David Wilson: Sittings

The David Ireland House at 500 Capp Street in San Francisco is pleased to present Sittings, David Wilson’s solo exhibition developed over four months of residency. 

Three mornings a week, Bay Area artist David Wilson climbs a hidden ladder through the attic of The David Ireland House to the roof where he perches on the steep peak to draw the same westward view of the surrounding neighborhood. Wilson, who creates observational drawings based on direct experiences with landscape and orchestrates site-based gatherings, is The David Ireland House’s first long-term artist-in-residence. Given free rein to investigate the House on his own as it remained closed due to the pandemic, Wilson was immediately drawn to the roof. For Wilson, it is a place to contemplate the vacillation between the interior and exterior, a way to heighten his sense of where he is, and a means of situating artist David Ireland’s historic home-turned-work-of-art within the neighborhood. 

The results of Wilson’s four-month exploration of the House, its archive, and the streets around it will be on display. The free exhibition encompasses an installation of his work within the rooms of the House, often in conversation with objects of interest from the Ireland archive, and the transformation of the House’s garage into a street-accessible space where visitors can pick up maps to sites of neighborhood intervention where they are invited to sit, discover small artist-created offerings, and leave their own mark on the project.

Taking inspiration from Anna Halprin’s concept of a score, and a David Ireland print, A Variation on 79, Side to Side Passes of a Dumball, Dedicated to the Memory of John Cage, [1912-1992], 1993, Wilson creates a “score for walking.” In this work, he orchestrates a feeling that one has “arrived” at something, thinking about simple concepts (like a walk)—yet having taken away an onomatopoeia of an experience. 

Wilson also gestures towards ephemeral public interventions around the neighborhood, and he points us to three “Sitting” sites or immersive nooks. Visitors are invited to pick up maps that will lead them to sites in the neighborhood. Programmed engagements will highlight neighboring artistic producers within the “Sitting” sites, which include performers, poets, and artists/neighbors whose recordings and copies of drawings will be left onsite—as well as a guest book in which visitors are invited to leave behind a trace of themselves. Wilson imbues a generosity of his process by making space for others to be creative through his invitations of maps and imprints.

Additional exhibition information
The public installation sites will feature sound artists and musicians Prasant Radhakrishnan, Ship (Frank Lyon, David Wilson), Larry Rinder and Colter Jacobsen, Peekaboo Jenkins, Zero Charisma, DJ Sin Amores, Maggi Payne, Sophia Shen, Mariposas Del Alma. A poetry series curated by Cole Solinger and Sophie Appel of Delaplane Gallery will also feature Tongo Eisen-Martin, Gin Hart, Trisha Low, Todd Blair, and Norma Cole. 

About David Wilson 
David Wilson creates observational drawings based on direct experiences with landscape and orchestrates site-based gatherings that draw together a wide net of artists, performers, filmmakers, chefs, and artisans into collaborative relationships. He organized the experimental exhibition The Possible at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) and received the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) 2012 SECA Art Award. He has exhibited his work with SFMOMA, was included in the 2010 CA Biennial, and presented a Matrix solo exhibition at BAMPFA. Wilson has received grants from The Andy Warhol Foundation, Southern Exposure, The Center for Craft, and the Kenneth Rainin Foundation. He is based in Oakland, CA. 

About The David Ireland House 
The David Ireland House at 500 Capp Street in San Francisco is the historic home-turned-work-of-art created by the late, pioneering conceptual artist David Ireland. The House presents exhibitions and educational programs celebrating Ireland's artistic legacy, and hosts collaborative events to strengthen San Francisco's cultural community—bringing together artists, scholars, teachers, students, and the public—as Ireland's home did during his lifetime. 

The House is a member of the Historic Artist Homes and Studios program (HAHS) and has been recognized as a Distinctive Destination by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.