Mike Shine “Flotsam’s Harvest” at White Walls
Mike Shine created an entire universe at White Walls for the opening of “Flotsam’s Harvest,” his sweeping installation of street art, paintings, films, as he launched his graphic novella Flotsam’s Harvest, the tale of Dr. Flotsam’s encounters with ten people throughout the course of history. And to add even more intrigue, each aspect of Shine’s show provides different coded tips and hints, offered to help viewers solve the dark “World Riddle” posed by Friedrich Nietzsche in his book, Thus Spake Zarathustra.
For the show’s opening, Shine’s band/troupe The Carny Bastards performed a musical medicine show which also held clues to the World Riddle. Poverbs and “Flotsamisms,” which also provide clues, will be posted regularly on the web, at Flotsamsharvest.com and facebook.com/flotsamsharvest. Think you have the answer? At the end of the Harvest exhibition, which runs through April 6, submit it on the Facebook page to be reviewed by Dr. Flotsam–winner(s) will be awarded painting(s) as prizes.
“Flotsam’s Harvest” Mike Shine
March 13 thru April 6, 2013
White Walls
866 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
Open Tuesday through Saturday, noon-7pm

SF resident Sain Balogh admires Mike Shine’s Act 7–Julius Rosenberg. She noted that although each piece in in this series had a corresponding act number – there was an entirely different number somewhere in each painting. For example there is an 8 on the hand of the man in this paining, which is titled “Act 7”.

At the entrance to White Walls, patrons were greeted by a sign letting us know the Carny Bastards were somewhere in the house. The large stage was a second clue that we were all in for a treat thanks to Mike Shine’s use of multi-media.

At approximately 8:30 pm White Walls Gallery was turned into what resembled a carney circus circa 1922. None other than Dr. Flotsam himself emerges from the pine coffin as the ringleader of this band of mismatched gypsies.