Cal Arts

An S.F. gallery for the (extremely) casual collector

June 20, 2005—Call it the Christie's of kitsch. Instead of trumpeting big-name sculptors or painterly flavors of the month, San Francisco's newly opened Lost Art Salon dedicates its SoMa space to the work of artists long (and, let's be frank, deservedly) forgotten. Owners Rob Delameter and Gaétan Caron harbor no illusions—every painting is meant expressly for ornamentation. More than 300 pictures (prices range from $150 to $600) are up for grabs, including paint-by-number fifties landscapes, modernist daubs fit for Austin Powers' shag pad, and dewy 1970's portraits, plus a small selection of retro vases and lamps, all delightfully free of any redeeming artistic merit. What started as a hobby—the owners would scout flea markets and thrift stores for cheap but decorative canvases to sell to friends and clients—is now catching on. Tommy Hilfiger's team recently snapped up two dozen forties portraits as inspiration for his new collection, and Pottery Barn stylists bought a few canvases for their next catalog shoot.
Lost Art Salon is open Tuesday and Thursday, noon to 8 p.m., and by appointment; the Post Tool Arts Building, 245 S. Van Ness St., Suite 303, San Francisco, (415) 861-1530, www.lostartsalon.com.