"First" Thursday Photo Fun

Because San Francisco was officially closed last week for Burning Man (you were there, right?), this month's First Thursday open galleries is being held tonight. Several galleries have what promise to be fascinating photography shows on display.

Three interesting shows are only an elevator ride away from each other at the 49 Geary Street art mall. Chinese artist Adou's “Samalada” series at the Haines Gallery features poignant pictures of the Yi ethnic minority on Da Liang Mountain in Sichuan Province.

Black and white genius Hiroshi Sugimoto's new series "Lightning Fields" uses a 400,000-volt Van De Graaff generator to apply a charge directly onto film. The electrifying results (sorry, we couldn't resist) are on view at Fraenkel Gallery.

And Brian Ulrich's "Dark Stores" series at the Robert Koch Gallery offers long, ghostly nighttime pictures of abandoned big box storefronts from Foreclosureland.

San Francisco Art Dealers' First Thursday Art
49 Geary Street, and around town
Most locations open from 5:30-7:30pm