to mind. The most recent drawings use a bolder palette, to excellent effect.

Examples of the drawings shown at Ping Pong are shown above and below (they are all medium sized; for example, the one at the bottom is 30" x 42").