San Francisco Art Exchange

SFAE has gone through several transitions during its existence, beginning as a small fine art business brokering artwork by 20th century masters. We then evolved into promoting contemporary painters. Ultimately we began exploring the importance and value of art and imagery that have become part of the popular consciousness.

We first began exhibiting illustration, particularly the pin-up paintings of Alberto Vargas, in 1985. With our collaboration in 1987 with Ronnie Wood to promote his artwork, as well as having Roger Dean, famed rock album cover painter, join us in 1990, momentum encouraged us to double the size of our gallery to 3000 square feet. We then began to incorporate rock and Hollywood photography into our make up in the 1990's as a natural progression to expand the scope of the definition of popular iconography.

We think our early art dealing roots, working with the art of such artists as Picasso, Miró, Chagall, Warhol, Haring, Dalí and many other master fine artists put us in a good position to appreciate and frame a discussion around the artistic merit, historical importance, cultural significance and, hence, the market value for much of the art and imagery of popular culture that has surrounded us for decades.