'ANTONI MANCERA' Micron 03/08 Pen on Bristol Paper 19x24in 2021 $450 Antonio Mancera aka Toni is one of the featured artists displaying artwork at Look Gallery at 720 Geary st (@Leavenworth). Look Gallery has seved as both an art gallery/antique shop as well as a local community spot for TL locals for the last 10 years. They will be closing their doors permanently on October 30th 2021. I'm taking this month to feature some of the people and artists I've had the pleasure of meeting there over the years through drawing their portraits and sharing aspects of their lives Toni was born in El Paso, TX on Jan. 22, 1947. After his father's passing at Toni's six years of age, his mother remarried and the family relocated to Los Angeles, CA where Toni was raised. Recognizing his Mexican heritage, Toni had decided to keep his birth name of Mancera. After a tour of duty as an army corpsman in the Vietman War, Toni moved to San Francisco, CA in 1970. His experiences durimg the war layed a groundwork of inspiration for his future paintings. He soon starting attending workshops at The Tenderloin's Hospitality House where he soon became an art instructor. After recognizing his talent he enrolled in the San Francisco Art Institute in 1972 on a Third World Cultural Grant offered to him by the Institute. Starting off in a more 'realistic, picture like' approach to his painting, Toni soon discovered a 'post modern deconstructive' approach to his work after an instuctor at the Institite asked him to sketch a chair that was broken into pieces. "I can make things go in and out both playfully and seriously" proclaims Toni. Since then he has gained inspiration from Impressionism, Japanese motifs, abstraction and spiritual themes. His playful and deconstructive style is prevelent thrpugh the different mamifestions of his work over the last five decades. Anyone wishing to see his work can do so this month at Look Gallery on 720 Geary st. Toni is often there sitting in with owner Nancy Bliss and her assortment of TL characters! #antoniomancera #lookgallery #tenderloin #tenderloinnights #hospitalityhouse #dyoungv #micron #sakura #sanfranciscoart (at LOOK Gallery) https://www.instagram.com/p/CUqhmnYp_Aq/?utm_medium=tumblr